Access to resources and opportunities are integral for undergraduate student success at Slippery Rock University. Tadiwanashe Musanhu, a senior biology major from Harare, Zimbabwe, is taking full advantage of his time at SRU. Working directly under an SRU faculty mentor over the summer, Musanhu has been conducting hands-on research analyzing crayfish with Paul Falso, a professor of biology.
“This project has been a combination of everything I have learned in the classroom,” Musanhu said. “I don’t just need to learn this for my next exam; I will be using this later in my professional career.”
Together, Musanhu and Falso have worked to research specific physiological responses of crayfish, hoping to create a better understanding of their neuroendocrine stress regulation. This project was initially presented at SRU’s 2026 Symposium for Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement, where Musanhu collaborated on this research alongside Anna Greer ’26, a recent biology graduate, whose previous work piqued Musanhu’s interest in the project
Part of Greer’s research involved putting crayfish under stressful conditions, using glucose as an indicator to see how their bodies would respond. Building upon this, Musanhu is now testing the crayfish immune system, attempting to learn more about how crayfish respond to pathogens.
“We’re still going to measure the stress, but now we’re trying to figure out how well the crayfish immune system fights bacteria by itself,” Musanhu explained.
There are two main methods to the research. The first is an assay which involves collecting hemolymph (the animal’s body fluid) from the crayfish to determine antimicrobial activity. The second method involves analyzing the crayfish immune cells.
“We’re hoping to see how exactly the crayfish are killing these bacteria and simulate what it would be like in a natural environment,” Musanhu said.
The research experience is directly preparing Musanhu for his post-graduation goal of entering a career in medicine or clinical research.
“I felt like this project would give me a lot of lab experience, and learning about the immune side of everything would be a very good experience for later in the future,” said Musanhu. “There are challenges of working with something that is alive; it is very interesting and rewarding.”
As a pre-med biology student, Musanhu emphasized how impactful this frequent hands-on experience has been, as it is something that can be difficult to fully replicate solely in a classroom setting.
“There’s only so much hand-on experience you can be given in a class of like 25 people with only one teacher,” said Musanhu. “You see this stuff in textbooks and were taught it as a freshman, but now I’m doing it on a daily basis. Everything I have learned is being used with this research.”
This deep dive into crayfish research has provided Musanhu with a launchpad for academic growth, made possible by Falso’s mentorship and SRU’s attainable undergraduate research initiatives.
“I didn’t even know you could do this type of research here,” said Musanhu. “But now, I feel like this has definitely improved my learning in class. I’ve seen my class performance go up since starting the research, and it has also helped connect me to people. I’m finding myself talking and relating to a lot more people in the professional setting now.”
More information about SRU’s research opportunities can be found on the academics webpage, and more information about the biology department can be found on the program’s webpage.
