Hi there! My name is Flynn Gorman I was born and raised in New Jersey. I grew up as a middle child playing ice hockey on and off growing up. With two brothers that played and a hockey coach for a Dad, I don't think I picked the sport- it kind of picked me. I always loved singing and being creative in the kitchen, so once I got to Trinity College, I auditioned for Quirks A Cappella and applied to work at the Underground Coffeehouse, a student managed and run coffee shop on campus. I've been involved in these organizations for the entirety of my college career, and I now act as the PR Director for the Quirks and the Creative Director of the UG. Once I figured out I wasn't as passionate about the medical field as I thought, I focused my academics on taking classes that truly interested me like Invertebrate Zoology and Animal Physiology. Eventually, I landed a spot in the Freshwater Invertebrate lab on campus under the mentorship of Dr. Benjamin Toscano in which I truly got a look into the research and the data collection process. Despite learning interesting ecological topics and gaining invaluable laboratory knowledge, I was missing the marine aspect of my research. With a lot of support from Dr. Claire Fournier, Dr. Ben Toscano, Dr. Kent Dunlap, and my roommates Maggie and Eleanor for reading my many (many) REU application essays at ungodly hours of the night- I was offered a position here at OIMB! Despite being here for just a week, the program has already exceeded my expectations. In just 5 days I explored the Coos Bay forest, walked along the OIMB beach, navigated Charleston, went thrift shopping for blankets, got coffee and pizza from the local shops, and got to know the other REU interns. We also had a really nice picnic and were able to meet our mentors, cruise around the tide pools, and lay on the beach. My research this summer will be focusing on looking at two deep-sea hydrothermal vent Gastropods, Ifremeria nautilei and Alviniconcha. This summer, I will be setting the reproductive structures of Ifremeria in Spurr's resin and using an ultramicrotome to make very thin slices of its ovary/testis to investigate what makes up the reproductive tissue, if there are any bacteria present that aid in reproduction, and if the reproductive structures differ between our two gastropods. In addition, we will also be using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to look at the periostracal bristles of Alviniconcha to get a better look at the hair-like structures on the outside of their shell, as well as imaging unidentified larvae. One of my favorite days on campus so far was this past Thursday when I was taught how to use a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to focus and take pictures of samples of larvae. After that, the Young Lab graduate students gave us a tour of the Charleston Marine Life Center which is basically a marine museum across the street filled with all sorts of cool things from Charleston and OIMB. Pictures Below! This weekend we are going camping for two nights at Sunset Bay State Park and hiking along the coast. I’m excited to see more of the forest and coastline! See you next week!
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AuthorHello! My name is Flynn Gorman and I am working in the Young Lab and studying the embryology of the gastropods Ifremeria nautilei and Alviniconcha this summer. I am from New Jersey and I am pursuing a B.S. in Biology at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. I also work at a coffee shop on campus and act as the PR Director for my acapella group. Archives
August 2022
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