BioSynthesis

Dr. George Chamuris , professor, will present a program "The Flora of Ricketts Glen" on Saturday June 29, 2019 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Visitor Center at Ricketts Glen State Park.The presentation is in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Ricketts Glen State Park.  Ricketts Glen State Park lies on over 13,000 acres in  Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan counties. It contains over 20 miles of hiking trails  and is home to   the  Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark, and 22 named waterfalls. Dr. Chamuris's publication Hiker's Guide to the Trees, Shrubs and Vines of Ricketts Glen State Park , is now in its 6th edition. The Guide can be accessed at: http://department.bloomu.edu/biology/Ricketts Check out the web page pf Dr. Chamuris's Flora of Ricketts Glen Project: http://department.bloomu.edu/biology/Ricketts/flora_index.html

Sarah at "Get Outdoors Day" Sarah at Black Moshannon State Park    Sarah Buckley , Biology major in the Natural History option and Geosciences minor, is conducting an internship this summer with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). This agency directs the PA state park system, manages state forests, and provides opportunities for outdoor education and recreation. Sarah’s internship  is at Black Moshannon State Park in Centre County, home to diverse wildlife and one of the largest bog/wetland areas in the state.   Sarah is learning firsthand about park management. She is working with park rangers and managers on various projects such as performing inspections and patrolling the lake. Sarah has also worked with the park’s Environmental Education Specialist to provide programs for the public on topics ranging from snakes and beavers, to the lake and wildflowers. As part of “Get Outdoors Day” at Moshannon State Park, Sarah led ...

Kayla Sompel, Kyle Mausteller, and Kaitlyn Gwozdecki Pre-medical science majors  Kayla Sompel, Kyle Mausteller, and Kaitlyn Gwozdecki  were selected to participate in the Primary Care Scholars Program at the Penn State College of Medicine.  They had the opportunity to explore current trends and issues in family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics during this two week program.  The first week is spent at the Hershey campus interacting with faculty, medical students, and admissions staff. The focus was on learning about the philosophy and practice of primary care medicine and the admissions process and curriculum of the medical school. During the second week, participants gained clinical experience by shadowing a family physician, pediatrician, or internist. Kayla reports  that the lectures and problem-based learning sessions expanded her perspective of family medicine, She enjoyed learning about the different areas of primary care and highly recommen...

Dr. Kristen Brubaker Congratulations to Drs. Kristen Brubkaer, Lauri Green, Cindy Surmacz, John Hranitz, and Jennifer Venditti-Roadarmel  who received   Research and Scholarship Grants from the Bloomsburg University Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.  Dr. Kristen Brubaker , Expression study of acute alcohol tolerance-associated genes jwa and hangover in Apis mellifera (Western honey bee)", $2680 Dr. Jennifer Venditti Dr. Lauri Green , BAHS: "Differences in the foraging and reproductive success of Tree Swallows (Tachycienta bicolor) across natural and artificial wetlands", $3132 Drs. Cindy Surmacz  and  John Hranitz , Assessing Sublethal Stress in Honey Bees Exposed to "Bee-friendly" Neoniciotinoid Pesticides", $3500   Dr. Jennifer Venditti-Roadarmel , BAHS: "Evaluating alpha-L-fucosidase Activity and its Potential Role in Reproduction Using Zebrafish (Danio rerio)", $3500 Dr. John Hranitz Dr. Lauri Green ...

The tree swallow project of  Dr. Lauri Green's  research team is up and running and has caught the attention of several regional media outlets. Bloomsburg's  Press Enterprise  and  Hazleton's Standard Speaker  have highlighted the work of  Victoria Roper , a BAHS master's student. See the BAHS bulletin board for details and photos outside Dr. Green's office door. Dr. Green and Victoria were also featured on WNEP's Pennsylvania Outdoor Life program. Show host Don Jacobs accompanied the researchers into the field to learn about the tree swallow project and to observe how the team installs bird boxes.  For a first-hand look at the research team in the field, check out   https://wnep.com/2019/03/03/tree-swallow-project/     Keep an eye out for follow-up stories by WNEP, the Press Enterprise,  and the Standard Speaker. They are visiting the sites again this week. The goal of the tree swallow project is to examine the ...

Recipients of the 2019-20120 Schell award: Allison Sowers and Kyle Mausteller Two BAHS students, Allison Sowers and Kyle Mausteller ,  have been named recipients of the Dr. Stephen E. Schell Award. This award was generously established by  Dr. Stephen E. Schell, MD (BS Biology, 1975), a board certified otolaryngologist and graduate of Temple University School of Medicine. Funding provided by the award assists pre-medical science students in preparing for osteopathic or allopathic medical school by helping to defray the cost of a preparatory course or materials for the Medical College Admission Test. Allison, is a biology, pre-medical sciences major and dean’s list student. She is the public relations chair of the Pre-medical Science Club and member of Colleges Againsts Cancer. Allison has extensive healthcare experience. She has shadowed a pediatrician, at Hanover Pediatrics, interned at Summit Health, and observed at Wellspan Gettysburg Hospital. This summer s...

Rodelin Duteste, Kyle Flannery,  and Ian Whiteside,  BAHS master's students, presented thesis proposals on May 9, 2019.  A diverse group of proposals were presented covering topics ranging from telomeres and G proteins to language development in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The specific  projects shared include: Rodelin Dutest e. Evaluating the effect of the G-protein subunit Gamma-10 on the  melanoma development and metastasis using CRISPR/Cas 9. Mentor:  Dr. William Schwindinger Kyle Flannery . Quantitative analysis of Language Development in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Related Genetic Disorders. Mentor:  Dr. Abby Hare-Harris . Kyle has received a research grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists to support his research.  His poster sharing preliminary results of his study received Honorable Mention at the recent College of Science and Technolog...

Dr. Lauri Green Dr. Angela Hess Dr. Hranitz Congratulations to Drs. Lauri Green, Angela Hess, and John Hranitz who were awarded Faculty Professional Development Grants from the Pennsylvania State  System of Higher Education.  BU faculty received 9 of the 48 grants awarded in this statewide competition.   Dr. Lauri Green , "Differences in the nest success and foraging behavior of Tree Swallows (Tachycienta bicolor) across natural and artificial wetland sites", $9999 Dr. Angela Hess,  "Connecting human melanoma tumor cell plasticity with resistance to the clinically relevant drugs: vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib", $8000 John Hranitz ,  "Faculty Research and Development of Insect Pollen Load DNA Analysis Techniques to Investigate Plant-Pollinator Interactions", $9578 

Andrew Cross, Outstanding senior in Biology,  in the research lab.  Andrew Cross,  a biology, pre-medical science major and chemistry minor from Benton, PA was named outstanding senior in biology.  Andrew graduated summa cum laude in May 2019 as one of the College of Science and Technology Honor Graduates, with a perfect 4.0 GPA.   Andrew was active in undergraduate research.He investigated oxidative stress in honey bees exposed to sublethal doses of neonicotinoid pesticides. Drs. Surmacz and Hranitz were his mentors. To support his research Andrew received three research grants from  the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania University Biologists (CPUB), Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society, and a Bloomsburg University Professional Experience Grant. He has presented the results of his work at the annual CPUB meeting held at Edinboro University, where he earned first prize in the Organismal Biology poster division. He also presented a poster at College of Scien...

Emily Ashberry delivers an oral presentation at the Society for Freshwater Science meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. Emily Ashberry, M.S. biology student working in the laboratory of  Dr. Steven Rier , gave an oral presentation at the Society for Freshwater Science annual meeting in Salt Lake City. Her presentation was entitled “Understanding the environmental context of algal priming of coarse particulate organic matter decomposition in streams”, which focused on her thesis project.  Emily will be the first student to complete the new 3+2 B.S./M.S. in biology program.