News and Events

Students who presented at the 9th Mini-Symposium for young investigators.

Yiran “Taylor” Han at the 9th Mini-Symposium for Young Investigators

These awardees were recognized at the 9th Mini-Symposium for Young Investigators meeting that took place on March 11, 2025 at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in NYC.  Our very own Yiran “Tayor” Han (MBBC/ECON) was one of two pre-doctoral students who were recognized for delivering the best oral presentation at the mini symposium.  Taylor was awarded the first-place pre-doctoral award which included a $200.00 cash prize!

Taylor is also coauthor on a published manuscript that came out this week in the Journal of Bacteriology (also attached).  First author is Middlebury recent graduate Myrto Ziogas (MBBC), and other Middlebury coauthors include Igor Todorovic (MBBC) Katie Kraczkowsky (NSCI), and Taylor Han (MBBC/ECON double).  

Myrto Ziogas delivers a speech at a podium.

Ziogas ’22 Presents at 8th Mini-Symposium for Young Investigators

Myrto Ziogas (MBBC’22) delivered an oral presentation at the 8th Mini-Symposium for Young Investigators in New Orleans, LA. Myrto’s talk, titled “Characterizing a Novel SloR Recognition Element in the S. mutans mntH Promoter” won first place in the “Best Student Presentation” category.

Myrto graduated from Middlebury College in 2022 with a major in MBBC. Since graduation she has been working as a laboratory technician in the Boston area. Currently, she is deciding where she wants to go to graduate school since she has been accepted to the Molecular Genetics and Microbiology graduate program at Duke University, and to similar programs at UC-Davis and University of Southern California.

Professor Spatafora and students in Washington D.C.

American Society for Microbiology in Washington, DC

In June 2022, research students India Drummond (MBBC ’21.5), Emily Bulczynski (MBBC ’22) and Jenny Pushner (MBBC ‘21.5) traveled with Professor Grace Spatafora to the American Society for Microbiology meetings in Washington, D.C., to present the results of their senior work.

Professor Spatafora and students in Washington D.C.

Also in attendance was Spatafora researcher Ali DePaolo (MBBC ‘23).  Their posters received many visitors including Middlebury College alumni Emily Putnam (MBBC ‘10), Julia Schwartzman (MBBC ‘09), and Daniel Tetrault (MBBC ‘2020). While not attending the meetings a good time was had by all at the National Mall.

Upcoming Events

  • McCardell Bicentennial Hall Commencement 2026 Departmental Reception

    Please join the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Climate Sciences, Geology, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Physics, and Psychology for a reception celebrating graduates in these disciplines. 

    The following departments invite grads and their guests to join them in the locations listed below.

    Biology | Great Hall | 2:00-3:15 pm
    Chemistry | Great Hall | 2:00-3:15 pm
    Molecular Biology and Biochemistry | Great Hall | 2:00-3:15 pm

    Earth and Climate Sciences | MBH 417 | 2:30-3:15 pm

    Geology | Great Hall | 3:45-5:00 pm
    Neuroscience | Great Hall | 3:45-5:00 pm
    Physics | Great Hall | 3:45-5:00 pm
    Psychology | Great Hall | 3:45-5:00 pm

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall

  • Biology/MBBC Senior Thesis Presentations

    Elly Tuffey
    “An Assessment of Mercury Accumulation in Different Forest Types”

    Sarah Case
    “Determining the regulatory role of Tre6P in nectar production in Arabidopsis thaliana.”

    Jordan Gardener
    “The Effects of Testosterone on Place & Response Learning and BDNF Signaling”

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220

    Open to the Public

  • MBBC Senior Thesis Presentations

    Mishal Lalani
    “Saving Smiles One Protein at a Time: Targeting SloR in S. mutans”

    Anabell Cloney
    “Proteins have a Social Life: What is SloR’s relationship with the Streptococcus mutans Clp proteasome?”

    Ryan Mauney
    “Development of Electroporation and Fluorescent Live-Cell Imaging in the Chytrid Fungus Allomyces macrogynus”

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220

    Open to the Public

  • Biology Senior Thesis Presentations

    Anna Cerveny
    “Distribution and Morphology of Chemosensory Hairs in a Model Butterfly”

    Isabel Pentony
    “Molecular Mechanisms of Plant-Pollinator Interactions in Cucurbita pepo.”

    Ariel Zhang
    “Testing the island rule using an introduced population of muskrats in the Gulf of Maine”

    Claire Ellerbrook
    “Using stable isotope analysis to assess carnivore diet in the northeast”

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220

    Open to the Public

  • Biology Senior Thesis Presentations

    Asha Kannan
    “Optimizing Bryophytes and Biocrusts in a Dryland Carbon Cycling Model”

    Lauren Marsala
    “Impacts of cyanobacteria symbiosis on desiccation and ecophysiological stress tolerance of Syntrichia caninervis.”

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220

    Open to the Public

  • Biology Graduate School Panel

    Join the BioSAC to hear professors speak about their educational and career experiences. Feel free to come with questions. Dinner will be provided, please RSVP using the QR code.

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 317

  • Biology Seminar Series - Dr. Jonathan Cummings, Fish and Wildlife: Applying Decision Science to Natural Resource Mgmt

    This will be a wide-ranging talk exploring the insights and challenges of practicing applied science and utilizing decision theory to aid natural resource management. I’ll begin with an overview of my career, an explanation of structured decision making, and the flavors of applied science I practice. From there, based on audience interest, I will provide greater detail on some selected applications and case studies of interest.

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 220

    Open to the Public

  • Future Researchers Meeting

    A one hour presentation and discussion with Professor Molly Costanza-Robinson about research pathways in environmental chemistry.

    McCardell Bicentennial Hall 219

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

McCardell Bicentennial Hall
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753

Michelle Matot, Academic Coordinator

McCardell Bicentennial Hall 456

(802) 443-5451

mmatot@middlebury.edu

Amanda Crocker, Program Director

McCardell Bicentennial Hall 353

(802) 443-3638

acrocker@middlebury.edu