Office of Research & Economic Development ··························· The Constant Pursuit of Discovery | 2019–20 CONVERGENCE CONVERGENCE a study in multidisciplinary collaborations 2019-20 TABLE OF CONTENTS COVER FEATURE CONVER GENCE 8 CONVERGENCE 10 ADAPTIVE GUITAR 18 QUANTUM REALM 14 CANCER: ART AND 22 COLLABORATIVE CHAMPIONS TECHNOLOGY News Scholarship Recognition 3 Briefs 34 Between the Ground & Sky 53 Rainmakers 6 Q&A 42 Ocean Viruses 56 Accolades On Mentoring 44 Sunshine Project 60 Distinguished Research Masters 46 Bogalusa Heart Study 62 Media Shelf 50 Botanical Secrets ABOUT THIS ISSUE LSU Research is published annually by the Office of Research & Economic Development, Louisiana State University, with editorial offices in 134 David. F. Boyd Hall, LSU, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. Any written portion of this publication may be reprinted without permission as long as credit for LSU Research is given. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of LSU faculty or administration. Send correspondence to the Office of Research & Economic Development at the address above or email [email protected]. Phone: 225-578-5833. Visit us at: lsu.edu/research. For more great research stories, visit: lsu.edu/research/news. Louisiana State University and Office of Research & Economic Development Administration FROM THE F. King Alexander, President Stacia Haynie, Executive Vice President & Provost Samuel J. Bentley, Vice President, Research & Economic VICE PRESIDENT Development Stephen David Beck, Associate Vice President, Research & Economic Development Convergence in research is about weaving many ideas and LSU Research perspectives into a single fabric. Each day, we see this grow and Publisher and Executive Editor: Stephen David Beck change across the LSU campus—a new and beautiful synergy. Editor-in-Chief: Alison Lee Satake We are building upon our existing strengths and developing new Coordinators: Holly Carruth and Kristin Smith initiatives, such as the Center for Collaborative Knowledge, where Contributing Writers: Beth Carter, Mary Chiappetta, Elsa faculty from the seemingly disparate fields of biology, anthropology, Hahne, Libby Haydel, Rachel Holland, Ferris Wayne religion, mass communication, and more came together to create McDaniel, Kristopher Mecholsky, Tamara Mizell, Alison Lee a truly multidisciplinary center dedicated to the very idea of Satake, Johanna Warwick, and Christine Wendling convergence. Designer: Maggie Mosby Contributing Designers: Jewel Hampton, Tyronecia Moore, and Marcus Soniat The National Science Foundation has identified “deep integration Photographers: Elsa Hahne, Eddy Perez, and across disciplines” as one of its 10 Big Ideas, stating: Katherine Seghers Production Coordinator: Jo Glenny “As experts from different disciplines pursue common research challenges, their knowledge, theories, methods, data, research About the Cover communities, and languages become increasingly intermingled or Leonardo da Vinci was a forefather in convergence integrated. New frameworks, paradigms, or even disciplines can research. In his work, you see both the artist’s eye for form sustained interactions across multiple communities.” detail benefiting the study of science and scientific study of the human figure elevated to art. When thinking about In the following pages, we share some of the fruits of our labor and collaboration in the midst of convergence research, this insight from some of our leading researchers and convergence aspect of da Vinci’s sketches should not be overlooked. experts. From our perspective, hands are the most symbolic part of the body when it comes to collaboration. This magazine cover seeks to communicate the beauty of collaborative I hope you enjoy seeing how we have put these principles into action. efforts in convergence research while paying homage Visit lsu.edu/research for more stories throughout the year. to the aesthetic of da Vinci as well as his studies. This cover illustration was created by staff graphic designer Marcus Soniat. Samuel J. Bentley Vice President, Research & Economic Development Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in Sedimentary Geology LSU IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ACCESS UNIVERSITY Produced by the LSU Division of Strategic Communications 353-0048 • 1.6M • 09/19 2 | NEWS NEWS By Beth Carter and Alison Lee Satake Risk Remains Low Despite Rise in New Bird Species Discovered Global Shark Attacks LSU Museum of Natural Science researchers discovered a A study led by LSU Department of Oceanography & Coastal new species of bird on the island of Borneo. Their discovery Sciences Assistant Professor Stephen Midway shows that of the Cream-eyed Bulbul, or Pycnonotus pseudosimplex, was although the number of shark attacks has increased over time, published in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club the rate of attack is low, and the risk of being attacked by a shark scientific journal. is highly variable across the globe. Midway and his collaborators This bird is found from conducted the first statistical analysis of shark attacks southern Thailand to worldwide using data collected over a 55-year period. Sumatra, Java, and A spate of shark attacks in North Carolina in 2015 made Midway, Borneo. In most of its whose expertise is in fish ecology, curious about whether these range, another bird, events were unprecedented or normal, numerically speaking. the Cream-vented Bulbul, has white eyes. Midway and colleagues applied time series models to shark On Borneo, however, attacks that occurred in 14 countries and further investigated most bulbuls have red specific regions within three countries that had the highest eyes, although there number of shark attacks: the U.S., Australia, and South Africa. are also a few with They found that shark attack rates, although extremely low, white eyes. Naturalists have doubled over the past 20 years in highly populated regions, previously thought the including the East Coast of the U.S. and southern Australia. eye color differentiation on Borneo was LSU. Subir Shakya, Credit: “With more people in the water, the chance for a shark attack inconsequential since LSU PhD student Subir Shakya and his naturally increases. But even in the places where we saw an advisor, LSU Museum of Natural Science the birds look identical Curator of Genetic Resources Fred Sheldon, increase, the chances were still one in several million,” Midway otherwise. However, discovered a new species of bird on Borneo, said. which they’ve named the Cream-eyed Bulbul LSU researchers illustrated here by Shakya. discovered the white- Other studies have shown that year-over-year variation in the eyed birds on Borneo actually represent a completely new number of shark attacks is often the result of a combination species, which they dubbed the Cream-eyed Bulbul. of factors. For instance, the increased number of attacks in North Carolina in 2015 is now thought to be the result of a very “One of the reasons we knew we had a new species as opposed warm summer, changes in prey distribution, and an increased to just a variant of another species was because the two number of beachgoers. populations—the red-eyed and white-eyed populations— actually occur together on Borneo,” said Subir Shakya, lead Other factors include the overall number of people in the water author and LSU Department of Biological Sciences PhD student. and the type of water activity conducted at specific locations. “One of the theories of speciation is if two birds co-occur in Therefore, shark monitoring measures and management the same area, and they are not interbreeding, then that’s a activities can be implemented at the local level to further lower definitive sign that they are different species.” the risk of shark attacks. Shakya made the discovery after he had returned to LSU from an expedition to Sumatra. He was sequencing the DNA of several bird specimens from Sumatra and Borneo to compare them when he discovered that the white-eyed bulbuls from Borneo were genetically distinct. 2019–20 | 3 “This discovery was made due to Subir’s dogged detective work The discovery of these high-quality materials—jadeite and and a little serendipity,” said co-author Fred Sheldon, the LSU rosewood—used as utilitarian tools, demonstrates that Museum of Natural Science curator of genetic resources and salt workers played an important role in the Classic Maya Shakya’s PhD advisor. marketplace economy more than 1,000 years ago. The LSU Museum of Natural Science houses the world’s largest “The salt workers were successful entrepreneurs who were able collection of genetic samples of birds from Borneo and Sumatra. to obtain high-quality tools for their craft,” she said. Credit: LSU Credit: LSU researchers (left to right) Ryan Burner, Lindsey Burner, Fred Sheldon, and Subir Shakya at their fieldwork site in southeast Borneo. Salt: Mover and Shaker in Ancient Maya Society Salt is essential for life and a biological necessity. However, as ancient civilizations evolved from hunters and gatherers to agrarian societies, it has not been clear how people acquired this mineral. Recently, an anthropologist at LSU discovered remnants of an ancient salt works in Belize that provide clues on how the ancient Maya at the peak of their civilization more LSU Credit: than 1,000 years ago produced, stored, and traded this valuable An LSU study of ancient Maya chert, or flint, tools reveals that not only were mineral. New analyses of stone tools found at this site, called the ancient Maya making salt in large quantities, but they were salting fish the