Research

My current projects center on researching student thought processes when problem solving in a genetics context. I have conducted think aloud interviews exploring how students can reduce their cognitive load with metacognitive planning to solve a problem, and further use representations like Punnett squares to leave visual notes for themselves. Additionally, I am also developing a computational activity to explore student understanding of programming and complex genetic interactions with a summer undergraduate student.

An example pedigree for a y-linked trait. Can this pedigree be linked to any other inheritance pattern? What is the likelihood?
Modeling cells from the XZ dimension allows you to visualize rounded ‘bubbly’ tops. In cultured MDCK cells, there is a transition to a flat uniform apical surface as the layer densifies.

The focus of my PhD thesis epithelial tissues from a biomechanical perspective. We created an image analysis pipeline to classify the 3D architecture of cultured epithelial cells so we could make unbiased comparisons between cell platings. In addition to this tool I created a 2D model of epithelial development from the oft overlooked XZ dimension. Coupled with development, we studied epithelial maintenance, uncovering a mechanical pathway to aid cell reintegration.

This is a Drosophila egg chamber from a mutant strain I designed. The cells that are pink have functional nrg and fas2, but the teal cells are double null. This leads to a loss in ability for cells to reintegrate and sometimes massive clumps of ‘popped out cells’.

Publications

  1. Finegan TM, Cammarota C, Andrade OM, Garoutte AM, and Bergstrah DT. (2024) Fas2[EB112]: a tale of two chromosomes. G3 Genes | Genomes | Genetics, Volume 14, Issue 5. 10.1093/g3journal/jkae047
  2. Cammarota C et al. (2024) The mechanical influence of densification on epithelial architecture. PLOS Computational Biology 20(4): e1012001. 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012001
  3. Dawney NS*and Cammarota C* et al. (2023) A novel tool for the unbiased characterization of epithelial monolayer development in culture. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 10.1091/mbc.E22-04-0121
  4. Cammarota C* and Finegan, TM* et al. (2020) An Axon-Pathfinding Mechanism Preserves Epithelial Tissue Integrity. Current Biology. 10.1101/2020.04.29.068387.
  5. Finegan TM, Na D., Cammarota C,… and Bergstralh DT. (2019) Tissue tension and not interphase cell shape determines cell division orientation in the Drosophila follicular epithelium. The EMBO Journal 38, 336–18.
  6. Kawaguchi T, Liu Y, Reiter A, Cammarota C, Pierce M, and You H. (2018) Direct determination of one-dimensional interphase structures using normalized crystal truncation rod analysis. J. Appl. Cryst. 51, 679-684.

* – Denotes equal contribution

Conference Proceedings

  1. Leak A, Cammarota C, Cawley N and Zwickl B. (2018) Examining students’ perceptions of innovation and entrepreneurship in physics. Presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2017. 236-239. 10.1119/perc.2017.pr.054

Other Article Types

  1. Cammarota C and Bergstralh DT. (2020) Cell Division: Interkinetic Nuclear… Mechanics. Current Biology. 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.028. Current Biology Dispatch
  2. Cammarota C, Bergstralh DT, and Finegan T. (2024) Automated Layer Analysis (ALAn): An Image Analysis Tool for the Unbiased Characterization of Mammalian Epithelial Architecture in Culture. Bio-protocol 14(8): e4971. 10.21769/BioProtoc.4971 Bio-protocol Protocol