Archived Events Archives
Seminar 6/14/17: Dr. Gustaaf Hallegraeff, University of Tasmania
Seminar 6/7/17: Dr. Elena Legrand, UMCES/NIST
Seminar 5/31/17: Dr. Jana Davis, Chesapeake Bay Trust
Wednesday 31 May 2017 at 3:00pm (in MPR)
Title: “Pooled Monitoring: The Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Concentration Of Monitoring Resources To Answer Key Questions”
Speaker: Dr. Jana Davis, Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Trust
Abstract:
Questions remain about impact of watershed restoration practices, and individual projects are often monitored as part of the restoration effort or to meet regulatory requirements. However, measurements taken at individual projects, one at a time, limits interpretation of results beyond the level of the individual project. When data are collected in this manner, often with differences in data collection methods, the ability to combine data from multiple projects to answer broader questions can be hampered. The Chesapeake Bay Trust, working with many partners in the resource management community, instead has proposed a structure in which efforts are concentrated to answer specific questions in a statistically robust way using an experimental design (replication and control sites to capture spatial and temporal variability) that enables extrapolation of results. Monitoring is expensive: The pooled monitoring approach is a reorganization of monitoring resources to answer specific questions, such as how restoration practices perform under certain conditions. We start with what we want to know, then ensure that the monitoring program is appropriate to rigorously answer those questions. Collection of data that do not directly help answer key questions identified a priori is not encouraged. The answers are then directed back into the regulatory and management communities. During this seminar, the interaction between the regulatory, practitioner, and research communities will be discussed, and some of the key research needs of the two former communities will be discussed.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Seminar 5/24/17: Dr. James Weinberg, NOAA
Wednesday 24 May 2017 at 3:00pm (in MPR)
Title: “Stock Assessment and Fishery Management in the Mid-Atlantic and New England”
Speaker: Dr. James Weinberg, NOAA
Abstract:
This talk will describe the elements of a fishery stock assessment, including data inputs and outputs. I will also describe the pathway in which peer reviewed scientific information is transmitted to managers of federally regulated marine resources. The talk will include case studies of summer flounder and sea scallops which demonstrate the impact of annual recruitment, growth, and optimal harvest schedules on their populations. This is all taking place in a changing ocean environment, marked by higher water temperatures off the east coast of the United States.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Seminar 5/17/17: Laura Bankey, National Aquarium
Wednesday 17 May 2017 at 3:00pm (in MPR)
Title: “National Aquarium Conservation: What's Happening Next Door”
Speaker: Laura Bankey, Director of Conservation, National Aquarium
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Dr. Eric Schott
Seminar 5/9/17: Dr. Kehau Hagiwara, UMB/NIST
Seminar 5/3/17: Dr. Devaki Bhaya, Carnegie Institution for Science
Seminar 4/26/17: Dr. Minjoung Kyoung, UMBC
Wednesday 26 April 2017
Title: “Quantitative analysis of dynamic macromolecular complexes”
Speaker:
Dr. Minjoung Kyoung, UMBC
Abstract:
Neuronal communication occurs by the release of neurotransmitters, which depends on the fusion of neurotransmitter-containing vesicles (i.e. synaptic vesicles) with the plasma membrane at the active zone in axonal terminals. The fusion of synaptic vesicles is triggered by an influx of Ca2+ ions into the neuron in a highly controlled manner via multiple protein-protein interactions through a macromolecular complex formed by three SNARE proteins, synaptotagmin-I and complexin. A number of in vitro assays have been developed to study this process. However, most of them were limited to measuring only the lipid mixing that can occur at the ‘hemifusion’ status without release of neurotransmitter content. We have developed a robust novel single-vesicle fusion assay that simultaneously monitor both the lipid mixing and the content release, further allowing us to dissect individual steps of the fusion process. In this work, we will discuss a mechanism of neuronal communication, which involves a macromolecular complex of neuronal SNARE and its accessory proteins
Our lab is also interested in studying dynamics of other transient macromolecular complexes involved in signaling and metabolic pathways. Investigating dynamics of macromolecular complexes within cells and tissues are critical to the understanding of the development and treatment of various diseases including cancer. However, current methods to dissect transient protein-protein interactions as a basis of macromolecular complex formation and regulation are limited. We have developed a lattice light sheet correlation microscope to tackle the dynamics of macromolecular complexes in signaling and metabolic pathways in live cells. As a complementary in vitro technology, we have developed nano-reaction chambers to dissect transient macromolecular interactions at single molecule level. In this work, we will discuss newly developed technologies and their applications.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li
4/25/17: IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall
Tuesday 25 April 2017 at 12:00pm (in MPR)
IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall in the MPR
Pizza lunch will be provided
Seminar 4/19/17: Dr. A. David Páez Espino, DOE Joint Genome Institute
Seminar 4/17/17: Dr. Aaron Watson, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Monday 17 April 2017
Title: “Improving Feed Formulations for Juvenile Red Drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, Through Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Based Metabolomics”
Speaker:
Dr. Aaron Watson, Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Abstract:
The number of people relying on seafood for their daily protein requirements is increasing along with the global population. Coupled with the majority of wild fisheries being fully exploited or over exploited, and the result has been an ever increasing reliance on aquaculture to meet increasing demands. Limited natural resources are driving a concerted effort to reduce the quantities of fishmeal and fish oil in feeds, and instead utilize sustainable, more cost effective solutions. Advancements in ingredient evaluation, feed quality and production capabilities have allowed global aquaculture operations to expand, however traditional ingredient and feed evaluation techniques cannot provide the data required to fully optimize feed formulations. Different nutrient requirements among the myriad of species raised for aquaculture and their various life stages has introduced problems that require cutting-edge technologies and expertise. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been utilizing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) based metabolomics to better understand feed effects on juvenile red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus. Specifically, how high levels of soy protein products as fishmeal replacements affect overall metabolism in comparison to the metabolic state observed when fish are fed a natural diet. NMR based observations are being utilized to develop novel, targeted supplementation schemes for feed development.
Host: Dr. J. Sook Chung
Seminar 3/22/17: Dr. S. Kersey Sturdivant, Inspire Environmental & Duke University Marine Lab
Seminar 3/1/17: Dr. Jackie Grebmeier, UMCES-CBL
Wednesday 1 March 2017 at 3:00pm (in MPR)
Title: “The Pacific Arctic Region: A Window into Shifting Benthic Populations in Response to Ecosystem Change”
Speaker:
Dr. Jackie Grebmeier, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
A key ecological organizing principle for the northern Bering Sea and the adjoining southern Chukchi
Sea in the Pacific Arctic is that the shallow, seasonally productive waters lead to strong pelagic-benthic coupling to the sea floor, with deposition of fresh chlorophyll coinciding with the spring bloom as sea ice retreats. Both in situ production and advection of upstream phytodetritus to these regions support persistent biological hotspots that connect benthic prey to upper trophic benthivores. This northern marine ecosystem is dominated by marine macroinvertebrates (e.g. clams, polychaetes, and amphipods) that feed on the high production deposited rapidly to the seafloor, which in turn serve as food resources for diving mammals and seabirds, such as gray whales, walruses, and spectacled eiders. Between St. Lawrence Island and Bering Strait and northwards into the Chukchi Sea, the persistence of seasonal sea ice has significantly declined over the past two decades, and along with warming seawater temperatures, these changes have potential ramifications to ecosystem structure. Times-series data over the last 25 years indicate that these regions have experienced a northward shift in macrofaunal composition and a decline in core benthic biomass that matches patterns of reduced sea ice, warming seawater, and changing sediment grain size that relates to varying current patterns. This presentation will discuss these data in the context of both process studies from the region and results from the Distributed Biological Observatory (DBO), an international network of time series transects that is providing a framework to evaluate status and trends on a latitudinal bases in the Pacific Arctic region.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Seminar 2/22/17: Dr. Peng Xu, UMBC
Wednesday 22 February 2017
Title: “Controlling and optimizing cell metabolism for efficient production of fuels and chemicals in microbes”
Abstract:
Metabolic engineering is the targeted modification of cell metabolism for production of useful compounds. Most of the previous metabolic engineering effort heavily relies on engineering novel biocatalytic route and directing carbon flow from primary metabolic pathways to the target compound. Recent advances on synthetic biology have allowed us to go beyond the mass flow and precisely control the information flow to design tailor-made cell factories with improved titer, yield and productivity. In this talk, I will present synthetic biology strategies to reprogram cell metabolism in terms of the amount, the timing and location of the protein catalyst as well as how we can efficiently redistribute cellular resources to the desired pathway. The presented techniques will support the construction of complex metabolic pathways with predefined regulatory architecture, teach us how to apply combinatorial statistical approach to accelerate strain engineering endeavor, engineer dynamic sensor-regulator systems to achieve just-in- time gene expression, as well as control the subcellular location of enzyme reaction to improve the catalytic efficiency and specificity. All together, the developed strategies represent promising biological solutions to upgrade low value carbons to high value commodity chemicals, pharmaceuticals and green chemicals in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li
Seminar 2/20/17: Dr. Frank Mari, NIST
Seminar 2/15/17: Dr. Rosemary Jagus, UMCES-IMET
Seminar 2/8/17: Dr. Julie Lively, LSU AgCenter & Louisiana Sea Grant
Seminar 2/1/17: Jacqueline Milani, UMB School of Pharmacy
Seminar 1/25/17: Dr. Solange Filoso, UMCES-CBL
Wednesday 25 January 2017 at 3:30pm via IVN (in MPR)
Title: “TBD”
Speaker: Dr. Solange Filoso, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 1/25/17: Dr. Mary Bedner, NIST
Seminar 1/18/17: Laura Lapham, UMCES CBL
Seminar 12/7/16: Dr. Eric Davidson, UMCES Appalachian Laboratory
Seminar 12/2/16: Dr. Lee Blaney, UMBC
Seminar 11/30/16: Carys Mitchelmore, UMCES CBL
Seminar 11/16/16: Tsetso Bachvaroff, UMCES-IMET
Seminar 11/9/16: Dr. Randall Peterson, Harvard University
Seminar 11/2/16: Dr. Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer
Seminar 10/26/16: Dr. Michael Brosnahan, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall: 10/12/16
Wednesday 12 October 2016 at 3:00pm
IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall in the MPR
Seminar 10/6/16: Dr. Arthur Grossman, Stanford University
Seminar 9/28/16: Michael Wilberg, UMCES CBL
Seminar 9/21/16: Dr. Tom Miller, UMCES-CB
Wednesday 21 September 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Understanding blue crab in a changing world”
Speaker:
Dr. Tom Miller, Director, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
The blue crab plays an important role in estuarine and coastal ecosystems from Maine to Argentina, often also supporting important fisheries in these ecosystems too. Yet these ecosystems are becoming warmer and acidifying. How will blue crab respond? Here I present empirical and modeling studies that show the impacts over warming and acidification on growth, carapace structure, respiration, overwintering, reproductive output and the crabs ability to sustain fisheries.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 9/20/16: Katie Miller, Catholic Relief Services
Seminar 9/14/16: Jay Nelson, Towson University
Wednesday 14 September 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Urban Fish: Sure they are tough, but can they tell us anything about the future of fishes faced with climate disruption?”
Speaker:
Jay Nelson, Towson University
Abstract:
One of the least appreciated impacts of humans is how urbanization has altered the biota of urban streams. Increased impervious surface cover (ISC) in cities decreases the fraction of precipitation that enters groundwater. Thus surface run-off is much greater in cities following rainfall or melting events and urban stream flow rises dramatically often changing temperature rapidly. The loss of groundwater also produces lower flows between precipitation in urban streams and can alter natural thermal regimes. Urban fishes in Baltimore have been increasingly exposed to these radical changes of flow and temperature over the past 200 years. Interestingly, these changes to the hydrologic regime wrought by urbanization are identical to the predicted changes expected from climate disruption in many regions. This talk will explore the idea that we can use the physiology of urban fish populations to better understand how fishes will respond to coming climate change. The blacknose dace is an urban-tolerant species that exists in some of the most degraded streams around Baltimore, often to the point of being the only fish species left in a stream. However, this fish is also abundant in nearby, rural stream communities with a diverse fish fauna. This gradient of urbanized streams at similar latitude, altitude and stream order, sets up an intraspecific comparative experiment from which one can test hypotheses concerning how urbanization has changed this species, possibly revealing characteristics necessary for fish survival in a changing world.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 7/27/16: Dr. Roland Roberts, National Science Foundation
Wednesday 27 July 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Funding Opportunities at NSF: Strategies for Developing Competitive Proposals”
Speaker:
Dr. Roland Roberts, Division of Biological Infrastructure & Directorate for Biological Sciences - National Science Foundation
Abstract:
The goal is to highlight funding opportunities at NSF across the Directorate for Biological Sciences. General NSF proposal requirements and criteria specific to individual programs will be emphasized. Additionally, opportunities for broadening participation and training will be discussed.
Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 7/20/16: David Marsan, Ph.D. Candidate
Seminar 7/19/16: Dr. Brian Palenik, UCSD
Seminar 7/13/16: Dr. YS Park, Kansas State University
Seminar 7/6/16: Dr. Rosemary Jagus, UMCES-IMET
Seminar 6/29/16: Dr. Daniel Rittschof, Duke Marine Laboratory
Wednesday 29 June 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Barnacle Biology: roles of peptides, innate immune response and glue curing in marine biofouling.”
Speaker:
Dr. Daniel Rittschof, Duke Marine Laboratory
Abstract:
Barnacles are pervasive biofoulers. Managing barnacle fouling is critically important to ship energy consumption and performance, especially for ships like navy ships that spend long intervals docked. We’ve developed a barnacle model system using a barnacle that is easy to mass culture. Over the decades we’ve figured out how to interface living barnacles with fancy equipment and novel materials. This seminar will provide you perspective on barnacles, use of evolutionary concepts and medical models, as well as curing and functions of biological glues.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 6/22/16: Dr. Xin Zhang
Seminar 6/15/16: Dr. Ryan Woodland
Seminar 6/8/16: Dr. Laura Mydlarz, University of Texas Arlington
Seminar 6/1/16: MiSeq Seminar
Seminar 5/25/16: Dr. Matt Frieman, UMB School of Medicine
Seminar 5/18/16: Dr. Sairah Malkin, UMCES-HPL
Seminar 5/12/16: Sara Rowland, MEES Graduate Program
Thursday 12 May 2016 at 10:00am
Title: “Structure and Function of the Group III Chaperonins, A Unique Clade of Protein Folding Nanomachines”
Speaker:
Dr. Sairah Malkin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory
Abstract:
The survival and descent of cells is universally dependent on maintaining their proteins in a properly folded condition. It is widely accepted that the information for the folding of the nascent polypeptide chain into a native protein is encrypted in the amino acid sequence, and the Nobel Laureate Christian Anfinsen was the first to demonstrate that a protein could spontaneously refold after complete unfolding. However, it became clear that the intrinsic folding rates for many proteins was much slower than rates observed in vivo. This led to the recognition of required protein-protein interactions that promote proper folding. A unique group of proteins, the molecular chaperones, are primarily responsible for maintaining protein homeostasis, during normal growth as well as stress conditions.
Chaperonins (CPNs) are ubiquitous and essential chaperones. They form ATP-dependent, hollow complexes that encapsulate polypeptides in two back-to-back stacked multisubunit rings, facilitating protein folding actively through highly cooperative allosteric articulation. CPNs are usually classified into Group I and Group II. Here, I report the characterization of a novel CPN, belonging to a novel third Group, recently discovered in the extremely thermophilic bacterium, Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans. GroupIII CPNs have close phylogenetic affinity to the GroupII CPNs found in Archaea and Eukarya, and may be a relic of the Last Common Ancestor of the CPN family.
The gene encoding the GroupIII CPN was cloned in E. coli and overexpressed in order to both characterize the protein and to demonstrate its ability to function as a chaperone. The opening and closing cycle of the chaperone was examined via site-directed mutations affecting the ATP binding sites and the opening and closing of the complex. To relate the mutational analysis to the structure of the CPN, the crystal structure of both the AMPPNP (an ATP analogue) and ADP bound forms were obtained in collaboration with Sun-Shin Cha in Seoul, South Korea. The ATP and ADP binding site substitutions resulted in frozen forms of the structures in open and closed conformations. From this, mutational analysis was designed to validate hypotheses regarding the mechanism of closure and to observe the physical properties of the complexes by calorimetry.
Host: Dr. Frank Robb, Ph.D.
Seminar 5/11/16: Dr. Greg Silsbe, UMCES-HPL
Seminar 5/4/16: Dr. Michael Betenbaugh, Johns Hopkins University
Seminar 4/27/16: Dr. Stephen Miller, UMBC
Seminar 4/25/16: Dr. Philip Pienkos, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Monday 25 April, 2016 at 10:00am
Title: “A Biorefinery Concept for Accelerated Commercialization of Algal Biofuel Production”
Speaker:
Dr. Philip Pienkos, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Abstract:
Although algal biomass is considered to be a potentially high value feedstock for biofuel production, the path to commercialization of low value products like biofuels is challenged by high production costs. This is largely due to high capital and operating costs for algal cultivation and harvesting. Although much effort is being devoted to improving algal productivity and designing novel cultivation and harvesting systems as a means to drive down costs, the economic hurdles for algal biofuel production remain high and the need for short term revenues has caused algae companies to move away from a biofuel focus towards high value products as a commercial strategy. This presentation will highlight a novel biorefinery concept based on detailed compositional analysis of algal biomass coupled with a fractionation and upgrading process developed at NREL that has identified multiple large volume co-products, capable of significant cost reduction to enable algal biofuel production.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/22/16: Grant Jones, Ph.D. Candidate
Friday 22 April 2016 at 1:00pm
Title: “Discovery, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Functional Characterization of a Unique Family of Eukaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 4E, eIF4E, From Amphidinium Carterae, a Marine Dinoflagellate”
Speaker:
Grant Jones, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Graduate Program
Abstract:
This study investigates the eIF4E family members in two species of Dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates are eukaryotic algae with large genomes (≥2-20X the human genome) and a minimal role for transcriptional regulation. All mRNA in dinoflagellates is trans-spliced with a 22-nucleotide 5'-spliced-leader sequence bearing a multi-methylated cap. Like other eukaryotes, dinoflagellates encode multiple eIF4E family members that are anticipated to fulfill a range of functions. Three distinct and novel clades of eIF4E have been recognized in dinoflagellates that are separate from the three metazoan classes of eIF4E. The dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae encodes eight eIF4E family members while the more derived Karlodinium veneficum encodes fifteen eIF4E family members. I assayed six family members from A. carterae for expression levels, m7GTP binding, yeast knockout complementation and affinity for three mRNA cap analogs using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Transcripts of each are expressed through a diel cycle, but only eIF4E-1 family members and eIF4E-2a are expressed at the level of protein. Recombinant eIF4E-1 family members and eIF4E-3a, but not eIF4E-2a, are able to bind to m7GTP-agarose beads. Of the clade 1 eIF4Es, only eIF4E-1a and eIF4E-1d1 complement a S. cerevisiae strain conditionally deficient in functional eIF4E, consistent with function as translation initiation factors. However, only eIF4E-1a can be recovered from A. carterae extracts by m7GTP chromatography. Using SPR analysis, the affinity of A. carterae eIF4E-1a for m7GTP is lower than that of murine eIF4E-1A. By the same analysis, A. carterae eIF4E-1a has a higher affinity for m7GTP than m7GpppG. In addition, K. veneficum eIF4E-1a1 displays many of the same characteristics as A. carterae eIF4E-1a. Four eIF4E-1 and one eIF4E-2 family members from K. veneficum were characterized for m7GTP binding capacity, only the eIF4E-1 family members can be pulled down with m7GTP. Three eIF4E family members were tested for their ability to interact with a putative eIF4E-IP, none interacted with the putative eIF4E-IP. Overall, the eIF4E-1a sub-clade emerges with characteristics consistent with the role of a prototypical translation initiation factor. These initial analyses will allow for a better understanding of specific translational control of gene expression through mRNA recruitment in the unique dinoflagellate lineage.
Host: Dr. Rosemary Jagus, Ph.D. and Dr. Allen Place, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/20/16: Dr. James J Pierson, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory
Wednesday 20 April 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Alive in the dead zone: Direct and indirect effects of hypoxia on Copepods”
Speaker:
Dr. James J Pierson, UMCES Horn Point Laboratory
Abstract:
The Chesapeake Bay experiences low-oxygen (hypoxic) water below the pycnocline every summer, but the direct and indirect impacts of hypoxia on plankton populations are not well understood, particularly in relation to hypoxic impact on trophic dynamics. Further, definitions of hypoxia based on volume or mass concentrations do not generally consider the effects of temperature on physiological condition of the organisms or the solubility of dissolved oxygen. We conducted a series of process studies to distinguishing the direct effects of hypoxia from food web impacts on the dominant copepod Acartia tonsa. We found enhanced predation on the copepods under hypoxic conditions; ctenophore predation peaked under warmer temperatures and more severe hypoxic conditions, and juvenile anchovy predation peaked under moderate temperatures and hypoxic conditions. Direct, sub-lethal impacts of low dissolved oxygen are likely more important to A. tonsa under severe hypoxia and anoxia. But discerning the impact of hypoxia requires consideration of temperature dependent metabolic rates and oxygen solubility as well as food-web impacts of hypoxia on top-down and bottom-up processes.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/13/16: Dr. Michael Wilkins, Ohio State University
Seminar 4/6/16: Dr. Zvi Kelman, University of Maryland - IBBR
Seminar 3/23/16: Dr. Todd Miller, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Seminar 3/16/16: Dr. Jennifer Biddle, University of Delaware
Faculty Candidate Seminar 3/9/16: Dr. Baubak Bajoghli
Wednesday 9 March 2016 at 10:00am
Title: “Mechanisms controlling cell migration and interaction in adaptive immune system”
Speaker:
Dr. Baubak Bajoghli, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
Abstract:
The immune system of teleost fishes is comprised of most of the innate and adaptive components present in mammals. In terms of lymphoid tissues, despite having thymus, teleosts lack lymph nodes that are essential for adaptive immunity. The key to understanding the adaptive immune system in teleost fish is to define mechanisms regulating cell migration and interaction during development and immune response. The members of the chemokine superfamily serve a central function in these biological processes. We use zebrafish and medaka as model systems to understand how chemokine receptors and their counterpart ligands control cell migration during T cell development in the thymus. We have provided the first evidence that chemokines cooperate in guiding lymphoid precursors to settle in the thymus. Recently, we used in toto imaging of multiple transgenic reporters to study, for first time, how developing T cells migrate, interact and carry out their effector function within an intact thymus. Overall, we use combination of genomics, transcriptomics as well as advance genetic tools and in vivo imaging approaches to study how chemokine superfamily controls cell migration and interaction during development and initiation of adaptive immune system.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 3/2/16: Dr. Kevin Sowers, UMBC-IMET
Seminar 2/24/16: Dr. John Rawls, Duke University Medical Center
Seminar 2/18/16: Dr. Eric Schott, UMCES-IMET
Seminar 2/17/16: Dr. Frank Robb, UMB-IMET
Faculty Candidate Seminar 2/11/16: Dr. Katie Kathrein, Boston Children’s Hospital
Thursday 11 February 2016 at 10:30am
Title: “Screening for epigenetic regulators of hematopoiesis”
Speaker:
Dr. Katie Kathrein, Boston Children’s Hospital, Zon Laboratory
Abstract:
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) serve as the foundation of the immune system and are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into all mature immune cell lineages. Regulation of this process is in part achieved by factors that orchestrate chromatin structure and establish an epigenetic code for hematopoiesis. To generate a complete compendium of factors that regulate this epigenetic code in HSCs, I have undertaken the first large-scale in vivo reverse genetic screen targeting chromatin factors. Using morpholinos against 488 chromatin remodeling factors to inhibit target gene expression, I identified 29 genes that alter HSC marker expression upon knockdown. A subset of these identified factors belong to complexes already known to regulate hematopoiesis, such as members of the polycomb, NuRD, and trithorax complexes. Other factors belong to complexes such as the Hbo1 complex, which has no known role in hematopoiesis. Four members of this complex, Ing4, Phf16 (Jade3), Hbo1, and Brd1, were identified in the screen. Using ChIP-seq for ING4 in human CD34+ blood progenitor cells, I found that ING4 is bound to many regulators of blood development including c-myb, lmo2, runx1 and ikaros. Previous work has shown that ING4 can regulate the transcription factor NF-kB through sequestration of the RELA component of NF-kB at target loci. ING4 is also bound to several NF-kB target genes in CD34+ cells. As ING4 negatively regulates NF-kB, this suggests that loss of ING4 results in an overabundance of NF-kB signaling. Both zebrafish and mice lacking Ing4 have altered hematopoiesis and increased NF-kB target gene expression and HSCs from Ing4 null mice don’t perform in the same manner as their wild-type counterparts in competitive transplantation assays. As well, loss of both Ing4 and NF-kB can rescue HSC specification in zebrafish. These results suggest a novel mechanism for HSC regulation by Ing4 and the Hbo1 complex through regulation of inflammatory signaling.
Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 2/10/16: Dr. Christoph Benning, Michigan State University
Wednesday 10 February 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Regulation of Cellular Quiescence and Lipid Droplet Formation in Microalgae”
Speaker:
Dr. Christoph Benning, Michigan State University
Abstract:
Increasing the triacylglycerol content of microalgae will enhance the energy density of the biomass and the quality of the feedstock for biofuel production. A key problem hampering maximization of triacylglycerol accumulation is the inverse relationship between cell growth and division on one hand, and triacylglycerol accumulation on the other. N deprivation induces a quiescent state in Chlamydomonas when cell divisions temporarily cease and triacylglycerol biosynthesis is induced. Upon refeeding N, the cells exit quiescence, resume growth and degrade the accumulated triacylglycerol. We have isolated a mutant that does not readily exit quiescence and only very slowly degrades triacylglycerols upon N refeeding. The responsible gene encodes a predicted DNA binding protein. Comparative global transcriptional profiling under different growth conditions suggests that the protein is required for repression of a subset of transcriptional quiescence programs under normal growth conditions and for reinitiating of specific transcriptional programs during quiescence exit following N refeeding. This mutant and the respective protein provide a first insight into how changes of metabolic status of the cell may be linked to the cell division cycle in microalgae.
In plants, neutral lipids are frequently synthesized and stored in seed tissues, where the assembly of lipid droplets (LDs) coincides with the accumulation of triacylglycerols (TAGs). In addition, photosynthetic, vegetative cells can form cytosolic LDs and much less is known about the makeup and biogenesis of these LDs. Chlamydomonas is a reference model for LDs in a photosynthetic cell, because in this unicellular green alga LD dynamics can be readily manipulated by N availability. The major lipid droplet protein (MLDP) forms a proteinaceous coat surrounding mature LDs. Reducing the amount of MLDP affects LD size and number, TAG breakdown and timely progression out of cellular quiescence following N resupply.
1. Tsai CH, Warakanont J, Takeuchi T., Sears BB, Moellering ER, Benning C. 2014.The protein COMPROMISED HYDROLYSIS OF TRIACYLGLYCEROLS 7 (CHT7) acts as a repressor of cellular quiescence in Chlamydomonas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 111: 15833–15838
2. Tsai, CH, Zienkiewicz, K, Amstutz, CL, Brink, BG, Warakanont, J, Roston, R, Benning C. 2015. Dynamics of protein and polar lipid recruitment during lipid droplet assembly in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant J. 83:650-660
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Promotional Seminar 2/3/16: Dr. Hali Kilbourne, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Wednesday 3 February 2016 at 3:00pm
Title: “Reconstructing tropical climate over recent centuries: adventures of a coral-paleoclimatologist”
Speaker:
Dr. Hali Kilbourne, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
This talk gives an overview of my research into tropical paleoclimate over the last 5 years. The goal of my research program is to answer questions about the sensitivity of different aspects of the climate system to changing background climate conditions, providing data against which we can compare predictive climate models, and thus helping to improve our predictions of the climate system response to anthropogenic greenhouse forcing. I approach this large topic from three different directions: 1) generating new records of past climate that bridge the gap between instrumental climate records and long-term geologic evidence of Earth’s climate history, 2) developing our methods for reconstructing past climate, and 3) synthesizing individual records of past climate into the larger picture. I will highlight examples of my research on the climate of the last 1000 years in the Caribbean, on developing tropical cyclone reconstructions, and on multidecadal to centennial-scale climate patterns from multiple climate proxy records.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Promotional Seminar 1/27/16: Dr. Eric Schott, UMCES-IMET
Seminar 1/20/16: Dr. Rosie Chu, Wayne State University
Faculty Candidate Seminar 1/7/16: Dr. Helen Dooley, University of Aberdeen
Thursday 7 January 2016 at 11:00am
Title: “What can sharks teach us about the evolution of immunity?”
Speaker:
Dr. Helen Dooley, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, UK
Abstract:
For the past 12 years my research has focussed upon trying to understand how the immune system and its component molecules evolved. To do this I use a comparative approach, examining a specific molecule or immune mechanism in different species across phylogeny to look for shared features and/or general rules governing their function. A key part of this are my studies on the immune system of the cartilaginous fishes (sharks, skates, rays and chimera), the most ancient group with a ‘mammalian-like’ adaptive immune system. My early work showed that sharks mount a highly complex, multi-layered serum antibody response, complete with affinity maturation and immunological memory, following antigen encounter. I also showed that highly specific, highly stable single domain binding proteins based upon the novel shark antibody IgNAR had utility as a specific and robust diagnostic/therapeutic agent, work that led to the licensing of this technology for further development by a global pharma company.
My present work builds upon this by tracing the evolutionary history of selected immune signalling and effector molecules; ongoing projects include the characterisation of cytokines involved in B cell development/maintenance and their receptors, T cell signalling pathways and complement system components in sharks. To facilitate our work we have generated a large, multi-tissue catshark transcriptome and are developing a proteomics platform that should enable us to accurately quantify >100 different proteins over the course of an immune response, thus allowing us (and others in the comparative immunology field) to study global immune responses without needing to raise species-/target-specific monoclonal antibodies.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Faculty Candidate Seminar 12/17/15: Dr. Jeffrey Yoder, North Carolina State University
Thursday 17 December 2015 at 10:00am
Title: “Zebrafish as a model for teleost and tetrapod immunity”
Speaker:
Dr. Jeffrey Yoder, North Carolina State University
Abstract:
The zebrafish is a powerful genetic system for understanding the molecular basis of disease. As a model organism, the zebrafish provides transparent embryos, a complete reference genome, and well-established procedures for genome engineering. The Yoder lab capitalizes on these advantages to identify and characterize novel mediators of innate immunity. One area of research focuses on multiple highly-diverged, rapidly-evolving multigene families of innate immune receptors that are specific to fish. As these genes likely play essential roles in fish health, the high level of gene content variation observed within these multigene families may have profound implications for intraspecific fitness. A second area of interest has emerged from a novel transcriptome profiling screen for zebrafish immune-responsive genes. This strategy has uncovered highly-conserved genes, not previously implicated in immune function, that regulate innate immune cell behavior in both fish and mammalian models. These investigations are revealing critical genes and gene families relevant to innate immunity across vertebrates.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Promotional Seminar 12/16/15: Dr. Helen Bailey, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Seminar 12/9/15: Dr. Wen Zhang, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Wednesday 9 December 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Applications of Magnetophoresis and Reactive Electrochemical Membrane Filtration for Algal Harvesting, Destabilization and Pretreatment for Lipid Extraction”
Speaker:
Dr. Wen Zhang, Director of the Environmental Engineering Teaching Laboratory, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Abstract:
Developing sustainable and efficient membrane filtration technologies is not only critical for safe drinking water supply but also important for biomass separation for algal biofuel production. Most traditional biomass separation processes such as coagulation and membrane filtration faces major challenges in separation efficiency and energy consumption. This presentation will briefly introduce our early study of heteroaggregation between magnetic magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with a cationic polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), and model algae, Scenedesmus dimorphus, for efficient algal harvesting and potential algal cell oxidation for lipid extraction. Then, the speaker will focus on an innovative and multifunctional reactive electrochemical membrane (REM), Ti4O7, which could act as a model filtration membrane (see schematics below) with great antifouling characteristics and strong surface reactivity. The results presented in this work particularly demonstrated the algal integrity changes with exposure to the REM and positive impacts on lipid extraction. The application of a direct current (DC) generated reactive species at the REM surface that could oxidize algae and soluble organic compounds. Algal integrity changes with exposure to the REM included deformation, photosynthetic activity and released intracellular organics. Moreover, additional benefits of REM such as the reduced membrane fouling potential, reduction of organic (toxic) solvent and energy consumption for downstream lipid processing, and removal of aqueous algal growth inhibitors that enables water and nutrient reuse of algal media may largely offset the associated costs, which deserves more efforts to verify. Overall, REM as a novel membrane filtration process holds great potential in efficient biomass separation, reduction of membrane fouling, biomass oxidation, ease of scaling up at industrial applications.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Faculty Candidate Seminar 12/7/15: Dr. Timothy Green, Macquarie University
Monday 7 December 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Controlling disease in aquaculture: Antiviral immunity in oysters”
Speaker:
Dr. Timothy Green, Macquarie University, Department of Biological Science, Sydney, Australia
Abstract:
Infectious disease poses the biggest threat to production of food by aquaculture. Diseases caused by viruses are spreading around the world and these viral diseases have significantly impacted global oyster production. In particular, emergence of a new variant of the Ostreid herpesvirus (termed OsHV-1 μVar) has caused significant mortalities of farmed Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). There is currently no satisfactory method to control this disease. My research focuses on identifying the antiviral immune responses of C. gigas to develop novel solutions for managing OsHV-1. This work also addresses fundamental questions in immunology and biomedicine.
Evolution of the interferon pathway. The type I interferon-pathway is a powerful antiviral response that can control most, if not all, virus infections. The vertebrate innate immune system detects virus-derived nucleic acids to trigger the type I interferon pathway, leading to the transcription of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that exert antiviral function. The interferon pathway was thought to exist only in vertebrates because genomes from model-invertebrates do not encode interferon or ISGs. However, the oyster genome encodes many ISGs. My research has shown that the oyster immune system can recognise viral mimics [poly(I:C)] to trigger the transcription of ISGs via a protease susceptible factor (cytokine). This response provides protection against OsHV-1 for at least one month. Furthermore, in-vitro studies have shown oyster ISGs retain direct antiviral activity. These findings will be discussed in relation to the evolution of the interferon pathway and the prospects for developing novel therapeutic treatments for controlling OsHV-1 in oyster aquaculture.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 12/2/15: Dr. Jeremy Testa, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Seminar 11/18/15: Dr. Paul Gugger, UMCES Appalachian Laboratory
Seminar 11/11/15: Dr. Dong Liang, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Wednesday 11 November 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Case studies of geo-spatial statistics: stillbirth prevalence in Iowa and water hyacinth spread in Louisiana”
Speaker:
Dr. Dong Liang, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
Stillbirths are estimated to impact 6 per 1,000 deliveries, yet major risk factors for these adverse birth outcomes remain elusive. Using data from our population-based Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders, we identified six principal clusters of stillbirths in rural areas and one in an urban area. Identification of these clusters in mostly rural areas merits further investigation of parental socio-economic and lifestyle characteristics, as well as potential parental exposure to naturally occurring or anthropogenic contaminants.
Water hyacinth is one of the worst nuisance plants in the world a. Biological control, or the intentional introduction of a host-specific organism to suppress a target specie, was seen as a potentially more cost-effective, but the economic benefits of water hyacinth control have not been evaluated. We conducted a case study in Louisiana by calibrating a parsimonious spatial logistic population model to the existing long term treatment records. Our results show that a variety of Ecosystem Good Services changes due to biocontrol could be reasonably well quantified with current data and modeling.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Promotional Seminar 11/4/15: Dr. Feng Chen, UMCES-IMET
Wednesday 4 November 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “To Kill or Not to Kill, a Phage Tale”
Speaker:
Dr. Feng Chen, UMCES-IMET
Abstract:
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the biosphere, and they typically outnumber bacteria by an order of magnitude. The vast majority of viruses in the sea are bacteriophage which infect bacterial communities. Virulent phage, mild phage and prophage have been found in bacteria. However, it is not clear how these different types of phage interact with bacteria with different ecological strategies (i.e. specialist vs. generalist, or K-selected vs. r-selected). To understand if bacterial populations involve different virus-host interactions, we focus on two major marine bacterial populations, photoautotrohic cyanobacteria Synechococcus (specialists) and heterotrophic bacteria in the Roseobacter lineage (generalists). We isolated and characterized many phages which infect both Synechococcus spp. and roseobacters, and compared the genomic features of phages and hosts. We found that lytic infection prevails among cyanobacteria, while mild infection and 'symbiotic' prophage are common in roseobacters. Roseobacters are usually versatile microorganisms which can respond quickly to environmental changes. Nearly all roseobacters carry a phage-like element called gene transfer agent (GTA). GTA is an interesting feature among roseobacters and is believed to play an important role for genomic diversification of roseobacters. In addition, many roseobacters contain intact or inducible prophages. Genomes of marine picocyanobacteria do not contain intact prophage and GTA. The accumulating evidence support that these two bacterial populations adopt different virus-host strategies. To kill or not to kill appears to be selected by ecological evolution and adaptation of bacterial populations.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall 10/28/15
Wednesday 28 October 2015 at 3:00pm
IMET/Columbus Center Town Hall in the MPR
Seminar 10/21/15: Dr. Ian Hewson, Cornell University
Wednesday 21 October 2015
Title: “The Microbiome of Asteroids Affected by Sea Star Wasting Disease”
Speaker:
Dr. Ian Hewson, Cornell University
Abstract:
Beginning in June 2013 and continuing to present, sea star wasting disease (SSWD) has affected a large number of asteroids on the US Pacific Coast, from the Kenai Peninsula (Alaska) to Baja California. The disease has affected over 18 species of sea stars, spanning much of the asteroid phylogeny, and is not consistently accounted for by large scale ocean changes (e.g. El Nino) or environmental pollutants. Work performed in 2013 to 2014 highlighted that the disease is associated with a novel, transmissible densovirus (Parvoviridae), and that virus-sized particles caused disease signs – the Sea Star associated Densovirus (SSaDV). Transcriptomic analyses identified that SSWD is accompanied by elevated apoptotic and tissue remodeling functions consistent with disease signs. Remaining eukaryl, bacterial and archaeal components of the microbiome did not change in composition with disease signs, but the overall abundance of bacteria increased when asteroids were affected by SSWD. However, screening of historical specimens identified the presence of SSaDV in asteroid populations as long ago as 1942, and it has also been detected in several species of non-asteroid echinoderms. Current research focuses on understanding the transmission of SSaDV, microbiome and host transcription over time courses of sign development, and genome-genome comparison of SSaDV through time, across the geographic range of the disease, and between species, which will facilitate understanding of its potentially altered pathogenicity.
Host: Dr. Coleen Burge, Ph.D.
Seminar 9/30/15: Dr. Chris Salice, Towson University
Seminar 9/23/15: Dr. Ximing Guo, Rutgers University
9/21/15: Azure Gel Imager Demo
Seminar 9/9/15: Dr. Slava Lyubchich, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Wednesday 9 September 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Estimation and nonparametric inference for multilevel trends in river temperature, under haphazard sampling”
Speaker:
Dr. Slava Lyubchich, UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
Abstract:
Environmental scientists face multiple challenges when analyzing unevenly recorded time series with small sample sizes. For example, trends in water temperature may be confounded with time and date of sampling when the latter represent convenience samples, and thus introduce bias into regression estimates. We address these concerns using multilevel random slope models and nonparametric bootstrap inference for assessing the statistical significance of the annual trend in river temperature when measurement times and dates are haphazard.
Host: Dr. Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Seminar 6/29/15: Dr. Berta Levavi-Sivan, Hebrew University
Monday 29 June 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Characterization of novel neuropeptides modulating fish reproduction”
Speaker: Dr. Berta Levavi-Sivan, Hebrew University
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Dr. Yonathan Zohar, Ph.D.
Seminar 6/3/15: Dr. Todd Kuiken, The Wilson Center
IMET Town Hall 5/27/15
Wednesday 27 May 2015 at 3:00pm
IMET Town Hall in the MPR
Seminar 5/20/15: Dr. Fred Ausubel, Harvard Medical School
Wednesday 20 May 2015 at 11:00am
Title: “Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Elucidate Immune Response Pathways and to Identify Novel Anti-Infective and Immuno-Stimulatory Compounds”
Speaker:
Dr. Fred Ausubel, Harvard Medical School
Click here for Dr. Ausubel's BioSketch.
Host: Dr. Eric Schott, Ph.D.
Seminar 5/14/15: Kathleen Gillespie, Ph.D. Candidate
Thursday 14 May 2015 at 12:00pm
Title: “Characterization of the eukaryotic translational initiation factor (eIF4E) family members in zebrafish (Danio rerio)”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: Rose Jagus, Ph.D.
Seminar 5/13/15: Dr. Dazhi Wang, Xiamen University
Seminar 5/6/15: Dr. Andrij Horodysky, Hampton University
Seminar 5/5/15: Dr. William Dennison, UMCES
Bay Day @ PWEC - 5/2/15
Phillips Wharf Environmental Center (PWEC) will celebrate Bay Day, with a fun and festive event on Saturday, May 2nd from 11 AM – 3 PM at Knapp’s Narrows Bridge, 6129 Tilghman Island Road (Route 33), Tilghman, MD. This free event is open to the public.
On site there will be a touch tank with native sea animals and plants in the Oyster House. Scientists, authors and experts will be on hand with information on everything from rain gardens to native plants, oyster restoration, storm water management, living shorelines and energy alternatives. Local food, crafts, kayak demonstrations, live music and children’s games and will also be featured.
The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) will be in attendance as an exhibitor, featuring information about the Institute as well as several of its researchers who will be able to discuss their work. IMET is a strong supporter of the PWEC mission, and one of our faculty, Eric Schott, even sits on the PWEC board.
Seminar 4/29/15: Dr. Douglas Leaman, University of Toledo
Seminar 4/28/15: Chieh-lun “Jerren” Liu, Ph.D. Candidate
Tuesday 28 April 2015 at 12:00pm
Title: “Changes in eIF2α phosphorylation in response to nutrient deficiency and other stressors in fish”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: Rose Jagus, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/22/15: Dr. Maya Groner, University of Prince Edward Island
Wednesday 22 April 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Understanding eelgrass wasting disease in a changing climate”
Speaker:
Dr. Maya Groner, Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island
Abstract:
Understanding eelgrass wasting disease in a changing climate
Host: Dr. Colleen Burge, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/15/15: Adam Frederick, Maryland Sea Grant
Seminar 4/8/15: Dr. Michael Murphy, GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Seminar 4/1/15: Dr. José Antonio Fernández Robledo, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Seminar 3/27/15: Fan Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate
Friday 27 March 2015 at 2:00pm
Title: “Roles of the symbiotic microbial communities associated with sponge hosts in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 3/11/15: Dr. Zhongchi Liu, University of Maryland
Seminar 2/25/15: Dr. Matteo Avella, National Institutes of Health
Wednesday 25 February 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “Mouse Genetics Document Novel Molecular Mechanisms for Gamete Recognition and Acrosome Exocytosis in Mouse and Human Fertilization ”
Speaker:
Dr. Matteo Avella, National Institutes of Health, Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Dr. Allen Place, Ph.D.
Seminar 2/18/15: Dr. Suzanne Skelley, NOAA
Wednesday 18 February 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: “NOAA’s Cooperative Oxford Lab: Science Portfolio in Context of NOAA, National Ocean Service and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Priorities”
Speaker:
Ms. Suzanne Skelley, NOAA
Abstract:
NOAA’s Cooperative Oxford Lab is shared by National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service. The research portfolio of its scientists is driven by the priorities of the respective organizations. The long term co-location of the three organizations is instrumental in forging common areas of interest and work. NOAA’s designation of the Choptank and Little Choptank watersheds as a habitat focus area provides a focal point for cross- Lab collaboration. The seminar will describe the Lab’s collaborative research efforts from the perspective of its Director who is from the National Ocean Service.our understanding of the potential roles bacteria may play in the unusual sacoglossan lifestyle.
Host: Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 2/4/15: Dr. Wolf Pecher, University of Baltimore
Wednesday 4 February 2015 at 3:00pm
Title: ““A foul smell and a salty aftertaste” – Using microbes to track pollution”
Speaker:
Dr. Wolf Pecher, University of Baltimore
Abstract:
“A foul smell and a salty aftertaste” – Using microbes to track pollution
Host: Dr. Shiladitya DasSarma, Ph.D.
Promotion Seminar 1/28/15: Dr. Hongsheng Bi, UMCES
Promotion Seminar 1/21/15: Dr. Lora Harris, UMCES
Seminar 1/7/15: Emily Flowers
Wednesday 7 January 2015 at 11:00am
Title: “Ecology of a fatal blue crab virus: Detection, genetic diversity, and prevalence of Callinectes sapidus reo-like virus”
MS Thesis Defense Seminar
Adviser: Eric Schott, Ph.D.
Seminar 1/6/15: Javier Alvarez, Ph.D. Candidate
Tuesday 6 January 2015 at 12:30pm
Title: “Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating the initial shell-hardening process of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus: involvement of prophenoloxidase and tanning hormone, bursicon”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 12/11/14: Jeanette Davis, Ph.D. Candidate
Thursday 11 December 2014 at 2:00pm
Title: “Characterization of the bacterial communities associated with two tropical sacoglossan mollusks Elysia rufescens and Elysia crispata”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 12/10/14: Dr. Matt Fitzpatrick, UMCES
Seminar 11/19/14: Dr. Karen G. Burnett, Grice Marine Laboratory and Hollings Marine Laboratory
Wednesday 19 November 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Coping with the double whammy of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in estuarine crustaceans”
Speaker:
Dr. Karen G. Burnett, Grice Marine Laboratory and Hollings Marine Laboratory
Abstract:
Coping with the double whammy of low oxygen and high carbon dioxide in estuarine crustaceans
Host: Dr. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 11/12/14: Dr. David Nelson, UMCES
Wednesday 12 November 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Ecological Changes Across Space and Time: Using Stable Isotopes as Nature's Recorders”
Speaker:
Dr. David Nelson, UMCES, Appalachian Lab
Abstract:
Ecological Changes Across Space and Time: Using Stable Isotopes as Nature's Recorders
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 11/5/14: Dr. Maxim Mikheev, M.D., Ph.D., BioDatomics
Wednesday 5 November 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Hadoop and Bioanalytics”
Speaker:
Dr. Maxim Mikheev, M.D., Ph.D.
BioDatomics
Abstract:
Hadoop and Bioanalytics
Host: Dr. Nick Hammond, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/29/14: Dr. Marie-Lise Schläppy, North Highland College UHI
Wednesday 29 October 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Offshore renewable developments in the North of Scotland: achievements and challenges”
Speaker:
Marie-Lise Schläppy, Ph.D.
North Highland College UHI
Abstract:
Offshore renewable developments in the North of Scotland: achievements and challenges
Host: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/22/14: Dr. David Goodlett, Ph.D., University of Maryland
Seminar 10/15/14: Dr. Kim Collins, University of Maryland
Wednesday 15 October 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Strong, Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bonds May Be Available to Enzymes”
Speaker:
Kim Collins, PhD
University of Maryland
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Frank Robb, PhD
Seminar 10/8/14: Thuvan Piehler & Rohan Banton, US Army Research Laboratory
Wednesday 8 October 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Understanding Effects of Realistic Blast Impacts on Neurons: Experimental and Modeling Approach”
Speaker: Thuvan Piehler, Ph.D. & Rohan Banton, Ph.D., US Army Research Laboratory
Host: Jim Du, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/1/14: Dr. Hamish Small, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Wednesday 1 October 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Mysterious microbes: crustacean parasite discovery (often rediscovery) and characterization”
Speaker: Dr. Hamish Small, Ph.D, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Abstract:
TBD
Host:Dr. Eric Schott, Ph.D
Seminar 9/24/14: Dr. BK Song Ph.D., Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Wednesday 24 September 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Is projected sea level rise an emerging threat to the estuary nitrogen cycle?”
Speaker:
Dr. BK Song, Ph.D., Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Abstract:
Is projected sea level rise an emerging threat to the estuary nitrogen cycle?
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
IMET Town Hall 9/17/14
Wednesday 17 September 2014 at 11:30am
IMET Town Hall in the MPR
Seminar 9/10/14: Amir Rattner, JHU
Wednesday 10 September 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Molecular themes in retinal development, function and disease”
Speaker: Amir Rattner, Ph.D., JHU
Abstract:
Molecular themes in retinal development, function and disease
Host: Nilli Zmora, Ph.D.
Seminar 8/28/14: Guy Carter, Biosortia Pharmaceuticals
Thursday 28 August 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Bioprospecting in Micro-algal Consortia: Mega-scale Meta-metabolomics”
Speaker: Dr. Guy Carter, Chief Scientific Officer, Biosortia Pharmaceuticals
Abstract:
TBA
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
LMRCSC Seminar 7/18/14: Indu Sharma, Hampton University
FRIDAY 18 July 2014 at 2:00pm
*** Please note this seminar will be on a FRIDAY at 2:00pm ***
Title: “Plasmodium falciparum ribosomal dosage controls a novel mechanism to regulate growth in response to temperature variation”
Speaker: Dr. Indu Sharma
Hampton University
Abstract:
Temperature is a critical determinant of malaria transmission as the parasite must survive in both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Plasmodium species confront dramatic temperature shifts in during its life cycle. Unlike bacteria, Plasmodium cannot slow down or retard its growth in response to adverse environmental conditions. Plasmodium species confront the dramatic temperature shifts utilizing three types of ribosomal genes: during asexual stages (A type rRNA), in gametocytes in the human host (S1rRNA) and during development in mosquito vector (S2 rRNA). Mosquito development (both aquatic and adult life) is nonlinear with little or no development below 16°C, optimal development occurs at 22-28°C and followed by a rapid non linear decline and lethal consequences above 34°C. It takes 10-12 days for P. falciparum to complete its developmental cycle in the mosquito at 22-28°C. Above 28°C temperature, the mosquito develops faster and has a shorter life span, a maximum of 6 days, which is too short for the parasite to complete its developmental cycle. And between 16-22°C, the mosquito development is delayed/longer and the parasite adjusts by extending its progression. We identified the function of a non-coding RNA which is expressed in response to temperature modulation as the parasite transitions from human host to mosquito vector. This long noncoding RNA (truRNA) is transcribed by RNA polymerase I. There are two copies of the noncoding RNA in the P. falciparum genome located upstream of the S2 rRNA gene on chromosomes 11 and 13. Comparative sequence analysis suggests the presence of truRNA in all P. falciparum strains (both established lab lines as well as clinical isolates; Plasmodium falciparum genomic database, Broad Institute, Boston, MA) with >98% sequence similarity. We monitored the expression of S2 rRNA and truRNA transcripts over a temperature range of 37°C-26°C-37°C. Our data suggest that above 30°C, S2 rRNA and truRNA are unstable with half-life of 10 and 15 minutes respectively. The single and double gene knockouts for truRNA either leads to 50% reduction in processed S2rRNA or 100% reduction respectively. These findings point in the direction that the parasite adjusts its protein synthesis machinery during its development in mosquito in response to diurnal temperature variation in nature. Four proteins were identified PF10_0068, PF08_0074, PF10_0115 and S13 ribosomal protein. Protein sequence analysis of these proteins revealed RGG/RSG motif in PF10_0068 (putative RNA binding protein) and PF08_0074 (PfALBA1 protein) which is a potential methylation site for arginine residue. Indirect evidence suggests that truRNA and these proteins possibly form a multi ribonucleoprotein complexes (MRNPs) and might play a role in the post transcriptional processing of precursor S2 rRNA transcripts to generate mature S2 ribosomes hence meeting the cell’s requirement for protein synthesis in response to temperature modulation.
Host: Dr. Rose Jagus Ph.D.
Seminar 7/9/14 at 3:00 pm
There is no seminar scheduled for this date.
Seminar 6/30/14: Colleen Burge, Cornell University
MONDAY 30 June 2014 at Noon
*** Please note this seminar will be on a MONDAY at noon. ***
Title: “Host-Pathogen Interactions in a Changing Ocean”
Speaker: Dr. Colleen Burge
Cornell University
Abstract:
TBD
Host: Dr. Russell Hill Ph.D.
Seminar 6/25/14 at 3:00 pm
There is no seminar scheduled for this date.
Seminar 6/18/14: Dr. Arun Dhar, BrioBiotech
Wednesday 18 June 2014 at Noon
*** Please note this seminar will be at noon. ***
Title: “Developing vaccines and anti-viral therapies in aquaculture: Implications on vaccine development in humans”
Speaker: Dr. Arun Dhar
BrioBiotech
Abstract:
Viral disease is a major challenge in the sustainable growth of fish and shellfish farming globally. Viruses, such as infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), and viral nervous necrosis (VNN), are major pathogens of fin fish worldwide. Vaccination of farmed fish plays an important role in commercial fish farming to mitigate viral diseases. Virus-like particle (VLP)-based injection and oral vaccine was developed against infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) caused by IPNV. Rainbow trout vaccinated with IPNV VLPs provided protection against infectious virus. IPNV VLPs were found to tolerate the insertion of foreign epitope (such as human oncogene, c-myc, antigenic epitope of hemagglutinin protein of ISAV) opening a new ways to developing bi-/ multivalent vaccine against viral diseases in fish.
Unlike fish, shellfish such as shrimp do not have adaptive immunity and development of antiviral therapies remains a major challenge for high intensity shrimp aquaculture. Taura syndrome virus (TSV), white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), infectious hypodermal hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV), yellowhead virus (YHV), and infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) are the major viral pathogens in shrimp. A reverse genetics approach was adopted to engineer TSV, a single-stranded (+ve) sense RNA virus. Using a baculovirus vector, fully-assembled, infectious TSV was generated in non-host insect and mammalian cells. Infectivity assays, histopathology and transcription mapping revealed that recombinant TSV generated in these non-host cells were similar in pathogenicity to wild-type virus. The ability to produce a fully-assembled infectious virus in non-host cells was further adapted to engineering human hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is the major cause of chronic liver disease, liver cirrhosis and primary liver cancer in human. Using a baculovirus vector, a fully-assembled HCV was generated in insect cells. Non-host virus amplification technology provides a unique approach to developing vaccine against diseases caused by viruses that are difficult to culture in vitro and for viruses for which no immortal cell line is available.
Host: Dr. Russell Hill Ph.D.
Seminar 6/11/14: Dr. Andrew Wargo, Coll. of Wm. & Mary
Wednesday 11 June 2014 at Noon
*** Please note this seminar will be at noon. ***
Title: “Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Aquatic Infectious Disease Severity”
Speaker: Dr. Andrew Wargo
College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 6/5/14: Sirinart Techa, Ph.D. Candidate
Thursday 5 June 2014 at 2:00pm
Title: “The Functional Importance and Significance of Ecdysteroids in the Regulation of Molt Cycle of the Blue Crab (Callinectes Sapidus)”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 6/4/14: Julia Pridgeon, USDA
Wednesday 4 June 2014 at Noon
*** Please note this seminar will be at noon. ***
Title: “From doing laboratory research to develop products for the real world”
Speaker: Dr. Julia Pridgeon
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Abstract:
1) From doing RNA interference research to develop molecular pesticides
2) From selecting resistance to antibiotics to develop attenuated vaccines
3) From studying host’s immune response to pathogen infections to develop immunostimulants
Seminar 5/23/14: We Remember Prof. Pancer
FRIDAY 23 May 2014 at 10am
***Please note this seminar will be on a FRIDAY and begin at 10am and will end at noon. A reception to celebrate the life of Prof. Pancer will immediately follow at noon.***
Title: “A Memorial Seminar to Celebrate the Life and Scientific Accomplishments of Professor Zeev Pancer”
Speakers:
Max D. Cooper, M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
and
Roy Mariuzza, Ph.D., University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research
The seminar will be opened by Russell Hill, IMET Director and speakers introduced with short remarks in memory of Zeev by Yoni Zohar, IMET Professor and Chair of the UMBC Department of Marine Biotechnology and Martin Flajnik, Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, UMB.
Please see our Tribute to Prof. Pancer for more information his work and life.
Please RSVP to Suzann Langrall at slangrall@umces.edu if you plan to attend.
This event is co-sponsored by IMET and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, UMB.
Seminar 5/15/14: Hannah Pie, Ph.D. Candidate
THURSDAY 15 May 2014 at 1:00pm
*** Please note this seminar will be on a THURSDAY at 1:00pm in the 2nd floor auditorium. ***
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Seminar Title: “Assessing the Exposure to and Impacts of Oil Constituents and Chemical Dispersants in Marine Invertebrates”
Speaker: Hannah Pie
UMB Toxicology Program & UMCES-CBL
Abstract: While the impacts of oil spill events on marine ecosystems have been well studied over the past half-century, continued large scale oil leaks/spills like the Deepwater Horizon Incident serve to highlight how much we still do not fully understand regarding the impacts of oil exposure and the data gaps that exist in current damage assessments and remediation strategies. These events also emphasis how critical it is to have a thorough understanding of the native ecosystem where the oil spills occurs when deciding the best response options during the event, understanding the damages to organisms, and determining what strategies are needed to achieve and assess recovery. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to address observed data gaps in response options, damages assessments, and remediation strategies relevant to the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Firstly, it addresses the lack baseline data necessary to assess exposure to and impacts of oil during and recovery following an oil spill event for offshore pelagic and benthic zones by describing a novel resource for future offshore biomonitoring using oil rig fouling invertebrates. The low baseline accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the quick accumulation response following a contamination event observed in this study demonstrates the benefits of using oil rig fouling invertebrates as offshore biomonitoring resources. Secondly, it addresses the lack of data on the acute or sublethal toxicity of oil exposures on an important ecological and economic species in the Gulf of Mexico, the blue crab, Callinectus sapidus. The enclosed studies provide a crucial foundation for understanding the sensitivity of blue crabs at multiple early life stages to oil, chemically-dispersed oil, and chemical dispersants. The blue crab exposure studies highlight the benefit of fully characterizing exposure solutions beyond total petroleum hydrocarbons by using a suit of PAHs and distinguishing between dissolved and particulate fractions of exposure solutions to better understand observed toxicities and potential routes of uptake by organisms. Overall, the data gaps addressed by this research can aid future managers and responders as they decide on response and remediation options following an oil spill in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Adviser: Carys L. Mitchelmore, Ph.D.
Seminar 5/14/14: Gary Wikfors, NOAA
Wednesday 14 May 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Evolving understanding of bivalve hemocytes enabled (at least partially) by flow-cytometry”
Speaker: Gary Wikfors, Ph.D.
NOAA Fisheries Service
Abstract:
One-hundred and thirty years after the first discovery of circulating defense cells in an invertebrate animal, origins and developmental sequences in invertebrate hemocytes retain elements of mystery. In the last decade, availability of bench-top flow cytometers and recognition that physiology and function of “white blood cells” (specifically neutrophils) in the human, innate immune system and in invertebrates are highly conserved have enabled morphological and physiological analysis of hemocytes in bivalve mollusks not practical or possible using microscopic observations. Clinical methods have been adapted to categorize and quantify hemocytes in oysters and other bivalves in terms of morphology, defense function, and intracellular physiology. These methods have revealed bivalve hemocytes to be extremely robust in the face of various environmental and biological challenges. Accordingly, stresses that do cause immunomodulation are thought to be relatively severe.
Beyond serving as a tool to evaluate resilience of bivalves to environmental challenges, flow cytometry has provided insights into fundamental developmental and functional relationships between sub-categories of hemocytes, chiefly agranular and granular cells. Combined with advanced imaging techniques and molecular methods, flow cytometry is providing growing evidence of a unified model of hemocyte development and regulation in oysters and other bivalves. Following ten years of primary research in the Milford Laboratory, and drawing heavily from some ground-breaking recent publications of others, I will present evidence for an evolving view of how hemocytes work in oysters and other bivalve mollusks.
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 5/7/14: Paulinus Chigbu, UMES/LMRCSC
Wednesday 7 May 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Integrated Study of the Maryland Coastal Bays Ecosystem Processes and Dynamics: Influence of Environmental Factors on Zooplankton and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Abundance and Distribution”
Speaker: Paulinus Chigbu, Ph.D.
Professor, UMES
Director, LMRCSC & CREST Programs
Abstract:
Little is known about the factors influencing benthic macroinvertebrate and mesozooplankton densities in the Maryland Coastal Bays (MCBs). In 2010, a study of the MCBs was initiated using various types of sampling gear to assess patterns in the dynamics of the biota in relation to climatic factors and water quality conditions. Benthic macroinvertebrates were dominated by amphipods (75%), decapods (13%) and mysids (5%). Newport Bay, with degraded water quality, had one of the lowest densities and diversities of the macrobenthic fauna, whereas the less degraded Sinepuxent Bay had the highest diversity. Mysid density, dominated by Neomysis americana, was relatively high in winter/early spring and low in summer, perhaps due to fish predation. Densities of amphipods and mysids were higher in the northern than southern bays, and were positively associated with macroalgae density. Mesozooplankton densities varied temporarily, with the lowest densities in spring/early summer and highest from late summer to winter. This seasonal pattern may be due to the absence of spring phytoplankton bloom, coupled with predation by the ctenophore (Mnemiopsis sp.) in the system. Sinepuxent Bay had the highest densities of crab zoea, especially during the summer. Cladocerans were represented by two species – Pleopis polyphemoides and Evadne nordmanni. Their densities were relatively high in Sinepuxent and northern Bays, and were negatively correlated with temperature, especially in June and July. Sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa) was relatively high in abundance in spring, but scarce in summer. Their relative abundance was highest in Sinepuxent and Isle of Wight Bays at sites closest to the Ocean City inlet, especially in May and June prior to their disappearance from the system. There were significant negative relationships between CPUE of sand shrimp at the sites and mean temperature suggesting that the shrimp seek waters with lower temperatures.
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/30/14: Ryan Powell, Ph.D. Candidate
Wednesday 30 April 2014 at 2:00pm
Title: “Development of Algal Harvesting Technologies for Cost Effective Biofuel Production”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Adviser: Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/23/14: James R. White, Resphera Biosciences, LLC
Wednesday 23 April 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Characterization of microbial communities through multiplexed amplicon sequencing”
Speaker: James R. White, Ph.D.
Founder, Resphera Biosciences
Abstract:
The last decade has seen a revolution in the development of culture-independent methods for characterizing the inherent diversity and taxonomic composition of complex microbial environments, particularly through utilization of universal primer sets to amplify conserved regions within the 16S and 18S rRNA genes, as well as the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region.
The concurrent advancement of high-throughput next-generation DNA sequencing technologies (e.g., Roche/454, Illumina MiSeq) has greatly enhanced our ability to perform large-scale and cost-effective amplicon studies by multiplexing many samples on a single sequencing run.
In this talk, I aim to provide a practical overview of amplicon-based study design and the current challenges and limitations associated with analysis of the data. I will further illustrate the utility of the MiSeq platform by discussing results of a recent collaboration to characterize the bacterial and fungal diversity of the tomato plant and to evaluate environmental drivers of plant surface microbial community structure.
Host: Tsvetan Bachvaroff, Ph.D.
Seminar 4/9/14: Prof. Xiaojun Yan, Ningbo University, China
Wednesday 9 April 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Global precise characterization of glycerol lipids and novel glycosphingolipids shed insights on diatom's ecophysiology and biofuel development”
Speaker: Prof. Xiaojun Yan
Ningbo University, China
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Seminar 3/12/14: Ganesh Sriram, UMCP
Wednesday 12 March 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Metabolic network analyses in photosynthetic organisms: current possibilities and future prospects”
Speaker: Ganesh Sriram, Ph.D.
University of Maryland College Park
Host: Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Seminar 2/26/14: Arik Diamant, Israel
Wednesday 26 February 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Out of nowhere: emerging fish parasites in a rapidly changing sea ”
Speaker: Arik Diamant, Ph.D.
Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, National Center for Mariculture, Eilat, Israel
Host: Eric Schott, Ph.D.
Abstract:
Like many water bodies today, the Mediterranean Sea is subjected to a wide array of anthropogenic impacts. Since its inauguration in 1869, the Suez Canal, a man-made passage connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, a crucial maritime link between Europe and east Asia, has become an effective conduit through which Erythrean biota invade the Mediterranean. Native and alien faunal elements have been mixing in the eastern Mediterranean (Levant) basin, creating unique species assemblages representing very different zoogeographical origins. This steady, persistent influx of alien species is increasingly transforming the Levant basin into a pseudo-province of the Red Sea. Although we have only fragmentary information on the roles of parasites in this process, it is clear that both native parasites and alien parasite species brought in with their invasive hosts are involved. The host-parasite interactions of some of these species were recently investigated in a study carried out on the Israeli and Turkish coasts. Microsporidia (phylum Microspora) were found to induce significant infections in their Mediterranean host populations – both in native and alien fish. In this presentation, we will look at the effects of such parasites on their hosts at the individual and host populations and the potential impact on the rapidly changing Mediterranean coastal marine ecosystems.
Seminar 2/19/14: Fredrika Moser, MDSG
Wednesday 19 February 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Maryland Sea Grant: What's Up?”
Speaker: Fredrika Moser, Ph.D.
Maryland SeaGrant
Abstract:
This talk will provide IMET faculty, staff and students with an overview of the Maryland Sea Grant College Program (MDSG). I’ll divide the presentation into three parts. First, I’ll explain the MDSG’s structure and our funding cycles and fellowship opportunities. Second, I’ll provide a sense of how Maryland Sea Grant fits into the crowded science and policy landscape of the NOAA, and Chesapeake and Coastal Bays and how we work with scientists, extension agents, government policy makers, and other audiences. Third, I’ll give a few examples of MDSG-supported projects to illustrate ways we have tried to connect science to outreach. In addition, I’ll ask Adam Frederick to provide an update on his work for MDSG in education and connecting with IMET. I hope this seminar can be highly interactive so that you can ask questions and I can learn about IMET faculty, staff and students, how we can best work together, and perhaps your past experience with MDSG.
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
IMET Town Hall 2/12/14
Wednesday 12 February 2014 at 3:00pm
In lieu of a Seminar Speaker, IMET hosted a Town Hall Session.
Seminar 2/5/14: Patricia Glibert, UMCES-HPL
Wednesday 5 February 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “Ecosystem consequences of altered nutrient loads and ratios- more than just eutrophication”
Speaker: Patricia Glibert, Ph.D.
UMCES-HPL
Abstract:
Eutrophication is occurring globally with the most well recognized responses in aquatic systems being hypoxia and harmful algal bloom (HAB) expansion. Yet, the responses of an ecosystem to changing nutrient loads are complicated for many reasons. The amounts, forms, and stoichiometric proportions of nutrient loads vary widely throughout the world in part due to increased nutrient loading (primarily nitrogen) on the one hand, and efforts to reduce nutrient loading (primarily phosphorus) on the other. In many regions, nitrogen loads are now also disproportionately increasing in forms that are chemically “reduced” (ammonium, urea, organic nitrogen) rather than chemically “oxidized” (nitrate). Together these trends mean that nutrient loads in many regions are trending toward higher N:P and higher proportions of “reduced” to “oxidized” nitrogen. This talk will address effects of these changes on a range of scales, beginning with the physiology of algae, and then touching on the consequences of these changes through the food web. Examples will be drawn from a range of estuaries worldwide.
Finally, several projections for the year 2100 related to nutrient loading and HABs will be presented, focusing on output of a coupled, climate-forced, global coastal ocean model for the NW European shelf and East China Seas. We used these models together with climate projections, as well as patterns in nutrient loading and known HAB physiology, to assess how habitat suitability for several HAB species may change. Results of the projections suggest increasing nutrient loads and changing stoichiometric proportions, together with climate changes, may promote regionally differing increases in HABs. These effects may be exacerbated with management efforts targeting single nutrient removal strategies.
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Seminar 1/29/14: Clarissa Henry, Univ. of Maine
Wednesday 29 January 2014 at 3:00pm
Title: “NAD+ Biosynthesis Ameliorates a Zebrafish Model of Muscular Dystrophy”
Speaker: Clarissa Henry, Ph.D.
University of Maine
Host: Shaojun "Jim" Du, Ph.D.
Seminar 12/11/13: Alyson Santoro, UMCES-HPL
Wednesday 11 December 2013 at 2:00pm
Title: “Biogeochemical potential of marine archaea”
Speaker: Alyson Santoro, Ph.D.
HPL-UMCES
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Seminar 12/4/13: Ten-Tsao Wong, UMBC
Wednesday 4 December 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Zebrafish Germline Stem Cell Isolation, Culture, Transplantation and Offspring Production”
Speaker: Ten-Tsao Wong, Ph.D.
Research Associate, UMBC
Host: Yoni Zohar, Ph.D.
Seminar 11/13/13: Kevin Friedland, National Marine Fisheries Service
Wednesday 13 November 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Spring Bloom Dynamics and Zooplankton Biomass on the Northeast Continental Shelf”
Speaker: Kevin Friedland, Ph.D.
National Marine Fisheries Service, Narragansett Laboratory
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/30/13: Bastian Bentlage, UMCP
Wednesday 30 October 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Jellyfish species distributions in the open oceans”
Speaker: Bastian Bentlage, Ph.D.
UMCP
Host: Tsvetan Bachvaroff, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/24/13: Mohamed Abou Donia, Univ. of Cali
Thursday 24 October at 12:00pm
Title: Bacterial symbionts of humans and marine animals: Small-molecule-mediated interactions
Speaker: Mohamed Abou Donia, Ph.D.
University of California, San Francisco
Abstract: Multicellular organisms often live in a symbiotic relationship with various microbial partners. Surprisingly, microbial symbionts of different hosts use a common strategy of producing biologically active small molecules to establish and maintain their symbiotic relationship. During this talk, I will highlight two examples of symbioses that involve the production of small molecule natural products: the symbiosis between Cyanobacteria and marine tunicates and the symbiosis between Firmicutes and humans. In both cases, small molecules produced by bacterial symbionts not only mediate host-microbe interactions but also serve as potential leads for drug discovery, illustrating the direct effect of the environment on human health.
Host: Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Seminar 10/23/13: Marcie Marston, Roger Williams University
Wednesday 23 October 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Biogeography, ecology and evolution of viruses infecting marine cyanobacteria”
Speaker: Marcie Marston, Ph.D.
Roger Williams University, Department of Biology and Marine Biology
Host: Feng Chen, Ph.D.
Relevant articles by Dr. Marston:
Seminar 11/20/13: Louis Plough, UMCES-HPL
Wednesday 20 November 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Larval mortality and adaptive change in marine invertebrates: Genomic insight from the ocean and the “farm””
Speaker: Louis Plough, Ph.D.
UMCES-HPL
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Seminar 10/16/13: Stephen Roberts, NIEHS
Wednesday 16 October 2013 at 12:00pm
Title: Dissecting sources of genome instability in cancer
Speaker: Stephen A. Roberts, Ph.D.
IRTA Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Abstract: Frequency, location and timing are key parameters determining biological outcomes of mutations. Recent sequencing of human tumors has enabled us to address how these parameters contribute to a cancer mutator phenotype. While inactivation of DNA repair can lead to persistent, high mutation rates, few such examples are reported in cancers. Transient acquisition of multiple mutations in one or a few cell generations is an alternative and could produce synergistic or compensatory changes leading to rapid establishment of a growth advantage. Using a combination of experimental model studies and bioinformatics analysis of clinical mutation databases, I have shown that chronic DNA damage can generate clusters of simultaneous multiple mutations via transient mutagenesis. Genome sequencing of methyl methanesulfonate-treated yeast revealed mutation clusters composed of “strand-coordinated” changes originating from lesions occurring exclusively on one DNA strand, indicating the mutations were likely induced in the same generation. Mutation patterns and genetic controls suggested these mutations resulted from alkylations in long single-strand (ss)DNA formed during double-strand break repair and replication. Analogous simultaneous clustered mutations also occur in human cancers. Using a bioinformatics approach, I identified clusters among mutations that occurred in 41 human cancer genomes. Similar to MMS-induced clusters in yeast, clustered mutations in these cancers were highly strand-coordinated. One unusual class was composed entirely of mutated cytosines and resided near chromosome rearrangement breakpoints. Surprisingly, nearly all of these mutations occurred in a trinucleotide motif, TpCpW (W=A or T), targeted by APOBEC family cytosine-deaminases. Thus these highly regulated enzymes, normally involved in RNA editing and retrotransposon or retrovirus restriction, may inadvertently induce mutations in human malignant tumors. Using the motif specificity defined in APOBEC-induced clusters to characterize 954,247 mutations found in 2,680 exomes of 14 different cancer types, primarily from The Cancer Genome Atlas, I further found that APOBEC signature mutagenesis is pervasive throughout many cancer genomes, reaching 68% of all mutations in some samples. Across cancer types, APOBEC signature mutations readily occurred within genes whose alteration can drive cancer, establishing this form of mutagenesis as one of the most predominate carcinogenic mutagens. I propose that frequent APOBEC-induced mutation is carcinogenic and intend to use a variety of biochemical, genetic, and bioinformatics approaches to further investigate these enzymes, their environmental regulation, and the consequences of their activity on genome instability and cancer progression.
Host: Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Special Event 10/9/13: Jean-Michel Cousteau
In lieu of an IMET Seminar, Jean-Michel Cousteau will gave a public lecture at IMET.
Seminar 10/2/13: Javier Robalino, UMCP
Wednesday 2 October 2013 at 3:00pm
Tentative Title: “Hemocytes and antiviral defense in Drosophila”
Speaker: Dr. Javier Robalino
Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research (IBBR), University of Maryland College Park
Host: Rosemary Jagus, Ph.D.
Seminar 9/25/13: Roberta O'Connor, Ocean Genome Legacy
Wednesday 25 September 2013 at 11:00am
Title: “The extraordinary biology of shipworms and their endosymbionts: a reservoir of cellulases and antimicrobials”
Speaker: Roberta O'Connor, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, Ocean Genome Legacy
Abstract:
Shipworms are marine bivalves that burrow into and eat wood. Like most xylophagous animals, this lifestyle is enabled by a community of cellulolytic symbiotic bacteria. In the shipworm, however, the symbiont community is found cloistered within the cells of gill, sequestered away from the digestive tract. In contrast, the caecum, the primary site of wood digestion, is nearly free of bacteria. Using a combination of metagenomics, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and old fashioned protein chemistry, we have shown that the gill endosymbionts, despite their location, provide the enzymes for the wood digestion in the gut. Thus the shipworm caecum is a natural “bioreactor” that may provide valuable information to improve commercial biofuel production. In addition to celluolytic enzymes, the genomes of shipworm symbionts also display a significant investment in secondary metabolite synthesis. This capacity, combined with the ability of shipworm symbionts to produce compounds that move through multiple cellular compartments and influence processes distant from their living quarters, suggested a reservoir of unusual anti-microbial compounds worthy of investigation. We tested this hypothesis by screening symbionts for activity against the apicomplexan parasites Toxoplasma and Cryptosporidium, and discovered a symbiont that secretes a compound inhibitory to intracellular growth of both these pathogens. These results suggest that mining shipworms symbionts for bioactive compounds could open up a new area of anti-parasitic drug discovery and potentially identify new molecular targets for drug development.
Host: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Wednesday 18 September 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Merging ecology and genomics to understand evolutionary responses to environmental change”
Speaker: Stephen Keller, Ph.D.
AL-UMCES
An emerging challenge for environmental scientists and natural resource managers is determining how species respond to environmental change, including changes in climate that affect growing season length and ecosystem productivity. In forested ecosystems, growing season length is determined by phenology -- the period between the onset of tree growth in spring (bud flush) and the cessation of growth in late summer (bud set). The period between these key phenological events dictates the active period of biomass accrual and height growth in trees, and is thus under considerable selective constraint within populations, and strong divergent selection between populations inhabiting different environments. Trees in the genus Populus (poplars and aspens) are ecologically and economically important components of North American forests, and are also a model system in tree genomics. Ecological genetic studies of poplar trees sampled from natural stands across North America suggest a strong impact of historical climate change on past population movements, as well as on evolutionary shifts in phenology and other ecophysiological traits that adapt populations to their local climate environments. However, with this evolutionary history of past climate responses comes the susceptibility of forests to becoming maladapted in the future, as modern climate change may offset populations from their optimal environments more rapidly than dispersal or selection can reconnect them. This question is currently being explored by integrating genomic data on climate adaptation with spatial models of growing season length and climate variability to predict where populations are likely to become the most and least adapted to future climates.
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 11 September 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Large scale ocean variability and regional ecosystem response in the Northern California Current system”
Speaker: Hongsheng Bi, Ph.D.
CBL-UMCES
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 4 September 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Bacterial methylomes”
Speaker: Sir Richard J. Roberts
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1993
Host: Shil DasSarma, Ph.D.
Relevant articles by Dr. Roberts:
Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize Winner, to Visit IMET
Sir Richard Roberts will visit IMET on 4th September 2013 to present a seminar. Dr. Roberts is the Chief Scientific Officer at New England Biolabs, Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was educated in England, attending the University of Sheffield where he obtained a B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1965 and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1968. His postdoctoral research was carried out in Professor J.L. Strominger's laboratory at Harvard, where he studied the tRNAs that are involved in the biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls. From 1972 to 1992, he worked at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, reaching the position of Assistant Director for Research under Dr. J.D. Watson. He began work on the newly discovered Type II restriction enzymes in 1972 and in the next few years more than 100 such enzymes were discovered and characterized in Dr. Roberts' laboratory. Dr. Roberts has also been involved in studies of Adenovirus-2 and discovered split genes and mRNA splicing in 1977 for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in1993. His laboratory sequenced the 35,937 nucleotide Adenovirus-2 genome, and wrote some of the first programs for sequence assembly and analysis. DNA methyltransferases are an area of active research interest and, in collaboration with Dr. X. Cheng, DNA base flipping was discovered in 1993. Current interests focus on the identification of restriction enzyme and methylase genes within the GenBank database and the development of rapid methods to assay their function.
Dr. Roberts' visit will be hosted by Dr. Shil DasSarma.
Relevant articles by Dr. Roberts:
Wednesday 21 August 2013 at 3:00pm
IMET Seminars are generally not held during the summer months but there are exceptions. If interested in speaking on a Wednesday afternoon in the Summer, please contact us.
Wednesday 14 August 2013 at 3:00pm
IMET Seminars are generally not held during the summer months but there are exceptions. If interested in speaking on a Wednesday afternoon in the Summer, please contact us.
Wednesday 7 August 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Nanocarrier platforms for targeted and controlled biomolecule delivery”
Speaker: Anjan Nan, Ph.D.
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Host: Nick Hammond, Ph.D.
NOAA-EPP Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC)
NOAA-EPP Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) Summer 2013
Interns presented the results of their projects on Friday August 2 at IMET.
Bay Journal Highlights Smalls."
Wednesday 31 July 2013 at 3:00pm
There is no seminar scheduled for this date because the room is not available.
Wednesday 24 July 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “7-day microneedle-enhanced transdermal delivery, bench to bedside”
Speaker: Audra L. Stinchcomb, Ph.D.
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Host: Nick Hammond, Ph.D.
Friday 19 July 2013 at 1:30pm
Title: “Taurine: An Indispensable Ingredient in the Development of Sustainable Aquafeeds”
Dissertation Defense Seminar
Speaker: Aaron Watson, Ph.D. Candidate
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 10 July 2013 at 3:00pm
In lieu of a Seminar Speaker on this date, we will host an IMET Town Hall Session. Please join us.
Wednesday 3 July 2013 at 3:00pm
IMET Seminars are generally not held during the summer months but there are exceptions. If interested in speaking on a Wednesday afternoon in the Summer, please contact us.
Wednesday 19 June 2013
In lieu of a Seminar Speaker on this date, IMET is sponsoring a Science Communication Course.
Seats in the class are limited. For more information and to register online, please visit ian.umces.edu/sccourse/details.php.
Monday 17 June 2013 at 11:00am
Title: “The Wolbachia Endosymbiont as a Drug Target For Control of Human Filarialsis, a Neglected Tropical Disease”
Speaker: Dr. Barton Slatko
Senior Scientist, New England Biolabs
Host: Shil DasSarma, Ph.D.
Wednesday 12 June 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Cancer-specific glycoproteins and their roles in cancer detection”
Speaker: Hui Zhang, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Pathology, Clinical Chemistry Division
Host: Zeev Pancer, D.Sc.
Wednesday 5 June 2013 at 3:00pm
An IMET Seminar is not currently scheduled for this date. If interested in speaking, please contact us.
2013 LMRCSC Interns at IMET
By: Dr. Rosemary Jagus, LMRCSC Project Director, UMCES-IMET
On 3 June 2013, sixteen undergraduate students joined the Twelfth Annual Living Marine Summer Program supported by the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) at IMET. The LMRCSC is a NOAA-EPP funded partnership, with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) as the lead institution. It was established to prepare a diverse student body for careers in research, management and public policy that support the sustainable harvest and conservation of our nation's living marine resources. The program consists of a 9-week research project guided by an UMCES-LMRCSC associated faculty mentor, along with orientation to working in a lab, weekly seminars on the use of molecular techniques in fisheries and environmental research, and a one-day workshop on communicating science. Interns will also have the opportunity to volunteer in outreach activities with Towson's SciTech program. This year’s interns, with an average GPA of 3.4, were recruited from the LMRCSC partner institutions: UMES, Hampton University and the Rosensteil School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami. Other students came from Cheyney University, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Rider University, Stevenson University, Tufts University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Baltimore, and Universidad Metropolitana Puerto Rica. The students will present their research results on Friday 2 August. This event will be open to visitors.
Friday 31 May 2013 at 1:00pm
Title: “Glycobiology at the interface between human health and the environment”
Speaker: Hafiz Ahmed, Ph.D.
IMET Assistant Professor Candidate
Host: Search Committee Chair, Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 29 May 2013 at 11:00am
Title: “The hyper-sensitivity of freshwater snails to metals: Implications for setting water quality criteria”
Speaker: Kevin Brix, Ph.D.
IMET Assistant Professor Candidate
Host: Search Committee Chair, Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 26 June 2013 at 12:00pm
Title: “Research on stock management strategies to control fish reproduction in Scotland”
Speaker: Dr. Herve Migaud
Professor in Fish Physiology, Genetics and Reproduction, Institute of Aquaculture
University of Stirling, Scotland
Host: Yonathan Zohar, Ph.D.
Wednesday 22 May 2013
An IMET Seminar is not currently scheduled for this date. If interested in speaking, please contact us.
Wednesday 15 May 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry: Tracing Organic Matter in Aquatic Systems”
Speaker: Michael Gonsior, Ph.D.
CBL-UMCES
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Monday 13 May 2013 at 11:00am
Title: “An unexpected link between a marine neurotoxin and copper homeostasis”
Speaker: Kathleen Cusick, Ph.D.
IMET Assistant Professor Candidate
Host: Search Committee Chair, Russell T. Hill, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 8 May 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Photons to Fuels Metabolic Pathway Manipulation for Starch, Oils or Hydrogen in Photosynthetic Microorganisms”
Speaker: Matthew Posewitz, Ph.D.
Dept. of Chemistry & Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado
Host: Yantao Li, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 1 May 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Gimme some skin: Epidermal cell fate specification in the nematode C. elegans”
Speaker: David Eisenmann, Ph.D.
UMBC
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Tuesday 16 April 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “A transcriptomic approach to understanding parasitic dinoflagellates”
Speaker: Tsvetan Bachvaroff, Ph.D.
IMET-UMCES
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 10 April 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Should we worry about a fatal virus of blue crabs in the mid-Atlantic?”
Speaker: Eric Schott, Ph.D
IMET-UMCES
Host: Feng Chen, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 3 April 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Illumina-ting dinoflagellate biology”
Speaker: David Morse, Ph.D.
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Univ. Montreal, Montreal, Canada
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 27 March 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Seeing in the sea: crustacean vision from beaches to the deep ocean”
Speaker: Dr. Jon H. Cohen
University of Delaware
Host: Dr. Eric Schott, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 13 March 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Bioinformatics and Protista: What Do We Really Know?”
Speaker: Joe Pitula, Ph.D
UMES
Host: Rose Jagus, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 6 March 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “A transcriptomic approach to understanding parasitic dinoflagellates”
Speaker: Tsvetan Bachvaroff, Ph.D.
IMET-UMCES
Host: Allen Place, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 27 February 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Current research status of developing growth hormone-transgenic common carp for aquaculture”
Speaker: Prof. Zuoyan Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology
Institute of Hydrobiology
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wuhan, China
Host: Yonathan Zohar, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 20 February 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Nutritional Status and Immune Function of Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass”
Speaker: Lonnie Gonsalvez, Ph.D.
NOAA-Cooperative Oxford Laboratory
Host: Rose Jagus, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 6 February 2013 at 9:30am
Title: “Quorum sensing in bacteria associated with marine sponges Mycale laxissima and Ircinia strobilina”
Speaker: Jindong Zan
IMET-UMCES
Host: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 30 January 2013 at 3:00pm
Title: “Molecular responses of Mytilus galloprovincialis to toxic dinoflagellates”
Speaker: Dr. Chiara Manfrin
Dept. of Life Sciences
University of Trieste, Italy
Host: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Wednesday 23 January 2013 at 3:00pm
“Restoration Economics: Overcoming Barriers to Success”
Speaker: Dr. Lisa A. Wainger
CBL-UMCES
Host: Russell Hill, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room (promotional seminar)
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday January 16th, 2013
“Title: Harmful Algal Bloom Nutrient and Grazing Dynamics in Coastal and Offshore Environments”
Speaker: Dr. Judy O'Neil
Horn Point Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Host: Dr. R. Hill
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: January 16th, 2013 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday December 12th, 2012
“Seminar Topic TBA”
Speaker: Dr. Cindy Palinkas
Horn Point Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room (promotional seminar)
Date/Time: December 12th, 2012 at 3:00PM
Seminar 12/5/12 - Kay Bidle, Rutgers
“Mediation of Algal Host-virus Interactions by a Co-evolutionary Chemical Arms Race at Sea”
Speaker: Dr. Kay Bidle
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Rutgers University
Host: Dr. Feng Chen
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday Novemer 28th, 2012
"Functional Genomic Approaches to Study Plant Cell Wall
Degradation by Bacteria"
Speaker: Jeff Gardner, Ph.D.
UMBC
Host: Frank Robb, Ph.D.
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: December 5th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday November 14th, 2012
“Research and Education at Faculty of Fisheries and
Protection of Waters,Czech Republic”
Speaker: Otomar Linhart, Ph.D. and Jacky Cosson, Ph.D.
Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters
University of South Bohemia
Czech Republic
Host: Dr. Yonathan Zohar
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: November 14th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday November 7th, 2012
“The Impact of Diseases on Crab and Lobster Fisheries”
Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey D. Shields
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
The College of William and Mary
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: November 7th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday October 24th, 2012
“Phenotypes and Applications of FlhD/FlhC-mediated Gene Regulation in Escherichia coli”
Speaker: Dr. Birgit Pruess
Associate Professor
Department of Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences
North Dakota State University
Host: Dr. Bob Belas
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: October 24th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Hosted the 2012 Annual MEES Colloqium
On October 19 and 20, 2012 IMET hosted the annual Marine Estuarine Environmental Science (MEES) Colloquium.
IMET Seminar Series - Thursday October 18th, 2012
“The Study of the Physiology and Metabolism of Crustaceans in Southern Brazil”
Speaker: Dr. Anapaula Sommer Vinagre
Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde
Porto Alegre, Brasil
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: October 18th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday October 17, 2012
"The Study of the Physiology and Metabolism of Crustaceans in Southern Brazil"
Speaker: Dr. Anapaula Vinagre
Professor
Laboratorio de Metabolismo e Endocrinologia Comparada
Departmento de Fisiologia
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Host: Dr. J. Sook Chung
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: October 17th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Thursday October 11th, 2012
“Unraveling the Mystery of Brevetoxin Biosynthesis in the Florida Red Tide Dinoflagellate, Kareniav brevis”
Speaker: Dr. Fran Van Dolah
Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research
Charleston, SC
Host: Dr. Allen Place
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: October 11th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday October 10th, 2012
“How Do Novel Functions Evolve from Existing Protein Scaffolds?”
Speaker: Dr. C.S. Raman
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
UMB
Host: Dr. Frank Robb
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: October 10th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Monday September 10, 2012
"Translational Control During Germline Development in Drosophilia"
Speaker: Dr. Greco Hernandez
Division of Basic Research
National Institute for Cancer
Host: Dr. Rosemary Jagus
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: September 10th, 2012 at 3:00PM
Russell Hill Appointed Director of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
The University of Maryland System announced on August 10th that Dr. Russell Hill has been appointed director of the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET). Located in the Columbus Center on Baltimore's Inner Harbor, IMET is a joint research institute of three University System of Maryland (USM) institutions -University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES); University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC); and University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Effective September 1, 2012, Hill's appointment follows a six-month search.
As director, Hill will serve as IMET's scientific chief and executive officer and will be responsible for bringing the institute into the forefront of translational research in marine and environmental sciences, fostering a collaborative research culture, developing funding opportunities, and fostering IMET's strength as an academic center.
The USM Board of Regents launched IMET in July 2010 after the restructuring of USM's former University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI). IMET is building on the assets and capabilities of UMBI's former Center of Marine Biotechnology. IMET scientists conduct marine and environmental research, creating technologies to:
protect and restore coastal marine systems;
sustain use of the marine systems' resources, and;
improve human health.
Hill will report to the institute's Governing Council, comprising USM Chancellor William E. Kirwan, UMCES President Donald Boesch, UMBC President Freeman Hrabowski, and UMB President Jay Perman.
"Russell Hill has demonstrated outstanding leadership during the past year as interim director," said Kirwan. "He is firmly committed to advancing IMET through the effective integration of research at the three partner institutions. And he is well prepared to build the administrative leadership and research team needed during these critical years."
A microbiologist whose current research focuses on biodiversity conservation and drug discovery, Hill has served as IMET's interim director since July 2011. He first joined the University System of Maryland in 1989 as a postdoctoral research associate at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, later serving as a professor and associate director of the center.
Hill also has served on the faculties of The Johns Hopkins University, University of Mississippi, and James Cook University in Australia.
As principal investigator or co-principal investigator for many projects, Hill has competed successfully for nearly $11 million in grants to support his research. He also has received several honors and awards, including his election in 2003 as Fellow of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and his receipt in 2010 of the Barnett L. Cohen Award of the American Society for Microbiology in recognition of contributions to promoting the science of microbiology. In addition, Hill has served on the editorial boards of Applied and Environmental Microbiology and Marine Biotechnology.
Hill earned his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and a B.Sc (Hons) degree in biological sciences from the University of Natal (now University of Kwa-Zulu-Natal) in Durban, South Africa.
The official USM announcement can be found here: http://www.usmd.edu/newsroom/news/1123
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday August 1, 2012
"Semiconductor Devices Inspired by and Integrated with Biology"
Speaker: Dr. John Rodgers
Lee J. Flory Founder Chair in Engineering Innovation
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Host: IMET Graduate Student Association
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: August 1st, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - Wednesday July 18th
"A War We Need"
Speaker: Dr. Willie Wilson
Director
National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Host: Dr. Feng Chen
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: July 18th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Hosts Symposium on Chesapeake Bay, Human Health and Eco-Toxicology
Environmental leaders gather to discuss the Chesapeake Bay and human health at the Symposium on Chesapeake Bay, Human Health and Eco-Toxicology hosted by the INstitute of Marine and Environmental Technology on May 14th and 15th.
"Stop acting like we're bulletproof" urged Congressman Elijah Cummings at the kick off of a two-day conference on the Chesapeake Bay and human health at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology at Baltimore's Inner Harbor, May 14-15.
Maryland scientists and environmental leaders gathered to discuss the Chesapeake Bay and human health at a statewide symposium. The event brings together leading scientists from the University System of Maryland and policy makers from State and federal agencies to address critical problems in the Bay related to human health, such harmful algal blooms and toxic substances in the Bay.
The opening ceremony included remarks from Dr. Russell Hill, Interim Director, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, President, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Dr. Jay Perman, President, University of Maryland Baltimore, Chancellor William "Brit" Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, Attorney General Doug Gansler, State of Maryland, Congressman Elijah Cummings, U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Donald Boesch, President, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
The symposium takes place in the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), a new University System of Maryland research center at the Inner Harbor. This unique strategic alliance involves scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the University of Maryland Baltimore and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. IMET's scientists are involved in cutting-edge research in microbiology, genetic analysis and biotechnology, using marine life to develop new drug therapies, alternative energy and other innovations to improve public health and economic opportunities.
IMET Seminar Series - June 6th at 3 PM
"Genomic Innovations Underlying the Evolution of the Animal Kingdom"
Speaker: Bernard Degnan, Ph.D.
Australian Laureate Fellow and Professor
Centre for Marine Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
The University of Queensland (Australia)
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Location: Columbus Center, Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: Wednesday June 6th, 2012 at 3 PM
IMET Seminar Series - April 18th at 3 PM
"NAD+ Biosynthesis Ameliorates Muscular Dystrophy in Zebrafish"
Speaker: Dr. Clarissa Henry
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maine
Host: Dr. Jim Du
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: April 18th, 2012 at 3:00PM
IMET Seminar Series - April 11th at 3 PM
"The Remarkable Effect of Disease on the Ecology of Lobsters"
Speaker: Dr. Donald C. Behringer
School of Forest Resources and Conservation & Emerging Pathogens Institute
University of Florida
Host: Dr. Eric Schott
Location: Columbus Center, Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: Wednesday April 11th, 2012 at 3 PM
IMET Seminar Series - February 22 at 3 PM
"Converging on Fis1 Function in Mitochondrial Dynamics: Evolution or Intelligent Design?"
Speaker: Dr. Blake Hill
Department of Biology
Johns Hopkins University
Host: Dr. Frank Robb
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: February 22nd, 2012 at 3:00 PM
IMET Seminar Series - February 1st at 3 PM
"Modeling Population Dynamics for Fisheries Management: from Crabs to
Mackerel"
Speaker - Dr. Michael Wilberg
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: Wednesday February 1st, 2012 at 3 PM
IMET Seminar Series -January 25 at 3 PM
"Chemistry on The Edge: How Particles Control the Solubility of Trace Metals in Natural Waters"
Speaker: Dr. Johan Schijf
Chesapeake Biological Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Location: IMET's Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: Wednesday January 25, 2012 at 3 PM
IMET Seminar Series - January 18th at 3 PM
"Benthic Nitrogen Transformation Processes in Chesapeake Bay"
Speaker - Dr. Jeffrey Cornwell
Horn Point Laboratory
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Location: Multi-Purpose Room
Date/Time: Wednesday January 18th, 2012 at 3 PM
Oyster Restoration at UMCES: Learning to Let Oysters Speak for Themselves
When: December 21, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Donald "Mutt" Meritt, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Horn Point Laboratory
Host: Dr. Allen Place
Sea Slug Photosynthesis is Enabled by Transferred, Functional Algal Nuclear Genes in the Slug Genome
When: December 14, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Sidney K. Pierce, Department of Biology, University of South Florida
Host: Dr. Allen Place
Korea-Maryland Bio Expo and MOU with KORDI
IMET hosted the Korea-Maryland Bio Expo’s session on Bioenergy and Sustainable Aquaculture on November 4, 2011. Talks were given by IMET faculty members Drs. Russell Hill, Feng Chen, Yonathan Zohar, Sook Chung, Allen Place and Frank Robb, as well as by Dr. Deuk San Jeo from the Gyeongbuk Institute for Marine Bio-Industry.
A ceremony was held at the end of the session for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for research cooperation between IMET and the Marine Biotechnology Research Center of the Korea Ocean Research and Development Center (KORDI). The MOU was signed by Dr. Hyung-Soon Yim (KORDI) and Dr. Russell Hill (IMET).
Epigenetic Regulation of Polycistronic Transcription in Trypanosomes by O-linked Thymine Glycosylation of DNA.
When: December 7, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Robert Sabatini, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia
Host: Dr. Allen Place
Diversity and Niche Adaptation in Marine Cyanobacteria
When: November 30th, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Anton F. Post, Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole)
Host: Dr. Yonathan Zohar
Functional Characterization of a GnRH-like Molecule in a Gastropod Mollusk
When: November 15, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Pei-San Tsai, Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado
Host: Dr. Sook Chung
Crustacean Hyperglycemic Hormones - Pleiotropic Effects on Molting and Reproduction
When: October 26th, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Sook Chung, Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, UMCES
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Label Free Biomolecular Interaction Analysis with Biacore T200
When: October 19th, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Michael B. Murphy, GE Healthcare Life Sciences
Host: Dr. Russell Hill
Manipulating Coenzyme A to Investigate Natural Product Biosynthesis
When: October 5th, 3:00pm, Multi-purpose Room
Speaker: Dr. Michael Burkart, University of California, San Diego
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Host: Dr. Allen Place
Targeting the Cytoskeletal Physics of Circulating Tumor Cells to Reduce Metastasis
When: September 28, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Stuart S. Martin, Greenebaum NCI Cancer Center, University of
Maryland School of Medicine
Host: Dr. Hafiz Ahmed
Early Marine Residence of Columbia River Chinook Salmon: Disentangling Bottom-up and Top-down Processes Influencing Survival
When: September 14, 2011, Multi-purpose Rm, 3:00pm
Speaker: Dr. Jessica Miller, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University
Host: Dr. Rosemary Jagus
Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC) Dedication
Please join U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings and other special
guests who will be dedicating the Maritime Environmental Resource Center
(MERC) Mobile Ballast Water Treatment Test Platform. The dedication
ceremony will last from 10-11 followed by tours of the MERC barge-based
Test Platform as well as the Institute of Marine and Environmental
Technology, hosts of the event.
When: 27 September 2011, 9:30 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Pier 5 - 701 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD
Background: In 2008, a partnership between the University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Sciences and Maryland Department of Transportation
(through the Maryland Port Administration) established MERC. MERC has
been conducting evaluations of several diverse ballast water management
systems in the Port of Baltimore and is addressing other Green Ship
issues, including vessel biofouling and alternative fuels.
The MERC Mobile Test Platform provides a truly unique ability to
evaluated the performance of ballast water management systems under
various salinities and temperatures, and on the diverse and abundant
biota, found throughout the Chesapeake Bay. The Maryland Port
Administration, US Maritime Administration, and National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration have funded the conversion of a barge to
serve as the MERC Mobile Test Platform for evaluating ballast water
treatment technologies at different locations in the Chesapeake Bay
region and MERC is equipped to test according to both IMO and US EPA
protocols.
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