Biology

Darwin’s finches represent a classic example of adaptive radiation. However, human activities in the Galapagos are starting to affect this iconic group of birds. Here, I show how human development is eroding the very ecological and evolutionary processes that promote and maintain adaptive radiation in Darwin’s finches. This talk is for an audience with a science background, but all are welcome. (Lunch provided at 12:15pm). Dr. Luis De León is this year’s Saul Speaker, sponsored by the George B. Saul II Lecture Fund and the Department of Biology.

Human development is influencing patterns of biological evolution in unprecedented ways. In this talk, I discuss how these effects are playing out in the iconic Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos. This example illustrates how humans are a novel and potent evolutionary force in nature. (Refreshments) Dr. Luis De León is this year’s Saul Speaker, sponsored by the George B. Saul II Lecture Fund and the Department of Biology. http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/bio

Zack Peters (MBBC): Can SloR Make the Cut? Investigating a SloR-Clp interaction and its role in the Streptococcus mutans oxidative stress response.
Cecelia Anne Wheeler (BIOL): Exploring Camouflage in the California Two-Spot Octopus (Octopus bimaculoides)
Lunch will available at 12:30pm !

“Expanding the Pollination Neighborhood: a study of pollination ecology for conservation”, thesis presentation by Biology senior Maisie Anrod.

Lunch provided at 12:15pm.

Senior Thesis Presentation by Daryl Morrison, ‘18.5: “An Exploration of Ependymin Mimetics and Their Role in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease”. Lunch available at 12:30pm!

Biology talk by Dr. Scott Tighe, UVM Advanced Genomics Core. “Detecting Life at Extreme Conditions in Antarctica and Greenland Using Next Generation Sequencing Technologies”. The ability to perform advanced genomic techniques on samples collected from extreme environments demands a well-designed experimental approach using high performance reagents and techniques not commonly using in most labs today.

Dr. Craig Dahlgren of the Perry Institute for Marine Science will give a talk entitled: “Conservation of Coral Reefs in the Caribbean: present conditions and future prospects”.

Lunch available at 12:15 p.m.

“Barriers to participation in biology: where they are and what you can do about them”, a talk by Cissy Ballen, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University.
Please register in advance, by clicking this link:
https://middlebury.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsf-uoqD8tGNai7A3f1Q0M6zO…

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America and Europe. Over the last two decades the incidence in Vermont has increased dramatically. Lyme disease risk is directly tied to the ecology of an area because it is transmitted by a tick vector and has a diverse community of vertebrate animal reservoirs. This makes it hard to disentangle the potential biotic and abiotic drivers of Lyme disease risk. In the Allen lab we seek to do this with a combination of tools: tick surveys and experiments, small mammal trapping, GIS, ecological modeling, and molecular approaches.

“African American population structure and health: examining violence exposure, immune health and epigenomic modifications” talk by Dr. Latifa Jackson, Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Howard University. Sponsored by Department of Biology, the Albert D. Mead Professorship, and the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Lunch available at 12:15pm. www.middlebury.edu/academics/bio