Biology

Richard S. Ostfeld, Senior Scientist, Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, presents a general audience lecture: “Conventional Wisdom and Reality in the Ecology of Lyme Disease “. Conventional wisdom — that deer are responsible for producing the ticks that transmit Lyme disease – has led to the culling and fencing of deer as the main methods of managing Lyme disease risk. But it turns out that deer are only one of many animal species that influence our risk of getting sick, and neither culling nor fencing has a strong track record of protecting our health.

Departments of Biology and Chemistry & Biochemistry joint reception for graduating seniors and their guests, including Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Environmental Studies-Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies-Chemistry seniors.

Departments of Biology and Chemistry & Biochemistry joint reception for graduating seniors and their guests, including Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Environmental Studies-Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies-Chemistry seniors.

“The Beauty of Molecular Switches: Functional Implications for Newly Identified Phosphorylation Sites in Src Family Kinases”, talk by Dr. Karen Hinkle, of Norwich University. Lunch available at 12:15pm. Sponsored by the Biology Department and Program in Neuroscience. Visit www.middlebury.edu/academics/bio for more information.

Talk by Prof. Glen Ernstrom of Middlebury’s Biology Department and Program in Neuroscience. (Lunch available at 12:15pm, first come, first served). Visit www.middlebury.edu/academics/bio/news for details.

Thesis Presentations by William Henriques (INDE, ‘16.5) and Spencer Hardy (BIOL, ‘17)
Will Henriques: “Playing RNA-seq: An investigation into the effects of a point-mutation in Akap9 on the murine hippocampal transcriptome”
Spencer Hardy: “A Forest of Fish — Exploring the Relationship Between Fish Communities and the Environment”
(Refreshments will be served!)

Thesis Presentation by Biology major Hayden Shea, 2015.5. Sponsored by the Department of Biology. 12:30pm, MBH 220 (lunch available at 12:15pm). Visit www.middlebury.edu/academics/bio/news for details.

Biology Senior Thesis Presentation by Paige Fernandez, ‘17 (BIOL): “Diatom colonization on glass
slides in the presence of nutrients”.

Lunch available at 12:30pm.

“Key drivers, and epidemiological dynamics of drug-resistant tuberculosis: A model-based approach”, talk by Dr. Sourya Shretha, School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins. For the first time in many decades, new first-line drug regimens are being considered for treatment of tuberculosis (TB), which is the leading infectious disease source of mortality in the world, with an estimated 1.8 million TB-related deaths in 2015. A key concern with the launch of new drug regimens is the potential for rapid emergence of resistance.

“Visualizing the dynamic interactions between Plasmodium and mosquitos” - talk by Dr. Nathanie Trisnadi, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease responsible for over 200 million cases and 400,000 deaths each year. Efforts to reduce malaria transmission include blocking Plasmodium parasite development inside the mosquito vector. After a mosquito ingests infected blood, the parasite will invade the midgut which causes nitration reactions and irreversible damage in the mosquito.