Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
333 Biosciences West
1041 E. Lowell
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721
Tel: (520) 626-4747
FAX: (520) 621-9190
E-mail: jjonas@email.arizona.edu

How do organisms adapt to their environment.  In particular, what are the genetic changes responsible for an adaptive trait?  Advances in technology and the availability of large amounts of DNA sequence data make this an exciting time to be curious about such questions.

As an undergraduate I did research involving the ingestion and inactivation of bacteriophages T4 and lambda by the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila. We showed that ingestion is required for T. thermophila to inactivate the phages and moreover that phages may be a minor nutrient source in the absence of bacteria.  This may be an important factor influencing population densities of phages in natural environments.

Since then I've worked as a Teaching Assistant in Chemistry and most recently I taught math, science and English in South Korea.  I have long been fascinated with molecular evolution and the genetic basis of adaptation specifically.

Hennemuth W., Rhoads L.,Eichelberger H.B.,Watanabe M.,Van Bell K.M.,Ke L.,Kim H., Ngyuyen G.,Jonas J.D.,Veith D., and Craig T. Van Bell, 2008.  Ingestion and Inactivation of Bacteriophages by Tetrahymena, J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 55(1), 2008 pp. 44–50.

HONORS/AWARDS

Board of Governor's Math and Science Award
Phillip's Pre-healing Arts Award for Pre-Medicine

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2006 & 2007 Full-time Teaching Assistant - General Chemistry Lab and Recitation. Pennsylvania State University

2008 English, Math and Science. Changnyeong English Camp, South Korea

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science Pre-med (Biology) Major - cum laude. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Studies abroad:
Anglo-American College (Anglo-americka vysoka skola), Prague, Czech Republic
University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain