BioSynthesis

Attention Juniors and Seniors Applications are now being accepted for the:  Margaret Till Physiology Award $250 cash prize                              Deadline: March 21, 2016 Dr. Margaret Till , professor emerita and former department chairperson, established a physiology award to be granted to a junior or senior who is currently enrolled or has successfully completed at least one senior physiology course and integrated physiology lab. Candidates must write an essay describing the impact of physiology on their career. The recipient of the Margaret Till Physiology Award   receives a  $250 cash prize and a plaque that is presented at the College of Science and Technology Honors Symposium in April. Guidelines and applications are available in the wall pocket outside 146 Hartline. Please direct any questions to Dr. Surmacz ( csurmacz@bloomu.edu)

The Department of Biological and Allied Health Sciences plans to offer the following courses during Summer College 2016. This is a great chance to catch up or get ahead! Registration for Summer College courses will begin on March 28, 2016. For more information, please see:   http://www.bloomu.edu/summer First Six Weeks (Session 2), May  16 - June 24, 2016 Biology 101, Human Biology (Dr. Hansen) Biology 114, Concepts in Biology 1 (Drs. Surmacz and Nolt) Biology 173, Anatomy and Physiology 1 (Drs. Surmacz and Venditti) Biology 208, Medical Terminology (Dr, Hansen) Biology 242, Microbiology (Dr. Kipe-Nolt) Biology 252 Field Zoology, May 30 to June 16 (Dr. Corbin) Biology 343, Immunology (Dr. Brubaker) Second Six Weeks (Session 3), June 27 to August 5, 2016 Biology 100, Cells, Genes and Molecules (Dr. Chamuris) Biology 174, Anatomy & Physiology 2 (Drs. Hess and Coleman) Biology 205, Introduction to Nutrition (Dr. Hess) Cours...

The course Current Topics in Biology (Biology 489/589) critically examines a specialized topic in biology in a lecture/seminar format.  The topic varies each semester offered. The subject of fall semester’s offering is Human Evolutionary Genetics, taught by Dr. George Chamuris . The course consists of three hours of lecture/seminar per week. It is an acceptable elective for all BS/BA Biology and BS Health Science majors. The prerequisite is Cell Biology; Human Genetics, Genetics or Molecular Biology is recommended. The course examines genomic aspects of human evolution. Natural selection and genetic drift in human populations will be studied, with medical and anthropological applications.

Electives offer a great opportunity for you to explore new fields or strengthen an area of  particular academic or career interest. Please see the instructor for more information on any of the fall 2016 elective offerings listed below: Biology 233                Human Genetics                     Dr. Hansen Biology 343                Immunology                            Dr. Brubaker Biology 333                Molecular Biology                   Dr. Davis Biology 364                Vertebrate Histology   ...

Tri-Beta, the biology honor society, hosted biology trivia for BAHS students and faculty. While eating pizza and snacks, the group pondered dozens of trivia questions and a photo round.  Among the questions were: What is the lifespan of a freshwater oyster? What is the common name of animals in the Order Lagomorpha? Who wrote the 1976 book "The Selfish Gene?" What illness is responsible for 40% of the military deaths in World War I? How many NADH molecules are formed in one round of Krebs cycle? What metal is at the center of chlorophyll a? The Epigenetic Regulators, the team of Dr. Schwindinger, Kurt Knepley, Jean-Nicole Place, and Jenny Young , took the top prize. Check out the team photos. A good time was had by all!

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective honor society that recognizes and promotes academic achievement in all fields of higher education. Each year, the Bloomsburg University Chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi presents awards to exceptional sophomore students on the basis of their academic performance in the freshman year. This year, eight BAHS students were among those honored by the Society. Receiving the award at a ceremony on November 6, 2015 were current BAHS sophomores:   Allison Charles   (Medical Imaging),   Nathan Feiertag (Biology, pre-medical sciences), Jade Hensinger   (Health Sciences), Tiffany Mulligan (Medical Imaging), Emily Noll (Health Sciences, pre-physician assistant), Brina Jo Sotelo (Medical Imaging), Daniel Stevens (Secondary Education, Biology), and Adrienne Yordy (Biology, pre-medical sciences.) The ceremony featured a panel discussion by BU upperclassmen on "Enriching the College Experience."...

Dr. Amber Pitt and Bloomsburg University undergraduate students Marisa Buckle, Erick Wahlman , and Victoria DiTomo co-authored a natural history note entitled, “ Anaxyrus americanus (American toad). Arboreal behavior” that was published in the peer-reviewed journal Herpetological Review . The note describes an observation of arboreal behavior exhibited by an American toad. Arboreal behavior has not been previously documented for American toads. The article can be downloaded from: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amber_Pitt/publications Pitt, A.L., M.M. Buckle, E.N. Wahlman, and V.E. DiTomo. 2015.  Anaxyrus americanus  (American toad). Arboreal behavior.  Herpetological Review  46(2):229-230.

Dr. Amber Pitt was a co-author, along with colleagues from the University of Maine, Clemson University, and U.S. Geological Survey, of a paper entitled, “Evaluation of a waistband for attaching external radio transmitters to anurans” that was published in the peer-reviewed journal Wildlife Society Bulletin . The paper describes a new and improved radio-transmitter attachment method that can be used for tagging anurans (frogs and toads). This method allows for improved radio-telemetry studies that will allow researchers to track anurans and gain critical data regarding their natural history and ecology. Anurans have undergone dramatic population declines in recent years and are highly imperiled throughout the world so ecological data that can be gained through radio-telemetry studies can lead to enhanced conservation programs. The article can be downloaded from: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amber_Pitt/publications Groff, L.A., A.L. Pitt, R.F. Baldwin, A.J.K. Calhoun, C.S. ...

Andrew King , a graduate student in Dr. William Schwindinger’s laboratory, received a $250 grant from the Pennsylvania Academy of Sciences to support his research project, “Missed Departure: the Potential role of GNG4 in Kallmann Syndrome?” Congratulations Andy!

Jean-Nicole Place Jennifer Young On Saturday, October 3, 2015 two students from Dr. William Schwindinger’s laboratory presented their research at the 18th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus. Jean-Nicole Place presented her poster “Methylation of GNG7 in Human Breast Cancer Tissues.” Jennifer Young presented her poster “Measuring Methylation of GNG11 in Human Breast Cancer.” The meeting was sponsored by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health and included presentations from nearly 200 undergraduate researchers from the Mid-Atlantic area .

Dr. Klinger with former student Pam (Mitchell) Ulicny BAHS was delighted to welcome back alumna Pamela (Mitchell) Ulicny who recently stopped by for a visit. Pam has taught Life Science, Biology, and Environmental Science at Tri-Valley Junior/Senior High School since 1992. Pam's expertise is in herpetology--she currently has 30 different reptiles and amphibians in her classroom!  Pam, along with Sundance Solar, has developed a kit for making  solar-powered LED lights in mason jars. She has written science curricula for various age groups that incorporates these build-it-yourself solar lanterns. In order to bring this technology to international classrooms, Pam has teamed up with Aspire Youth, a non-profit group in South Africa that seeks to empower youth living in poverty through education and vocational training. She received a grant from the Fund for Teachers to travel to Africa in the summer of 2015 to launch  the solar lantern project.  Pam is also collabora...

Ben Carlucci and thesis advisor, Dr. Marianna Wood Benjamin Carlucci successfully defended his master’s thesis on Monday, February 29, 2016. Ben’s thesis, under the direction of Dr. Marianna Wood , was entitled “Surveillance of black-legged tick density and infection prevalence by the Lyme disease agent   Borrelia burgdorferi  at Christmas tree farms in Columbia County, Pennsylvania.”  An interesting discussion followed on topics ranging from the prevalence of infected ticks to strategies that could be employed to limit the spread of Lyme disease. Also serving on Ben’s thesis committee were Drs. Kristen Brubaker and Carl Hansen. Ben’s work was supported by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists. Ben is a laboratory instructor in the Department of Natural Sciences and Engineering Technology at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Congratulations Ben!