Donn Branstrator, associate professor, Department of
Biology, talked about his Sea Grant-funded research on WTIP radio on Wed., Jan
18 .
Branstrator along with Meghan Brown and Lyle Shannon, recently published Sea Grant-funded results,
“Population regulation of the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) in a
reservoir: Implications for invasion,” in Limnology and Oceanography.
Tom Hrabik, associate professor, Department of Biology,
talked about his Sea Grant-funded research on WTIP radio on Thurs., Dec. 22.
Listen to the archived
interview.
Gerald Niemi, Euan Reavie, G.S. Peterson (EPA-NHEERL), J.R.
Kelly (EPA-NHEERL), Carol A. Johnston (South Dakota State University), Lucinda
Johnson, R.W. Howe (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay), George Host, Tom
Hollenhorst (EPA-NHEERL), Nick Danz (University of Wisconsin Superior), Jan
Cibrowski (University of Windsor), Terry Brown, and Rich Axler published “An
Integrated Approach to Multiple Stressors in Lake Superior” in the journal
Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management, Vol. 14, 2011.
Nick Danz, P.B. Reich, L.E. Frelich (both of the University of Minnesota Twin
Cities campus) and Gerald Niemi, professor, Department of
Biology, published “Vegetation controls vary across space and spatial scale in a
historic grassland-forest biome boundary,” in the journal Ecography, Vol. 34,
2011.
Julie Etterson, associate professor, Department of Biology,
gave a talk at Purdue University in the Department of Biological Sciences on
Nov. 2, 2011 entitled "Evolution in response to climate change."
John Pastor, professor, Department of Biology and Angela
Sharp, instructor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, recently published
a paper on a model of chronic wasting disease in deer populations (Ecological
Applications 21: 1024–1030, 2011). The model shows that the disease persists and
destabilizes deer populations as carrying capacity increases. Sharp and Pastor
are now researching how hunting can be used to control the disease.
Clay Carter, associate professor, Department of
Biology, presented an invited talk entitled "A role for auxin and PIN6 in the
regulation of quantitative nectar secretion in the Brassicaceae" at the
International Botanical Congress 2011 in Melbourne, Australia on July 29, 2011.
A SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY made by UMD research scientists Matthew Andrews and Lester Drewes, and which has the potential
to prevent life-threatening complications due to severe blood loss, has taken a
major step toward commercial use. Working in collaboration with the scientists,
the U's Office for Technology Commercialization has signed a license agreement
with Denver-based Ariel Pharmaceuticals authorizing the private company to
develop and commercialize the blood loss therapy. For more information, see discovery.
UMD ZOMBIE FEST- Six professors from four UMD colleges will
present a one-evening symposium on the topic of “Zombies" on Thurs., Oct. 27 in
BohH 90 at 7 pm. John Schwetman, Department of English, will discuss will
discuss the “zombie” as a literary trope tied to the Apocalypse; Scott Carlson,
Department of Psychology will discuss how modern psychiatric definitions of what
constitutes a mental disorder would apply to “zombie-ism”; John Dahl,
Department of Biology, will discuss the discovery of prion-associated
infectious diseases; Tim Craig, Department of Biology, will
discuss how parasites can take over the brains of insects and other animals to
manipulate their hosts for their own purposes; David Cole, Department of
Philosophy, will discuss the "ethics of killing zombies"; and Edward Downs,
Department of Communication, will discuss the history of zombie-themed video
games. For more information, contact John
Dahl.
Julie Etterson,
Associate Professor, received a $1.199 million grant from the National Science
Foundation for a four-year study, Project Baseline, a living plant genome
reserve for the study of evolution. Etterson, principal investigator, joins
Steven Franks, Fordham University; Susan Mazer, University of California, Santa
Barbara; and Ruth G. Shaw, Duke University who will serve as co-principal
investigators. The UMD budget is $816,200. In addition, Etterson was highlighted
in the Sept. 23 issue of Science magazine.
Thomas R. Hrabik, Associate Professor, was elected president
of the Minnesota Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
TheUMD Field Experiment Station held a harvest fruit and
tour the UMD Heritage Seedling Trial Orchard on Sat., Sept. 24. Restoration of
this five-acre historic seedling trial orchard has begun. Visitors saw a variety
of old and young trees and a wide range of fruit types and leared how this
orchard will provide opportunities for students and the community to learn about
tree fruit development, variety identification, organic and integrated pest
management, restorative pruning, grafting and more. For more information and
directions to the orchard, visit the farm website.
Allen F. Mensinger, Professor, was recently elected to the
Science Council at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass. The
Science Council is an advisory body of the MBL whose primary role is to advise
the Director/CEO and inform the Board of Trustees on all research and education
matters, including scientific appointments and the creation and review of
Centers/Programs.
John Pastor, Professor, and Rachel
MaKarrall, Instructor, have paintings and drawings in the show "Places
Between, Species Within" at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisc. The
show also includes paintings by other members of Project Art for Nature, a
collaboration of artists and illustrators from Minnesota and Wisconsin creating
artwork that promotes stewardship of threatened natural areas in our region.
Fall 2010 NEWS
Academy of Science and Engineering Inductees
The Swenson College of Science and Engineering inducted five new members into the Academy of Science and Engineering on Friday, October 8, 2010:
Dr. Stephen Brand, BA Geology 1971
Mr. Keith Erickson, Bachelor of Computer Engineering 1987
Mr. Kurt Heikkila, MS Chemistry 1979
Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, USMC, BS General Sciences 1973
Dr. Bruce Warren, BS Zoology 1949
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DR. BRUCE HUNTINGTON WARREN
2011 Biology Inductee
Academy of Science and Engineering
Dr. Bruce Warren graduated with a B.A. in Zoology from UMD in 1949. He and his future wife, A. Jane Berry, attended UMD together and were married after Bruce graduated. Jane finished her degree at the University of Minnesota graduating magna cum laude. Bruce completed stints in China and the Pacific with the Marines in WWII and was later chief of the USAF Aerospace Medicine Weightlessness Section. His work with weightlessness led him to become an aerospace research flight surgeon, earn board certification in aerospace medicine, and conduct research he called, “More fun than work.” Before the first manned space launches, Bruce studied the physiological effects of weightlessness by flying zero gravity parabolic flight maneuvers in supersonic jet fighters. When the U.S. entered the conflict in Vietnam, the focus of Bruce’s research changed. He flew on combat aeromedical evacuation flights to study lifesaving equipment. Back in the States as commander of the USAF Epidemiology Laboratory in San Antonio, he became involved in the early studies of drug addiction in Vietnam veterans and the relatively high rate of attrition among new Air Force recruits. These studies, along with Bruce’s interest in brain biochemistry and human behavior, led him to return to school to become a psychiatric medical doctor. He did his residency at the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio. Five years after starting his residency, he became chairman of the Psychiatry Department, where he stayed until his Air Force retirement. Following that retirement in 1980, he joined the faculty of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he continued his career in research, teaching, and clinical practice.
Summer 2010 NEWS
Biological Discovery in Woods Hole (BDWH) Program
The 2010 Biological Discovery in Woods Hole program undergraduate students, from left: Samantha Lindemann, Kelly Harrington, Kurt Isaac-Elder, Cassandra Childs, Tim Eisen, Sophia Booth, Allan Augillard, Chelsea Connelly, Shavonn Smith, and Solymar Rivera.
Allen Mensinger, associate professor, UMD Department of Biology, co-founded a new undergraduate research program at the internationally renowned Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Along with Paul Malchow, a faculty member at University of Illinois, Chicago, Mensinger developed the Biological Discovery in Woods Hole (BDWH) program, pairing undergraduates and faculty mentors for summer research.
In this inaugural year of the program, Samantha Lindemann, biology major at UMD, joins nine other undergraduates from U.S. universities. Each student is paired with MBL scientists as research mentors at this international center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology. The undergraduates join the more than 470 advanced graduate students and post-docs at the facility.
Mensinger is Lindemann's mentor. She was involved with research at UMD before coming to the MBL. However, Mensinger says that she is experiencing a radical change in the “scale” of her research, switching her focus from small zebrafish to one meter-long smooth dogfish.
"BDWH received over 120 applications for the program's ten slots," said Mensinger. "Samantha Lindemann's selection provides further proof that UMD's upper echelon biology majors are nationally competitive. She has been able to transition seamlessly into a very high-pressure research environment and is performing neurophysiology and neuroanatomy experiments on both toadfish and sharks. Her future plans are to apply to Ph.D. programs in the fall and the BDWH program already has allowed her to interact with potential graduate school mentors." Lindemann was recently awarded the UMD Mowbray Scholarship in the Biological Sciences.
Lindemann is enjoying her summer in Woods Hole. "We are immersed in science. It's discussed not only in the lab, but at breakfast, during lectures, and at receptions; science is basically the main topic of conversation," she said. "I can see how much cooperation and collaboration goes into biological research. For example, if I have a question about fish histology, I can walk up the stairs and talk to Dr. Steve Zottoli. If I want to talk about microbial oceanography, I can walk across the street and talk to Dr. Julie Huber."
The students are receiving hands-on contact with the high tech and not-so-high-tech devices needed to conduct experiments. "There is a lot of fancy equipment, but there is also a lot of equipment that scientists have designed and made themselves," Lindemann said. "Sometimes we have to get creative. One of my favorite items in the lab is a five gallon pail with hash marks for 1 to 14 liters marked on the side. This bucket makes measuring water to anesthetize a shark or transport a toadfish much easier. I never would have thought I would become so attached to a five gallon pail."
Lindemann said she is extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program. "Dr. Mensinger really gave me an incredible opportunity, not only to do research this summer, but also to be immersed in the mecca of science that is MBL," she said. "I am honored that he had enough confidence in my academic abilities to bring me to the MBL."
In the BDWH program, promising juniors and seniors in college are provided with research experiences that are only available at a few institutions. Students and investigators tackle projects in molecular and cell biology, neurobiology and behavior, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
In addition to conducting research, students attend events several times a week where they meet and hear established researchers speak about life as a scientist. Discussion topics include graduate school applications, choosing a career path, and ethics in science. Students also frequently participate in field trips and group activities. The BDWH students will present their research findings at a symposium at on August 19.
The program is funded by a National Science Foundation – Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) grant. Mensinger and Malchow say that they are indebted to Marine Biological Laboratory staff and administration for their support of the establishment of the BDWH program. Mensinger and Malchow have long been dedicated to supporting undergraduate research, and they hope BDWH opens doors for students.
The 2010 Biological Discovery in Woods Hole students are: Allen Augillard, Xavier University; Sophia Booth, Colorado College; Cassandra Childs, Wittenberg University; Chelsea Connelly, Valdosta State University; Tim Eisen, Brown University; Kelly Harrington, Bridgewater State College; Kurt Isaac-Elder, Howard University; Samantha Lindemann, University of Minnesota, Duluth; Solymar Rivera, University of Puerto Rico; and Cayey Shavonn Smith, Ursinus College.
UMD held grand opening ceremonies June 22 for the exciting new state-of-the-art sustainable Bagley Classroom located on the 55 acre Bagley Nature Area adjacent to the UMD campus. Because of the wide variety of forest and aquatic ecosystems, the Bagley Nature Area is an outdoor teaching laboratory almost without parallel on any other campus in the Unites States.
Amazing in its far-reaching sustainable design, the new Bagley Classroom is designed to be a LEED Certified PLATINUM Award building which will serve as a vital learning tool and a model of sustainable design and construction for all of Northern Minnesota.
Designed by internationally noted Duluth architect, David Salmela, with construction and landscaping done entirely by the staff of the UMD Department of Facilities Management, the 2,000 square foot classroom rests quietly in the woods covered in zinc siding with a green veil of vegetation on the roof. It sits lightly on the earth, both environmentally and visually. The interior design is warm and inviting, with reclaimed and regional timber beams and local wood paneling. All exposed materials are maintenance-free. The south wall is comprised of glass, maximizing views of Rock Pond and the surrounding forest, while providing passive heating in the winter. Large operating windows on the east and west walls also provide views and natural ventilation. The lighting system will be used minimally because all occupied spaces will have abundant daylight.
While nationally the building sector contributes between 40% and 50% of all carbon emissions in the United States, the Bagley Classroom is designed to slash energy consumption as a super-insulated and airtight building. The passive solar heating will supplement the building’s heating needs while a high efficiency heat recovery ventilation unit will continuously provide fresh air. It is anticipated that the on-site grid-connected solar photovoltaic system will provide as much energy as the building uses. Most wastewater will be treated on-site through the use of modern looking composting toilets.
Primarily used by the UMD Department of Biology for science instruction ranging from general biology labs to the study of ecosystem ecology, ornithology and entomology, the Classroom will also be used for environmental studies, geography studies, teacher education, outdoor management/operations studies, art/drawing, recreational outdoor programs, and early childhood learning activities.
It is informative to note some distinct characteristics of the Bagley Classroom to qualify it for the LEED Certified PLATINUM Award.
Sustainable Site
· minimal building footprint
· protecting existing habitat
· maximized open space
Water Efficiency
· vegetated roof
· landscape requires no long-term irrigation
· over 86% reduction in water use
· composting toilets
Energy & Atmosphere
· 90% on-site renewable energy
· passive solar winter heating
· super-insulated airtight building
Minerals & Resources
· 88% construction waste recycled
· reused, recycled content, regional and renewable materials
Indoor Environmental Quality
· 100% occupied spaces have exterior views and day lighting
Pathways to Advanced Degrees in Life Sciences (PADLS) aims to increase the number of students graduating and working in the fields of biomedical and behavioral science research, computer science, engineering, math, environmental toxicology and more. Additionally, the program will assist you in advancing academically and in pursuing and attaining a graduate degree. The program will help you make the contacts needed to continue on to achieve your graduate degree and to meet research and faculty mentors. ALL students are encouraged to apply. For more details check out the Bridges and Pathways web site.
FALL 2009 NEWS
SCSE Academy of Science and Engineering: 2009 Inductees
Left to Right: Dean Jim Riehl, Michael Hafeman, James Rohlf,
Roy Sanford, Kurt Fausch, Amit Singhal, and Wanda Taylor
Six graduates of UMD's Swenson Collge of Science and Engineering were inducted into the Academy of Science and Engineering at a banquet in October. (read more)
Congratulations to the following biology students who were awarded Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) awards for Summer and Fall 2009.
Expression and Purification of MspB from M. xanthus, Michael Bambenek (Dahl)
Range Expansion of the Invasive Round Goby into Lake Superior, Tim Cyr (Mensinger)
River Dispersal of an Invasive Species: Downstream Transport of the Spiny Water Flea, Ben Heggestad (Shannon)
The Rescue of Neural Tube Defects Using Folic Acid, Catherine Johnson (Liang)
Identification of sporulation genes in M. xanthus, Jesse Klingelhoets (Dahl)
Induction of Torpor by FGF21: Heart Rate, Body Temperature, and Physical Activity in the Thirteen-Line Ground Squirrel, Eli Narveson (Andrews)
Functional Domains Study of Conserved Cysteine Residues of the SPE-42 Protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, Ben Polgreen (Kroft)
Round Goby Range Expansion into Tributary Streams of the Duluth-Superior Harbor and St. Louis River Estuary, Kyle Staples (Mensinger)
Speciation in a Gall-Inducing Fly, Lee Stokes (Craig)
Differential gene expression associated with a shift from carbohydrate-based to lipid-based metabolism in the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Sarah Timm (Andrews)
Congratulations to biology major Natalia Hart who has been selected as a 2009-2010 Raymond W. Darland All-American Scholarship recipient. The scholarship program was established by Regent Emeritus Richard L. Griggs in honor of Provost Emeritus Raymond W. Darland. Scholarship criteria are academic achievement and leadership contributions to UMD.
SPRING 2009 NEWS
IBS master's degree student Josh Dumke presented a talk on “A selective wood removal technique to expose coarse substrate in small sand-embedded streams” co-authored by Valerie Brady and Tom Hrabik at the 57th Annual Meeting of the North American Benthological Society in Grad Rapids, Michigan in May.
The biology department will be honoring Ruth Hemming at a retirement luncheon on Monday, May 18 at 12pm in the Swenson Science Building Atrium. Ruth has been the Executive Administrative Specialist in the department for nearly 21 years. A buffet lunch will be served at noon, with a program to begin at 12:45pm.
From Stephanie Guildford, assistant professor, Department of Biology. Although Lake Superior has excellent water quality relative to the other North American Great Lakes, lake trout have surprisingly high concentrations of PCBs. In this survey of 23 lakes, including Lake Superior, extending from northwestern Canada to the southern extreme of lake trout distribution, lake area and latitude accounted for most of the variation in PCBs. Trout in smaller and more northerly lakes had greater access to productive benthic littoral habitats for feeding and had lower PCB concentrations compared to lake trout in larger more southerly lakes where feeding was more restricted to the offshore, pelagic habitat. Guildford, S.J., Muir, D.C.G., Houde, M., Evans, M.S., Kidd, K.A., Whittle, D.M., Drouillard, K., Wang, X., Anderson, M.R., Bronte, C.R., DeVault, D.S., Haffner, D., Payne, J., Kling, H.J. 2008. PCB concentrations in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are correlated to habitat use and lake characteristics. Environmental Science and Technology 42: 8239-8244.
UMD graduate commencement will be held at 7 pm on Thursday, May 14 in the UMD Romano Gymnasium. The total number of graduate degrees awarded from UMD this academic year is 225. UMD professor and distinguished geoscience researcher Vickie Hansen will deliver the featured commencement address. Hansen is the McKnight Presidential Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Her research and teaching interests include understanding how rocky/icy planets work, evolve, and lose heat; in short, how they tick. She is particularly fascinated with the bending and breaking of planet surfaces, and the resulting record of operative planetary processes, especially on Earth and Venus.
Undergraduate Commencement will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, May 16 at the DECC. This will be UMD’s largest commencement, with 1,200 students at the event and a total of 1,800 receiving undergraduate degrees this academic year. Lois and Jeno Paulucci, civic leaders, humanitarians and internationally recognized entrepreneurs will be honored during the ceremony. Lois Paulucci will be presented the Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award, and Jeno Paulucci will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for public service. From their humble roots in Northeastern Minnesota, the Pauluccis have created and have built more than 50 companies and organizations worldwide, which led to economic opportunities for thousands of workers. Over the years, Jeno and Lois Paulucci have quietly helped hundreds of people when faced with personal hardships, from providing transportation for seeking medical care to financial help during a crisis. The student speaker will be James Cook, a graduate in the School of Fine Arts and the College of Liberal Arts from Amherst, Wisconsin. IBS graduate student Josh Dumke will be giving a talk entitled "A selective wood removal method to expose coarse spawning substrate in small sand-laden traout streams" at the Twin Ports Freshwater Folks' monthly meeting on Wednesday, May 6. This meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency office located at 525 Lake Avenue South, Duluth.
UMD Undergraduate Research/Artistic Showcase
The Fourteenth Annual UMD Undergraduate Research and Artistic Showcase was held in the Kirby Ballroom on April 30, 2009. Four biology students participated.
Matt Stuart
Research Mentor: Randall Hicks
Presentation: “Determining the Abundance of Beta-Proteobacterial Ammonia Oxidizers in Lake Superior Picoplankton Samples Using Quantitative PCR”
Nadejda Bozadijieva
Research Mentor: Randall Hicks
Poster: “Changes in the Nitrification Rate During Late Summer and Fall in Lake Superior”
Kevin Krawiecki
Research Mentor: Cindy Hale
Poster: “Effects of Invasive Earthworms on Northern Hardwood Forest Floor Invertebrates”
Jessica Schul
Research Mentor: Allen Mensinger
Poster: “Site Fidelity of Apollina Melanostomus (Round Goby) in the Duluth-Superior Harbor
Recently funded...
J. Cavender-Bares (PI), J.R. Etterson and J.D. Sparks (Co-PIs). National Science Foundation. Collaborative Research: Adaptive differentiation, selection and water use of a seasonally dry tropical oak: implications for global change $ 565,529 (funded 12/4/08).
RiverWebs, a Freshwater Illustrated documentary film about an international group of river ecologists, will be shown at noon on Friday, April 3 in the Kirby Lounge. This film is being shown in conjunction with the biology seminar presented by Kurt Fausch, a Colorado State University professor and one of the scientists featured in the film, at 3:15pm in 185 Life Science.
Tom Hrabik will be giving a seminar titled 'Diel vertical migration of three trophic levels in the deep waters of Lake Superior' at 11:30am on Wednesday, April 1, at the MPCA Office located at 525 Lake Avenue S. in Duluth during the Twin Ports Freshwater Folk monthly meeting.
Celebrate Earth Hour from 8:30-9:30pm on Saturday, March 28 by turning off our lights. This international conservation effort has been brought to the attention of UMD and the Duluth community by undergraduate students Tom Cariveau, Lindsey Nelson and Bryan Nelson.
Congratulations to Lyle Shannon, the biology department's first Inspirational Teacher of the Life Sciences (ITLS) awardee! Beginning in 2009 the ITLS will be awarded annually to a Department of Biology faculty member whose teaching has inspired others to think critically about the biological sciences. This is a person who has inspired students to do their best work and has helped shape careers. The ITLS awardee is an innovative teacher who offers students guidance, and inspires current and future teachers to pursue excellence in the classroom.
Cindy Hale’s research is the focus of an article in this month’s Scientific American (March 2009, page 22). The article by Michael Tennesen is titled “Crawling to Oblivion: Invasive earthworms denude Great Lakes forests.” Hale will be teaching BIOL 4803 Ecology Field Methods May Session 2009.
Graduate Programs Information Session
Monday, March 9
115 SSB
12:00 noon Learn about some of the great graduate programs offered at UMD! Bring your questions to ask representatives from these programs: Academic Health Center Duluth, Center for Environmental Education, Integrated Biosciences Program, Water Resources Sciences.
Hosted by the UMD Biology Club
Allen Mensinger co-authored two recent articles with research colleagues...
Maruska, KP, Korzan,WJ, and Mensinger, AF. 2009. Individual, temporal, and population-level variations in circulating 11-ketotestosterone and 17β-estradiol concentrations in the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 152: 569-578.
Maruska, KP and Mensinger, AF. 2009. Acoustic characteristics and variations in grunt vocalizations in the oyster toadfish Opsanus tau. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 84:325-337.
Gerald Niemi (NRRI, Biology, UMD), Lucinda Johnson (NRRI, UMD), and Valerie Brady (NRRI, MN Sea Grant, UMD) are three of eight co-authors of the International Joint Commission’s white paper entitled “Ecosystem responses to regulation-based water level changes in the Upper Great Lakes.” This paper forms the basis for evaluation of ecosystem effects of the potential water level regulation plans in the Upper Great Lakes of Huron, Michigan, and Superior and their connecting channels.
February 12, 2009 is International Darwin Day, a global celebration of Charles Darwin's 200th birthday. In recognition, the UMD Departments of Biology and Geological Science, along with Sigma Xi will be hosting a visit from Dr. Brian Barnes, Director and Professor from the Institute of Arctic Biology at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks. Dr. Barnes will give two lectures on the UMD campus, "Strategies for Overwintering in Arctic Animals" at 3:30pm on Thursday, February 12 in 175 LSci and "Sex and Time in the Hibernating Arctic Ground Squirrel" at 3:15pm on Friday, Februrary 13 in 185 LSci.
Tune in to the Sea Grant Files on KUMD, Wednesday mornings at 7:45am, to hear fresh news about fresh water, sponsored by the Minnesota Sea Grant and hosted by Sea Grant Director and Biology Professor Stephen Bortone.
Steve Bortone, biology professor, presented “A Model for Testing the Efficacy of Artificial Habitats in Fisheries Management” at the annual meeting of the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario Chapters of the American Fisheries Society in Duluth in February, 2009.
Biology professor Robert Hecky and colleagues recently published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that was selected as one of the top 100 science stories of 2008 by Discover magazine. In a 37-year experiment with a lake in northern Ontario, scientists demonstrated that controlling phosphorus in particular is the key to reversing eutrophication. To reference the paper: Schindler, D.W., Hecky, R.E., Findlay, D.L., et al...2008, Eutrophication of lakes cannot be controlled by reducing nitrogen input: Results of a 37-year whole-ecosystem experiment: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, v. 105, P. 11254-11258.
The UMD Center for Freshwater Research and Policy (CFRP) recently published Fresh Water: Understanding and solving freshwater problems facing the world, a publication that highlights aquatic research being conducted at UMD and how freshwater professionals in northern Minnesota are making a global impact. This publication includes information about the research of Drs. Randall Hicks, John Pastor, Donn Branstrator, Gerald Niemi, Tom Hrabik, Robert Hecky, Stephanie Guildford and a number of graduate students within the biology department. Copies of this publication can be downloaded from the CFRP website.
Victoria Olson, IBS graduate student, will be giving a seminar titled 'The Effects of the Spiny Water Flea (Bythotrephes longimanus) on Fish Diets and Mercury Levels' at 11:30am on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at the MPCA Office located at 525 Lake Avenue S. in Duluth during the Twin Ports Freshwater Folk weekly meeting.
Congratulations to biology students who were granted Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) awards for the spring semester. Use this link for a description and more information about UROP.
2009 spring semester UROPs in the biology department...
Chromosome Mapping of Spermatogenesis Defective Genes in C. elegans, Kate Bennington (Kroft)
Genetic Mapping of the Fertilization Defective Mutant eb137 in C. elegans, Gabriel Fall (Kroft)
Metabolism of Hibernating Mammals and the Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF21), Heather Moline (Andrews)
Efficiacy of Standard Minnow Traps for Round Goby (Apollina melanostomus) Collection, Jessica Schul (Mensinger)
Determining the Abundance of Bacterial Ammonia Oxidizers in Lake Superior Picoplankton Samples, Matthew Stuart (Hicks)
Hair Depth, Lindsay Taute (Moen)
Joanne Itami is serving as the UMD Commission on Women grant committe chair during 2008-09. Several grants of up to $1000 are awarded to individuals or organizations seeking assistance in providing programs or activities which directly benefit a broad group of women in the UMD community each year. Large grant applications ($301-$1000) have two deadlines: Nov. 14, 2008 and April 17, 2009. Small grant applications (up to $300) will be evaluated as they are received
