2025 Internship Project Overview

Our project investigated how providing laboratory mice with natural environmental experiences can improve their ability to model the physiology of free-living adult mammals. Lab mice traditionally live in sterile, controlled environments and often have immune systems that differ significantly from humans’. In this study, we released lab mice into Stony Ford Research Station, an outdoor enclosure where they could burrow, forage and interact with natural microbes, then monitored how these experiences affected their health and behavior. As interns, we contributed to both the fieldwork and laboratory work. In the field, we helped with animal husbandry, including providing fresh food and water, cleaning feeders and live-trapping mice for sample collection. In the lab, we assisted with behavioral data analysis, parasite egg counting and blood processing through CBC (Complete Blood Count). We also developed a new fecal flotation protocol to isolate parasite (Trichuris muris) eggs. These combined efforts supported the broader research goal of making lab mice more accurate models for studying human health.

ORGANIZATION/RESEARCH GROUP

The Graham Group, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University

LOCATION

Stony Ford Center for Ecological Studies, Princeton, New Jersey

 

Interns

Jenny Hua ’27
Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Minor(s): Korean Language
"I loved the combination of fieldwork and labwork that allowed me to develop a diverse skillset. I had the opportunity to lead a project for our collaborators in mice cricket-hunting, which involved spending a lot of time in the field—my favorite part."
Chloe Li ’27
Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
"This summer gave me insight into the importance of bridging lab and wild systems. I gained hands-on skills in field and lab work: trapping mice, maintaining enclosures, processing blood samples and developing a new parasite egg isolation protocol. Most rewarding was working alongside such a supportive and passionate team—this was incredibly valuable and inspiring."

Click to view the end-of-project presentation

 

Andrea Graham
Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Mentors

  • Yoon Chang, Ph.D. Candidate, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
  • David Chang von Oordt, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology