Marco Carrillo
Bachelor of Science, Biology
Masters Student in Biology, admitted Autumn 2022
All Publications
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Velvety tree ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans.
microPublication biology
2025; 2025
Abstract
Ants use a range of compounds for interspecies interactions, but the neurogenetic mechanisms mediating these interactions are unclear. Here, we used chemotaxis assays with the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to test if ant compounds can be detected by the worm nervous system and which chemosensory neurons are required for detection. We found that C. elegans avoid the extracts of velvety tree ants ( Liometopum occidentale ), and this response requires osm-9 and tax-4 positive neurons. These experiments were conducted by undergraduate students in an upper-division laboratory course, demonstrating how simple behavior assays conducted in a classroom setting can provide practical research experiences and new insights into interspecies interactions.
View details for DOI 10.17912/micropub.biology.001531
View details for PubMedID 40535527
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12175000
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Olfactory cues elicit species-specific locomotive responses in poison frog tadpoles.
microPublication biology
2025; 2025
Abstract
Amphibian species rear their larvae in distinct environments that may influence how they respond to different sensory stimuli. Here, we investigated the olfactory-mediated locomotive responses of two poison frog species ( Allobates femoralis and Ranitomeya imitator ) that vary in life history strategies. We found that A. femoralis tadpoles spent more time near an injury cue compared to control, while R. imitator tadpoles increased their movement in response to high concentrations of amino acids. These experiments were done in an undergraduate laboratory course, demonstrating how simple behavior assays conducted in a classroom setting can provide practical research experiences and new insights into animal behavior.
View details for DOI 10.17912/micropub.biology.001532
View details for PubMedID 40503013
View details for PubMedCentralID PMC12152586