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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2012, Issue Spring-04
April/May, 2012
MORE SENIORS FINISH REFLECTIVE TUTORIAL
The seniors who finished their Senior Reflective Tutorial. Standing, from the left: Leonard Giordano, X, Allen Maryasis, X,
Adrianna Castillo, Tiffany Dawson, Zoe Siegel, Antonia Bertelle, Milton Vera, Cynthia Jones, Rachel Tripp, Lisa Duncan, Terryn
Marette, Alina Guseynova, Richard Morgan, Deeksha Chawla, and Dr. Stearns. In the front, from left: Thomas Iannacone, X,
John Passantino, and John Andrejack.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biology Staff and Faculty News
Curriculum News
Student News
News from Clubs and Societies
Experiences
Publications and Presentations
Alumi
Cartoon
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3
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At the end of a semester and after submission of grades
there is not much to say for a professor at a college.
Nevertheless, let me say three things:
1. Enjoy the current Limulus
2. Congratulations graduating seniors
3. Enjoy the summer!
Best regards,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
SEMESTER END CELEBRATION
On May 10, most of the Biology faculty, some other science
faculty and Graduate Assistants celebrated the end of the
semester at Basilio’s:
Contributed by Dr. Onken with a photo by Dr. Moorthy.
CURRICULUM NEWS
2012 SUMMER COURSES AND INTENDED AUDIENCE
BI 120 Human Biology. Runs May 14-May 25
Non-science majors
BI 209/209L Human Anatomy and Physiology I. Session A
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI 210/210L Human Anatomy and Physiology II. Session B
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI/MI 213/213L Cells, Genes and Evolution. Session A
Biology, Biopsychology and Microbiology majors,
Pre-health students
BI 335/335L Natural History of the Mid-Atlantic States.
Runs May 15-May 31
Biology majors and Environmental Studies minors
BI/MI 400E Experiential Component of the Senior RFT.
Session B
Biology and Microbiology majors , Biopsychology
majors focusing on biology
MI 200/200L Microbiology. Session A
Microbiology, Nursing, and Physician Assistant
majors
MI 597 Research. Session B
Microbiology 5-year program students
MI 797, 798, 799 Research. Session B
Microbiology graduate students
people you have seen for the past four years, and you work
towards establishing your career. It is Limulus tradition to
report on the graduating Biology seniors and during the poster
session, I had the chance to ask just some of the class of 2012
what their future holds.
Antonia Bertelle is from Staten Island. Aside from majoring in
biology, she has a minor in Italian. She plans on studying for
her MCAT and continuing research.
Milton Vera is a Biopsychology major and will be applying to
PA school. He will be working as a nursing assistant for his
clinical hours and become a PCT, or patient care technician.
Cynthia Jones plans on attending PA school and working in a
hospital post-graduation.
Lenny Giordano will be applying to dental school.
Zoe Siegel will continue taking classing and plans on applying
to genetic counseling programs.
Lisa Duncan will earn her second degree at the Nursing
Program at Wagner College.
Rachel Tripp will be staying at Wagner for her secondary
masters degree in education and focusing on biology.
Thomas Iannacone secured a job teaching biology in the high
school he graduated from in Philadelphia.
Alina Guseynova plans on applying to Medical school.
Adrianna Castillo hopes to apply to dental school upon
graduation.
Deeksha Chawla will be pursuing a masters degree or apply to
dental school.
Terryn Marette intends to apply to medical school.
Richard Morgan is deciding upon attending graduate school.
John Passantino wants to apply to medical school or graduate
school.
Allen Maryasis will be attending graduate school for a degree
in Pharmacy.
John Andrejack will be joining the international guard and
working towards his masters in education.
The department also recognizes students who have an overall
GPA of 3.0 or higher, a GPA in Biology of 3.5 or higher, and
have presented their work at a conference. Of the 20 students
who are finishing their senior RFT, this years honors were
given to Alyssa Spivak, Lisa Duncan, and Richard Morgan.
Thirteen students completed their senior RFT at the end of the
last fall semester and departmental honors were given to
Maleeha Memon and Violeta Capric.
Some photos from the poster presentation on May 1:
Contributed by Dr. Palestis.
STUDENT NEWS
SENIOR RFT CONCLUDED
As the year comes to a close, it is the time for seniors to
present their thesis work. Students’ hard work from their RFT
is displayed on posters for the Biology to department to view
and acknowledge the research that Biology majors engaged in
for preceding year. The end of the semester is also a very
bittersweet time. Undergrad work is over, you say goodbye to
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
NEWS FROM CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
BIOLOGY CLUB
Contributed by Janna Denisenko
The biology club ends the semester with several important
annual events taking place. The first was electing the new eboard for the 2012-2013 school year. Enri Citozi assumes the
club’s new president position. An upcoming Junior, Enri is a
biology major and has been an active member of the biology
club since his freshman year. He has participated in many
meetings and extremely helpful when organizing events. He
loves sports including volleyball, basketball, and soccer. Enri
ultimately hopes to become a physician. As an incredible
assest as a member, he has many plans in store for the club
next year as president.
The new vice president is Radislav Meylikh. Radislav is also
an upcoming Junior. As a member since his freshman year and
2011-2012’s biology club treasurer, he brings much previous
knowledge to the e-board. He plans to work with the club staff
to plan many fun and educating events that pertain to biology.
His goal as vice-president is to get more students involved in
the biology club. By expanding the club, the events can be
bigger and more exciting to not only biology students, but to
the whole campus.
Another returning e-board member is Judy Betz. Judy
continues to hold the very important secretary position and
contributes much to the club. Judy is also very active around
campus outside the biology club. As a rising senior, she is
currently working toward a Biology Major and a
Chemistry/Environmental Studies Minor. This past year she
served as VP for Student Athlete Advisory Committee
(SAAC). This upcoming year in addition to her reoccurring
position of secretary for Biology Club, she will be serving as
SAAC president and treasurer for Tri-Beta. She is a member
of Gamma Sigma Epsilon, the Chemistry Honor Society and
Omicron Delta Kappa. Judy loves being involved in events
both on and off Wagner's campus. She volunteered in the Port
Richmond Project, El Centro, and has been a representative
for the Staten Island Green Belt Conservancy. “Wagner is a
great community to be a part of and I look forward to great
things as I enter my last year,” said Judy.
Jessica Oppenheimer is a new addition to the e-board as the
new community service chair. This position includes
organizing service projects for the club and keeping track of
charitable events on Staten Island. Jessica will be a senior next
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
year. “I love microbiology and have been a microbiology
major since my freshman year. I'm also pre-vet and part of the
pre-health society,” says Jessica. She is secretary of ASM
Student Chapter and treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega. Jessica
also said: “I have done community service throughout my life
and by the end of this semester I will have completed over 60
hours of community service. This is just one of the reasons
why I feel that I will succeed as the VP of Community Service
for Biology club.”
The club is still looking for someone to fill the treasurer
position. If anyone is interested, please e-mail
janna.denisenko@wagner.edu. Treasurer duties include being
present at SGA finance meetings, keeping track of club
finances such as reimbursements, and attending budget
hearings.
While on the topic of budgets, with cuts all around many of
the planned events for the Spring semester needed to be
rethought. Fortunately, the club was still able to have their
traditional trip to the Bodies Exhibit at South Street Seaport.
Several club members came to support the club. For many,
this was their first time to the museum, while others are
recurring attendees. The exhibit is always fun and educational,
with several professors even offering extra credit to view the
exhibit. As for philanthropic functions, members from the club
attended the 37 Seconds of Silence Against Violence Towards
Women. The event brought awareness to the 37 million
women who are missing in the world due to genocide in
China.
As the 2011-12 president, I would first like to personally thank
the entire Biology department for all their support with the
club’s involvements. I truly appreciate all the help, advice, and
guidance all the professors have lent to make the club one of
the biggest on campus. I have great faith in the upcoming eboard that they will continue the club’s legacy in promoting
unity, community service, and most importantly, biology.
The society raised 200 dollars from students to donate to the
St. Jude's Children Hospital at the health fair. In affiliation
with a sponsor, for the amount donated, the sponsor would
give a double. Microbiology was proudly pleased with their
success of receiving 400 dollars to donate to St. Jude's, a value
St. Jude's is highly grateful for from the Microbiology club.
Wagner bids a congratulating farewell to its seniors in the
microbiology department, at least until the fall that is.
Wagner's microbiology seniors will all be coming back to
pursue their Master's studies in microbiology. However, some
will also be continuing their studies in the health professions
after Wagner.
President of the chapter, Julia Mullins will be graduating,
along with Krista Carbonara, Ashley Polizzotto, Dilijeta
Bajrami, John Augello, Benjamin Bustamante, and William
Rivera. Rivera will also be taking the DAT in June and will
be applying to dental school the following fall. Carbonara,
Bajrami, and Polizzotto also plan on taking the DAT and
applying to dental school. Mullins will be participating in an
internship with the FDA and will be a graduate assistant for
the Microbiology Department for the next academic year.
Bedrije Goga and Terrence Downing will be graduating with
their Masters in Microbiology. Goga is planning to go on to
Dental School in the upcoming fall. Downing plans to follow
his goal of having a career in microbial research. Mullins has
expressed, "We are very proud of the both of them for being
the first to successfully complete the 5 year program and pave
the way for us to do the same."
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
TRI-BETA BIOLOGY HONORS SOCIETY
Contributed by Janna Denisenko
MICROBIOLOGY CLUB
Last month in April, The American Society of Microbiology
Student Chapter at Wagner has proven that they are not only
dedicated to have Wagnerians learn the sciences, but are
philanthropic as well. The chapter held an event to test soap
for its antimicrobial properties and raised 400 dollars in
donations for the St. Jude's Children Hospital.
The chapter performed an experiment to test whether the soap
they had contained antimicrobial components. The chapter
tested an organic soap that was made under the company of
one of the member's close affiliates. The test is a routine
experiment done in the BI 213 lab, "Genes, Cells, and
evolution", the first prerequisite class needed to take upper
level biology courses. The test looks to see whether two
unknown soaps contain the antibacterial chemical, triclosan.
Triclosan is a prevalent antibacterial agent used in many
commercial soaps. Around ten students were in attendance to
participate in the experiment.
To the surprise of the attendees, the organic soap did not have
any antibacterial properties. The test was a determining
success.
The spring semester for Beta Beta Beta is the time for the
society to get together and decide on new initiates. Students
are extended an invitation into the Biological Honors Society
after they have exhibited outstanding academic excellence in
the Biological Sciences and are recognized for their hard work
by their peers and professors. On April 20th, eight new and
very diverse, Biology majors/minors were inducted into BBB:
Melanie Krongold, a sophomore Microbiology major from
Staten Island, hopes to attend medical school after graduating.
Sara Mfarrej is an international sophomore from Morocco.
She is a biology major/chemistry minor and hopes to be a
dentist. English is Sara’s third language and is fluent in
Arabic, French, and Spanish. “I wish to bring diversity to the
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
biology department. I love Wagner College because they have
a great pre-health program,” says Sara.
Meghan Brown is a sophomore Microbiology major from
Brooklyn. She is currently a member of the American Society
of Microbiology and Christian Fellowship on campus. Mark
Fealey is a Biology major and a Chemistry/Religion minor. He
is the Secretary of Theta Chi Fraternity as well as an intern at
the Staten Island Zoo. Other initiates include Danielle Santora,
Pakinam Mekki, Radislav Meylikh, and Amanda Spira
The organization is thrilled to welcome them and excited for
what the next school year will hold. Along with the next
school year, comes an e-board with both new and returning
executives.
The society’s president, Joanna Emilio, is a rising senior
Biology major and a Chemistry and Psychology minor. She is
a commuter from Brooklyn and takes part in research with Dr.
Heather Cook. She is excited to take on another year as
President of Tribeta and work with all the new members.
Joanna is extremely dedicated to the society and will continue
to uphold the society to its high standards of community
service and academic achievement.
Sheldon Rozman resumes his position has the society’s vice
president. He is a Biology major with a minor in chemistry.
Sheldon will be applying to dental schools in the summer in
hopes of becoming a successful orthodontist in the future. He
is a native Staten Islander, currently working at Small World
Dental, where he specializes in pediatric dentistry and
orthodontics. Sheldon is a great attribute to the society and
diligently works for the society.
Judith Betz assumes the position of treasurer. As secretary of
the Biology club, Judy is extremely involved on campus. She
is originally from Ashburn, VA and is a member of the
Wagner Softball team and the veteran pitcher. “I am involved
with multiple clubs I look forward to making an impact during
my final year at Wagner.”
Samar Alwani is part of the graduating class of 2013. She is
From Staten Island, majoring in Biology, minoring in
Chemistry with a focus upon Optometry. As the new
secretary, Samar says “It is a pleasure and honor to become
secretary of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society!”
Amanda Spira, a new inductee, is the society’s historian.
The society also continues to participate in many campus
events. Aside from taking part in the “37 Seconds of Silence”
event, members worked to put together a display for the
Wagner College Health Fair on April 19th. The idea for BBB
was to educate students about skin cancer and sun safety.
Money was raised and donated to the Skin Cancer Foundation,
an organization dedicated to educating people on how to
prevent skin cancer. They created a poster filled with
information and facts about their topic and provided students
with sunscreen samples and pamphlets. The event was a great
success and a lot of fun for all.
Contributed by Janna Denisenko
BIOPSYCHOLOGY HONORS SOCIETY WILL
CONTINUE
The further existence of the biopsychology honor society or
better known as Psi Epsilon Alpha Honor Society was
questionable. It seemed of what was started under the idea of
Aimee Marin (Nursing, '11), to dedicate prestige society for
biopsychology students to honor their academics, would
disappear from Wagner. In fortunate news, Psi Epsilon Alpha
Honor Society will continue under the leadership of myself
Phil Fomina as President (Biopsychology, minor in
Microbiology, '14) and Mike Broe (Biopsychology, '13) as
Vice President.
Elections will take place for the rest of the society's e-board in
the fall with positions still open for SGA representative,
treasurer, and secretary. Additional positions will possibly be
available for community service events and event planning,
however, this will be discussed with Broe and myself if this is
necessary.
Broe and I have exciting ideas for the society. In terms of
events, we will be holding events for drug abuse awareness
and neurophysiological effects of narcotics, personality and
habit questionnaires, depression/anxiety awareness, and even
schizophrenia awareness as it indifferently recognized. Plans
for national recognition are being discussed and underway and
will be finalized when the e-board and faculty members make
an agreement upon seeking national membership.
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
PRE-DENTISTRY SOCIETY
The Pre-Dental Society would like to wish all of those
applying to dental school and taking their DAT’s a very warm
good luck! In the Fall, the Pre-Dental society must elect new
executive board, but Gregory Balaes, the current president,
would like to thank the 2011-2012 executive board: Leonard
Giordano (Vice President), David Finkelstein (Treasurer),
Angelo Cacciatore (Secretary), and Sara Mfarrej (Community
Service Chair).
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
PRE-HEALTH SOCIETY
During the month of April, members of the Pre-Health Society
engaged in numerous on-campus and off-campus activities. In
particular, on April 17, the Pre-Health and Pre-Dentistry
Societies welcomed Ms. Maureen Cullins, who serves as an
executive of Duke University School of Medicine’s
admissions committee. Prior to her presentation, she was
welcomed and had lunch with the e-board of both societies. At
her presentation, she explained that health professional
schools want to admit personable, compassionate student
leaders. Admissions factors include a student’s: grade point
average, standardized test scores, practical clinical and
research experiences, internships, letters of recommendation,
personal statements and interview. In addition, Cullins
explained Duke University School of Medicine’s unique
medical school interview process (MMI) and its curriculum.
Over twenty pre-health students attended this presentation,
and Ms. Cullins was impressed with Wagner College, our
excellent pre-health program administration and our motivated
pre-health students!
In addition, on April 23, the Pre-Health and Pre-Dentistry
Societies hosted its First Annual Health Reception. Members
of Staten Island University Hospital’s medical and
administrative teams were welcomed in Union’s Faculty
Dining Hall. Welcomed guests included members of SIUH’s
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Board of Trustees, physicians from numerous specialties like
anesthesiology and urology, and Physician’s Assistants. More
than fifteen pre-health students attended the reception, asked
questions and networked for shadowing opportunities. SIUH
guests were wonderfully impressed with Wagner and its
wonderfully bright and motivated group of pre-health
students. In fact, they offered to give pre-health students a tour
of Staten Island University Hospital’s facilities (Seaview) next
fall semester! It was indeed a successful evening, and I owe its
success to Wagner’s Center for Career Development as well as
the Pre-Health Program!
Moreover, members of the Pre-Health Society engaged in two
community service events, including the March of Dimes
Walk and Wagner’s First Annual Health Fair which featured
the Mega Heart®.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to email the Pre-Health Society’s president, Paki
Mekki, at pakinam.mekki@wagner.edu. Until then, I wish you
all a happy and productive summer! Thank you!
ventricular septal defect, mitral valve prolapse, coronary
bypass graft, coronary stent, and mycocardial infection.
When planning the Health Fair, the Physician Assistant
Program agreed to give annotated tours through the MEGA
Inflatable Heart. By doing so, visitors learned of the various
diseases associated with the heart, including how to prevent
them from occurring. In addition, the PA Program put “sugar
into perspective,” by weighing and displaying the actual sugar
content in common beverages and soft drinks.
The Pre-Dental Society hosted oral cancer screenings by
partnering with two Staten Island dentists, Dr. DiAntonio and
Dr. Erakat. In total, they were able to screen about forty
Wagner students for oral cancer and, if necessary, referred
those in need for a follow-up with an oral surgeon.
Contributed by Paki Mekki
EXPERIENCES
HEALTH FAIR
Wagner’s first-annual Health Fair took place on April 19,
2012 on the Sutter Oval Lawn. It hosted 15 different clubs and
organizations, including Wagner’s Physician Assistant
Program and Nursing Program Students.
From what spawned as a simple idea in the Pre-Dental
Society, the Health Fair turned into a fun, exciting, and
educational day. In the Fall 2011 semester, Gregory Balaes,
the Pre-Dental Society President, explained his idea of a joint
effort from various clubs and organizations on campus in
order to promote health among college students. After hard
work in planning and speaking to clubs and organizations, the
simple idea turned into a reality. “The Health Fair would not
have been possible without the advice, support, and hard work
from every one who participated,” said Gregory Balaes.
The student-nurses explain the importance of eating healthy.
Wagner students inside the MEGA Heart Inflatable.
Each activity was based around a walk-through MEGA
Inflatable Heart inflatable with the full anatomy of the human
heart, including diseases associated with poor health. For
instance, the exhibit displayed an endocarditic infection,
Wagner’s student-nurses also had a large presence at the
Health Fair by distributing nutritional information, recipes for
healthy food, and health smoothies. Student-nurses also tested
for abnormal blood pressure, heart rates, and provided
constituents with information to help lower their heart rate, if
elevated. In addition, they hosted a rock-climbing wall to
show how outdoor exercises could be fun and healthy.
In all, there were various notable achievements in our FirstAnnual Health Fair. Not only was the Health Fair featured on
NY1 news, but also there was a great turn out for the blood
drive. NY Blood Services, who partnered with Wagner for the
Health Fair, reported this event as their best blood drive since
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
2010. In total, they registered 49 donors and collected a total
of 37 pints of blood.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEoKsp5OZbU
Gregory mentions, “I’d like to thank all of those who
participated in the Health Fair and went to the Sutter Oval
lawn on April 19th. The goal was to have an educational but
fun day, and I truly believe we did just that. In particular, I’d
like to thank our sponsors: Dr. Nancy Cherofsky, Dr.
Salvatore Indelicato, Dr. Rocco DiAntonio, and Dr.
Mohammed Erakat. The event also could not have been
possible without the advice and support from Professor
Patricia Tooker, Dr. Heather Cook, and Nora Lowy. On behalf
of the Pre-Dental Society members and executive board, who
were very dedicated in planning this event since its baby
stages, I’d like to thank all of you for your support and
guidance.”
For anyone interested in participating the 2013 Health Fair,
please contact gregory.balaes@wagner.edu.
Contributed by Gregory Balaes
DUKE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DIRECTOR OF MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES VISITS WAGNER COLLEGE
Pre-Med students are always in need of advice that will give
them the most competitive edge on the admissions process for
Medical School, not to mention gaining confidence. Last
month, Wagner's Pre-Med, Dental, and Physician Assistant
hopefuls received priceless advice from a Medical School
admissions professional from one of the top ten medical
schools in the country. They received that advice from
Maureen Cullins, Director of Multi Cultural resources at the
School of Medicine at Duke University, gave indispensable
insight upon Duke's own admission process that is applicable
to all medial oriented applications.
In Manzulli Hall of the Foundation Residence Hall, sat about
thirty students ranging from freshman to seniors, anxious for
Cullins' arrival. There was an aura of chill curiosity in the
room; students out with pen and paper ready to scribble down
advice. Cullins' biggest and most revealing advice, "Apply
early."
The students were intrigued, wondering why Cullins' would
give away such an advantageous piece of advice. Most
students think that devoting a longer time to studying, perhaps
taking entrance exams in August is a more beneficial choice;
to get the higher grade. However, Cullins' expressed that
applying early is perhaps the best choice a pre-medical student
can make. She confessed the story of an applicant to Duke
who achieved a 32/45 on her MCAT, maintained a 3.8 GPA,
was involved in a deluge amount of clubs and volunteer
organizations, presented a captivating personal statement,
revealing the high character in her interview that she laid out
in her personal statement.
The applicant scored a 4.8 out of 5 on the admissions process,
despite the fact that the average MCAT score of an applicant
to Duke is a 36. This made Wagner Students turn their heads.
Cullins' emphasized that of course to get into medical school,
one needs competitive scores, but what is more important is
how the applicant reveals who she really is. That is first and
foremost through the personal statement and extracurricular
involvement. Cullins' told the students that the first time she
meets an applicant is through the personal statement, the
applicant's introduction to herself. In fact, Cullins' even said
that she looks at the scores last because she wants to see
through that personal statement if the applicant is an
individual of service.
She greatly emphasized that medicine is a career of service
and it's a lifelong career of devotion. A career as a medical
doctor takes devotion of time to community, science, and
academia. Cullins' realistically revealed that an MD is not a
career of wealth, stating that the head of surgery at Duke
Medical Center makes $300,000 dollars a year. Of course a
medical doctor is a career of security, with a stable salary to
put food on the table, have a nice home, and perhaps even
send one's children to a private school. Yet, the job's demands
exceeds its pay because it is a career that asks one for her
utmost devotion to servicing her community and devoting her
life to following updates on changes in medicine and medical
technology, not to mention taking licensing exams every year.
Cullins' sees on first glance if an applicant is fit for the service
as a medical doctor through that personal statement. Yet, she
is not going to see that when she receives that application in
late October. Review starts on June 1st and ends on
November 1st. Cullins detailed that herself and other
admission reviewers from other schools thoroughly read, word
for word, how that applicant introduces herself, with red pen
ready to edit, when the application is sent in as early as
possible to the opening review date. On the contrary, if a
student decides to take the MCAT in August or September,
getting that high grade they wanted, but just making it to the
application deadline, may not be the slyest action. Sure, she
may have gotten that 35 that she wanted, but then an
admissions reviewer like Cullins' herself will just skim the
personal statement and rely on numbers, because she just read
over 600 applications of the approximately 5,000 applicants
that the whole admissions department has to read and she is
tired.
In retrospect, the college senior who got a 32 on her MCAT
will probably have a higher chance of getting into a
prestigious medical school like Duke than the applicant who
got a 35 because she applied early.
If the application comes in on June first, an admissions
reviewer like Cullins' will have more time, energy and
dedication to analyze the applicant's altruism and intellectual
depth at first glance through her personal statement and give
more leeway to her grades. The individual who applied late
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
who has higher scores may have better credentials but may
have her application skimmed as it came last. Thus, the
chance she will land an interview could be slim because that
spot is gone.
The lesson for pre-med students, apply early.
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
PUBLICATIONS
Moffett, D. F., Jagadeshwaran, U., Wang, Z., Davis, H. M.,
Onken, H. and Goss, G. G. (in press). Signaling by
intracellular Ca2+ and H+ in larval mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
midgut epithelium in response to serosal serotonin and lumen
pH. Journal of Insect Physiology, available online at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.11.019
Palestis, B.G., J. Cabrero, R. Trivers, and J.P.M. Camacho.
2010. Prevalence of B chromosomes in Orthoptera is
associated with shape and number of A chromosomes.
Genetica 138: 1181-1189.
PRESENTATIONS
Palestis, B.G. and K.E. Eppinger. 2011. Few happy returns:
Low return rates of common terns banded at Pettit Island, New
Jersey. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Waterbird
Society, 9-12 November, Annapolis, MD.
an HIV Microbicide Gel Vehicle using MRT, SPECT/CT and
a Radiolabeled Small Molecule. 44th Annual MACUB
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
Palestis, B.G. and K.E. Eppinger. 2011. A banding study of
common terns on Pettit Island, NJ: Preliminary results.
Greater New York/New Jersey Harbor Herons and Waterbirds
Working Group. Staten Island, NY. January 12-13.
Palestis, B., I. Nisbet, J. Hatch, J. Arnold, and P. Szczys.
2011. The importance of tail length for sexual selection in
roseate terns. Waterbird Society. Grand Island, NE. March 1316.
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu)
with
your
submission,
comment, ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about
where you are, how and what you do!
CARTOON
Rivera, W., C. Gaylets, J. Husic, R. Mosher, B. Palestis,
and A. Houlihan. 2011. Carriage of bacterial and protozoan
parasites among common tern chicks on Pettit Island,
Barnegat Bay, NJ. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of
the Waterbird Society, 9-12 November, Annapolis, MD.
Duncan, L., Emilio, J. and Cook, H. 2011. Analyzing the
Effect of Phthalates on the Development of Drosophila
melanogaster. 44th Annual MACUB Conference, Seton Hall
University, South Orange, NJ, October 29, 2011.
Denisenko, L., Corbo, C. (Wagner College) and Alonso, A.
(CSI). 2011. Electron Microscopic Analysis of Cell Membrane
Integrity when Expressing Tau Pseudophosphorylated at
Positions T212, T213 & S262. 44th Annual MACUB
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
Gutkin, M. C., Corbo, C. P., Raths, L. A. and Fulop, Z. L.
2011. Identification of Proliferating and Immunologically
Active Cells in Surviving Organotypic Culture of Adult
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Optic Tecturm. 44th Annual MACUB
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
Auricchio, G. M. (Wagner undergraduate), Bailty, J.,
McAllister, F., Maitra, A. and Leach, S. (Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine) 2011. Imaging Primary Cilia
in Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Initiating Cells. 44th Annual
MACUB Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange,
NJ, October 29, 2011.
Memon, M. A. (Wagner undergraduate), Fuchs, E., Bakshi, R.
and Hendrix, C. (Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine) 2011. Measuring Distribution and Permeability of
Cartoon from www.lab-initio.com
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken, Associate Professor
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Dept. Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: Gregory Balaes (Biopsych.)
Student Assistant Editor: Pakinam Mekki (Biology)
Student Assistant Editor: Philip Fomina (Biopsych.)
Student Assistant Editor: Janna Denisenko (Biology)
PAGE 8
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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Bertelle, Antonia K.
Vera, Milton
Jones, Cynthia L
Giordano Jr., Leonard
Duncan, Lisa C
Siegel, Zoe E
Tripp, Rachel L
Iannacone, Thomas
Guseynova, Alina
Chawla, Deeksha
Castillo, Adrianna B
Marette, Terryn B
Morgan, Richard C.
Passantino, John B
Maryasis, Allen
Andrejack, John R
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Semester end celebration / Moorthy, Ammini -- 2012 summer courses and intended audience / Palestis, Brian -- Senior RFT concluded / Janna Denisenko -- News from clubs and societies / Janna Denisenko, Philip Fomina, and Pakinam Mekki -- Health Fair / Gregory Balaes -- Duke School of Medicine Director of Multicultural Resourcesvisits Wagner College / Philip Fomina -- Publications, Presentations, Alumni, and Cartoon
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2012, Issue Spring-03
March, 2012
The most senior and the most junior faculty member of the Science Building at the same table: Left, Dr. Raths (Physics), right,
Professor Corbo (Biology), middle, Dr. Fulop (Biology): CONGRATULATIONS Professor Corbo for the appointment to
Assistant Professor!
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biology Staff and Faculty News
Curriculum News
Student News
News from Clubs and Societies
Experiences
News in the Biosciences
Opportunities
Publications, Presentations and Professional Meetings
Alumi
Cartoon
2
2
2
3
3
5
5
5
6
6
The most exciting news in the department is certainly that
Professor Corbo accepted the tenure-track position as an
Assistant Professor of Microbiology. Also, two students
from the department, Gina Auricchio and Gregory Balaes,
are running for SGA presidency. You will read news of
clubs and societies, and of a new frog species discovered on
Staten Island.
I hope you enjoy the March Limulus!
Best regards,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
CONGRATULATIONS TO PROFESSOR CORBO
Christopher Corbo, an alumnus
who graduated in 2008, has been
selected for the tenure-track
position as Assistant Professor of
Microbiology at Wagner College.
“He is an absolute fantastic
individual and a very good
scientist. I have had many good
students, but I’ve never had
anybody as diligent and close to
me as Chris. I am very excited for
him being named Assistant Professor,” said Dr. Zoltan Fulop,
Professor of Neurophysiology & Histology.
Corbo obtained his Bachelors Degree in Biology from Wagner
in 2006 and completed graduate school in 2008 with a Masters
Degree in Microbiology again from Wagner. Currently, Corbo
is simultaneously teaching at Wagner while finishing his PhD
in Neuroscience at the City University of New York. His
research at the City University of New York incorporates
various difficulties and issues associated with Alzheimer’s
disease. In his spare time, Corbo teaches and conducts
research on traumatic brain injuries in collaboration with Dr.
Fulop at Wagner College.
“Chris is a likeable person by students and professors. Anyone
you talk to knows how approachable he is, and we only hear
good and positive things,” said Dr. Fulop.
As a second-year undergraduate student at Wagner, Corbo
became fascinated with Dr. Fulop’s work with electron
microscopy and became eager to learn its operation. “We
worked day and night and Chris never complained of late
hours, or that he had to take a break,” said Dr. Fulop.
“Chris was a volunteer electron microscope laboratory
technician for graduate-level courses,” said Dr. Fulop. “He
was only a sophomore, but the graduate students respected
him, because he had already learned how to use the electron
microscope.” Today, Corbo uses the electron microscope
frequently in his research.
To say the Wagner community is happy to have Corbo as an
Assistant Professor is very much an understatement. Students
and faculty alike are extremely honored and are pleased with
Corbo’s commitment to students, research, and teaching and
they look forward to seeing him at Wagner on a regular basis.
“Chris is genuinely concerned with his student’s success,” said
William Rivera, a Third-Year Microbiology undergraduate
student.
“I met Chris five years ago as an undergraduate biology
major,” said Michael Gutkin, a Fifth-Year Microbiology
graduate student. “He is a hands-on professor with a diligent
work ethic, who pushed me to reach my potential in the
laboratory component of my class. His knowledge and
enthusiasm in the class led to me working in Dr. Fulop’s
research lab, where I gained extensive experience in electron
and confocal microscopy,” said Gutkin. “I am excited for
Chris and I have no doubt he will have the same positive
impact on other Wagner students as he did for me.”
Fourth-year undergraduate student and Biology major, Max
Lucci said, “Corbo has escalated my experience at Wagner to
new levels. His guidance has not only assisted me in the
laboratory, but also as a more confident, inquisitive individual.
For that, I am extremely grateful.”
On behalf of the Limulus team, we wish Professor Corbo the
utmost luck as he opens this new chapter in his life.
Contributed by Gregory Balaes.
CURRICULUM NEWS
2012 SUMMER COURSES AND INTENDED AUDIENCE
BI 120 Human Biology. Runs May 14-May 25
Non-science majors
BI 209/209L Human Anatomy and Physiology I. Session A
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI 210/210L Human Anatomy and Physiology II. Session B
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI/MI 213/213L Cells, Genes and Evolution. Session A
Biology, Biopsychology and Microbiology majors,
Pre-health students
BI 335/335L Natural History of the Mid-Atlantic States.
Runs May 15-May 31
Biology majors and Environmental Studies minors
BI/MI 400E Experiential Component of the Senior RFT.
Session B
Biology and Microbiology majors , Biopsychology
majors focusing on biology
MI 200/200L Microbiology. Session A
Microbiology, Nursing, and Physician Assistant
majors
MI 597 Research. Session B
Microbiology 5-year program students
MI 797, 798, 799 Research. Session B
Microbiology graduate students
Contributed by Dr. Palestis.
STUDENT NEWS
ANOTHER SGA PRESIDENT FROM THE SCIENCES?
As Violeta Capric will graduate from
Wagner to continue her studies in public
health, the seat for SGA Presidency is
open. Gina Auricchio (Microbiology,
'13) and Gregory Balaes (Biology and
minor in Chemistry, '13) are students
who have been SGA senators for three
years, are in the Biological Sciences
Department, and are running for SGA
president.
It is no coincidence that Auricchio and Balaes having studied
the natural sciences, would run for presidency. Being that
Auricchio is pre-med she said, "It is given me the
determination to be prepared for the tasks undertaken as SGA
president". Balaes noted that, "Majoring in the sciences
challenged me to remain up-to-date with new discoveries,
which became exciting and interesting for me". Both qualities
are necessary when reflecting upon the concerns of Wagner
students.
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
After running for Vice President
last year, Auricchio wanted to take
it a step up and run for president
this year. Being in SGA for the
past three years, Auricchio
explained that is has helped her
"to understand the necessary
attributes to be SGA president,
especially approachability as she is
concerned with the students
apparent indifference to SGA. In
fact, Auricchio described that if
she's elected she wants to see, "SGA becoming more
interactive with the students and making it more connected
with the student body; allowing students to have more input
and the opportunity to make suggestions and not just the
senators alone. Moreover, having more students present in
Senate meetings and making decisions with the senators."
Auricchio says that a major problem is getting the attention to
the students and that is a problem that she will resolve if
elected, even if it is through more frequent announcements or
more prevalent twitter updates.
As an SGA senator for three
consecutive years Bales has said
that," I’ve learned the importance
of listening and problem solving. I
became very noble in identifying
student concerns and working with
administration for a solution.
Actually, finding an agreeable
solution had to be the most
exciting and rewarding part of all.
If elected, I’m very much
interested
in
strengthening
communication between SGA and the student body via more
frequent updates of our hard-earned progress. I truly believe
SGA has been a very influential student-administration link
that, if used correctly, could positively influence Wagner’s
experience for current and prospective students alike. After
committing three years as a senator, I’m experienced and
eager to be the voice of the student body if elected as SGA
President."
The biological sciences department wishes the best of luck to
Gina Auricchio and Greg Balaes!
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
NEWS FROM CLUBS AND SOCIETIES
BIOLOGY CLUB
This month, the Biology Club is taking their annual trip to the
Bodies Alive Exhibition in New York. Visiting Bodies Alive
is a perfect opportunity for students to witness state-of-the-art
dissections that directly relate to a variety of biology classes
offered at Wagner College. If you are interested in visiting the
exhibit, please email janna.denisenko@wagner.edu for more
information.
Contributed by Gregory Balaes.
MICROBIOLOGY CLUB
Microbiology Club Receives National Accreditation
The Microbiology Club at Wagner is an up and coming
scientific organization that has undergone a significant
change, presenting itself as a high academic association with
driven scholars. In fact, the Microbiology Club has been
recognized by the American Society of Microbiology (ASM)
as a student chapter.
Because the club has been recognized by the ASM, not only
has their name changed, but also their reputation. The
Microbiology Club is now not only a student organization but
it is also an outlet of academic recognition and networking for
undergraduate microbiology majors, a scholarly society that
makes its students nationally noticed. Membership goes
through an extensive process in which the hopeful student
chapter submits their constitution to the ASM branch in the
area which votes upon sponsorship after review. If the branch
approves, the Branch Councilor will settle approval of the
student chapter with the Student Subcommittee and the ASM
Membership Board Chair by the ASM council during the
ASM general meeting (taken from www.asm.org). However,
even more impressive is how quickly the Wagner’s ASM
student chapter became nationally accredited. It was just last
semester that the club got up and running.
The Microbiology Club will be involved in three events this
semester. Many of the chapter’s members will be attending
the Eastern Colleges Science Conference and Relay for Life.
Students can find the Microbiology Club at Wagner’s Health
Fair in April as they will be hosting an STD awareness table.
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
TRI-BETA BIOLOGY HONORS SOCIETY
Tri-Beta is excited to induct its new invited members into the
honors society on April 20th. Also, Tri-Beta will host an
informational table at the April 19th Health Fair on the Sutter
Oval explaining the effects of improper sun exposure and how
to prevent skin cancer. Their efforts to motivate the Wagner
Community in maintaining proper sun exposure do not stop
there. Tri-Beta will be handing out free sunscreen lotion to get
you started on the quest against skin cancer.
Contributed by Gregory Balaes.
FATE OF BIOPSYCHOLOGY HONORS SOCIETY:
CALL TO BIOPSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS
As the Biopsychology Honor Society's entire e-board will
graduate from Wagner in May, potential leaders have new
shoes to fill. Started by Amy Marin (Nursing '11) and
currently lead by Deeksha Chawla (Biopsychology '12), they
have laid the foundation for the Honor Society, but now it will
take determined and ambitious biopsychology students to keep
the Biopsychology Honor Society alive.
Under the presidency of Deeksha Chawla, the Biopsychology
Honor Society had a prominent presence on campus last
semester. They have worked with Res-Ed and the health
center to make students aware of the health services available
to them and where they are located. Both freshman and
upperclassman attended, reporting that the seminar was
informative and gave them greater comfort. However,
because Wagner's SGA had to decrease the budget for all
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
clubs in the new semester, it has become difficult to meet the
society's own standards it had made last semester. Purchasing
T shirts and catering events to have more attendance have
become increasingly expensive. As the semester comes to a
close, it is up to the incoming class and the new potential eboard to use the experience and information gained from
Chawla to organize what they can do to raise more money to
keep events going next semester and to increase membership.
Currently, there are fifteen members, but as biopsychology is
becoming a more popular major at Wagner, there is incentive
join.
Marin's goal in forming the Honor Society was to recognize
biopsychology scholars just as Tri Beta, the Biology Honor
Society, recognizes Wagner's Biology students. She wanted
the Biopsychology students to have their own honor society so
biopsychology students at Wagner could be recognized for
their hard work and for studying a unique up and coming
major across the country.
In fact, more and more research is being devoted to the
biological processes of the brain and its effects on behavior.
NYU and Binghamton University have majors that are similar
to Wagner's Biopsychology program and CSI also has a
program
concentrated
in
neuroscience.
Wagner's
biopsychology program is top level. Not only does the
biopsychology program prepare students for Medical and
Dental school with its wide variety in classes, many research
opportunities at Wagner are available for biopsychology
students to gain practical experience, especially if they want to
pursue neuroscience. For instance, students can do research
with Dr. Nolan, studying sleep and behavior and food habits if
they are interested more in the psychology of biopsychology.
Or, if a biopsychology student is more interested in biology,
they can study the optic tectum of zebra fish with Dr. Fulop.
Students researching with Dr. Fulop have the opportunity to
use a confocal microscope to study the brains of the zebra fish.
The field of biopsychology is advancing and Wagner is
following the pace.
Wagner's Biopsychology Honor Society is a promising
scholarly organization that needs to be kept alive. Although it
is still striving for national accreditation to be part of Psi
Epsilon Alpha, current biopsychology students and biology
students alike can keep the effort going especially if they want
the opportunity of leadership on campus.
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
PRE-DENTISTRY SOCIETY
In February, Dentist Dr. Albicocco, a graduate of Wagner and
local Staten Islander, generously donated his time to present
"Determining Identity Through Dental Forensics." Dr.
Albicocco exposed pre-dental students to the dentist's crucial
role in determining the identity of individuals in natural
disasters, for example. "I never knew dentistry could be
applied to a field such as forensics and it was exciting to see
how teeth could be used to identify missing people," said
Rayna Silva, a sophomore Biology Major and pre-dentistry
student. In dental forensics, the individual's postmortem (after
death) teeth are compared to antemortem (before death) xrays, obtained from dental records
Students of the Pre-Dentistry Society have been hard at work
for their involvement in the April 19th Health Fair on the
Sutter Oval. They will be raising awareness of the importance
of flossing and its link to endocarditis, including how to
maintain proper oral care. Dr. Rocco DiAntonio, a graduate of
the New Jersey Dental School will be donating his time to
provide oral cancer screenings, free of charge. The PreDentistry Society is looking forward to seeing the Wagner
Community and local Staten Islanders at their Health Fair
tables on April 19th from 9am to 4pm.
If your club or organization is interested in participating in
Wagner's first annual Health Fair, please email the Health Fair
Founder, Gregory Balaes at gregory.balaes@wagner.edu.
Both the Pre-Dentistry Society and Pre-Health Society are
partnering with Wagner's Center for Academic and Career
Development (CACD) for their first annual Health Careers
Networking Reception. Students will have the opportunity to
meet with alumni, local physicians, dentists, physical
therapists, pharmacists, and many more, to learn about their
specialties and their career choices. In addition, they will
network and learn tips and tricks for surviving graduate
school.
"I would like to send a special thank you to Natalie Johnson of
CACD and to Dr. Heather Cook and Dr. Nicholas Richardson
of the Pre-Health Program for countless hours in planning this
event," said Gregory Balaes, Pre-Dentistry Society President.
The Health Careers Networking Reception will take place at
Wagner on April 23rd and is highly anticipated amongst the
pre-health students. For more information, please contact
gregory.balaes@wagner.edu.
Contributed by Philip Fomina.
PRE-HEALTH SOCIETY
This semester is an exciting one for the Pre-Health Society.
On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, PHS will welcome Maureen
Cullins, the Director of the Multicultural Resource Center at
Duke University Medical School, who will visit Wagner
College. She will lead a presentation regarding the process of
applying to medical and dental schools as well as what
students should expect their first year of professional school.
In addition, on Monday, April 23, 2012, the Pre-Health and
Pre-Dentistry Society are hosting their first annual Pre-Health
Alumni Networking reception, featuring members of New
York City’s medical and dental community. Students are
invited to welcome Wagner alumni as well as local physicians,
dentists, physical therapists and other health-related
professionals to learn about their specialties as well as the
reason behind their career choices. The prerequisite to
attending the event is to upload your resume onto WICS, the
Wagner Internship and Career Search system, at
http://wagner.experience.com/er/security/login.jsp.
To
RSVP
to
either
event,
please
email
kymberlie.vargas@wagner.edu, the Pre-Health Society’s
secretary.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to
email Pre-Health Society’s president, Paki Mekki at
pakinam.mekki@wagner.edu!
Have a wonderful Easter break!
Contributed by Paki Mekki
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
NEWS IN THE BIOSCIENCES
NEW FROG SPECIES FOUND ON STATEN ISLAND
In 2009, while driving on the I-95,
Jeremy Feinberg, an ecology and
evolution Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers
University, heard distinct frog
croaks. Instead of hearing the
familiar mating calls of New York
City’s southern leopard frogs,
characterized by repetitive clucks,
Feinberg heard single croak sounds.
This unique mating sound gave rise to an important question:
Are these frogs southern leopard frogs, or do they belong to a
different species? Since 2009, Feinberg and his team of four
scientists initiated a plethora of studies to answer this
question.
Feinberg’s frog specimens resemble the southern leopard frogs
found on Staten Island. To truly assay if these frogs are
unique, Catherine Newman, an evolutionary biologist,
performed a DNA analysis of Feinberg’s frog specimens,
northern leopard frogs and southern leopard frogs.
Surprisingly, Newman’s results showed that these frogs are
genetically distinct, and therefore, belong to a different
species.
As the lead scientist of this study, Jeremy Feinberg will have
the honor of naming the new frog species.
Contributed by Pakinam Mekki.
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND ECOLOGY
Dr. Palestis offers research opportunities for students in the
frame of his research project with
common terns (Sterna hirundo)
in southern New Jersey. Apart of
his work with terns, Dr. Palestis
is interested in animal behavior
and has forwarded numerous
student research projects with
zebrafish in the past. Please, contact Dr. Palestis for further
information at bpalesti@wagner.edu.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
RESEARCH IN GENETICS
Dr.
Moorthy
offers
research
opportunities for students with an
interest in genetics. In the past, Dr.
Moorthy has forwarded student research
in genetics with plants and animals. Dr.
Moorthy is an expert in using numerous
techniques for genetic research. Please,
contact Dr. Moorthy for further information at
asmoorth@wagner.edu.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
RESEARCH ABOUT LIGHT PERCEPTION
Dr. Stearns offers research projects to
determine the light sensitivity of animals.
Currently, Dr. Stearns is interested in the
characteristics of the eyes of larval
mosquitoes. However, other animals like
the brine shrimp (Artemia salina) have
been investigated in the laboratory of Dr.
Stearns. Please, contact Dr. Stearns for
further information at dstearns@wagner.edu.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
WORK IN THE GARDEN
Students interested in collaborating in the greenhouse and/or
garden during the spring of 2012 should contact Dr. Onken
(horst.onken@wagner.edu).
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BE A LIMULUS ASISTANT EDITOR
Proficient student writers are invited to become assistant
editors for the newsletter of the Department of Biological
Sciences. If you are interested, please, contact Dr. Onken
(horst.onken@wagner.edu).
Contributed by Dr. Onken
PUBLICATIONS
Moffett, D. F., Jagadeshwaran, U., Wang, Z., Davis, H. M.,
Onken, H. and Goss, G. G. (in press). Signaling by
intracellular Ca2+ and H+ in larval mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
midgut epithelium in response to serosal serotonin and lumen
pH. Journal of Insect Physiology, available online at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.11.019
Palestis, B.G., J. Cabrero, R. Trivers, and J.P.M. Camacho.
2010. Prevalence of B chromosomes in Orthoptera is
associated with shape and number of A chromosomes.
Genetica 138: 1181-1189.
PRESENTATIONS
Palestis, B.G. and K.E. Eppinger. 2011. Few happy returns:
Low return rates of common terns banded at Pettit Island, New
Jersey. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of the Waterbird
Society, 9-12 November, Annapolis, MD.
Rivera, W., C. Gaylets, J. Husic, R. Mosher, B. Palestis,
and A. Houlihan. 2011. Carriage of bacterial and protozoan
parasites among common tern chicks on Pettit Island,
Barnegat Bay, NJ. Presented at the 35th Annual Meeting of
the Waterbird Society, 9-12 November, Annapolis, MD.
Duncan, L., Emilio, J. and Cook, H. 2011. Analyzing the
Effect of Phthalates on the Development of Drosophila
melanogaster. 44th Annual MACUB Conference, Seton Hall
University, South Orange, NJ, October 29, 2011.
Denisenko, L., Corbo, C. (Wagner College) and Alonso, A.
(CSI). 2011. Electron Microscopic Analysis of Cell Membrane
Integrity when Expressing Tau Pseudophosphorylated at
Positions T212, T213 & S262. 44th Annual MACUB
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
ALUMNI
Gutkin, M. C., Corbo, C. P., Raths, L. A. and Fulop, Z. L.
2011. Identification of Proliferating and Immunologically
Active Cells in Surviving Organotypic Culture of Adult
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Optic Tecturm. 44th Annual MACUB
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu)
with
your
submission,
comment, ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about
where you are, how and what you do!
Auricchio, G. M. (Wagner undergraduate), Bailty, J.,
McAllister, F., Maitra, A. and Leach, S. (Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine) 2011. Imaging Primary Cilia
in Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Initiating Cells. 44th Annual
MACUB Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange,
NJ, October 29, 2011.
Dear Alumni,
CARTOON
Memon, M. A. (Wagner undergraduate), Fuchs, E., Bakshi, R.
and Hendrix, C. (Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine) 2011. Measuring Distribution and Permeability of
an HIV Microbicide Gel Vehicle using MRT, SPECT/CT and
a Radiolabeled Small Molecule. 44th Annual MACUB
Conference, Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ, October
29, 2011.
Palestis, B.G. and K.E. Eppinger. 2011. A banding study of
common terns on Pettit Island, NJ: Preliminary results.
Greater New York/New Jersey Harbor Herons and Waterbirds
Working Group. Staten Island, NY. January 12-13.
Palestis, B., I. Nisbet, J. Hatch, J. Arnold, and P. Szczys.
2011. The importance of tail length for sexual selection in
roseate terns. Waterbird Society. Grand Island, NE. March 1316.
Cartoon from www.lab-initio.com
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
EASTERN COLLEGES SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2012
The 66th Eastern Colleges Science Conference and the 6th
Undergraduate Research Symposium are being held together
on Saturday, April 14, on the campus of William Paterson
University, in Wayne, NJ. Approximately 40 faculty and
students will be attending the event. Good Luck to those
presenting their research!
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
PAGE 6
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your contribution on a
level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and 500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files (high quality jpg
is the preferred file format) attached to the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your contribution to appear.
The deadline for submission of a contribution is the 20th of the month. Contributions received later may or may not be considered.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be refused by the editor.
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken, Associate Professor
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Dept. Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: Gregory Balaes (Biopsychology)
Student Assistant Editor: Pakinam Mekki (Biology)
Student Assistant Editor: Philip Fomina (Biopsychology)
Student Assistant Editor: WANTED!
PAGE 7
�
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Limulus Newsletter, March 2012
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Corbo, Christopher
Capric, Violeta
Auricchio, Gina
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Congratulations to Professor Corbo / Balaes, Gregory -- 2012 summer courses and their intended audience / Palestis, Brian -- Another SGA president from the sciences? / Philip Fomina -- News from clubs and societies / Gregory Balaes, Philip Fomina, and Pakinam Mekki -- New frog species found on Staten Island / Pakinam Mekki -- Opportunities, Publications, Presentations, Professional Meetings, and Alumni / Horst Onken
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2007, Issue Fall-02
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE LIMULUS IS GROWING
Since a couple of weeks the animal community in one of the
department's seawater tanks has a new member that may be of
some meaning for our newsletter: A little horseshoe crab. After doing its duty as a demonstration in a biodiversity class,
the LIMULUS polyphemus was "set free" into its new home.
At first it appeared to not like the new environment too much
though. Through the unlimited academic wisdom of some
members of the biology faculty it was determined that the
ground of the tank was too rocky. Meanwhile a sandy area has
been established in the tank and the horseshoe crab takes advantage of the new condition by digging into the ground and
becoming a master of disguise.
Let us hope that the horseshoe crab in the tank grows
as well as our LIMULUS. In this second issue the
newsletter significantly grew from 3 to 6 pages. I admit that I
cheated a bit by maintaining all the initial material, but, finally, this is the actual growth. Anyway, I just added the new
contributions that are marked like this paragraph, making the
reading of the news a little more convenient. This procedure
also facilitates the production of the first special issue which is
planned to appear in January. On the other hand, we definitely
need to increase the number of new contributions in order to
generate and maintain stand-alone monthly issues. I hope the
news in this issue will stimulate everybody in this regard and
generate your ideas for articles or short announcements.
A Biology Club has been founded and Tri Beta makes its
powerful appearance in the newsletter. The section that announces publications and presentations has substantially
grown, and there are some new contributions under EXPERIENCES. I especially recommend to read the contribution that
explores the "prehistoric" meaning of hippo poop. I inserted a
cartoon from my own collection, but I hope that my own contributions will become more and more seldom from issue to
issue. There were no "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR". Also the
"BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS" and some other sections still
remain empty.
Last time I forgot to indicate the deadline for contributions to
the next newsletter and I don't want to make this mistake
again. For obvious reasons the deadline for the December issue is earlier. Please, send your contribution until December
17th to horst.onken@wagner.edu.
November, 2007
I wish everybody good luck for the finals and a great winter
break. It may appear a little early, but time passes fast. So, let
me also include my
MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Dr. Horst Onken
The Editor
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
This section will be used for a note from Dr. Palestis, the
Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, for the special issue in January.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
This section may be used to publish selected messages sent to
the editor by readers. These notes may be responses or comments to articles in former issues, but could also relate to
news or events.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE!
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
A section for news about students of our department.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE!
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
A section for news about staff and faculty members of our department.
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
WELCOME PROFESSOR BEECHER
Since the beginning of the Fall semester 2007 the Department of Biological
Sciences has a new Adjunct Assistant
Professor. Professor Sierra D. Beecher
earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2004 and her Master of Science in Environmental Science and
Regional Planning in 2006 at Washington State University in Pullman, WA.
In this semester, Professor Beecher teaches Human Biology
(BI 120) for non-science majors and Forms and Functions of
Life (BI 217). In the spring semester 2008, Professor Beecher
will teach classes that relate more closely to her interests in
environmental sciences.
Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences at Wagner
College!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
YOUR CONTRIBUTION ABOUT A FACULTY MEMBER
COULD BE HERE!
CURRICULUM NEWS
News about the curricula of the different programs of the department will be posted here.
At the last department meeting, the faculty of the
Department of Biological Sciences has decided to
update some of the course descriptions in the Undergraduate
& Graduate Bulletin. Respective proposals were made to the
Academic Policy Committee (APC). As soon as respective
decisions are made the course descriptions will be updated in
the Bulletin and on the website of the department.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
A Biology Club has been founded in November. The
officers of the Club are Sejmir Izeiroski (President),
Cassandra Bray (Vice President), Melissa Alvarez (Secretary),
Lauren Levy (Treasurer), and Shannon O'Neill (SGA representative). Accreditation with the Student Government Association of Wagner College is planned for the spring semester.
If you are interested in a membership or in further details
about the new club, please contact Sejmir Izeiroski
or
Melissa
Alvarez
(sejmir.izeirovski@wagner.edu)
(melissa.alvarez@wagner.edu).
TRI BETA NEWS
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society has had a
busy semester. Here are some of the awesome
activities we have done.
On November 9th, 2007, Mrs. Falabella’s third grade students
from St. Christopher’s School on Staten Island came to Wagner College to participate
in
Connect
Science.
Connect Science is Beta
Beta
Beta
Biological
Honor Society’s annual
community program where
college students perform
science experiments with
younger children to show
them how exciting science
can be. This year, we had a very successful event and here are
some of the cool experiments the members did.
Making colorful gak was done by Allie Mercil and Chris Cappelli. Paper chromatography with Kool-Aid was done by Lauren Maltese. An experiment with magnetic fields and optical
illusions was done by Yulia Seldina and Kim Karper. An exploding volcano was made by Dina Hussam and Kayla Wong.
A buoyancy experiment was done by Lauren Carasso and then
by Chris Cappelli. Becky Ginnattasio and Christina Lamb
taught the students how to use a microscope and gave a tour of
the building, including the zebrafish room in the basement. It
was a blast!
During this semester, Tri Beta participated in four other service projects. Some of our members participated in the annual
Tunnel to Towers Run from Brooklyn to Manhattan to commemorate the anniversary of September 11th. Also, many of
our members including Tanya Modica, Yulia Seldina, Dina
Hussam, Justina Yuen, Ryan Rogers, Lauren Maltese, and
Christina Lamb walked in the annual Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer at Clove Lakes Park.
On campus, Tri Beta teamed up with the Chemistry Honor
Society to create a “mad science laboratory” for the Haunted
Hallways trick-or-treat extravaganza. As a group, we led the
young children from Staten Island through a maze of skeletons, hearts, brains, and real eyeballs. The kids loved it, but
some of the parents looked a little sick! ☺
Most recently, Tri-Beta participated in the annual ODK turkey
drive. This year the challenge was to collect canned goods and
create a structure representing your organization. In true Biology fashion, Tri Beta created a DNA double helix that was
undergoing replication. The event collected over 200 cans for
The Seamen’s Society for Children and Families.
It has been a wonderful semester, and all of the members of
Beta Beta Beta have been truly magnificent! We can’t wait to
continue our work next semester.
Contributed by Christina Lamb
Contributed by Dr. Onken
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
OPPORTUNITIES
This section of the newsletter is open to faculty or staff to announce opportunities for students in their research. Internships may be recommended here. Volunteers may be found
through postings in this section.
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research
opportunities for students in
the frame of a project in
which he collaborates with
scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principle investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straight forward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In
collaboration
with
colleagues from the US (Mt.
Desert Island Biological
Laboratories, Maine), Brazil
(University of São Paulo in
Ribeirão Preto, University of
Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory
capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin (Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for 2-3 students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU OFFER COULD BE HERE!
made the first trial on
October 27 impossible.
However, on November 3
loads of candy wrappers and
fast food utensils, hundreds
of plastic and glass bottles,
some car tires and seats and
an air conditioner were
found on or close to the old burial ground and were prepared
for the pick up by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.
Cleaning a historic burial ground sounds more like an activity
of a history department. The neighborhood to the ship graveyard may favor the connection to an art department. However,
why do biologists get involved? Indeed, the predominant interest of Wagner's Department of Biological Sciences is not
related to the cemetery but to the shore line of Arthur Kill behind it. A path from the tree-embedded burial ground leads
down a slope to approximately seven acres of grassland that,
entrenched between two reed grass belts, borders the mudflats
of Arthur Kill. This area has the potential to develop into a site
where Wagner students could study flora and fauna of an interesting coastal biotope and how an industrialized society
influences it. Ecological and ecophysiological courses could
use the area for field trips, and students could develop research
projects for their senior thesis, observing and studying this site
between Arthur Kill Road and the mudflats.
Of course, profit does never come without cost, but the
chances to benefit increase with the efforts invested. A beginning has been made and it is planned to soon extend the activities to the grassland itself. We may be able to one day convince the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to support
us and to develop an area that is today considered as dangerous into a nature preserve for the people of Staten Island. May
the presence of
the burial ground
and of the ship
graveyard
stimulate
other
departments
to
join our efforts.
For the time being
our thanks go to
the team of the
first clean-up.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
FORMS AND FUNCTIONS ON THE ROAD
EXPERIENCES
CLEAN-UP OF BLAZING STAR BURIAL GROUND
The Blazing Star Burial Ground is located on Arthur
Kill Road in Rossville with a view on the ship
graveyard that has attracted many photographers to document
this "natural art" of an industrialized society. The weather was
threatening an initiative of the Department of Biological Sciences to clean the burial ground. Heavy rain and gusty winds
Professor Beecher’s Forms and Functions class has
been working very hard this semester. Even so, we did
manage to have a little fun. During the time that we were
studying plant forms and functions, we visited the Staten Island Botanical Gardens, where we enjoyed experiencing the
diversity of plant forms and considering how these forms are
related to their functions. We also took a trip to the Staten
Island Zoo during our discussions of comparative forms and
functions of animals. We each chose an animal to study in-
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
depth, and we are sharing
what we learned about
these creatures’ ranges,
habitats,
adaptations,
conservation statuses, and
diet with each other
through papers. Please
learn more about the places
we visited by clicking on
the links below. Also included is a link to the Staten Island
Greenbelt, which is an interconnected system of undeveloped
land on Staten Island that contains many parks and hiking
trails. Enjoy!
http://www.sibg.org/
http://www.statenislandzoo.org/
http://www.sigreenbelt.org/
Contributed by Professor Beecher
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT HIPPO POOP
Two summers back, I was very fortunate to receive an
invitation to visit my niece who is a high school
Physics teacher in Zambia, Africa. We were simply delighted
and got ready for the trip and made sure we took the shots and
got our malarial pills and did all the right readings. We landed
in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia and took a helicopter ride
to Chingola where my niece teaches. She had planned a safari
for us in the South Luango National Parks in Zambia. Our
cottage was right within the Safari Park and we lived for four
days in THE WARTHOG LODGE, Built on Stilts and overlooking the river where the Hippos roam. Safari trips are usually done in the early morning hours a or late in the day and
we were lucky in that we saw all the big fives (Hippos, elephants, lions, leopards and the buffalos) in additions to a
whole variety of other animals. Hippos were everywhere,
mostly soaking themselves
in the river with Nile cabbages growing all over
them. They come out with
their kids, make those
snorting noises and relieve
themselves all over. And
when they do the mighty
hippo‘s shit goes flying
everywhere like a giant
spray coming out of volcanic eruptions. The tiny excuse for a tail positioned directly
above the hippo’s rump acts as a wind shield wiper. It spins
faster and faster like the tip of a dradle and there you have it
“a spray of feces” Intrigued by this strange sight I asked my
safari guide for an explanation and here we have it.
During the days of creation, when God was busy making all
the creatures and placing them in the right places on earth, the
Hippo with its tender and soft skin got misplaced in the harsh
tropical climate along with the pachyderms and the Rhinos.
The harsh heat of the tropics burned the Hippo’s skin and so
they went back to God to get moved out of Africa to a better
place, a nice cold country But alas God refused to do this The
Hippos pleaded for the next best option – to get placed in the
waters with all the water creatures. God was not willing to do
this since he was concerned that the mighty Hippo will make a
meal of all his water animals. “They are all smaller and are not
capable of defending against you. So I cannot grant you this
wish”: was God’s answer to the plea of the Hippo. Hippo
promised that he will remain a vegetarian and never eat any of
God’s creatures if he gets his wish. : How do I know that you
will keep you promise?” asked the Almighty and the Hippo
replied that he will get on land and spray out his shit so that it
can be checked easily to make sure that he is keeping his
promise. And to this date the Hippo has kept the Promise
Contributed by Dr. Moorthi
YOUR EXPERIENCES COULD BE POSTED HERE!
PUBLICATIONS
Freire, C.A., Onken, H. and McNamara, J.C. (2007, in press).
A structure–function analysis of ion transport in crustacean
gills and excretory organs. Comparative. Biochemistry and
Physioogy. A, doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.05.008.
Gerwing, J., McConnell, D., Stearns, D., and S Adair. 2007.
Critical thinking for civic thinking in science. Academic Exchange Quarterly 11(3):160-165
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2007, in press).
Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of
the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science,
in press.
YOUR PUBLICATION COULD BE POSTED HERE!
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Palestis, B. G. (2007). Use of artificial eelgrass mats by
saltmarsh-nesting common terns. Waterbird Society. Barcelona, October 30-November 3.
Dr. Palestis presented his work also at a local event for
the Greater New York/New Jersey Harbor Colonial
Waterbirds Working Group, Staten Island, November 27-28.
The poster can be visited outside room 309 in the Megerle
Science Building
Lamb, C.; Baldeviano, G. C.; Čiháková, D. ; Noel R. Rose, N.
R. (2007). Gene expression of inflammatory cytokine IL-17
during the course of Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis
(EAM).
This work reflects Christina Lamb's summer collaboration
with Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Pistilli, A., Roxbury, C., Zambidis, E. and Kimmel, S. (2007).
MicroRNAs regulate normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
40th Fall Conference of the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB), St. John's University, New York City, New York, October 20, 2007.
This work reflects Andrew Pistilli's summer collaboration
with John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Stearns, D. (2007). Science in general education: an environmental/human health learning community and the criticalthinking-for-civic-thinking model. Invited presentation. The
Mellon Project. Science in General Education. September 26,
2007, Hunter College, Manhattan, New York.
SUBMISSIONS
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Association of American Colleges and Universities. Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment. Network
for Academic Renewal Conference, Boston (MA), February
21-23.
Onken, H., Cataldo, C.S., Coppolo, J.A., Lamb, CM.,
LoRe, E.G., Post, A.K., Zangara, N.E. An Animal Physiology lab project that promotes undergraduate student interest
and responsibility. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology meeting, April
2008.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Moffett, S.B.,
Moffett, D.F. Apical Na+/K+-ATPase and strong alkalinization
in the anterior stomach of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti). Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology meeting, April
2008.
Onken, H., Parks, S., Goss, G., Moffett, D.F.; Extremely alkaline intracellular pH in the anterior stomach of larval yellow
fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology
meeting, April 2008.
these truly exciting news about the advances of cancer therapy, the meeting continued with a poster session. Two students from the Department of Biological Sciences at Wagner
College, Christina Lamb and Andrew Pistilli, presented the
results of their summer collaborations at John's Hopkins University. After lunch
and
after
another
keynote speaker (Sam
Rhine
addressed
"Advances
in
Pluripotent Stem Cell
research")
the
afternoon was spent
with workshops and
presentations
of
member papers. In this frame Dr. Stearns organized the
Workshop "Teaching Critical Thinking / Civic Thinking in
Science using an NSF-Funded Model".
Contributed by Dr. Onken
YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO / REVIEW OF A PROFESSIONAL MEETING COULD BE POSTED HERE
ALUMNI
News from or about alumni of our department could be posted
here!
YOUR STORY ABOUT OR MESSAGE FROM AN ALUMNI
COULD BE READ HERE!
RECOMMENDED
Recommend a website, a book or a restaurant that you think
everybody at our department should have experienced.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE HERE!
REVIEWS
STUDENTS AND FACULTY AT MACUB
The 40th fall conference of the Metropolitan
Association of College and University Biologists was
held at St. John's University in Queens on Saturday, October
20. A busload of faculty members and students were driven to
Queens by our awesome department secretary, Stephanie Rollizo. After settling in with the traditional breakfast. the president of MACUB, Professor Gary Sarinsky from Kingsborough
Community College, welcomed everybody to celebrate the
fourth decade of the Society and its meetings. The first keynote speaker, Paul Fisher from the Columbia-Presbyterian
Medical Center, presented his contribution entitled "Differentiation Therapy of Cancer: From Bench to Bedside." After
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
SOME RIDDLES:
I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in
the middle too, but I still hold lots of water. What am I?
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks,
has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
What building has the most stories?
Why is the sun so bright?
Answers in December
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
MAZE
YOUR PUZZLE, JOKE, QUOTE ORr CARTOON COULD
BE POSTED HERE!
CLASSIFIED
You want to sell your PC, buy a used printer? Are you looking
for company for your Friday night trip to Manhattan or for
your weekend trip to the NJ shore? Post it here, if you need
help to fix your car or if you are able to fix them.
WANT TO POST YOUR AD HERE?
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
Help the bee to find its way back to the hive
DO YOU KNOW A SECTION THAT I MISSED?
LET ME KNOW WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
CARTOON
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be
minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The deadline submission of a contribution is the 20th of
this month. Contributions received later may or may not be
considered.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
THERE ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES
PAGE 6
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, November 2007
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Beecher, Sierra
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Welcome Professor Beecher / Horst Onken -- Curriculum news / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Christina Lamb -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- Clean-up of Blazing Star burial ground / Horst Onken -- Forms and functions on the road / Sierra Beecher -- Little known facts about hippo poop / Ammini Moorthy -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Student and faculty at Macub / Horst Onken -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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2007-11
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Spring-01
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE JANUARY LIMULUS
Some of you may have wondered why there was no December
issue of our newsletter. First, there were no new contributions
until the deadline. On top, like many of you I was struck with
the terrible news about our chaplain, Lyle Guttu, and I simply
could not do business as usual.
Lyle, you will be in our thoughts!
January, 2008
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Welcome back! First I would like to thank Dr. Onken for putting together this newsletter. Second, I would like to welcome
those who are new to the department or who are considering a
major or minor in one of our programs. These programs include majors and minors in both Biology and Microbiology, a
graduate program in Microbiology, participation in an interdisciplinary major in Biopsychology, and an interdisciplinary
minor in Environmental Studies. There are also many opportunities for students to get involved outside of the classroom,
including undergraduate and graduate research, Biology Club,
Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, and by contributing to
this newsletter. Please take advantage of these opportunities.
Sincerely,
Brian Palestis, Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
NO LETTERS RECEIVED!
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
FACULTY PHOTOGRAPH
Shortly before the winter break a photograph of the faculty
members of the department was taken that will soon find its
place on the website of the Department of Biological Sciences:
Who wants to read more is referred to the web page "In memoriam: Chaplain Lyle Guttu, 1936-2007" maintained by the
college at: http://www.wagner.edu/news/node/841
The January LIMULUS is our first special issue. It will review
the last fall semester and it will be sent out not only to current
students and faculty, but also to alumni and to some selected
"celebrities" of the college.
Until now the section "Biology Student News" did not get any
contributions. in order to stimulate more active contributions
by students I am offering two students to act as Assistant Editors. If you are interested, send an e-mail or meet me during
my office hours.
I wish everybody a successful spring semester!
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
Standing from left to right: Dr. Mosher, Dr. Fulop. Dr. Onken,
Dr. Stearns and Dr. Palestis. Sitting from left to right: Professor Raths, Stephanie Rollizo (department secretary), Dr.
Moorthi and Dr. Cook.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
WELCOME PROFESSOR BEECHER
Since the beginning of the Fall semester 2007 the Department of Biological
Sciences has a new Adjunct Assistant
Professor. Professor Sierra D. Beecher
earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2004 and her Master of Science in Environmental Science and
Regional Planning in 2006 at Washington State University in Pullman, WA.
In this semester, Professor Beecher teaches Human Biology
(BI 120) for non-science majors and Forms and Functions of
Life (BI 217). In the spring semester 2008, Professor Beecher
teaches classes that relate more closely to her interests in environmental sciences.
Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences at Wagner
College!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
A section for news about students of our department.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE!
I am looking for two students who would act as Assistant
Editors with special responsibility for this section of the
newsletter. If you are interested, contact me by e-mail or
meet me during my office hours (Tuesday and Thursday
10am to 12).
Dr. Onken
CURRICULUM NEWS
News about the curricula of the different programs of the department will be posted here.
At the department meeting in November the faculty of the
Department of Biological Sciences has decided to update
some of the course descriptions in the Undergraduate &
Graduate Bulletin. Respective proposals were made to the
Academic Policy Committee (APC). As soon as respective
decisions are made the course descriptions will be updated in
the Bulletin and on the website of the department.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
At the department meeting in December the faculty members
were informed about the procedures for the Anthony Pfister
Scholarship. Based on a presentation by Dr. Stearns the programs of two new majors were discussed: Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. Another topic that was debated were changes to the Senior RFT. The latter two points
may result in future curriculum changes/extensions.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
A Biology Club has been founded in November. The officers
of the Club are Sejmir Izeiroski (President), Cassandra Bray
(Vice President), Melissa Alvarez (Secretary), Lauren Levy
(Treasurer), and Shannon O'Neill (SGA representative). Accreditation with the Student Government Association of Wagner College is planned for the spring semester. If you are interested in a membership or in further details about the new
club,
please
contact
Sejmir
Izeiroski
or
Melissa
Alvarez
(sejmir.izeirovski@wagner.edu)
(melissa.alvarez@wagner.edu).
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TRI BETA NEWS
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society has had a busy semester. Here are some of the awesome activities we have
done.
On November 9th, 2007, Mrs. Falabella’s third grade students
from St. Christopher’s School on Staten Island came to Wagner College to participate in Connect Science. Connect Science is Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society’s annual
community program where college students perform science
experiments
with
younger children to
show them how
exciting science can
be. This year, we had
a very successful
event and here are
some of the cool
experiments
the
members did.
Making colorful gak
was done by Allie Mercil and Chris Cappelli. Paper chromatography with Kool-Aid was done by Lauren Maltese. An experiment with magnetic fields and optical illusions was done
by Yulia Seldina and Kim Karper. An exploding volcano was
made by Dina Hussam and Kayla Wong. A buoyancy experiment was done by Lauren Carasso and then by Chris Cappelli.
Becky Ginnattasio and Christina Lamb taught the students
how to use a microscope and gave a tour of the building, including the zebrafish room in the basement. It was a blast!
During this semester, Tri Beta participated in four other service projects. Some of our members participated in the annual
Tunnel to Towers Run from Brooklyn to Manhattan to commemorate the anniversary of September 11th. Also, many of
our members including Tanya Modica, Yulia Seldina, Dina
Hussam, Justina Yuen, Ryan Rogers, Lauren Maltese, and
Christina Lamb walked in the annual Making Strides Against
Breast Cancer at Clove Lakes Park.
On campus, Tri Beta teamed up with the Chemistry Honor
Society to create a “mad science laboratory” for the Haunted
Hallways trick-or-treat extravaganza. As a group, we led the
young children from Staten Island through a maze of skeletons, hearts, brains, and real eyeballs. The kids loved it, but
some of the parents looked a little sick! ☺
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Most recently, Tri-Beta participated in the annual ODK turkey
drive. This year the challenge was to collect canned goods and
create a structure representing your organization. In true Biology fashion, Tri Beta created a DNA double helix that was
undergoing replication. The event collected over 200 cans for
The Seamen’s Society for Children and Families.
It has been a wonderful semester, and all of the members of
Beta Beta Beta have been truly magnificent! We can’t wait to
continue our work next semester.
Contributed by Christina Lamb
OPPORTUNITIES
This section of the newsletter is open to faculty or staff to announce opportunities for students in their research. Internships may be recommended here. Volunteers may be found
through postings in this section.
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research
opportunities for students in
the frame of a project in
which he collaborates with
scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principle investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straight forward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In
collaboration
with
colleagues from the US (Mt.
Desert Island Biological
Laboratories, Maine), Brazil
(University of São Paulo in
Ribeirão Preto, University of
Paraná in Curitiba) and Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues
research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin
(Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for 2-3 students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
CLEAN-UP OF BLAZING STAR BURIAL GROUND
The Blazing Star Burial Ground is located on Arthur Kill
Road in Rossville with a view on the ship graveyard that has
attracted many photographers to document this "natural art" of
an industrialized society. The weather was threatening an initiative of the Department of Biological Sciences to clean the
burial ground. Heavy rain and gusty winds made the first trial
on October 27 impossible. However, on November 3 loads of
candy wrappers and fast
food utensils, hundreds of
plastic and glass bottles,
some car tires and seats and
an air conditioner were
found on or close to the old
burial ground and were prepared for the pick up by the
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation.
Cleaning a historic burial ground sounds more like an activity
of a history department. The neighborhood to the ship graveyard may favor the connection to an art department. However,
why do biologists get involved? Indeed, the predominant interest of Wagner's Department of Biological Sciences is not
related to the cemetery but to the shore line of Arthur Kill behind it. A path from the tree-embedded burial ground leads
down a slope to approximately seven acres of grassland that,
entrenched between two reed grass belts, borders the mudflats
of Arthur Kill. This area has the potential to develop into a site
where Wagner students could study flora and fauna of an interesting coastal biotope and how an industrialized society
influences it. Ecological and ecophysiological courses could
use the area for field trips, and students could develop research
projects for their senior thesis, observing and studying this site
between Arthur Kill Road and the mudflats.
Of course, profit does never come without cost, but the
chances to benefit increase with the efforts invested. A beginning has been made and it is planned to soon extend the activities to the grassland itself. We may be able to one day convince the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation to support
us and to develop an area that is today considered as dangerous into a nature preserve for the people of Staten Island. May
the presence of
the burial ground
and of the ship
graveyard
stimulate
other
departments
to
join our efforts.
For the time being
our thanks go to
the team of the
first clean-up.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
FORMS AND FUNCTIONS ON THE ROAD
Professor Beecher’s Forms and Functions class has been
working very hard this
semester. Even so, we did
manage to have a little fun.
During the time that we
were studying plant forms
and functions, we visited
the
Staten
Island
Botanical Gardens, where
we enjoyed experiencing
the diversity of plant forms and considering how these forms
are related to their functions. We also took a trip to the Staten
Island Zoo during our discussions of comparative forms and
functions of animals. We each chose an animal to study indepth, and we are sharing what we learned about these creatures’ ranges, habitats, adaptations, conservation statuses, and
diet with each other through papers. Please learn more about
the places we visited by clicking on the links below. Also included is a link to the Staten Island Greenbelt, which is an
interconnected system of undeveloped land on Staten Island
that contains many parks and hiking trails. Enjoy!
http://www.sibg.org/
http://www.statenislandzoo.org/
http://www.sigreenbelt.org/
Contributed by Professor Beecher
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY CLASS TOURS BEHIND
THE SCENES AT THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (AMNH)
As a required
component
of
the Biodiversity
and
Ecology
course, which is
team-taught
each semester
by Drs. Brian
Palestis
and
Donald Stearns,
the students are
treated to a
behind-the-scenes tour of the American Museum of Natural
History. Last December, the fall semester class met at the museum, where they were introduced to the entomologist and
ecologist Dr. Sacha Spector. Dr. Spector took the students to
his research area in the bowels of one of the buildings, where
he described his responsibilities as Manager of the Invertebrate Conservation Program of AMNH’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, one of several centers worldwide that
form a network aimed at conserving species. As questions
were coming nonstop, students peered through microscopes to
see the diversity of carapace structures and colors of several
species of scarabaeine dung beetles, Dr. Spector’s particular
area of expertise. The students were then taken to a collection
room with mechanically movable rows, where they were
shown truly strange and fascinating species of insects such as
stick insects, beetles, and other insects from all over the world.
A lepidopterist/curator on the floor described the diversity of
the museum’s butterfly collection—one of the best collections
in the world—and showed the students some outstanding
specimens. We were told the incredible, true, and still not
completely understood story of the migration of the monarch
butterflies between their spring/summer locales in the United
States and their fall/winter home in central Mexico.
After lunch in the museum’s cafeteria, the students visited the
Biodiversity Exhibit, a permanent exhibit that serves as a useful review of the course. The students also visited the Hall of
Ocean Life, another exhibit that helps as the students prepare
for their oral finals. The entire tour was peppered with excellent questions—always a good sign.
The class takes this tour each semester, and others are invited
to come as well. This time, Professor Linda Raths joined us
and took the photograph that accompanies this article. Everyone had a great educational experience and a good time; two
students even inquired about museum internships. For those of
you in the course right now, you have a treat in store for you.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns, Dr. Palestis and Professor Raths.
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT HIPPO POOP
Two summers back, I was very fortunate to receive an invitation to visit my niece who is a high school Physics teacher in
Zambia, Africa. We were simply delighted and got ready for
the trip and made sure we took the shots and got our malarial
pills and did all the right readings. We landed in Lusaka, the
capital city of Zambia and took a helicopter ride to Chingola
where my niece teaches. She had planned a safari for us in the
South Luango National Parks in Zambia. Our cottage was
right within the Safari Park and we lived for four days in THE
WARTHOG LODGE, Built on Stilts and overlooking the river
where the Hippos roam. Safari trips are usually done in the
early morning hours a or late in the day and we were lucky in
that we saw all the big fives (Hippos, elephants, lions, leopards and the buffalos) in additions to a whole variety of other
animals. Hippos were everywhere, mostly soaking themselves
in the river with Nile cabbages growing all over them. They
come out with their kids, make those snorting noises and relieve themselves all over. And when they do the mighty
hippo‘s shit goes flying everywhere like a giant spray coming
out of volcanic eruptions. The tiny excuse for a tail positioned
directly above the hippo’s rump acts as a wind shield wiper. It
spins faster and faster like
the tip of a dradle and there
you have it “a spray of
feces” Intrigued by this
strange sight I asked my
safari guide for an explanation and here we have it.
During the days of creation, when God was busy
making all the creatures
and placing them in the right places on earth, the Hippo with
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
its tender and soft skin got misplaced in the harsh tropical climate along with the pachyderms and the Rhinos. The harsh
heat of the tropics burned the Hippo’s skin and so they went
back to God to get moved out of Africa to a better place, a
nice cold country But alas God refused to do this The Hippos
pleaded for the next best option – to get placed in the waters
with all the water creatures. God was not willing to do this
since he was concerned that the mighty Hippo will make a
meal of all his water animals. “They are all smaller and are not
capable of defending against you. So I cannot grant you this
wish”: was God’s answer to the plea of the Hippo. Hippo
promised that he will remain a vegetarian and never eat any of
God’s creatures if he gets his wish. : How do I know that you
will keep you promise?” asked the Almighty and the Hippo
replied that he will get on land and spray out his shit so that it
can be checked easily to make sure that he is keeping his
promise. And to this date the Hippo has kept the Promise
Contributed by Dr. Moorthi
the plant often result in lots of cash suddenly turning up at the
treatment facility after being flushed. They also learned that
gulls will swim in and eat just about anything.
Such field trips are clear reminders to us all of the environmental impacts of our own biological processes when replicated in large numbers. These trips also falsify the out-ofsight, out-of-mind myth when it comes to dealing with waste.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns and Dr. Cook
SECOND ANNUAL HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
After the very successful Holiday Celebration last year at the
German restaurant "Killmeyer", faculty, staff and some students of the science departments met on December 11 for the
second Holiday Celebration at the Restaurant "R. H. TUGS"
on Richmond Terrace. The photos below (taken by Dr. Moorthi) clearly show that it was again fun to meet with colleagues
in a different setting than in the Science Building.
CLASS FIELD TRIPS TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT PROVIDES MEMORIES, OLFACTORY AND
OTHERWISE
During the fall, 2007 semester, two classes (Dr. Cook’s FYP
Reflective Tutorial and Dr. Stearns’ Environmental Biology
class) toured the Edward P. Decher Secondary Wastewater
Treatment Facilities. This plant collects residential and industrial wastes from eleven municipalities (600,000 people) in
Essex and Union counties, in New Jersey. The plant is owned
and operated through the partnering of these municipalities;
that partnership is called Joint Meeting of Essex and Union
Counties.
Each class trip was arranged ahead of time by the course instructor and involved an on-site tour guide. Students learned
firsthand the steps involved in sewage treatment:
• preliminary treatment that removes non-sewage items
such as chunks of wood and rags
• primary treatment that separates “floatables” like oils
and greases from the heavier stuff called sludge
• secondary treatment where large vats of organic matter are aerated like giant chocolate milk shakes to
keep the teeming bacteria there alive so they can
break down the organic molecules
• anaerobic digestion, which is similar to secondary
treatment except that the involved bacteria are anaerobic and therefore are kept in large, sealed containers away from free oxygen
• chlorine treatment of the water to kill possibly toxic
organisms, then chemical removal of the chlorine before the water is pumped into the Arthur Kill
• dehydration of the leftover solids to make the final
sludge for out-of-state landfills and possible use as
fertilizer for plants not used for human consumption
Students also learned that the facility uses the methane gas
released by the anaerobic digesters to fuel generators to produce electricity, cutting the cost of electricity for the plant by
close to half. They also learned that drug busts upstream from
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Dr. Palestis presented his work also at a local event for the
Greater New York/New Jersey Harbor Colonial Waterbirds
Working Group, Staten Island, November 27-28. The poster
can be visited outside room 309 in the Megerle Science Building
Lamb, C.; Baldeviano, G. C.; Čiháková, D. ; Noel R. Rose, N.
R. (2007). Gene expression of inflammatory cytokine IL-17
during the course of Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis
(EAM).
This work reflects Christina Lamb's summer collaboration
with Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Stephanie:
Thank your for your efforts organizing the event!
Pistilli, A., Roxbury, C., Zambidis, E. and Kimmel, S. (2007).
MicroRNAs regulate normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
40th Fall Conference of the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB), St. John's University, New York City, New York, October 20, 2007.
This work reflects Andrew Pistilli's summer collaboration
with John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
Stearns, D. (2007). Science in general education: an environmental/human health learning community and the criticalthinking-for-civic-thinking model. Invited presentation. The
Mellon Project. Science in General Education. September 26,
2007, Hunter College, Manhattan, New York.
SUBMISSIONS
Contributed by Dr. Onken with photographs from Dr. Moorthi
PUBLICATIONS
Gerwing, J., McConnell, D., Stearns, D., and S Adair. 2007.
Critical thinking for civic thinking in science. Academic Exchange Quarterly 11(3):160-165
Freire, C.A., Onken, H. and McNamara, J.C. (2008, in press).
A structure–function analysis of ion transport in crustacean
gills and excretory organs. Comparative. Biochemistry and
Physioogy. A, doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.05.008.
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2008, in press).
Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of
the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science,
in press.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Palestis, B. G. (2007). Use of artificial eelgrass mats by
saltmarsh-nesting common terns. Waterbird Society. Barcelona, October 30-November 3.
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Association of American Colleges and Universities. Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment. Network
for Academic Renewal Conference, Boston (MA), February
21-23.
Onken, H., Cataldo, C.S., Coppolo, J.A., Lamb, CM.,
LoRe, E.G., Post, A.K., Zangara, N.E. An Animal Physiology lab project that promotes undergraduate student interest
and responsibility. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology meeting, April
2008.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Moffett, S.B.,
Moffett, D.F. Apical Na+/K+-ATPase and strong alkalinization
in the anterior stomach of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti). Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology meeting, April
2008.
Onken, H., Parks, S., Goss, G., Moffett, D.F.; Extremely alkaline intracellular pH in the anterior stomach of larval yellow
fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology, Experimental Biology
meeting, April 2008.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
REVIEWS
STUDENTS AND FACULTY AT MACUB
th
The 40 fall conference of the Metropolitan Association of
College and University Biologists was held at St. John's University in Queens on Saturday, October 20. A busload of faculty members and students were driven to Queens by our awesome department secretary, Stephanie Rollizo. After settling in
with the traditional breakfast. the president of MACUB, Professor Gary Sarinsky from Kingsborough Community College,
welcomed everybody to celebrate the fourth decade of the
Society and its meetings. The first keynote speaker, Paul
Fisher from the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, presented his contribution entitled "Differentiation Therapy of
Cancer: From Bench to Bedside." After these truly exciting
news about the advances of cancer therapy, the meeting continued with a poster
session. Two students
from the Department
of Biological Sciences
at Wagner College,
Christina Lamb and
Andrew
Pistilli,
presented the results of
their summer collaborations
at
John's
Hopkins University.
After lunch and after another keynote speaker (Sam Rhine
addressed "Advances in Pluripotent Stem Cell research") the
afternoon was spent with workshops and presentations of
member papers. In this frame Dr. Stearns organized the Workshop "Teaching Critical Thinking / Civic Thinking in Science
using an NSF-Funded Model".
RECOMMENDED
Recommend a website, a book or a restaurant that you think
everybody at our department should have experienced.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE HERE!
CLASSIFIED
You want to sell your PC, buy a used printer? Are you looking
for company for your Friday night trip to Manhattan or for
your weekend trip to the NJ shore? Post it here, if you need
help to fix your car or if you are able to fix them.
WANT TO POST YOUR AD HERE?
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU KNOW A SECTION THAT I MISSED?
LET ME KNOW WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
if you are interested to contribute to our newsletter, your are
very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your contributions, comment, ideas or questions! We are excited to hear where you
are, how and what you do!
You will receive this newsletter by e-mail every first month of
a semester (January and September). These two newsletters
are special issues that review the previous semester. If you
would also like to receive the monthly newsletter (that repeats itself until it grows into the next special issue), send
me an e-mail requesting to be put on the respective mailing
list, or visit our website to download the current issue at
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/new
sletter
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
MAZE:
NUMBERS:
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
What row of numbers comes next? Solution in February!
SOME RIDDLES (FROM NOVEMBER WITH THEIR SOLUTIONS):
I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in
the middle too, but I still hold lots of water. What am I?
Sponge!
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks,
has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
River!
What building has the most stories? Library!
Why is the sun so bright? Because it has so many degrees!
Find Entry and Exit and their connection!
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
CARTOON:
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be
minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The deadline submission of a contribution is the 20th of
this month. Contributions received later may or may not be
considered.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25
THERE ARE ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES
PAGE 8
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, January 2008
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Guttu, Lyle
Beecher, Sierra
Table Of Contents
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Letter from the chair / Brian Palestis -- Biology staff and faculty news / Horst Onken -- Curriculum news / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Christina Lamb -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- Clean-up Blazing Star burial ground / Horst Onken -- Forms and functions on the road / Sierra Beecher -- Biodiversity and ecology class tours behind the scenes at the Museum of Natural History / Donald Stearns, Brian Palestis, and Linda Raths -- Little known facts about hippo poop / Ammini Moorthy -- Class field trips to waste water treatment plant provodes memories, olfactory and otherwise / Donald Stearns and Heather Cook -- Second annual holiday celebration / Horst Onken and Ammini Moorthy -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Students and faculty at Macub / Horst Onken -- Alumni -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
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2008-01
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en
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/1909/archive/files/01edb9195dbddd3eb3d4ea8ab43b8c60.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=SV4%7E0o98UnejzEf-o3aP9EZs3PxJTV9hO2spydkWcaBYyTRZ5zpX8ksBqQuieV1Lq9wAvT92SVaCFdIIxG284-Ruz%7E7j8qdU4kM-ea%7E660BcQ56ekX0roxBweEOSN2zj4DYppk3aacm9hcHYGWIweW0M7sVDRoawNnLeWWBpAqEBxi3XARy-wiaqw50Ar0KFfT7-mwyMxKi03utSte%7Ej5b0PBoWdwyNXJ6CANhG3kWiJd-Vx67hfI9nQAkNc2Eetjb6HmM6a04g5hmAeuOEFeQ6%7EbDvhf%7ECLA1Tw-dC%7E2ygI46ExYsGAZLVIqn1%7ESbcIb0qmBlbiJeOh4gHv5OSVtA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Spring-02
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE FEBRUARY LIMULUS
Our special edition in January was mailed to alumni of our
department and was evidently well received. I got some responses that I insert in this edition under LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR. Altogether I think that the start of our department
newsletter was quite successful as I conclude from the positive
comments by faculty members and students. However, the
best support for our efforts is to see students reading the newsletter at the department's board on the corridor when they wait
for a class or an appointment.
Now in February it is time to collect department news and
interesting contributions again. I inserted some important curriculum changes that will take effect in the fall semester. Some
activities of the Biology Club are reported and TriBeta organized a luncheon which was "prey" for Dr. Moorthy's camera. I
left my offer for research collaborations in my lab in the newsletter in order to stimulate other faculty members to post the
opportunities they can offer in a similar format. We also already have "EXPERIENCES." Read about a class field trip to
the Staten Island Greenbelt Native Plant Center and about Dr.
Stearns' and Dr. Mosher's trip to Boston to attend a conference. I opened a new "OPINION" section and hope that it will
find more contributions in future issues. The 2008 publications, submitted conference contributions and the more entertaining final part with a new cartoon and a new maze complete
the February newsletter.
I plan to soon begin a series under "BIOLOGY STAFF AND
FACULTY NEWS," addressing the adjunct professors of the
department. These often underpaid colleagues should have a
platform in our newsletter. I would appreciate if somebody
could make a related contribution for the March newsletter.
The "BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS" has still not had a single
article. In the last newsletter I announced two Assistant Editor
positions for students, hoping that students on the editorial
board could give this section of the newsletter more importance and would facilitate student input. Until now nobody
responded and I renew the offer for two student assistant editor positions in this issue.
I hope you enjoy the February issue of the newsletter,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
February, 2008
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dr. Onken Thank you so much for including me on the distribution list
for the newsletter. Also thanks for your time in putting it together - it looks great! If it's not too much trouble may I please
be included on the monthly distribution list. Thanks again and
I appreciate your time, Michele Leone (formerly Belliveau)
Michele, thank you very much for your nice and encouraging
response. Your address was included in our monthly distribution list. We are glad to have you as a monthly reader and we
would be delighted to hear more from you. If you like, tell us
about your time after Wagner College in a contribution for the
"ALUMNI" section. The Editor.
Thank you for sending me the newsletter. Nice to read what
the dept. is doing as well as the people doing it. I graduated in
'71, BS Biology, Dale Yarns was dept. chairman, Dr. Kanzler,
Dr. Kiley as well as others were there. Pls keep me on your email list. bob piegari.
Bob, thank you very much for your response. Unfortunately, I
have never heard of the names you mention, since I am a
member of the faculty at Wagner only in my 4th semester. May
be somebody of the "older" Wagnarians could give us a clue.
Of course, Bob, we would also love to hear more of your time
at Wagner College, or what you have done since then. Use the
"ALUMNI" section of the newsletter, if you like. The Editor.
Dr. O.,
Thanks for including me on your note. I enjoyed reading the
Newsletter. I'm going to go out on a limb....if my Bregenz
exchange experience serves me well, "Es gibt immer
Möglichkeiten" would be better translated, "There are always
possibilities" There is folly, I recognize, in presuming to challenge a professor named Horst on German usage! No offense
intended. Cheers (Tschüß), Ed (BS '77)
Ed, thank you very much for your mail. Like the others you are
very much invited to tell us about your post Wagner experiences in the "ALUMNI" section. I have to admit that Ed and I
already had a little e-mail exchange about the translation issue. Would you be surprised to hear that Wagner's German
education was excellent (hopefully not only in the 70s)? No
doubt, Ed's correction of my translation is absolutely right!
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
!!! NEW SERIES !!!
We are planning a series about presenting the adjunct professors of our department in the future issues of the newsletter. I would very much appreciate any contributions
related to this project.
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
A section for news about students of our department.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE!
I am still looking for two students who would act as Assistant
Editors with special responsibility for this section of the
newsletter. If you are interested, contact me by e-mail or
meet me during my office hours (Tuesday and Thursday
10am to 12).
Dr. Onken
CURRICULUM NEWS
Some curricula changes of the courses taught by the department will be implemented in the fall semester 2008. The updated requirements for the majors are given below. The department's website will be updated soon and will also contain
the changes made to the descriptions of the individual courses:
Requirements for a Major in Biology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Foundation requirements—5 units of Biology as follows:
BI 213, 215, 217, 219, and 221
Upper-level requirements—2 units as follows: BI 311, 333
Upper-level electives—3 units chosen from the following:
Any 300-level or higher Biology course(s) with a laboratory or
BI 493 or CH 517 or the second Capstone Course listed below.
Senior Learning Community—2 units: BI 400E (zero
units), 400, and either 495 Molecular Cell Biology or 492
Ecological and Evolutionary Theory
Cognate courses—4 units of Chemistry and 2 units of
Physics: CH 111, 112, 211, and either CH 212 or 517 (if not
used as an elective); PY 131, 132 or PY 141, 142
Requirements for a Major in Microbiology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Core requirements - 8 units of microbiology as follows:
Microbiology 200, 219, 221, 314, 512, 521, 522, 525
Electives - 2 units chosen from: 200-level or higher microbiology courses, Chemistry 517
Senior Learning Community - 2 units: Microbiology 400,
400E, 491
Cognate courses - 6 units of Chemistry and Physics: Chemistry 111, 112, 211, and either 212 or 517 (if not used as an
elective); Physics 131, 132 or Physics 141, 142
New Summary of the Biopsychology Major:
14 units including the following required courses and electives: Biology 213, 217, 306; Psychology 101, 351, 442; Biology 221 or Psychology 116; Chemistry 111.
Elective courses (Select two courses from Experimental
Psychology and two from Biology)
Experimental Psychology: select 2 courses
Biology: Biology 219, 304, 311, 312, 324, 333.
One of the following senior-level learning communities:
Biology 400 and 400E, and Biology 495 Molecular Cell Biology (recommended for students considering medical school or
graduate studies in the biological sciences or neuroscience/neurobiology) or Psychology 400 and Psychology 441
(recommended for students considering graduate studies in
psychology or neuroscience with emphasis on biopsychology). Student must make this decision in their junior year and
inform the appropriate department. Students selecting the Biology Senior Learning Community must take Biology 219,
because it is the prerequisite to Biology 495.
Students majoring in biopsychology may not also major or
minor in psychology or biology.
Requirements for a Minor in Biology
A minimum of five units in biology, including BI 213 and at
least two additional courses at the 200-level or higher.
Requirements for a Minor in Microbiology
A minimum of five units at the 200-level or higher in microbiology. MI 200 is required and MI 314 and 512 are strongly
recommended.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club meets on Sunday, March 2, at Blazing Star
Cemetery for another clean-up of the cemetery and the grassland at the Arthur Kill shore near Rossville Avenue.
The Biology Club is also
considering to initiate a
Biology Cinema Series,
showing the movies from
the "Planet Earth" DVD
series produced by the BBC
and narrated by David Attenborough. The series of 5
DVDs was produced with a
budget of 40 million £ and
shows the Earth as never
before with groundbreaking
footage of our planet and its
wildlife.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TRI BETA NEWS
TriBeta organized a faculty luncheon on the 13th of February,
offering delicious food, fun and lots of conversation. The following photographs of the event were contributed by Dr.
Moorthy:
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Contributed by Dr. Onken with photographs by Dr. Moorthy
OPPORTUNITIES
This section of the newsletter is open to faculty or staff to announce opportunities for students in their research. Internships may be recommended here. Volunteers may be found
through postings in this section.
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Three very helpful graduate students of the microbiology program get their share.
Hmmmmmm!
Dr. Onken offers research
opportunities for students in
the frame of a project in
which he collaborates with
scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principle investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straight forward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In
collaboration
with
colleagues from the US (Mt.
Desert Island Biological
Laboratories, Maine), Brazil
(University of São Paulo in
Ribeirão Preto, University of
Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory
capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin (Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for 2-3 students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
VISITING A NATIVE PLANT CENTER
important to these efforts, because they are co-evolved with
other native species and the conditions of the area. They will
provide habitat for native animal species and won’t require a
lot of irrigation and care…planting native species of plants
will give the area the opportunity to restore itself!
Contributed by Professor Beecher
WAGNER IN THE SNOW
Professor Beecher’s Environmental Biology class recently
enjoyed a trip to the Staten Island Greenbelt Native Plant Center (GNPC). GNPC taxonomists collect the seeds, shoots, and
rhizomes of native plants from various New York City parks
and bring them back to the center where they are processed,
catalogued, stored, and propagated for use in many local and
regional restoration efforts. This is not such an easy task! For
example, many native plant seeds require several environmental cues such as temperature and moisture regimes that
must occur in a special sequence in order to germinate. GNPC
staff must do much research about the ecology and life histories of the plants that they are coaxing into propagation, and
use many innovative methods to simulate natural climatic
conditions in order to be successful. The GNPC houses Staten
Island’s native seed bank…one of the very few native seed
banks in the country! While walking through their greenhouses, we got an inside peek at some native grasses and
sedges, and Tim Chambers and Ed Toth (GNPC directors)
shared information on what types of restoration projects these
plants were headed for. We learned that the GNPC fills a lot of
orders for salt marsh grass Spartina alterni-flora which provides habitat for nesting birds and is an important component
of the estuarine ecosystem on Staten Island and elsewhere
throughout NYC. Spartina alterniflora can grow in these special ecosystems because it is salt tolerant, and not inhibited by
brackish water. The GNCP is providing most of the native
plant needs for the restoration of the Staten Island landfill.
This is one of the most ambitious urban restoration projects
underway on the planet. It aims to turn a 2,000 acre abandoned
landfill into a beautiful interconnected park that will provide
not only recreation opportunities and economic development,
but also wildlife habitat and ecosystem functions like flood
and pollution control to Staten Islanders. Native plants are
February 22, 6am, I get out of bed. I had promised Dr. Stearns
to give a presentation in his class at 8:30am. When I look out
of the window I see white, nothing but white snow. It is a lot
of snow, at least a couple of inches. What will my commute be
like? After getting through the shower I start the computer in
the hope for an e-mail that may release me from the terrible
drive during the rush hour. At 06:17:36 AM EST Lee Manchester wrote: "Wagner College is closed for the day due to snow."
Thank you so much - you just made my day, preventing me
from the hurry through the winter storm.
After a relaxing breakfast I dig my car out of the snow and
risk the drive. It took me about an hour for the 12 miles from
Rossville to Grymes Hill. When I arrive at the College only
staff is there - and students who live on campus. On our floor I
meet Ruth who is, as always, busy cleaning. A walk through
the snow-covered campus unravels fairy-tale atmosphere: We
have a beautiful campus, don't we? At 1pm I am back home,
grading with a hot cup of tea in my hand.
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
OPINION
GLOBAL WARMING AND SUSTAINABILITY
In the last 100 years the average air temperature at the earth's
surface rose by about ¾ of a centigrade and according to the
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) "most of
the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since
the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."
The above conclusion by the IPCC has been endorsed by
numerous important scientific societies and academic
institutions. For example, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science stated "The scientific evidence is
clear: global climate change caused by human activities is
occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society" and the
website of the American Physical Society reads "Emissions of
greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the
atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate. The
evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring."
Depending on the measures taken to reduce greenhouse gas
emission, climate models predict a temperature increase of up
to 6 centigrades during this century, which is a catastrophic
threat to the current composition of the biosphere.
The above sounds very convincing to me. Nevertheless, there
are some scientists who express doubts about the conclusions
of the IPCC. Although they reflect a small minority, their
critical input should not be neglected. However, I welcome the
direction that the discussion about global warming has taken
for another reason. I believe that the threat of global warming
offers a chance to change human activities on this planet to
return to a sustainable coexistance of the human society with
the rest of the natural world, a path that humanity has
evidently left before or during my lifetime.
Sustainability can be defined as the capacity of an ecosystem
to maintain ecological processes and functions, biological diversity, and productivity over time. For the human society it
means to use ecosystems and their resources in a manner that
satisfies present requirements without compromising the requirements or choices of future generations. As estimated on
www.earthday.net my personal ecological footprint amounts
to 3.7 global hectares. If everybody would live like I do, two
planets would be needed to sustain the human population.
The consumption of most nations of the earth is shown as the
area occupied in the map above. The color indicates the ecological footprint of the average citizen of a country, with dark
red being over 10 global hectares per person. Thanks to the
small ecological footprint of the vast majority of the global
population humanity's footprint exceeded the biological capacity of the planet only by 25% in 2003. We consume the "capital" of the natural resources offered by the earth instead of
using the "interest." I very much welcome the initiative of Dr.
Guarasci to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, the installation of the Sustainability Committee, the initiative of Professor Wesby in the Committee of the Whole, and all other efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of Wagner College. I promote below the "Ten
Things You Can Do" forwarded by Professor Wesby:
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO
1.
Change a light bulb: Replace regular bulbs with compact
florescent bulbs; save 150 lbs of CO2 per year per bulb.
2. Drive less: Walk, bike, carpool, use mass transit; you
save one pound of CO2 for every mile you don’t drive.
3. Recycle more: Save 2,400 lbs of CO2 per year by recycling half of your household waste.
4. Check your tires: Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%; every gallon saved keeps 20 lbs of
CO2 out of the atmosphere.
5. Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water.
Install a low flow showerhead to use less hot water (saves
350 lbs of CO2 per year).Wash your clothes in cold or
lukewarm water (saves 500 lbs of CO2 per year ).
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging: Save 1200 lbs
of CO2 per year by cutting down your garbage by 10%.
7. Adjust your thermostat: Move down 2 degrees in winter
and up 2 degrees in summer - save 2000 lbs of CO2 per
year.
8. Plant a tree: A single tree will absorb a ton of CO2 in its
lifetime.
9. Be smart about electronics:
a. Turn off electronic devices. Turn off your TV, DVD
player, computer or other device when you’re not using
them; save thousands of pounds of CO2 per year
b. Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers,
cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the
energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips
working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy
consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the
atmosphere every year!
c. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new
purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the
most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
10. Spread the word: (visit www.climatecrisis.net) See An
Inconvenient Truth and other films and programs on climate crisis. Stay informed. Support measures to curb further carbon emissions.
Contributed by Professor Roger Wesby
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUBLICATIONS
Freire, C.A., Onken, H. and McNamara, J.C. (2008, in press).
A structure–function analysis of ion transport in crustacean
gills and excretory organs. Comparative. Biochemistry and
Physioogy. A, doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.05.008.
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2008, in press).
Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of
the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science,
in press.
Moffett, D.F. and Onken, H. (2008, in press). The Cellular
Basis of Extreme Alkali Secretion in Insects: A Tale of Two
Tissues. In: Epithelial Transport Physiology (ed. George A.
Gerencser). Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Association of American Colleges and Universities. Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment. Network
for Academic Renewal Conference, Boston (MA), February
21-23.
SUBMISSIONS
Onken, H., Cataldo, C.S., Coppolo, J.A., Lamb, CM.,
LoRe, E.G., Post, A.K., Zangara, N.E. An Animal Physiology lab project that promotes undergraduate student interest
and responsibility. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Experimental Biology meeting,
April 2008.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Moffett, S.B.,
Moffett, D.F. Apical Na+/K+-ATPase and strong alkalinization
in the anterior stomach of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti). FASEB, Experimental Biology meeting,
April 2008.
Onken, H., Parks, S., Goss, G., Moffett, D.F.; Extremely alkaline intracellular pH in the anterior stomach of larval yellow
fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). FASEB, Experimental Biology meeting, April 2008.
REVIEWS
Dr. MOSHER AND Dr. STEARNS REPRESENT WAGNER
COLLEGE IN BOSTON
Approximately 800 participants attended the conference of the
Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
in Boston, MA. Drs. Mosher and Stearns presented a poster
during a well-attended poster session. The abstract of this contribution is reprinted below.
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Wagner College is a private institution of 1,800 undergraduates and 300 graduate students located in Staten Island, New
York. The college’s undergraduate curriculum is centered on
the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, which re-
quires that students complete a general education program
(GEP) and an in-depth major to graduate. The GEP includes
foundation courses, two intercultural courses, learning communities with experiential learning components, reflective
tutorials, and courses that fulfill disciplinary perspectives.
The primary goals of the GEP include: (a) critical and civic
thinking skills; (b) competency in listening, speaking and writing; and (c) a competency in “learning by doing.” The GEP is
evaluated using an overlapping assessment strategy that utilizes multiple tools to evaluate student progress, both directly
and indirectly. Direct methods employed include the Writing
Assessment Project, the Collegiate Learning Assessment, and
assessments from the Critical Thinking for Civic Thinking
initiative. Through this poster session, audience members will
learn more about Wagner’s assessment strategy and consider
both its benefits and its limitations.
This presentation was identified as a LEAP (Liberal Education
and America’s Promise) Campus Action Network Exemplar
by the AAC&U, because it addressed some of the desired student learning outcomes presented by LEAP as important for a
liberal education.
During the conference, Drs. Mosher and Stearns also met with
representatives from Belmont University, a small university in
Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont and Wagner are working together on a funded grant with the goal of developing assessment tools to directly measure the value-added component of
experiential education. Dr. Mosher served on a panel at the
AAC&U conference, to discuss this joint venture with a larger
audience.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
if you are interested to contribute to our newsletter, your are
very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear where you are,
how and what you do!
You will receive this newsletter by e-mail every first month of
a semester (January and September). These two newsletters
are special issues that review the previous semester. If you
would also like to receive the monthly newsletter (that repeats itself until it grows into the next special issue), send
me an e-mail requesting to be put on the respective mailing
list, or visit our website to download the current issue at
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/new
sletter
RECOMMENDED
Recommend a website, a book or a restaurant that you think
everybody at our department should have experienced.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE HERE
!
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
CARTOON:
CLASSIFIED
You want to sell your PC, buy a used printer? Are you looking
for company for your Friday night trip to Manhattan or for
your weekend trip to the NJ shore? Post it here, if you need
help to fix your car or if you are able to fix them.
WANT TO POST YOUR AD HERE?
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
NUMBERS:
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
What row of numbers comes next? Solution: 1113213211.
What is the next row? Send an e-mail to the editor with the
system that explains which row is next.
MAZE:
Don't laugh. You're next. St. Peter says these new units are
more energy-efficient.
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be
minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE MARCH NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, MARCH 24
PAGE 7
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, February 2008
Table Of Contents
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Letters to the editor / Michele Leone (Belliveau) and Robert Piegari -- Curriculum news / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Ammini Moorthy -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- Visit a native plant center / Sierra Beecher -- Wagner in the snow / Horst Onken -- Global warming and sustainability / Horst Onken and Roger Wesby -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Alumni -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Spring-02
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE MARCH LIMULUS
This issue of our newsletter is following the initial rule to collect contributions from month to month for the next special
edition. Consequently, the March issue is an enriched February issue. We begin our new series about the adjunct professors of our department, and we introduce a new faculty member who will begin his activities in the fall semester. A student
submitted a great contribution about an especially exciting
spring break. I received the first contribution for the
"ALUMNI" section. Under "EXPERIENCES" you can find a
little contribution about "seahawks" with a hint to observe
these majestic raptors building their nest and raising their offspring in Cheesequake State Park in New Jersey. Some students of our department will present their research at the Eastern Colleges Science Conference in Niagara on April 12, and I
am expecting tons of contributions for the next newsletter
about their experiences.
I hope you very much enjoy the March issue of the LIMLUS,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dr. Onken Thank you so much for including me on the distribution list
for the newsletter. Also thanks for your time in putting it together - it looks great! If it's not too much trouble may I please
be included on the monthly distribution list. Thanks again and
I appreciate your time, Michele Leone (formerly Belliveau)
Michele, thank you very much for your nice and encouraging
response. Your address was included in our monthly distribution list. We are glad to have you as a monthly reader and we
would be delighted to hear more from you. If you like, tell us
about your time after Wagner College in a contribution for the
"ALUMNI" section. The Editor.
Thank you for sending me the newsletter. Nice to read what
the dept. is doing as well as the people doing it. I graduated in
'71, BS Biology, Dale Yarns was dept. chairman, Dr. Kanzler,
Dr. Kiley as well as others were there. Pls keep me on your email list. bob piegari.
Bob, thank you very much for your response. Unfortunately, I
have never heard of the names you mention, since I am a
member of the faculty at Wagner only in my 4th semester. May
be somebody of the "older" Wagnarians could give us a clue.
Of course, Bob, we would also love to hear more of your time
March, 2008
at Wagner College, or what you have done since then. Use the
"ALUMNI" section of the newsletter, if you like. The Editor.
Dr. O.,
Thanks for including me on your note. I enjoyed reading the
Newsletter. I'm going to go out on a limb....if my Bregenz
exchange experience serves me well, "Es gibt immer
Möglichkeiten" would be better translated, "There are always
possibilities" There is folly, I recognize, in presuming to challenge a professor named Horst on German usage! No offense
intended. Cheers (Tschüß), Ed (BS '77)
Ed, thank you very much for your mail. Like the others you are
very much invited to tell us about your post Wagner experiences in the "ALUMNI" section. I have to admit that Ed and I
already had a little e-mail exchange about the translation issue. Would you be surprised to hear that Wagner's German
education was excellent (hopefully not only in the 70s)? No
doubt, Ed's correction of my translation is absolutely right!
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
A NEW FACULTY MEMBER
On behalf of the Applied Microbiologist Search Committee, I
am happy to announce that Dr. Adam J.
Houlihan will be joining the Faculty of
the Department of Biological Sciences
for the Fall 2008 semester. Dr.
Houlihan received his undergraduate
degree in Molecular Biology from the
University of Southern Mississippi, and
his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Cornell
University. He has spent the past two
years as a post-doctoral research
associate with the USDA – Agricultural Research Service and
the Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Houlihan’s research is focused on plantmicrobe interactions. He is interested in the ways in which
plants respond to and resist infection; in particular, he would
like to investigate plant-derived antimicrobial compounds and
the responses of soil bacteria and fungi to these compounds.
Dr. Houlihan will teach a number of courses in the undergraduate and graduate microbiology degree programs here at
Wagner including Microbial Ecology, Applied, Food, and
Industrial Microbiology, and Microbial Physiology.
Contributed by Dr. Mosher
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR SERIES
LISAMARIE ALBA
Professor Lisamarie Alba came to Wagner College as an undergraduate student in the 1970’s majoring in Bacteriology
(the old name before it switched to Microbiology). She was an
undergraduate student laboratory assistant for the Department
of Bacteriology and she became a graduate assistant and
worked on a research project for the Megerles (the science
building is named for the family) using the electron microscope, different types of hair and the shampoo that they manufactured. She has a B.S. and M.S. degree in Bacteriology. She
was hired by the Department as a full time instructor. While
an instructor she served on many committees and advised and
taught many students. She started working on a Ph.D. at St
John’s University. While working at Wagner College she
worked at Maimonides Medical Center. She presently works
full time for Maimonides Medical Center and has been an adjunct professor in the department for many years.
Contributed by Dr. Bobbit
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
A section for news about students of our department.
YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE!
I am still looking for two students who would act as Assistant
Editors with special responsibility for this section of the
newsletter. If you are interested, contact me by e-mail or
meet me during my office hours (Tuesday and Thursday
10am to 12).
Dr. Onken
CURRICULUM NEWS
Some curricula changes of the courses taught by the department will be implemented in the fall semester 2008. The updated requirements for the majors are given below. The department's website will be updated soon and will also contain
the changes made to the descriptions of the individual courses:
Requirements for a Major in Biology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Foundation requirements—5 units of Biology as follows:
BI 213, 215, 217, 219, and 221
Upper-level requirements—2 units as follows: BI 311, 333
Upper-level electives—3 units chosen from the following:
Any 300-level or higher Biology course(s) with a laboratory or
BI 493 or CH 517 or the second Capstone Course listed below.
Senior Learning Community—2 units: BI 400E (zero
units), 400, and either 495 Molecular Cell Biology or 492
Ecological and Evolutionary Theory
Cognate courses—4 units of Chemistry and 2 units of
Physics: CH 111, 112, 211, and either CH 212 or 517 (if not
used as an elective); PY 131, 132 or PY 141, 142
Requirements for a Major in Microbiology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Core requirements - 8 units of microbiology as follows:
Microbiology 200, 219, 221, 314, 512, 521, 522, 525
Electives - 2 units chosen from: 200-level or higher microbiology courses, Chemistry 517
Senior Learning Community - 2 units: Microbiology 400,
400E, 491
Cognate courses - 6 units of Chemistry and Physics: Chemistry 111, 112, 211, and either 212 or 517 (if not used as an
elective); Physics 131, 132 or Physics 141, 142
New Summary of the Biopsychology Major:
14 units including the following required courses and electives: Biology 213, 217, 306; Psychology 101, 351, 442; Biology 221 or Psychology 116; Chemistry 111.
Elective courses (Select two courses from Experimental
Psychology and two from Biology)
Experimental Psychology: select 2 courses
Biology: Biology 219, 304, 311, 312, 324, 333.
One of the following senior-level learning communities:
Biology 400 and 400E, and Biology 495 Molecular Cell Biology (recommended for students considering medical school or
graduate studies in the biological sciences or neuroscience/neurobiology) or Psychology 400 and Psychology 441
(recommended for students considering graduate studies in
psychology or neuroscience with emphasis on biopsychology). Student must make this decision in their junior year and
inform the appropriate department. Students selecting the Biology Senior Learning Community must take Biology 219,
because it is the prerequisite to Biology 495.
Students majoring in biopsychology may not also major or
minor in psychology or biology.
Requirements for a Minor in Biology
A minimum of five units in biology, including BI 213 and at
least two additional courses at the 200-level or higher.
Requirements for a Minor in Microbiology
A minimum of five units at the 200-level or higher in microbiology. MI 200 is required and MI 314 and 512 are strongly
recommended.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club met on Sunday, March 2, at Blazing Star
Cemetery for another clean-up of the cemetery and the grassland at the Arthur Kill shore near Rossville Avenue.
The Biology Club is also considering to initiate a Biology
Cinema Series, showing the movies
from the "Planet Earth" DVD series
produced by the BBC and narrated by
David Attenborough. The series of 5
DVDs was produced with a budget of
40 million £ and shows the Earth as
never before with groundbreaking
footage of our planet and its wildlife.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
TRI BETA NEWS
TriBeta organized a faculty luncheon on the 13th of February,
offering delicious food, fun and lots of conversation. The following photographs of the event were contributed by Dr.
Moorthy:
Contributed by Dr. Onken with photographs by Dr. Moorthy
OPPORTUNITIES
This section of the newsletter is open to faculty or staff to announce opportunities for students in their research. Internships may be recommended here. Volunteers may be found
through postings in this section.
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Three very helpful graduate students of the microbiology program get their share.
Hmmmmmm!
Dr. Onken offers research
opportunities for students in
the frame of a project in
which he collaborates with
scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principle investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straight forward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In
collaboration
with
colleagues from the US (Mt.
Desert Island Biological
Laboratories, Maine), Brazil
(University of São Paulo in
Ribeirão Preto, University of
Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory
capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin (Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for 2-3 students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
EXPERIENCES
VISITING A NATIVE PLANT CENTER
lot of irrigation and care…planting native species of plants
will give the area the opportunity to restore itself!
Contributed by Professor Beecher
WAGNER IN THE SNOW
Professor Beecher’s Environmental Biology class recently
enjoyed a trip to the Staten Island Greenbelt Native Plant Center (GNPC). GNPC taxonomists collect the seeds, shoots, and
rhizomes of native plants from various New York City parks
and bring them back to the center where they are processed,
catalogued, stored, and propagated for use in many local and
regional restoration efforts. This is not such an easy task! For
example, many native plant seeds require several environmental cues such as temperature and moisture regimes that
must occur in a special sequence in order to germinate. GNPC
staff must do much research about the ecology and life histories of the plants that they are coaxing into propagation, and
use many innovative methods to simulate natural climatic
conditions in order to be successful. The GNPC houses Staten
Island’s native seed bank…one of the very few native seed
banks in the country! While walking through their greenhouses, we got an inside peek at some native grasses and
sedges, and Tim Chambers and Ed Toth (GNPC directors)
shared information on what types of restoration projects these
plants were headed for. We learned that the GNPC fills a lot of
orders for salt marsh grass Spartina alterni-flora which provides habitat for nesting birds and is an important component
of the estuarine ecosystem on Staten Island and elsewhere
throughout NYC. Spartina alterniflora can grow in these special ecosystems because it is salt tolerant, and not inhibited by
brackish water. The GNCP is providing most of the native
plant needs for the restoration of the Staten Island landfill.
This is one of the most ambitious urban restoration projects
underway on the planet. It aims to turn a 2,000 acre abandoned
landfill into a beautiful interconnected park that will provide
not only recreation opportunities and economic development,
but also wildlife habitat and ecosystem functions like flood
and pollution control to Staten Islanders. Native plants are
important to these efforts, because they are co-evolved with
other native species and the conditions of the area. They will
provide habitat for native animal species and won’t require a
February 22, 6am, I get out of bed. I had promised Dr. Stearns
to give a presentation in his class at 8:30am. When I look out
of the window I see white, nothing but white snow. It is a lot
of snow, at least a couple of inches. What will my commute be
like? After getting through the shower I start the computer in
the hope for an e-mail that may release me from the terrible
drive during the rush hour. At 06:17:36 AM EST Lee Manchester wrote: "Wagner College is closed for the day due to snow."
Thank you so much - you just made my day, preventing me
from the hurry through the winter storm.
After a relaxing breakfast I dig my car out of the snow and
risk the drive. It took me about an hour for the 12 miles from
Rossville to Grymes Hill. When I arrive at the College only
staff is there - and students who live on campus. On our floor I
meet Ruth who is, as always, busy cleaning. A walk through
the snow-covered campus unravels fairy-tale atmosphere: We
have a beautiful campus, don't we? At 1pm I am back home,
grading with a hot cup of tea in my hand.
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
THE OSPREYS ARE BACK
Our athletes run, throw
and bat as "seahawks".
Through the eyes of
biologists there is only one
bird that can be meant by
this - the osprey Pandion
haliaetus, also known in
colloquial language as fish
hawk, fish eagle, or
seahawk even. Ospreys are
distributed worldwide and
they
live
almost
exclusively on fish. Even
for ornithomaniacs it is a
very special event to observe an osprey at hunt.
These majestic raptors can
hover above a lake to then dive claws first into the water and
grab a meal.
In Cheesequake State Park, half an hour south of the Outerbridge in Middlesex County, NJ, a pair of ospreys has just
arrived from their winter holidays in the south and is now settling into a nest prepared by the park rangers. Do not miss to
give the observation platform close by a visit and to see the
birds to perfect the home for their future offspring. Cheesequake Statepark is also a great place to enjoy a hike through
saltwater and freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, pine
barrens, and northeastern hardwood forest.
The image is taken from Naumann's "Naturgeschichte der
Vögel Mitteleuropas" (Natural History of the Birds of Central
Europe).
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER ELEPHANT
Over spring break, I
was given the opportunity to travel to
South Africa with my
boyfriend
Charles
Nicolais and his family. For eleven days,
we stayed in chalets,
went on hikes, and
drove on safaris. For
five days, we stayed
in Kruger National Park, where "The expert game rangers
whisk you off on game drives and walking safaris, tracking the
wildlife in their natural habitat." According to the biodiversity
statistics, Kruger accounts for as many as 1,500 lions, 11,672
elephants, 4,859 rhinoceros, 1,000 leopards, and 27,000 buffalo. Of course there are many other animals, but these are
what Kruger designates as the "Big five"- the animals that are
most dangerous if they are injured but not killed.
We were lucky enough to not only catch a glimpse of the "Big
Five" but many other spectacular sights. On our first sunrise
safari drive, we saw a cheetah stalking its prey. On our second
night, two male lions, guarding a water buffalo they had killed
earlier. The park rangers who took us on the drives were outstanding. On our way out that night that we saw the lions, he
pointed them out to us down in the bush. Later, he said, we
might find the lions laying in the road, because it retains heat
from the day. Sure enough, an hour and a half later, two lions
were lounging in the middle of the road. Right in front of us.
They moved- slowly, once our car approached, and one of
them appeared to be ready to pounce by the side of the road!
As if reading our thoughts, the ranger said, "he is going to the
bathroom!!"
After having a semester of Cells Genes and Evolution, and
currently being in the middle of Forms and Functions of Life,
I realize the applications of my education in biology. My boyfriend's nine-year-old brother asked, "why don't the roofs of
those huts get really wet?" "Well." I said "some plants have
this outer waxy covering called a cuticle" Or one time, in the
middle of a safari, and I felt the urge to explain that giraffes
don't have long necks so they can eat leaves on tall trees, but
because they fight with their necks during courtship. And then
while looking through
our bird book I
wondered why there
are
two
different
species of hornbill,
one with a yellow bill
and one with an
orange bill. What
would be the environmental and lifestyle
reason for a change in
color of the bill? The
trip turned out to be just as much an educational experience as
it was an eye-opener to the possiblities of the natural world at
its finest.
It's funny when you spend so much time seeing these animals
close up and in their natural habitat. On the first day, you are
thrilled to catch a glimpse of a zebra a half-mile away. By the
fifth day, you are saying, "Dad!! Keep going! It's just another
elephant!"
Contributed by Taylor Wheaton, Chemistry Major.
OPINION
GLOBAL WARMING AND SUSTAINABILITY
In the last 100 years the average air temperature at the earth's
surface rose by about ¾ of a centigrade and according to the
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) "most of
the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since
the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."
The above conclusion by the IPCC has been endorsed by
numerous important scientific societies and academic
institutions. For example, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science stated "The scientific evidence is
clear: global climate change caused by human activities is
occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society" and the
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
website of the American Physical Society reads "Emissions of
greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the
atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate. The
evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring."
Depending on the measures taken to reduce greenhouse gas
emission, climate models predict a temperature increase of up
to 6 centigrades during this century, which is a catastrophic
threat to the current composition of the biosphere.
The above sounds very convincing to me. Nevertheless, there
are some scientists who express doubts about the conclusions
of the IPCC. Although they reflect a small minority, their
critical input should not be neglected. However, I welcome the
direction that the discussion about global warming has taken
for another reason. I believe that the threat of global warming
offers a chance to change human activities on this planet to
return to a sustainable coexistance of the human society with
the rest of the natural world, a path that humanity has
evidently left before or during my lifetime.
Sustainability can be defined as the capacity of an ecosystem
to maintain ecological processes and functions, biological diversity, and productivity over time. For the human society it
means to use ecosystems and their resources in a manner that
satisfies present requirements without compromising the requirements or choices of future generations. As estimated on
www.earthday.net my personal ecological footprint amounts
to 3.7 global hectares. If everybody would live like I do, two
planets would be needed to sustain the human population.
The consumption of most nations of the earth is shown as the
area occupied in the map above. The color indicates the ecological footprint of the average citizen of a country, with dark
red being over 10 global hectares per person. Thanks to the
small ecological footprint of the vast majority of the global
population humanity's footprint exceeded the biological capacity of the planet only by 25% in 2003. We consume the "capital" of the natural resources offered by the earth instead of
using the "interest." I very much welcome the initiative of Dr.
Guarasci to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, the installation of the Sustainability Committee, the initiative of Professor Wesby in the Committee of the Whole, and all other efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of Wagner College. I promote below the "Ten
Things You Can Do" forwarded by Professor Wesby:
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO
1.
Change a light bulb: Replace regular bulbs with compact
florescent bulbs; save 150 lbs of CO2 per year per bulb.
2. Drive less: Walk, bike, carpool, use mass transit; you
save one pound of CO2 for every mile you don’t drive.
3. Recycle more: Save 2,400 lbs of CO2 per year by recycling half of your household waste.
4. Check your tires: Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%; every gallon saved keeps 20 lbs of
CO2 out of the atmosphere.
5. Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water.
Install a low flow showerhead to use less hot water (saves
350 lbs of CO2 per year).Wash your clothes in cold or
lukewarm water (saves 500 lbs of CO2 per year ).
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging: Save 1200 lbs
of CO2 per year by cutting down your garbage by 10%.
7. Adjust your thermostat: Move down 2 degrees in winter
and up 2 degrees in summer - save 2000 lbs of CO2 per
year.
8. Plant a tree: A single tree will absorb a ton of CO2 in its
lifetime.
9. Be smart about electronics:
a. Turn off electronic devices. Turn off your TV, DVD
player, computer or other device when you’re not using
them; save thousands of pounds of CO2 per year
b. Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers,
cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the
energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips
working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy
consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the
atmosphere every year!
c. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new
purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the
most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
10. Spread the word: (visit www.climatecrisis.net) See An
Inconvenient Truth and other films and programs on climate crisis. Stay informed. Support measures to curb further carbon emissions.
Contributed by Professor Roger Wesby
PUBLICATIONS
Freire, C.A., Onken, H. and McNamara, J.C. (2008, in press).
A structure–function analysis of ion transport in crustacean
gills and excretory organs. Comparative. Biochemistry and
Physioogy. A, doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.05.008.
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2008, in press).
Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of
the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Journal of Insect Science,
in press.
Moffett, D.F. and Onken, H. (2008, in press). The Cellular
Basis of Extreme Alkali Secretion in Insects: A Tale of Two
PAGE 6
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Tissues. In: Epithelial Transport Physiology (ed. George A.
Gerencser). Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Association of American Colleges and Universities. Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment. Network
for Academic Renewal Conference, Boston (MA), February
21-23.
SUBMISSIONS
Onken, H., Cataldo, C.S., Coppolo, J.A., Lamb, CM.,
LoRe, E.G., Post, A.K., Zangara, N.E. An Animal Physiology lab project that promotes undergraduate student interest
and responsibility. Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), Experimental Biology meeting,
April 2008.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Moffett, S.B.,
Moffett, D.F. Apical Na+/K+-ATPase and strong alkalinization
in the anterior stomach of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti). FASEB, Experimental Biology meeting,
April 2008.
Onken, H., Parks, S., Goss, G., Moffett, D.F.; Extremely alkaline intracellular pH in the anterior stomach of larval yellow
fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). FASEB, Experimental Biology meeting, April 2008.
REVIEWS
Dr. MOSHER AND Dr. STEARNS REPRESENT WAGNER
COLLEGE IN BOSTON
Approximately 800 participants attended the conference of the
Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)
in Boston, MA. Drs. Mosher and Stearns presented a poster
during a well-attended poster session. The abstract of this contribution is reprinted below.
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
Wagner College is a private institution of 1,800 undergraduates and 300 graduate students located in Staten Island, New
York. The college’s undergraduate curriculum is centered on
the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, which requires that students complete a general education program
(GEP) and an in-depth major to graduate. The GEP includes
foundation courses, two intercultural courses, learning communities with experiential learning components, reflective
tutorials, and courses that fulfill disciplinary perspectives.
The primary goals of the GEP include: (a) critical and civic
thinking skills; (b) competency in listening, speaking and writing; and (c) a competency in “learning by doing.” The GEP is
evaluated using an overlapping assessment strategy that utilizes multiple tools to evaluate student progress, both directly
and indirectly. Direct methods employed include the Writing
Assessment Project, the Collegiate Learning Assessment, and
assessments from the Critical Thinking for Civic Thinking
initiative. Through this poster session, audience members will
learn more about Wagner’s assessment strategy and consider
both its benefits and its limitations.
This presentation was identified as a LEAP (Liberal Education
and America’s Promise) Campus Action Network Exemplar
by the AAC&U, because it addressed some of the desired student learning outcomes presented by LEAP as important for a
liberal education.
During the conference, Drs. Mosher and Stearns also met with
representatives from Belmont University, a small university in
Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont and Wagner are working together on a funded grant with the goal of developing assessment tools to directly measure the value-added component of
experiential education. Dr. Mosher served on a panel at the
AAC&U conference, to discuss this joint venture with a larger
audience.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns
ALUMNI
WELCOME BACK JESSICA VEGA
Ms Jessica Vega, a Genetic
Counselor
working
for
Reprogenetics in Livingston
New Jersey was the ACE
lecturer at Wagner on March
10. More than 100 students
and faculty attended this
event. Ms Vega is a Wagner
Alum, who did her BS in
Biology
and
MS
in
Microbiology from Wagner. She was a student athlete with
President’s Merit Scholarship and was the captain of the
Women’s Volley Ball team at Wagner. She graduated with
honors from Wagner and worked in Sloan Kettering Cancer
Research Institute in New York City. Her graduate degree in
Genetic Counseling is from Sarah Lawrence College. Her
presentation was on “Preimplantation Genetic Screening and
the Ethical, Legal and Social Issues that Stem from this.” It
was a very well attended
lecture. Approximately 100
students and a dozen faculties were there as audience.
Students and faculty had
several questions to ask her
after the lecture and on the
whole her lecture was very
well appreciated by the
audience. All students
from the “ILC ELSI of the Genome” team taught by Dr. John
Esser and Dr. Ammini Moorthy attended this lecture as part of
their course requirements and many of them asked valid and
thought provoking questions to Ms. Vega.
Contributed by Dr. Moorthy
PAGE 7
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
MAZE:
Dear Alumni,
if you are interested to contribute to our newsletter, your are
very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear where you are,
how and what you do!
You will receive this newsletter by e-mail every first month of
a semester (January and September). These two newsletters
are special issues that review the previous semester. If you
would also like to receive the monthly newsletter (that repeats itself until it grows into the next special issue), send
me an e-mail requesting to be put on the respective mailing
list, or visit our website to download the current issue at
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/new
sletter
RECOMMENDED
Recommend a website, a book or a restaurant that you think
everybody at our department should have experienced.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE HERE!
CLASSIFIED
CARTOON:
You want to sell your PC, buy a used printer? Are you looking
for company for your Friday night trip to Manhattan or for
your weekend trip to the NJ shore? Post it here, if you need
help to fix your car or if you are able to fix them.
WANT TO POST YOUR AD HERE?
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
NUMBERS:
Don't laugh. You're next. St. Peter says these new units are
more energy-efficient.
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
What row of numbers comes next? Solution: 1113213211.
What is the next row? Send an e-mail to the editor with the
system that explains which row is next.
PAGE 8
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be
minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE MARCH NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, MARCH 28
PAGE 9
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
Description
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, March 2008
Subject
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Houlihan, Adam
Alba, Lisamarie
Table Of Contents
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Letters to the editor / Michele Leone (Belliveau) -- Biology staff and faculty news / Roy Mosher -- Adjunct professor series / Kathleen Bobbitt -- Curriculum news / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Horst Onken and Ammini Moorthy -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- Visit native plant center / Sierra Beecher -- Wagner in snow / Horst Onken -- The ospreys are back / Horst Onken -- It's just another elephant / Taylor Wheaton -- Global warming and sustainability / Horst Onken -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Welcome back Jessica Vega / Ammini Moorthy -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes cartoons
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Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
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2008-03
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Text
Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Fall-01
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE SEPTEMBER LIMULUS
This issue of our newsletter is again a special issue that reviews the activities of our department during the last semester.
The LIMULUS is now one year old and it is time to think
about necessary changes. As this September newsletter clearly
shows, I cannot complain about too few contributions. Nevertheless, I would very much like to still increase contributions
by students. During the spring semester, editing the newsletter
became more and more a challenge for me and my computer.
Therefore, I want to renew my offer to one or two students to
act as Assistant Editors of the LIMULUS. Moreover, I will try
a change of the format. It is very laborious to pull the content
of the newsletter from month to month. I chose this format in
the beginning, because I feared that the monthly newsletters
could not even fill a single page. After one year of LIMULUS
it seems clear that there is no reason for this fear. I will still
collect all the material for a comprehensive special issue in the
beginning of the semesters. However, the regular, monthly issues will only present the new submissions.
I very much hope you enjoy the review of spring 2008,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dr. Onken Thank you so much for including me on the distribution list
for the newsletter. Also thanks for your time in putting it together - it looks great! If it's not too much trouble may I please
be included on the monthly distribution list. Thanks again and
I appreciate your time, Michele Leone (formerly Belliveau)
Michele, thank you very much for your nice and encouraging
response. Your address was included in our monthly distribution list. We are glad to have you as a monthly reader and we
would be delighted to hear more from you. If you like, tell us
about your time after Wagner College in a contribution for the
"ALUMNI" section. The Editor.
Thank you for sending me the newsletter. Nice to read what
the dept. is doing as well as the people doing it. I graduated in
'71, BS Biology, Dale Yarns was dept. chairman, Dr. Kanzler,
Dr. Kiley as well as others were there. Pls keep me on your email list. bob piegari.
Bob, thank you very much for your response. Unfortunately, I
have never heard of the names you mention, since I am a
member of the faculty at Wagner only in my 4th semester. May
September, 2008
be somebody of the "older" Wagnarians could give us a clue.
Of course, Bob, we would also love to hear more of your time
at Wagner College, or what you have done since then. Use the
"ALUMNI" section of the newsletter, if you like. The Editor.
Dr. O.,
Thanks for including me on your note. I enjoyed reading the
Newsletter. I'm going to go out on a limb....if my Bregenz exchange experience serves me well, "Es gibt immer Möglichkeiten" would be better translated, "There are always possibilities" There is folly, I recognize, in presuming to challenge a
professor named Horst on German usage! No offense intended. Cheers (Tschüß), Ed (BS '77)
Ed, thank you very much for your mail. Like the others you are
very much invited to tell us about your post Wagner experiences in the "ALUMNI" section. I have to admit that Ed and
I already had a little e-mail exchange about the translation issue. Would you be surprised to hear that Wagner's German
education was excellent (hopefully not only in the 70s)? No
doubt, Ed's correction of my translation is absolutely right!
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
A NEW FACULTY MEMBER
On behalf of the Applied Microbiologist Search Committee, I
am happy to announce that Dr. Adam J.
Houlihan has joined the Faculty of the
Department of Biological Sciences as of
the Fall 2008 semester. Dr. Houlihan
received his undergraduate degree in
Molecular Biology from the University
of Southern Mississippi, and his Ph.D.
in Microbiology from Cornell University. He has spent the past two years as a
post-doctoral research associate with
the USDA – Agricultural Research Service and the Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Dr. Houlihan’s research is focused on plantmicrobe interactions. He is interested in the ways in which
plants respond to and resist infection; in particular, he would
like to investigate plant-derived antimicrobial compounds and
the responses of soil bacteria and fungi to these compounds.
Dr. Houlihan teaches a number of courses in the undergraduate and graduate microbiology degree programs here at
Wagner including Microbial Ecology, Applied, Food, and Industrial Microbiology, and Microbial Physiology.
Contributed by Dr. Mosher
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR SERIES
LISAMARIE ALBA
Professor Lisamarie Alba came to
Wagner College as an undergraduate student in the 1970’s majoring in Bacteriology (the old name
before it switched to Microbiology). She was an undergraduate student laboratory assistant for the
Department of Bacteriology, became a graduate assistant and
worked on a research project for
the Megerles (the science building is named for the family) using the electron microscope, different types of hair and the
shampoo that they manufactured. She has a B.S. and M.S. degree in Bacteriology. She was hired by the department as a full
time instructor. While an instructor she served on many committees and advised and taught many students. She started
working on a Ph.D. at St John’s University. While working at
Wagner College she worked at Maimonides Medical Center.
She presently works full time for Maimonides Medical Center
and has been an adjunct professor in the department for many
years.
Contributed by Dr. Bobbit
JOSEPH BERBERENA
In the spring semester 2008, Professor Joseph Berberena became
the newest member of our adjunct
faculty. He teaches the four lab
sections of Human Anatomy and
Physiology. Professor Berberena
is a very experienced teacher who
has been an adjunct professor at a
number of colleges in New York,
New Jersey and Nevada for 27
years. He holds Bachelor and
Master degrees in Education and
has a broad background of completed biomedical coursework
from the New York Medical College Graduate School.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
Dr. STEARNS: MEGERLE ENDOWED CHAIR II
The science departments at
Wagner College are very fortunate to have the generosity of the
Megerle family. After a first endowed chair (Megerle Endowed
Chair I; in the moment occupied
by Dr. Fulop), a second endowed
chair became available for the
academic year 2008/2009. In the
program announcement of the
provost, Dr. Devorah Lieberman,
it reads: “Qualified faculty are
those who hold the rank of full
professor in one the following areas: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics or physical anthropology/archeology.” and “Candidates must have a distinguished
record of past research and scholarship as well as an ongoing
program of research.” Dr. Stearns from our department was
selected and appointed the Megerle Endowed Chair II. This
decision is an honor for Dr. Stearns and the selection of another Biology Professor honors our department.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
GRADUATES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL
SCIENCES IN SPRING 2008
BS with a major in Biology: Carmine Cataldo, Justine Cicalo, Aleksey Etinger, Jusuf Husic, Nina Eliza Krietchman,
Christina Lamb.
BS with a major in Biopsychology: Chelsey Bunyer, Alfred
Phillips.
BS with a major in Microbiology: Michael Bois, Kristin
Dybing, Mouhamed Halwani, Edmond Kurtovic, Lauren
Maltese.
MS in Microbiology: Diana Catanzariti, Chris Corbo, Melanie M. Corebello, Vincenzo D. DiMaggio, Edmond C.
Jenkins, Richard A. Maltese Jr., Nicholas Salvatore Senise,
William Sheu, Edlira Tafani.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Contributed by Stephanie Rollizo and Dr. Onken
A VISIT AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
Recently, I had the experience of
interviewing with the National Institute of Health at the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Disease in Bethesda, MD for a 1year postbaccalaureate research
position. It was a really great experience and I was immediately
impressed with both the campus
(which was huge and very highly
secured) and the lab I interviewed
with. The program is for recent graduates who are planning on
attending graduate school after the year with the NIH ends.
They provide you with the research and possible publications
that graduate schools would be looking for. You are assigned
to work with a post-doctoral fellow that you have matched
with and are allowed to work both independently and with anyone else who is involved in your post-doc’s research. The interview was fun since I was able to meet all of the scientists
working in the lab and listen to each of their research projects
all day and ask them lots of questions. The laboratory works
with many different aspects of the anthrax toxin and I am very
excited to start in August.
Contributed by Lauren Maltese
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
GRADUATE SCHOOL INTERVIEWS
This semester has been quite a
time of traveling. I was so fortunate to attend five graduate school
interviews this semester, and I
wanted to tell students interested in
graduate school a little bit about
what they are like. First off, graduate school interviews are not as
scary as you may think. Most of
the professors are very laidback
and just want to hear about what
your research interests are. Sometimes you will have that tough and aloof interviewer, but as
long as you know your stuff, you do not have to worry. Here
are three main things I would want to tell anyone doing graduate school interviews.
Know your research: It is extremely important that you know
everything about your research and its significance. I had
every interviewer ask me about the zebrafish embryos. You
will find that after you spend so much time in your project, it
is very easy to answer these questions.
Know the program: It is critical that you know about the
program you have applied to, and more importantly why you
are specifically interested in it. You will be asked why you
applied to this program and not another. Have that answer
ready so the interviewer knows that you are excited about their
program and put time into choosing the schools you applied
to.
Ask questions: Please ask questions during the interview. A
great tip if you need some fuel for more questions is to ask
your interviewer what he or she studies. You would be amazed
how effective that question can be. Your interviewer will be
very pleased to share his/her work, and it will allow you to ask
specific questions about what he/she does.
Stay calm, and have fun! It is not everyday that you get to talk
to so many excellent researchers from places around the country. Take advantage of the interview, and you will be great!
Contributed by Christina Lamb
Senior Learning Community—2 units: BI 400E (zero
units), 400, and either 495 Molecular Cell Biology or 492
Ecological and Evolutionary Theory
Cognate courses—4 units of Chemistry and 2 units of
Physics: CH 111, 112, 211, and either CH 212 or 517 (if not
used as an elective); PY 131, 132 or PY 141, 142
Requirements for a Major in Microbiology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Core requirements - 8 units of microbiology as follows:
Microbiology 200, 219, 221, 314, 512, 521, 522, 525
Electives - 2 units chosen from: 200-level or higher microbiology courses, Chemistry 517
Senior Learning Community - 2 units: Microbiology 400,
400E, 491
Cognate courses - 6 units of Chemistry and Physics: Chemistry 111, 112, 211, and either 212 or 517 (if not used as an
elective); Physics 131, 132 or Physics 141, 142
New Summary of the Biopsychology Major:
14 units including the following required courses and electives: Biology 213, 217, 306; Psychology 101, 351, 442; Biology 221 or Psychology 116; Chemistry 111.
Elective courses (Select two courses from Experimental
Psychology and two from Biology)
Experimental Psychology: select 2 courses
Biology: Biology 219, 304, 311, 312, 324, 333.
One of the following senior-level learning communities:
Biology 400 and 400E, and Biology 495 Molecular Cell Biology (recommended for students considering medical school or
graduate studies in the biological sciences or neuroscience/neurobiology) or Psychology 400 and Psychology 441
(recommended for students considering graduate studies in
psychology or neuroscience with emphasis on biopsychology). Student must make this decision in their junior year and
inform the appropriate department. Students selecting the Biology Senior Learning Community must take Biology 219, because it is the prerequisite to Biology 495.
Students majoring in biopsychology may not also major or
minor in psychology or biology.
CURRICULUM NEWS
Some curricula changes of the courses taught by the department have been implemented in the fall semester 2008. The
updated requirements for the majors are given below. The department's website has been updated also contains the changes
made to the descriptions of the individual courses:
Requirements for a Major in Biology (B.S.)
A minimum of 18 units with the following distribution:
Foundation requirements—5 units of Biology as follows:
BI 213, 215, 217, 219, and 221
Upper-level requirements—2 units as follows: BI 311, 333
Upper-level electives—3 units chosen from the following:
Any 300-level or higher Biology course(s) with a laboratory or
BI 493 or CH 517 or the second Capstone Course listed below.
Requirements for a Minor in Biology
A minimum of five units in biology, including BI 213 and at
least two additional courses at the 200-level or higher.
Requirements for a Minor in Microbiology
A minimum of five units at the 200-level or higher in microbiology. MI 200 is required and MI 314 and 512 are strongly
recommended.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club met on Sunday, March 2, at Blazing Star
Cemetery for another clean-up of the cemetery and the grass-
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
land at the Arthur Kill shore line near Rossville Avenue in
southwestern Staten Island.
Hmmmmmm!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TRI BETA NEWS
TriBeta organized a faculty luncheon on the 13th of February,
offering delicious food, fun and lots of conversation. The following photographs of the event were contributed by Dr.
Moorthy:
Contributed by Dr. Onken with photographs by Dr. Moorthy
NEW MEMBERS
Organizers
Three very helpful graduate students of the microbiology program get their share.
I am so proud to announce the new members of the Beta Beta
Beta Biological Honor Society for this year:
Samantha Cook, Georgia Dellas, Nicole DePergola, Yolana
Fuks, Colleen Janson, Christina Locantore, Michele Marotto,
Kristina McEvoy, Robyn McLaughlin, Lillian Reilly, Danielle
Sheehan, Ashley Stackpole and Michael Stanton.
The Executive Board for 2008-2009:
President: Ryan Rogers, Vice President: Yulia Seldina, Secretary: Tanya Modica, Treasurer: Dina Hussam, Historian:
Georgia Dellas.
I am so proud of all the new members, and I cannot speak
more highly of next year’s executive board. I cannot wait to
see the exciting things that Tri Beta will do in 2008-2009.
Thank you for all of the support this year, and a special thank
you to Dr. Palestis for being such a wonderful advisor. As Dr.
Palestis goes on sabbatical next semester, Dr. Linda Raths will
be the new Tri Beta advisor. We are very happy to have her,
and look forward to another great year.
Contributed by Christina Lamb
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers
research opportunities for students in
the frame of a
project in which he
collaborates with
scien-tists from Washington State University, the University
of Idaho, and the University of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The
project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). Mosquitoes are vectors of a number
of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow
fever and dengue, and are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our planet. The principal investigators of
this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more
straight forward to fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic habitat.
In
collaboration
with
colleagues
from the US (Mt.
Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Maine), Brazil
(Univer-sity of São
Paulo in Ribeirão
Preto, University
of Paraná in Curitiba) and Canada (University of Manitoba in
Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related
to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs.
Together with Dr. Alauddin (Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of
planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for 2-3 students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
conditions in order to be successful. The GNPC houses Staten
Island’s native seed bank…one of the very few native seed
banks in the country! While walking through their greenhouses, we got an inside peek at some native grasses and sedges,
and Tim Chambers and Ed Toth (GNPC directors) shared information on what types of restoration projects these plants
were headed for. We learned that the GNPC fills a lot of orders for salt marsh grass Spartina alterni-flora which provides
habitat for nesting birds and is an important component of the
estuarine ecosystem on Staten Island and elsewhere throughout NYC. Spartina alterniflora can grow in these special ecosystems because it is salt tolerant, and not inhibited by brackish water.
The GNCP is providing most of the native plant needs for the
restoration of the Staten Island landfill. This is one of the
most ambitious urban restoration projects underway on the
planet. It aims to turn a 2,000 acre abandoned landfill into a
beautiful interconnected park that will provide not only
recreation opportunities and economic development, but also
wildlife habitat and ecosystem functions like flood and pollution control to Staten Islanders. Native plants are important to
these efforts, because they are co-evolved with other native
species and the conditions of the area. They will provide habitat for native animal species and won’t require a lot of irrigation and care…planting native species of plants will give the
area the opportunity to restore itself!
VISITING A NATIVE PLANT CENTER
Professor Beecher’s Environmental Biology class recently enjoyed a trip to the Staten Island Greenbelt Native Plant Center
(GNPC). GNPC taxonomists collect the seeds, shoots, and rhizomes of native plants from various New York City parks and
bring them back to the center where they are processed, catalogued, stored, and propagated for use in many local and regional restoration efforts. This is not such an easy task! For
example, many native plant seeds require several environmental cues such as temperature and moisture regimes that must
occur in a special sequence in order to germinate.
GNPC staff must do much research about the ecology and life
histories of the plants that they are coaxing into propagation,
and use many innovative methods to simulate natural climatic
Contributed by Professor Beecher
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
WAGNER IN THE SNOW
February 22, 6am, I get out of bed. I had promised Dr. Stearns
to give a presentation in his class at 8:30am. When I look out
of the window I see white, nothing but white snow. It is a lot
of snow, at least a couple of inches. What will my commute be
like? After getting through the shower I start the computer in
the hope for an e-mail that may release me from the terrible
drive during the rush hour. At 06:17:36 AM EST Lee Manchester wrote: "Wagner College is closed for the day due to snow."
Thank you so much - you just made my day, preventing me
from the hurry through the winter storm.
After a relaxing breakfast I dig my car out of the snow and
risk the drive. It took me about an hour for the 12 miles from
Rossville to Grymes Hill. When I arrive at the College only
staff is there - and students who live on campus. On our floor I
meet Ruth who is, as always, busy cleaning. A walk through
the snow-covered campus unravels fairy-tale atmosphere: We
have a beautiful campus, don't we? At 1pm I am back home,
grading with a hot cup of tea in my hand.
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
THE OSPREYS ARE BACK
Our athletes run, throw and
bat as "seahawks". Through
the eyes of biologists there is
only one bird that can be
meant by this - the osprey
Pandion
haliaetus,
also
known in colloquial language
as fish hawk, fish eagle, or
seahawk even. Ospreys are
distributed worldwide and
they live almost exclusively
on fish. Even for ornithomaniacs it is a very special event to
observe an osprey at hunt.
These majestic raptors can
hover above a lake to then
dive claws first into the water and grab a meal.
In Cheesequake State Park, half an hour south of the Outerbridge in Middlesex County, NJ, a pair of ospreys has just ar-
rived from their winter holidays in the south and is now settling into a nest prepared by the park rangers. Do not miss visiting the observation platform close by to see the birds to perfect the home for their future offspring. Cheesequake Statepark is also a great place to enjoy a hike through saltwater and
freshwater marshes, a white cedar swamp, pine barrens, and
northeastern hardwood forest.
The image is taken from Naumann's "Naturgeschichte der
Vögel Mitteleuropas" (Natural History of the Birds of Central
Europe).
Contributed by Dr. Onken.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER ELEPHANT
Over spring break, I was
given the opportunity to
travel to South Africa
with my boyfriend
Charles Nicolais and his
family. For eleven days,
we stayed in chalets,
went on hikes, and
drove on safaris. For
five days, we stayed in
Kruger National Park, where expert game rangers whisk you
off on game drives and walking safaris, tracking the wildlife in
their natural habitat. According to the biodiversity statistics,
Kruger accounts for as many as 1,500 lions, 11,672 elephants,
4,859 rhinoceros, 1,000 leopards, and 27,000 buffalo. Of
course there are many other animals, but these are what Kruger designates as the "Big five"- the animals that are most dangerous if they are injured but not killed.
We were lucky enough to not only catch a glimpse of the "Big
Five" but many other spectacular sights. On our first sunrise
safari drive, we saw a cheetah stalking its prey. On our second
night, two male lions, guarding a water buffalo they had killed
earlier. The park rangers who took us on the drives were outstanding. On our way out that night that we saw the lions, he
pointed them out to us down in the bush. Later, he said, we
might find the lions laying in the road, because it retains heat
from the day. Sure enough, an hour and a half later, two lions
were lounging in the middle of the road. Right in front of us.
They moved- slowly, once our car approached, and one of
them appeared to be ready to pounce by the side of the road!
As if reading our thoughts, the ranger said, "he is going to the
bathroom!!"
After having a semester of Cells Genes and Evolution, and
currently being in the
middle of Forms and
Functions of Life, I
realize the applications
of my education in biology. My boyfriend's
nine-year-old
brother
asked, "why don't the
roofs of those huts get
really wet?" "Well," I
said, "some plants have
this outer waxy covering called a cuticle." Or one time, in the
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
middle of a safari, I felt the urge to explain that giraffes don't
have long necks so they can eat leaves on tall trees, but because they fight with their necks during courtship. And then
while looking through our bird book I wondered why there are
two different species of hornbill, one with a yellow bill and
one with an orange bill. What would be the environmental and
lifestyle reason for a change in color of the bill? The trip
turned out to be just as much an educational experience as it
was an eye-opener to the possiblities of the natural world at its
finest.
It's funny when you spend so much time seeing these animals
close up and in their natural habitat. On the first day, you are
thrilled to catch a glimpse of a zebra a half-mile away. By the
fifth day, you are saying, "Dad!! Keep going! It's just another
elephant!"
Contributed by Taylor Wheaton, Chemistry Major.
FENCING WITH A CHAMPION
This semester Christina Lamb and I took fencing lessons using
the sabre with Dr. Palestis at Master’s Fencing Academy in
NJ. Did you know that Dr. Palestis was highly placed nationally? We learned so much and had so much fun that we plan to
continue fencing after we graduate. "EN GARDE!"
Contributed by Lauren Maltese
DUKE FARMS: INDOOR DISPLAY GARDEN
END OF AN ERA
Duke farms is a private
property, 2740 acres of
park like setting, in
Hillsborough, New Jersey, owned and operated
through the trust fund
set up by Doris Duke,
the Million Dollar Baby
who at age 12 inherited
enormous amount of
wealth and power from
her father the tobacco
magnate James Duke.
The park and the indoor
gardens are open to the
public for a nominal fee
and the display gardens
have exquisite flowers
and plants from all over the world.
The indoor gardens are
housed in elegant turnof- the-century glass
conservatories. The eleven linked green houses
display elegant miniatures of garden styles
from the different cultures of the world. It
took Doris Duke six years (1958-1964) to accomplish this
task. She traveled all over the world collecting speci-mens and
ideas to complete these
gardens and for almost
43 years the gardens
have been open to the
public for their enjoyment. In this marvelous
display, Italian, Colonial, French, English,
Chinese Japanese and
Indo Persian designs are juxtaposed near desert, tropical and
semi-tropical environments. In addition to the garden style
variations, one also sees
seasonal changes in annuals and perennials all
through the year. The
displays will take a few
hours to walk through
and enjoy and is filled
with photo opportunities.
This lovely display is going to become a thing of the past
soon. On May 25th, 2008 the indoor display gardens will close
the door for good and
never open again. My
husband and I visit
these indoor displays
frequently and when we
read about its closing
in the local paper, we
were saddened and
went for our final
goodbye to the gardens this week. This is what we were able
to find out about the closing. “The garden will be dismantled
as the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation pursues a mission
that emphasizes the
practical and holistic
over the merely ornamental”. I for one do not
quite understand the
jargon, but in layman’s
term what it means is
that they are no longer
interested in just gardens. According to a recent article in the Newspaper Star
Ledger “Trustees will not just talk the talk about global warming, carbon emission, habitat loss and threatened species but
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
walk the walk devoting
the foundation’s considerable resources to
funding the best approaches that technology and natural
sciences can supply.
Together with partners
in environmental and
educational communities the foundation hopes to define what
“living Green” really means. In essence the Duke foundation
is going to spend a good part of their resources to find
tions for a variety of
global and environtal issues. I do applaud
them for this, but do we
have to get rid of
thing so magnificent
and beautiful like the inindoor
gardens
to
achieve their goals? I
am sure Doris Duke, if she were alive, would emphatically say
No.
The thousands of flowering plants, shrubs and the trees in the
indoor gardens will be
given away to garden
clubs and charitable organizations and the rest
will be thrown out as
trash and the gardens
will be dismantled. I
encourage all of you to
take a trip to the gardens before this happens. You will be glad you did.
Contributed by Dr. Moorthy
MORE FIELD TRIPS IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
Professor Beecher’s
Environmental Biology class enjoyed
two very different
and interesting field
trips this month. We
toured a wastewater
treatment plant and
learned about the
processes of primary
and secondary wastewater treatment and the importance of these processes to the
reduction of biological oxygen demand, organic matter, and
fecal coliform that would otherwise be sent into receiving waters. If these wastes were discharged directly into the Arthur
Kill without undergoing these processes first, Dr. Onken’s Animal Physiology class may have a much harder time finding
local fiddler crabs for their research! We also learned how
anaerobic digesters supply the plant with 30% of their power
by generating useful methane gas, which is burned to generate
energy. Planned upgrades to the system will increase this ca-
pacity, and may even bring the plant to 100% energy independence. We discussed the possibilities for recycling water instead of discharging it, and the opportunities that exist for producing biogas from sewage lagoons at animal feeding operations. The odors encountered during the tour were pretty unpleasant to us, but the plant operators informed us that they
were "#1 in the #2 business," and that the odor smelled like
money to them!
We also experienced the
ginnings of spring by visiting Clay Pit Ponds State
Park. This piece of land is
an excellent example of how
many valuable ecosystem
services are provided by our
earth and how important it is
to preserve open space, even
in densely populated urban
areas. Clay Pit Ponds has served humanity for many years. We
viewed artifacts of Lenape Nation origin that have been found
in this park including potshards, tools and arrowheads. Later,
the “Free Blacks of Sandy Ground”
inhabited this area, where they maintained a thriving oyster business and
established a notable amount of
wealth. After the waters became too
polluted to farm oysters, the area was
mined for clay to make bricks. Now
the area serves as a functional wetland, providing wildlife habitat, flood mitigation, filtering of
pollutants, and a peaceful and tranquil park for people to enjoy. Mother Earth keeps giving and giving!!!!!!!
We encountered birds, frogs, bees, butterflies, wildflowers,
snakes, and signs of unseen
wildlife like large rodent burrows and fresh deer prints by
a brook. We practiced identifying trees with the help of
our field guides, and didn’t do
too bad! We observed the surface tension of water by
watching water striders, and noted an abundance of benthic
macroinvertebrates. We also were able to check out the composting operation and some domestic livestock that have a
home at Clay Pit Ponds State Park. We would definitely
ommend this park to anyone who loves to go outside and
play!!!!!!
Contributed by Professor Beecher with a photograph by Claudia Grammatico
BUTTERFLIES HELP TEACHING DEVELOPMEN
As part of her double major in Elementary Education and Natural Science, Jacqualena Grigoli completed a tutorial with me
this semester--BI 490 (Biology Research for Elementary
School Teachers)--during which she researched and invented
ways to teach elementary school children some of the fundamental biological concepts required by New York State. She
prepared lesson plans, which we went over each week. One
lesson was on development, for which Jackie chose to demon-
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
strate the development of butterflies. Brian Palestis
approved
partment funding
of
some
lars and a butterfly
kit complete with a
net "cage" and
food. Jackie timed
the development process so that the butterflies appeared during Earth Week, when she visited a local third-grade class
taught by the wife of Dr. Falabella (Physics, Wagner College).
Jackie also brought along some caterpillars. She taught the
students the life cycle of the butterfly. They then took the cage
outside and released the butterflies. The students themselves
are taking care of the caterpillars, until they become butterflies
as well.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns with a photograph by Jacqualena Grigoli
NEW MICROBIOLOGY LABS
During the summer
the
microbiology
labs on the 3rd floor
of the Megerle
Science Hall were
renovated.
This
project was long
overdue and could
finally be realized
thanks to funding
from “the anonymous donor” whose family is supporting the sciences at
Wagner College since a long time. The transformation of the
labs almost reminds of an insect metamorphosis from
caterpillar to butterfly. Visit the microbiology labs to get an
impression. The old furniture was largely saved and served to
improve the equipment of other labs on the 3rd and 4th floor.
Special thanks go to Chris Corbo, Stephanie Rollizo and to
Professor Linda Raths who guaranteed that the pupal stage
during the summer was successfully finished.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
CRAYFISH BABIES
This summer, while caring for
the crayfish from Dr. Onken’s
Forms and Functions Lab, we
were given a pleasant surprise!
One of the crayfish had
developed eggs and was
carrying hundreds of fertilized
eggs under her tail! With a
separate tank set up for the
mom-to-be, babies slowly
began hatching! The process is
continual, with weeks passing between the arrivals of the
newborns! As of today, there are still baby crayfish waiting to
hatch, with their bigger brothers and sisters waiting to greet
(or eat) them! Come and visit!
Contributed by Stephanie Rollizo
OPINION
GLOBAL WARMING AND SUSTAINABILITY
In the last 100 years the average air temperature at the earth's
surface rose by about ¾ of a centigrade and according to the
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) "most of
the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since
the mid-twentieth century is very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations."
The above conclusion by the IPCC has been endorsed by
numerous important scientific societies and academic
institutions. For example, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science stated "The scientific evidence is
clear: global climate change caused by human activities is
occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society" and the
website of the American Physical Society reads "Emissions of
greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the
atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate. The
evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring."
Depending on the measures taken to reduce greenhouse gas
emission, climate models predict a temperature increase of up
to 6 centigrades during this century, which is a catastrophic
threat to the current composition of the biosphere.
The above sounds very convincing to me. Nevertheless, there
are some scientists who express doubts about the conclusions
of the IPCC. Although they reflect a small minority, their
critical input should not be neglected. However, I welcome the
direction that the discussion about global warming has taken
for another reason. I believe that the threat of global warming
offers a chance to change human activities on this planet to
return to a sustainable coexistance of the human society with
the rest of the natural world, a path that humanity has
evidently left before or during my lifetime.
Sustainability can be defined as the capacity of an ecosystem
to maintain ecological processes and functions, biological diversity, and productivity over time. For the human society it
means to use ecosystems and their resources in a manner that
satisfies present requirements without compromising the requirements or choices of future generations. As estimated on
www.earthday.net my personal ecological footprint amounts
to 3.7 global hectares. If everybody would live like I do, two
planets would be needed to sustain the human population.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
The consumption of most nations of the earth is shown as the
area occupied in the map above. The color indicates the ecological footprint of the average citizen of a country, with dark
red being over 10 global hectares per person. Thanks to the
small ecological footprint of the vast majority of the global
population humanity's footprint exceeded the biological capacity of the planet only by 25% in 2003. We consume the "capital" of the natural resources offered by the earth instead of using the "interest." I very much welcome the initiative of Dr.
Guarasci to sign the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, the installation of the Sustainability Committee, the initiative of Professor Wesby in the Committee of the Whole, and all other efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of Wagner College. I promote below the "Ten
Things You Can Do" forwarded by Professor Wesby:
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TEN THINGS YOU CAN DO
1.
Change a light bulb: Replace regular bulbs with compact
florescent bulbs; save 150 lbs of CO2 per year per bulb.
2. Drive less: Walk, bike, carpool, use mass transit; you
save one pound of CO2 for every mile you don’t drive.
3. Recycle more: Save 2,400 lbs of CO2 per year by recycling half of your household waste.
4. Check your tires: Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%; every gallon saved keeps 20 lbs
of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
5. Use less hot water: It takes a lot of energy to heat water.
Install a low flow showerhead to use less hot water (saves
350 lbs of CO2 per year).Wash your clothes in cold or lukewarm water (saves 500 lbs of CO2 per year ).
6. Avoid products with a lot of packaging: Save 1200 lbs
of CO2 per year by cutting down your garbage by 10%.
7. Adjust your thermostat: Move down 2 degrees in winter
and up 2 degrees in summer - save 2000 lbs of CO2 per
year.
8. Plant a tree: A single tree will absorb a ton of CO2 in its
lifetime.
9. Be smart about electronics:
a. Turn off electronic devices. Turn off your TV, DVD
player, computer or other device when you’re not using
them; save thousands of pounds of CO2 per year
b. Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers,
cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the
energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips
working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy
consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the
atmosphere every year!
c. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new
purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each
household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with
the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175
million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!
10. Spread the word: (visit www.climatecrisis.net) See An
Inconvenient Truth and other films and programs on cli-
mate crisis. Stay informed. Support measures to curb further carbon emissions.
Contributed by Professor Roger Wesby
PUBLICATIONS
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2008). Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. 20pp. Journal of Insect Science
8:46, available online: insectscience.org/8.46.
The above article is currently featured on the homepage of
the Journal of Insect Science.
Moffett, D.F. and Onken, H. (2008, in press). The Cellular
Basis of Extreme Alkali Secretion in Insects: A Tale of Two
Tissues. In: Epithelial Transport Physiology (ed. George A.
Gerencser). Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Bois, M., Kurtovic, E., Bobbitt, K. (2008). Antimicrobial
properties of chios mastic in vitro. 62nd Annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Program and Abstracts, page 48
and 79/80 (platform presentation and poster).
Etinger, A., Palestis, B.G. (2008). The effect of ethanol on
the escape response of zebrafish. 2nd Annual Undergraduate
Research Symposium in the Biological Sciences. William Paterson University of New Jersey, April 26.
Gerwing, J., Adair, S., Stearns, D., McConnell, D. (2008).
Collaborative research: critical thinking for civic thinking in
science.” Inventions and Impact 2: Building Excellence in
Undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. National Science Foundation,
Division of Undergraduate Education, Course, Curriculum,
and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) Program Conference,
August 13-15, 2008, Renaissance Washington, D.C. Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
Izeirovski, S., Onken, H. (2008). The effects of different nutrients on the transepithelial voltage of the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of larval Aedes aegypti. 62nd Annual
Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Program and Abstracts,
page 61 (poster).
Lamb, C. M., Moorthy, A. S., Fulop, Z. L. (2008). Teratogenic effects of lithium chloride exposure on eye development
during early embryogenesis in zebrafish (Danio rerio). 62nd
Annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference. Program and
Abstracts, page 35 and 67/68 (platform presentation and poster).
Maltese, L. M., Corbo, C., Bobbitt, K. A. (2008). Pathogenesis of various induced bacterial infections of the cardiothoracic region of adult zebrafish. 62nd Annual Eastern Colleges
Science Conference. Program and Abstracts, page 79 (poster).
Mosher, R. and Stearns, D. (2008). Direct Measures for Assessing the General Education Program at Wagner College.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Association of American Colleges and Universities. Integrative Designs for General Education and Assessment. Network
for Academic Renewal Conference, Boston (MA), February
21-23.
Onken, H., Cataldo, C.S., Coppolo, J.A., Lamb, CM.,
LoRe, E.G., Post, A.K., Zangara, N.E. (2008). An Animal
Physiology lab project that promotes undergraduate student interest and responsibility. FASEB Journal 22: 575.2.
Onken, H., Moffett, S.B., Moffett, D.F. (2008). Revisiting the
mechanism of strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of
larval yellow fever mosquitoes Aedes aegypti. Comparative
Biochemistry and Physiology 150A, p. S137.
Onken, H., Parks, S., Goss, G., Moffett, D.F. (2008). Extremely alkaline intracellular pH in the anterior stomach of
larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). FASEB Journal 22: 759.4.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Moffett, S.B., Moffett, D.F. (2008). Apical Na+/K+-ATPase and strong alkalinization in the anterior stomach of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti). FASEB Journal 22: 1239.9.
Pistilli, A., Roxbury, C., Zambidis, E. (2008). Role of micro
RNAs in the regulation of both normal and malignant hematopoiesis. 62nd Annual Eastern Colleges Science Conference.
Program and Abstracts, page 34 and 74/75 (platform presentation and poster).
Earth Week Event:
Wagner Scholars Discuss Their Research on the Environment (April 23-24, 2008)
Alexa Dietrich (Anthropology), "Community Politics and the
Environment"
Brian Palestis (Biology), "Conservation of Coastal Birds"
Maria Gelabert (Chemistry), "Energy and Carbon"
Don Stearns (Biology), "Critically Thinking about the Environment"
Mohammad Alauddin (Chemistry), "Environmental pollution,
climate change, and their impact on public health"
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT MISS TO ATTEND THE FOLLOWING CONFERENCES:
REVIEWS
Dr. MOSHER AND Dr. STEARNS REPRESENT WAGNER
COLLEGE IN BOSTON
Approximately 800 participants attended the conference of the Association of American Colleges and
Universities (AAC&U) in Boston,
MA. Drs. Mosher and Stearns presented a poster during a wellattended poster session. The presentation was identified as a LEAP
(Liberal Education and America’s Promise) Campus Action
Network Exemplar by the AAC&U, because it addressed
some of the desired student learning outcomes presented by
LEAP as important for a liberal education.
During the conference, Drs. Mosher and Stearns also met with
representatives from Belmont University, a small university in
Nashville, Tennessee. Belmont and Wagner are working together on a funded grant with the goal of developing assessment tools to directly measure the value-added component of
experiential education. Dr. Mosher served on a panel at the
AAC&U conference, to discuss this joint venture with a larger
audience.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY IN SAN DIEGO
Between April 5 and 9, over 12,000
biological and biomedical scientists
gathered in the San Diego Convention Center for a meeting organized
by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.
According to EurekAlert "Experimental Biology offers an unparalleled opportunity to see medical advances being made."
Wagner College was represented by Dr. Onken, an active
member of the American Physiological Society who studies
midgut function of larval mosquitoes. He presented results
from collaborations with researchers from Washington State
University, from the University of Alberta, and with students
from Wagner College. The posters were well visited and resulted in interesting discussions and in the initiation of a new
collaboration with a research group from the Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EASTERN COLLEGES SCIENCE CONFERENCE
st
The 41 annual fall meeting of the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB) will be
held at Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ) on Saturday, November 1, 2008.
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April
24, 2009.
The 62nd Eastern College Science Conference was held at
Niagara University, outside Buffalo. This year 26 faculty
members and students attended the conference on April 12,
2008. There were 18 students who presented their work as either a paper, platform (oral) or poster presentation. Wagner
College did an enviable job at the conference and Andrew Pistilli, Sejmir Izeirovski, Michael Bois, Lauren Maltese, Kathryn
Chepiga, and Christina Lamb received outstanding presentation awards for their work.
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
I never went north of New
York and it was a great experience for me as well as
evidently for everyone from
Wagner College who went
on the trip to Niagara. We
left Wagner about 1 p.m. on
friday 04/11/08 and arrived
at the Grand Niagara Hotel
around 9 p.m. The seven hour drive through enormous crop
fields, farms and forests was beautiful and passed fast with a
lot of chatting.
When arriving at the hotel we ordered food right away, because we were starving. After dinner some of the students gathered and practiced for their presentations, and some had fun
just being there. The next morning we got up at 7a.m. After a
ten minute drive to Niagara University we attended the first
meeting at 8a.m. Afterwards we had breakfast and students
started to get ready for their platform presentations bet-ween
9:30 and 12. After a lunch break the conference continued
with poster pre-sentations from 1:30 to 4:30.
After the presentations were finished we returned to the hotel
and made a field trip to the Niagara Falls only five minutes
away. The falls were very beautiful and enormous with thunderous sounds and the mist in the air. It was a little chilly and
most of us had underestimated the climate difference in the
north of our state.
On our way back I was very
surprised when I saw a statue
of one of my idols, Nikola
Tesla. This researcher and
inventer was from Croacia in
Southern Europe, not too far
from where I was born. Tesla
changed the world with his
numerous contributions to
the field of electrical science.
Among his many pathbreaking achievements is the
first hydro-electric power plant in the world in Niagara Falls.
After returning to the hotel we got ready to attend the 8 p.m.
dinner and the award ceremony. As the awards ceremony
started everyone became excited, hoping to be among the recipients. I was very happy that Wagner College did so wonderful at the Eastern College Science Conference and brought
six awards back home. This was better than any other college
attending the conference.
After the awards ceremony we crossed the border to Canada
where we visited a club and celebrated our success. Unfortunately, we had to keep our visit to Canada short because we
had to return to Wagner College early the next day.
Contributed by Sejmir Izeirovski
SEB MEETING IN MARSEILLE, FRANCE
The Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) had its annual
meeting this year in Parc Chanot in Marseille in Southern
France from July 6th to July 10th. Besides symposia like “Climate Change: from genes to ecosystems,” “Green Products:
Bioenergy and Pharmaceuticals,” or “Circadian Clocks” there
was one symposium that attracted my special interest and to
which I contributed with a presentation (see list of contributions to professional meetings above) – “Insect homeostasis: a
tribute to Simon Maddrell FRS”.
It is clear that insect homeostasis is interesting for an invertebrate physiologist,
but who is Simon Maddrell and what
means FRS. Well, to begin with the easy
part: FRS means Fellow of the Royal
Society. Simon Maddrell is Honorary
Professor in Comparative Physiology at
the University of Cambridge, UK. He
very significantly influenced the field of
insect homeostasis over the last decades not only through his
own research. Quite a few first rate insect physiologists all
over the world have their roots in the lab of Simon Maddrell.
The symposium encompassed exciting news presented by researchers who dominated the field in the last decades as well
as presentations addressing the life of Simon Maddrell. Professor Nathan Tublitz from the University of Oregon described everyday life in the Maddrell lab in Cambridge in a
very entertaining way. Remarkable was also the visibility of
technological progress. One contributor gave his talk while being at a different meeting in Cape Town (South Africa) and
another presenter talked from Ontario (Canada). These contributions were made possible through video conferencing, using
Skype. In the last lecture Simon Maddrell himself addressed
the question: “Insect Malpighian tubules: what does past research suggest about future investigations?” I do not know the
exact age of Simon Maddrell, but I got the impression that he
will have quite an impact on this future and not only through
the work of his students and collaborators.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
THE HORMESIS RESEARCH PROJECT
BEGINNING OF THE END OR END OF THE BEGINNING
At the end of March 2008 the Hormesis Research Project was
finished with an exhibition in the Spotlight Gallery in the
Horrman Library and with a reception on March 31.
In the very center of the Hormesis Research Pro-ject are two
people, Dr. Zoltan Fulop
and a very generous and
anonymous donor. At the
reception, Dr. Fulop explained the meaning of
hormesis for all those who
did not yet know it: Hormesis is the stimulating or
beneficial biological response to low concentrations of a toxin or stressor.
Thus, a toxin that shows
hormesis has opposite effects at low and high doses. In the last five years,
hormesis was studied in
PAGE 12
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
the frame of the project under the guidance of Dr. Fulop who
had received a research grant. Although not urged to follow
the suggestion by the anonymous donor, Dr. Fulop explored
this topic and used the grant in a truly admirable way for the
benefit of the whole Department of Biological Sciences at
Wagner College.
Dr. Fulop did not only advance his own research into the field
of hormesis, but he supported all other faculty members who
directed hormesis-related research projects. In this way, the
project boosted research activity at the department. Hormesisrelated research was mainly conducted with the nervous system of a model organism, the zebra fish, Danio rerio, and alcohol was the stressor that was studied predominantly. However, research about effects of different stressors, on different
systems, like zebra fish behavior, or on completely different
animal systems like the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster was
supported and integrated.
Under the wings of Dr. Fulop
the project also spread to other
departments at Wagner College,
generating successful interdepartmental collabora-tion that
is not seen too often. In this regard the contributions of Professor Andy Needle from the
Art Department is especially
noteworthy. He clearly left his
"fingerprints" through the magnificent graphics used for publications and presentations of the
project's results.
Most remarkably though is the involvement of students of
Wagner College. In five years, over 40 students have actively
participated in the Hormesis Project. Many of them presented
their research at scientific conferences, including Eastern College Science Conferences (ECSC), annual meetings of the
Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists
(MACUB), meetings of the Sigma Xi Research Society, and
the New England Science Symposium. Numerous students
won awards for outstanding presentations, which is especially
remarkable for a relatively small college like Wagner. Many
students selected hormesis-related topics as the basis of the
experimental work for their senior thesis. Among the many
outstanding students who participated in the Hormesis Project
only one can be highlighted in
this article.
Chris Corbo contributed to the
success of the project in truly
remarkable ways, not only because he was involved from the
very beginning. Chris has
learned all facettes of scientific
research within the project. He
has not only become an outstanding experimentor, but he
also presented the project multiple times and won award after
award. As a graduate student in
the Microbiology Program, Chris developed into a peer for
other students to assist with the solution of experimental and
technical challenges. He has taught courses as an adjunct professor and assisted faculty members in many other ways. Everybody in the department regrets that Chris will move into a
PhD program at the College of Staten Island in fall of this
year. On the other hand, everybody wants to see Chris continue on his way into a certainly successful future in science.
At the reception, the success of the Hormesis Project was honored by the President of the College, Dr. Richard Guarasci,
and by the Provost, Dr. Devorah Lieberman. In a very pleasant
and relaxed atmosphere as it is so typical for Wagner College
a number of collaborating faculty members and students reflected on their experiences with the project and offered the
opportunity to guide visitors through their parts.
At the end of my tribute to the Hormesis Research Project and
to those who made it so successful I want to return to the beginning of the reception. "It is the end of the project," Dr. Fulop said, in order to let everybody know that the financial support from the grant has ended. "End" is an ambiguous word,
especially in science, where the course of one research project
just generates questions worthwhile to be explored in future
research efforts. I do not believe that the end of the Hormesis
Project is the "Begin-ning of the End." Instead, I am convinced that it is just the
"End of the Beginning"
of even extended and intensified research activities at Wagner College
that will also reflect a return to the generous
anony-mous donors who
facilitated the Hormesis
Research Project.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
ALUMNI
WELCOME BACK JESSICA VEGA
Ms. Jessica Vega, a Genetic
Counselor working for Reprogenetics in Livingston New Jersey
was the ACE lecturer at Wagner
on March 10. More than 100 students and faculty attended this
event. Ms. Vega is a Wagner
Alum, who did her BS in Biology and MS in Microbiology. She
was a student athlete with President’s Merit Scholarship and
was the captain of the Women’s Volley Ball team at Wagner.
She graduated with honors from Wagner and worked in Sloan
Kettering Cancer Research Institute in New York City. Her
graduate degree in Genetic Counseling is from Sarah Lawrence College. Her presentation was on “Preimplantation Genetic Screening and the Ethical, Legal and Social Issues that
Stem from this.” It was a very well attended lecture. Approximately 100 students and a dozen faculties were there as audi-
PAGE 13
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
ence. Students and faculty
had several questions to
ask her after the lecture
and on the whole her
ture was very well apciated by the audience. All
students from the “ILC
ELSI of the Genome” team
taught by Dr. John Esser
and Dr. Ammini Moorthy attended this lecture as part of their
course requirements and many of them asked valid and
thought provoking questions to Ms. Vega.
your weekend trip to the NJ shore? Post it here, if you need
help to fix your car or if you are able to fix them.
WANT TO POST YOUR AD HERE?
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
Contributed by Dr. Moorthy
Dear Alumni,
if you are interested to contribute to our newsletter, your are
very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear where you are,
how and what you do!
You will receive this newsletter by e-mail every first month of
a semester (January and September). These two newsletters
are special issues that review the previous semester. If you
would also like to receive the monthly newsletter (that repeats itself until it grows into the next special issue), send
me an e-mail requesting to be put on the respective mailing
list, or visit our website to download the current issue at
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/new
sletter
RECOMMENDED
Recommended reading:
I strongly recommend the following book on the history of biological thought: Sapp, Jan. 2003. Genesis: The Evolution of
Biology. Oxford University Press. It is a fascinating, wellwritten overview of the development of biology reviewing historical and current controversies. This one book covers the
major subfields of biology concisely and with an evolutionary
focus. For example, there are chapters on early non-Darwinian
evolutionary ideas, the cell theory and development, the rediscovery of Mendel’s rules, the tree of life, and symbiosis.
Contributed by Dr. Palestis
Recommend a website, a book or a restaurant that you think
everybody at our department should have experienced.
YOUR RECOMMENDATION COULD BE HERE!
CLASSIFIED
You want to sell your PC, buy a used printer? Are you looking
for company for your Friday night trip to Manhattan or for
PAGE 14
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
IMAGE OF THE MONTH:
NUMBERS:
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221
What row of numbers comes next? Solution: 1113213211.
What is the next row? Send an e-mail to the editor with the
system that explains which row is next.
MAZE:
Found on http://www.worth1000.com
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve to publish contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
CARTOON:
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, October 27
From Nearing Zero, by Nick D. Kim
(http://www.lab-initio.com)
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Department Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
PAGE 15
�
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Title
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Title
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Limulus Newsletter, September 2008
Subject
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Houlihan, Adam
Alba, Lisamarie
Berberena, Joseph
Stearns, Donald
Fulop, Zoltan L.
Corbo, Christopher
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Letters to the editor / Michele Leone (Belliveau) -- Biology staff and faculty news / Roy Mosher -- Adjunct professor series / Kathleen Bobbitt and Horst Onken -- A visit at the National Institutes of Health / Lauren Maltese -- Graduate school interviews / Christina Lamb -- Curriculum news / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Horst Onken, Ammini Moorthy, and Christina Lamb -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- Visiting a native plant center / Sierra Beecher -- Wagner in the snow / Horst Onken -- The ospreys are back / Horst Onken -- It's just another elephant / Taylor Wheaton -- Fencing with a champion / Lauren Maltese -- Duke Farms : indoor display garden end of an era / Ammini Moorthy -- More field trips in environmental biology / Sierra Beecher and Claudia Grammatico -- Butterflies help teaching development -- Donald Stearns and Jacqualena Grigoli -- New microbiology labs / Horst Onken -- Crayfish babies / Stephanie Rollizo -- Global warming and sustainability / Horst Onken -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Dr. Mosher and Dr. Stearns represent Wagner College in Boston / Donald Stearns -- Experimental biology in San Diego / Horst Onken -- Eastern colleges science conference / Sejmir Izeirovski -- SEB meeting in Marseille, France / Horst Onken -- The Hormesis Research Project / Horst Onken -- Welcome back Jessica Vega / Ammini Moorthy -- Recommended reading / Brian Palestis -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
Publisher
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Date Issued
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2008-09
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U.S. and international copyright laws may protect this work. It is provided by Wagner College for scholarly or research purposes only. Commercial use or distribution is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder.
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15 pages
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en
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/1909/archive/files/01d9564e7a30a2fd44c3d739bc991acd.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=Ykxk2fXhcTNCWu9teXuMgkXLmgJ%7ELzjWRyHqgDQWgabSC2h6zfntTJyKGJCe3Put6WSbVELK7e6-f9TWLx63wWH7wx03MW78rtsprnq8PmGGrIhTTSAtM4UoXLBWbUOmsnDMzx2IzC3q8Q-4HHELGYPTW4DYFdKd6MyP9KmtyWEyw8hju8dNgqogML3aZWVdQpYjqMC3-vGiMe0JY2S2KMRS6uLkn5NVWCqP3nPi8EE0%7ERGQcGWDLaU8wOegNxuhi3BgcXrI0mYSaFlxol61CvyzAHdKFwW%7E0lLEv%7ENyUx8W%7ESYqL634Zcc%7Ek307znWPbnB8kZlpVWnt8Kw1cKPZlw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
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Text
Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Fall-02
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE OCTOBER LIMULUS
This issue is short. Evidently everybody is very busy in the
middle of the semester. Nevertheless, I would like to remind
all of you that the quality of our newsletter depends on your
contributions.
We have a report about an invited lecture, an invitation to a
community service activity, a little something about 125 years
of Wagner College, and an experience in environmental Biology.
I very much hope you enjoy the review of spring 2008,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
No letters received.
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
The Adjunct Professor Series will be continued in the next issue.
October, 2008
speak to some of the biology students regarding similar issues.
She is a professor at William Patterson in New Jersey and was
part of the lab that was successful in the first “test tube” baby
in New York State. The name of her talk was, “Genetic Technology & Eugenics,” and in the course of one hour she was
able to further discuss and present many issues that come up in
the Genes to Genomics classroom. She was very knowledgeable in a number of areas, and had an interesting viewpoint on
the issues due to her Ashkenazi background. Dr. Wahrman
recently put out a book, Brave New Judaism - When Science
and Scripture Collide. She did not merely promote her book,
rather she opened our eyes to see that science and religion do
not always conflict, but rather they can agree to disagree on
some topics. The topics discussed not only bring about religious controversy, but also cause debate regarding ethical issues surrounding life status of a zygote. She touched upon the
possibility of a return to eugenics while also promoting the
positive uses of genetic technology as well. Dr. Wahrman was
able to captivate the audience and leave many students, as well
as faculty, with a number of new questions regarding their position on genetic technology.
OPPORTUNITIES
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
Everybody seems to be too busy to send a contribution.
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club will be meeting for the first community service event this semester on November 09. This event will take
place at Blazing Star Cemetery for a clean-up of the cemetery
and the grassland at Arthur Kill shore line. Everyone can join
the event. If you want to participate, please, contact Sejmir
Izeirovski
(President
of
Biology
Club)
at
sejmir.izeirovski@wagner.edu.
TRI BETA NEWS
REPORT ABOUT A TRI BETA EVENT
Here at Wagner we offer a course dealing with the Ethical,
Legal and Social Issues associated with genetic technology,
“Genes to Genomics.” It is a semester long course that delves
into these issues while allowing students to share their voice
regarding their personal beliefs on issues such as genetic
screening and eugenics. On Monday October 27 Wagner was
fortunate enough to have Dr. Miryam Wahrman come and
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research opportunities for
students in the frame of
a project in which he
collaborates with scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principal investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straightforward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. (Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Maine), Brazil (University of São
Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, University of Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pur-
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
ADVENTURES IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
What is an Estuary? Brittany Frazza, an Environmental Biology student, answered this question eloquently as follows:
“Estuaries are places where freshwater and seawater mix together to form a body of water. Estuaries come in all shapes
and sizes and are called many different names: bays, lagoons,
harbors, inlets, or sounds to name a few. The secluded waters
of estuaries are home to numerous plants and animals that are
able to live in water that is comprised of both fresh and salt
water. Estuaries provide important habitat for species that are
Solute concentrations of various Staten Island water samples. KVK means Kill Van Kull. GNP means Gateway National Park. Contributed by Patrick Powers
Density g/ml
1.035
1.03
1.025
1.02
1.015
1.01
1.005
1
0.995
0.99
0.985
on
ize
d
at
Ro
s
Ku
ev
ll (
i ll e
N
ea
rF
er
ry
)
Cl
ov
e
La
ke
Ei
bs
Po
nd
So
ut
h
Be
ac
h
To
Ar
tte
th
ur
nv
M
i ll e
Ki
id
la
ll S
nd
ou
B
th
ea
(O
ch
pe
n
W
at
er
Cl
)
ov
e
La
ke
2
Density g/ml
an
ll V
Wagner College celebrates its 125th anniversary. However, our
college was originally founded as a “Proseminary” to educate
future ministers for the Lutheran Church and Biology was
very likely not a part of the curriculum. However, “Genesis”
was certainly an important teaching topic, and 24 years after
the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and a
year after the author’s death it may be that the strange idea of
evolution was “discussed.”
I do not know when Biology became a topic of the curriculum,
or when the college began a Department of Biological
Sciences. However, this year we were given a day when we
can celebrate the birthday of our college: the 15th of October is
“Founders Day.” This first Founders Day was celebrated in
the theatre in Main Hall with the choir, greetings from the
founders’ successors and descendants, and reflections about
the history of the college by John Daggan (Archivist of the
Metropolitan New York Synod), Dr. Walter Kaelber (Professor of Religious Studies at Wagner College), and Dr. Richard
Guarasci (President of Wagner College).
Although Biology played evidently a minor role (if a role at
all) when the college was founded, it played a significant role
after the celebration of this “Founders Day.” An apple tree
was planted in the rose garden. In the Bible, an apple tree has
a “challenging” role. In symbolism, apples relate to good
health, relationship and love. In Biology, an apple tree is Malus domestica, a member of the rose family (Rosacea). Nevertheless, there is no doubt that it is Biology that lets it grow.
GROW, APPLE TREE, GROW!
De
i
125 YEARS OF BIOLOGY AT WAGNER COLLEGE?
ills
EXPERIENCES
Ki
Contributed by Dr. Onken
valued commercially, recreationally, and culturally. Birds,
fish, amphibians, insects, and other wildlife depend on estuaries to live, feed, nest, and reproduce. Some organisms, like
oysters, make estuaries their permanent home; others, like
horseshoe crabs, use them to complete only part of their life
cycle. Estuaries provide stopovers for migratory bird species
such as the mallard. Estuaries and the land surrounding them
are also places where people live, sail, fish, and swim. As a result of these things, estuaries are often the centers of our
coastal communities”. - B. Frazza, BI 110
So, basically, estuaries are a great asset for any community.
And Staten Island still has some functional estuarine wetlands,
although industrialization has had impacts. We decided to visit
them, as well as some freshwater sites, and collected water
samples. We used public transportation or walked to minimize
the environmental impact of our lab activity and to assess Staten Island’s public transportation resources. We expected estuarine water to have intermediate levels of salt and intermediate densities, and found this to be the case when we measured these parameters in the lab.
Solute Concentration %
Ar
th
ur
K
sues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin
(Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early
stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for
two to three students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Density measurements of various Staten Island water
samples. Contributed by Timothy Grady
Some of the places we visited aroused concern among students. For example, one group found much garbage including
a switchblade among the tall reeds and grasses. Learning
about natural ecosystems is vital for their protection. Understanding the valuable services they provide brings to light their
importance. Brian Bugbee had this to say in conclusion of our
research and his personal experiences as a member of NY/NJ
Baykeepers:
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
“Estuaries are important because they are the nursery for marine and aquatic plants, animals, and fish. It is important that
they be protected; otherwise the species which depend on the
estuaries will experience population loss and possibly extinction in the future.
Many times governments are not concerned with the state of
natural environments in the surrounding area until the sites are
so terribly polluted or destroyed that it becomes an issue for
the EPA. In New York City, the government does not consider
the natural environment a high priority, and as a result, private
organizations have to take care of the local estuaries and rivers. One such organization is the NY/NJ Baykeepers. The organization coordinates clean ocean action projects and environmental projects to help clean up the rivers”. - B. Bugbee, BI
110
(You
can
visit
this
organization
at
www.nynjbaykeeper.org )
Our public transportation experiences were variable. Some
students found their sampling sites to be conveniently accessible by public transportation, while others found them timeconsuming. All of the students who used the Wagner ferry
shuttle service to the Kill Van Kull found this service to be extremely clean, efficient, and positive.
Gateway National
Park.Contributed by
Alexandra Ricciardi
Photo by Alexandra
Ricciardi
Michael Giangrande
collecting a water
sample from Blue
Heron Park.
Marsh/Mudflat near the Outer Bridge. Contributed by Gregory
Trenti
Jereme Spinks collecting a water sample from the Kill Van
Kull.
Garbage found on the beach at GNP by Vincent Deluca and
Alexandra Ricciardi.
Vincent Deluca Collecting a water sample from GNP.
Clove Lakes Park
photo. Contributed
by Brittany Frazza
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
CARTOON:
Switchblade found
near the Outer
Bridge by Gregory
Trenti,
Anjelica
Cunningham and
Jim Okun.
Contributed by Professor Beecher and students from her Environmental Biology class.
PUBLICATIONS
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S.B. & Moffett, D.F. (in press). Strong alkalinization in
the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes
aegypti): Involvement of luminal Na+/K+-ATPase. Journal of
Experimental Zoology. Accepted for publication in October
2008.
(from www.lab-initio.com)
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
In the November issue we will have the contributions from the
41st annual fall meeting of the Metropolitan Association of
College and University Biologists (MACUB) will be held at
Montclair State University (Montclair, NJ) on Saturday, November 1, 2008.
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT FORGET TO PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING
CONFERENCE:
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April 24,
2009.
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about where you
are, how and what you do!
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve publishing contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, November 24
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Department Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
PAGE 4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
Description
An account of the resource
The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Limulus Newsletter, October 2008
Subject
The topic of the resource
Giangrande, Michael
Deluca, Vincent
Ricciardi, Alexandra
Spinks, Jereme
Table Of Contents
A list of subunits of the resource.
Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- 125 years of biology at Wagner College / Horst Onken -- Adventures in environmental biology / Patrick Powers, Timothy Grady, Gregory Trenti, Brittany Frazza -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Alumni -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Date Issued
Date of formal issuance (e.g., publication) of the resource.
2008-10
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
U.S. and international copyright laws may protect this work. It is provided by Wagner College for scholarly or research purposes only. Commercial use or distribution is not permitted without prior permission of the copyright holder.
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Wagner College Digital Collections
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2008, Issue Fall-03
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE NOVEMBER LIMULUS
This is the last issue in 2008. Apart of news from the Biology
Club and TriBeta we have an interview with the Pfister Scholar, Alina Guseynova. Georgia Dellas and Tanya Modica
submitted a report about the annual fall meeting of MACUB.
A report from Dr. Cook’s class Gene Expression and Development and a book recommendation complete the November
LIMULUS.
I wish everybody good luck for the final exams, a great winter
break, Merry Christmas and all the best for 2009.
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
No letters received.
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
THE FIRST PFISTER SCHOLAR: ALINA GUSEYNOVA
Dr. Onken: Hello Alina. Although a little late, I would like to
welcome you to Wagner College and to the Department of Biological Sciences. May be you can imagine that you, as the
first Pfister Scholar, are of special interest to our department.
Everybody here is curious and wants to know a little more of
your background. Can you tell us where you are from, about
your time in school and how it came that you chose Wagner
College for the start of your higher education?
Alina: Thank you for that
brief welcome, Dr. Onken. I
appreciate the curiosity and
would love to tell you a little
about myself. I'm from Brooklyn, New York, not very far
from Wagner College at all. I
attended a very large, specialized high school that concentrated greatly on mathematics
and the sciences. When it
came down to applying to
colleges in the fall of senior
year, I very much wanted a
small school with a general
education concentration. Wagner College seemed like it had a
great pre-med program and I was very impressed with the
November, 2008
professors that teach many of the students that major in biology.
Dr. Onken: Your first semester at Wagner College is almost
over. What do you think so far? Does life at Wagner College
meet your expectations? Do you like your first classes in college? Is there anything you think could be improved to make
you feel more at home?
Alina: I know, it’s very surreal because it feels like orientation was only yesterday. It’s been pretty awesome getting to
experience college life here. Wagner College has been both
exciting and overwhelming at the same time which I was kind
of hoping and expecting at the same time. I really like my first
classes a lot because I enjoyed taking biology and chemistry
in high school a lot. I think that being close to home kind of
makes the adjustment easier and the setting doesn’t really feel
that different. A home-cooked meal every now and then would
make it close to perfect though haha.
Dr. Onken: What about extracurricular activities? Have you
already become interested in joining groups like the Biology
Club or TriBeta?
Alina: I am part of the Pre-Health Society and enjoy the
events they plan. I recently participated in Up ‘Til Dawn and
thought that it felt very rewarding and enjoyable at the same
time. I am also a member of Habitat for Humanity and am excited on going to a build sometime in the near future.
Dr. Onken: Can you tell us a little about your future plans?
Into which direction do you want to steer your educational career. Do you already have wishes or plans or your graduate
education or for your choice of a profession?
Alina: My future plans, like probably some in the biology majors, are to attend medical school and become a physician. I
am hoping to also get involved in medical research throughout
my four years at Wagner and after graduation.
Dr. Onken: You are the Pfister Scholar. Do you have an idea
who Dr. Anthony Pfister was?
Alina: Yes, many of the professors in the biology department
were kind enough to tell me a little about his contributions to
Wagner College and of course, who he was as a person. I was
very surprised by the many years he spent at the college being
a professor of both biology and microbiology. I am very flattered to be receiving such a scholarship named for someone
who accomplished so much.
Dr. Onken: Alina, I wish you all the best for your time with us
at Wagner College. It was a great pleasure to talk with you.
Thank you for your time.
Alina: Thank you very much, Dr. Onken, the pleasure was all
mine. I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club made again a field trip to the Arthur Kill
shore cleaning
the Blazing Star
Burial Ground
and the shore
line. Apart of
old tires and oil
barrels the major part of the
trash was plastic
bottles that have
been
inadequately
disposed. When collecting these bottles it was easy to recognize
their different ages. Evidently they drift around the New York
water ways for different times until they are flooded onto the
shore.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TRI BETA NEWS
Tri-Beta will be hosting the annual faculty luncheon on Monday December 1 between 11am and 1pm in the 4th floor break
room! Feel free to stop by and enjoy some delightful treats or
bring some to share. Also if there is anything you would like
to contribute to the society that would be wonderful! We look
forward to seeing you there!
Thank you!
Ryan Rogers
Tri-Beta President
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research opportunities for
students in the frame of
a project in which he
collaborates with scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principal investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straightforward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. (Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Maine), Brazil (University of São
Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, University of Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin
(Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early
stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for
two to three students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
41st MACUB CONFERENCE
Our trip to Montclair State University in
Montclair, New Jersey for this year's
MACUB conference was one that we
will never forget. Upon hearing that we
were signed up to present a poster on
our research we had been working on
since this past summer, feelings of both
excitement and nervousness filled our
minds--Will we be able to efficiently
present these results to other students
and professors? Considering this was
the first biology conference for both of
us, we did not know what to expect but
wanted it to be an event to look back on
and be proud of.
Seeing all the participants from the different colleges with their posters depicted the various types of research
ranging in environmental, physiological,
genetic even to microbiological was a
great sight to see. All of the professors
who stopped by were cordial and interested in what we were presenting. What
was even better was that we were able
to answer their questions, which gave us
a great feeling of accomplishment.
MACUB has prepared us for future
presentations. We will continue with our
research and hope to present our completed research this coming spring at the
Eastern Science Conference here at Wagner.
Contributed by Georgia Dellas and Tanya Modica with photographs by Sejmir Izeirovski.
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
219 UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Dr. Cook’s class Gene Expression and
Development (BI 219) is designed to
familiarize students with fundamental
biological principles emphasizing
DNA replication, transcription, translation, control of gene expression, and
genomics. Gametogenesis, fertilization, early embryonic development,
sex, and reproduction are considered in
light of the molecular mechanisms involved. The laboratory experiments
give students hands-on experience with
various aspects of molecular biology
and development. Towards the end of
the semester developmental stages of
sea urchins (blastula, above) and
chicken (embryo, below) are observed
under the microscope.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
PUBLICATIONS
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S.B. & Moffett, D.F. (2008, in press). Strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti): Involvement of luminal Na+/K+-ATPase.
Journal of Experimental Zoology. Accepted for publication in
October 2008.
Onken, H., & Moffett, D. F. (2008, in press). Revisiting the
cellular mechanisms of strong luminal alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval mosquitoes. Journal of Experimental
Biology. Accepted for publication in November 2008.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Dellas, G., Modica, T., Khanna, N., Marin, A. Corbo, C. &
Cook, H. (2008). Preparation of Thin Sections of Drosophila
Ovaries for Examination by Transmission Electron Microscopy. 41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S. B., Moffett, D. F. & Onken, H.
(2008). The anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti): Effects of hemolymph-side or luminal nutrients on the transepithelial voltage and strong alkalinization.
41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Rogers, R. & Moorthy, A. S. (2008). The study of chromosomal aberations in Vicia faba as a result of exposure to UVA
and UVB radiation. 41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Capelli, C. (2008). Gender Differences Caused by Urinary
Creatinine Adjustments Made to Heavy Metal Measurements.
41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Husic, J., Mosher, R. & Palestis, B. (2008). Determination,
Sex Ratio, and Hatching Order of Sterna hirundo Chicks. 41st
Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT FORGET TO PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING
CONFERENCE:
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April 24,
2009.
RECOMMENDED
Dr. Onken recommends reading “The naked Ape”, a book first
published by Desmond Morris in 1967. The author, a British
zoologist and ethologist, is also known as
a surrealistic artist. In a trial to fuse his
work as an artist and zoologist he curated
the paintings by a young chimpanzee
called Congo.
“The naked Ape” offers an unabashed
look at the human species, focusing on the
animal-like qualities of humans and their
similarity with apes. It explains human behavior as an evolution to meet the challenges of prehistoric life as a hunter-gatherer.
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about where you
are, how and what you do!
WANTED
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Collaborating as an Assistant Editors for the LIMULUS is fun
and certainly expands your resume. We are looking for two
students (freshman, sophomore or junior) who are interested to
invest a little time, some effort and many ideas to further develop and improve the LIMULUS. If you are interested, contact Dr. Onken or Mrs. Rollizo.
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
CARTOON:
(From www.lab-initio.com)
IMAGE OF THE MONTH:
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editorial board reserves the right to edit your contribution or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve publishing contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, January 26
Found at http://rainforests.mongabay.com
Uroplatus fimbriatus gecko on Nosy Mangabe, a small island
reserve located in Antongil Bay about 2 km offshore from the
town of Maroantsetra in eastern Madagascar.
FROM
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Department Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
PAGE 4
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, November 2008
Table Of Contents
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- The first Pfister Scholar : Alina Guseynova / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Horst Onken -- Tri-Beta News / Ryan Rogers -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- 41st Macub conference / Georgia Dellas, Tanya Modica, and Sejmir Izeirovski -- 219 under the microscope / Horst Onken -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Recommended -- Alumni -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
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2008-11
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Wagner College Digital Collections
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2009, Issue Spring-01
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE JANUARY LIMULUS
I hope everybody had a nice winter break and I wish all the
readers of the LIMULUS a healthy and successful 2009.
This January issue is again a magazine-style newsletter. In the
beginning of the spring semester we review the last fall semester. Consequently, some contributions may appear familiar to
those who read the LIMULUS on a regular basis. However,
there are also some new contributions. Good news is that we
finally found a student Assistant Editor for the newsletter.
Nidhi Khanna has joined the editorial board of the LIMLUS.
Welcome Nidhi! Stephanie and I are looking forward to work
together with you. At the very end of the newsletter readers
may find a little introduction of our new collaborator.
I wish everybody a great spring semester and I very much
hope you enjoy the review of fall 2008,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
A NEW FACULTY MEMBER
On behalf of the Applied Microbiologist Search Committee, I am happy to
announce that Dr. Adam J. Houlihan
has joined the Faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences as of the
Fall 2008 semester. Dr. Houlihan received his undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from the University of
Southern Mississippi, and his Ph.D. in
Microbiology from Cornell University.
He has spent the past two years as a
post-doctoral research associate with the USDA – Agricultural
Research Service and the Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Houlihan’s research is focused on plant-microbe interactions. He is interested in the ways in which plants respond to and resist infection;
in particular, he would like to investigate plant-derived antimicrobial compounds and the responses of soil bacteria and
fungi to these compounds. Dr. Houlihan teaches a number of
courses in the undergraduate and graduate microbiology degree programs here at Wagner including Microbial Ecology,
Applied, Food, and Industrial Microbiology, and Microbial
Physiology.
Contributed by Dr. Mosher
January, 2009
Dr. STEARNS: MEGERLE ENDOWED CHAIR II
The science departments at Wagner College are very fortunate to
have the generosity of the Megerle
family. After a first endowed chair
(Megerle Endowed Chair I; in the
moment occupied by Dr. Fulop), a
second endowed chair became
available for the academic year
2008/2009. In the program announcement of the provost, Dr.
Devorah Lieberman, it reads:
“Qualified faculty are those who
hold the rank of full professor in
one the following areas: biology, chemistry, computer science,
mathematics, physics or physical anthropology/archeology.”
and “Candidates must have a distinguished record of past research and scholarship as well as an ongoing program of research.” Dr. Stearns from our department was selected and appointed the Megerle Endowed Chair II. This decision is an
honor for Dr. Stearns and the selection of another Biology
Professor honors our department.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
THE FIRST PFISTER SCHOLAR: ALINA GUSEYNOVA
Dr. Onken: Hello Alina. Although a little late, I would like to
welcome you to Wagner College and to the Department of Biological Sciences. May be you can imagine that you, as the
first Pfister Scholar, are of
special interest to our department. Everybody here is
curious and wants to know a
little more of your background. Can you tell us
where you are from, about
your time in school and how
it came that you chose Wagner College for the start of
your higher education?
Alina: Thank you for that
brief welcome, Dr. Onken. I
appreciate the curiosity and
would love to tell you a little
about myself. I'm from Brook-
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
lyn, New York, not very far from Wagner College at all. I attended a very large, specialized high school that concentrated
greatly on mathematics and the sciences. When it came down
to applying to colleges in the fall of senior year, I very much
wanted a small school with a general education concentration.
Wagner College seemed like it had a great pre-med program
and I was very impressed with the professors that teach many
of the students that major in biology.
Dr. Onken: Your first semester at Wagner College is almost
over. What do you think so far? Does life at Wagner College
meet your expectations? Do you like your first classes in college? Is there anything you think could be improved to make
you feel more at home?
Alina: I know, it’s very surreal because it feels like orientation was only yesterday. It’s been pretty awesome getting to
experience college life here. Wagner College has been both
exciting and overwhelming at the same time which I was kind
of hoping and expecting at the same time. I really like my first
classes a lot because I enjoyed taking biology and chemistry
in high school a lot. I think that being close to home kind of
makes the adjustment easier and the setting doesn’t really feel
that different. A home-cooked meal every now and then would
make it close to perfect though haha.
Dr. Onken: What about extracurricular activities? Have you
already become interested in joining groups like the Biology
Club or TriBeta?
Alina: I am part of the Pre-Health Society and enjoy the
events they plan. I recently participated in Up ‘Til Dawn and
thought that it felt very rewarding and enjoyable at the same
time. I am also a member of Habitat for Humanity and am excited on going to a build sometime in the near future.
Dr. Onken: Can you tell us a little about your future plans?
Into which direction do you want to steer your educational career. Do you already have wishes or plans or your graduate
education or for your choice of a profession?
Alina: My future plans, like probably some in the biology majors, are to attend medical school and become a physician. I
am hoping to also get involved in medical research throughout
my four years at Wagner and after graduation.
Dr. Onken: You are the Pfister Scholar. Do you have an idea
who Dr. Anthony Pfister was?
Alina: Yes, many of the professors in the biology department
were kind enough to tell me a little about his contributions to
Wagner College and of course, who he was as a person. I was
very surprised by the many years he spent at the college being
a professor of both biology and microbiology. I am very flattered to be receiving such a scholarship named for someone
who accomplished so much.
Dr. Onken: Alina, I wish you all the best for your time with us
at Wagner College. It was a great pleasure to talk with you.
Thank you for your time.
Alina: Thank you very much, Dr. Onken, the pleasure was all
mine. I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club made again a field trip to the Arthur Kill
shore cleaning the Blazing Star Burial Ground and the shore
line. Apart of old tires and oil barrels the major part of the
trash was plastic
bottles that have
been inadequately
disposed.
When
collecting these bottles it was easy to
recognize their different ages. Evidently they drift
around the New
York water ways for different times until they are flooded
onto the shore.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
TRI BETA NEWS
REPORT ABOUT A TRI BETA EVENT
Here at Wagner we offer a course dealing with the Ethical,
Legal and Social Issues associated with genetic technology,
“Genes to Genomics.” It is a semester long course that delves
into these issues while allowing students to share their voice
regarding their personal beliefs on issues such as genetic
screening and eugenics. On Monday October 27 Wagner was
fortunate enough to have Dr. Miryam Wahrman come and
speak to some of the biology students regarding similar issues.
She is a professor at William Patterson in New Jersey and was
part of the lab that was successful in the first “test tube” baby
in New York State. The name of her talk was, “Genetic Technology & Eugenics,” and in the course of one hour she was
able to further discuss and present many issues that come up in
the Genes to Genomics classroom. She was very knowledgeable in a number of areas, and had an interesting viewpoint on
the issues due to her Ashkenazi background. Dr. Wahrman recently put out a book, Brave New Judaism - When Science
and Scripture Collide. She did not merely promote her book,
rather she opened our eyes to see that science and religion do
not always conflict, but rather they can agree to disagree on
some topics. The topics discussed not only bring about religious controversy, but also cause debate regarding ethical issues surrounding life status of a zygote. She touched upon the
possibility of a return to eugenics while also promoting the
positive uses of genetic technology as well. Dr. Wahrman was
able to captivate the audience and leave many students, as well
as faculty, with a number of new questions regarding their position on genetic technology.
FACULTY LUNCHEON
Every semester Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society likes
to demonstrate their gratitude by hosting a faculty luncheon.
On December 1, 2008, the fourth floor break room in Megerle
Science Hall was transformed into a buffet of cold lunch fixings donated by tri-Beta. The dishes ranged from humus to the
standard ham and cheese sandwich. Faculty members were
able to filter in and out as their schedules permitted. Students
and professors were able to enjoy each other’s company on a
more personal level discussing more than just science and
school. Overall it was very successful, and in the spring look
out for an even better spread of delicious treats!
Contributed by Ryan Rogers
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research opportunities for
students in the frame of
a project in which he
collaborates with scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principal investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straightforward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. (Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Maine), Brazil (University of São
Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, University of Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin
(Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early
stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for
two to three students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
125 YEARS OF BIOLOGY AT WAGNER COLLEGE?
Wagner College celebrates its 125th anniversary. However, our
college was originally founded as a “Proseminary” to educate
future ministers for the Lutheran Church and Biology was
very likely not a part of the curriculum. However, “Genesis”
was certainly an important teaching topic, and 24 years after
the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and a
year after the author’s death it may be that the strange idea of
evolution was “discussed.”
I do not know when Biology became a topic of the curriculum,
or when the college began a Department of Biological
Sciences. However, this year we were given a day when we
can celebrate the birthday of our college: the 15th of October is
“Founders Day.” This first Founders Day was celebrated in
the theatre in Main Hall with the choir, greetings from the
founders’ successors and descendants, and reflections about
the history of the college by John Daggan (Archivist of the
Metropolitan New York Synod), Dr. Walter Kaelber (Professor of Religious Studies at Wagner College), and Dr. Richard
Guarasci (President of Wagner College).
Although Biology played evidently a minor role (if a role at
all) when the college was founded, it played a significant role
after the celebration of this “Founders Day.” An apple tree
was planted in the rose garden. In the Bible, an apple tree has
a “challenging” role. In symbolism, apples relate to good
health, relationship and love. In Biology, an apple tree is Malus domestica, a member of the rose family (Rosacea). Nevertheless, there is no doubt that it is Biology that lets it grow.
GROW, APPLE TREE, GROW!
Contributed by Dr. Onken
ADVENTURES IN ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY
What is an Estuary? Brittany Frazza, an Environmental Biology student, answered this question eloquently as follows:
“Estuaries are places where freshwater and seawater mix together to form a body of water. Estuaries come in all shapes
and sizes and are called many different names: bays, lagoons,
harbors, inlets, or sounds to name a few. The secluded waters
of estuaries are home to numerous plants and animals that are
able to live in water that is comprised of both fresh and salt
water. Estuaries provide important habitat for species that are
valued commercially, recreationally, and culturally. Birds,
fish, amphibians, insects, and other wildlife depend on estuaries to live, feed, nest, and reproduce. Some organisms, like
oysters, make estuaries their permanent home; others, like
horseshoe crabs, use them to complete only part of their life
cycle. Estuaries provide stopovers for migratory bird species
such as the mallard. Estuaries and the land surrounding them
are also places where people live, sail, fish, and swim. As a result of these things, estuaries are often the centers of our
coastal communities”. - B. Frazza, BI 110
So, basically, estuaries are a great asset for any community.
And Staten Island still has some functional estuarine wetlands,
although industrialization has had impacts. We decided to visit
them, as well as some freshwater sites, and collected water
samples. We used public transportation or walked to minimize
the environmental impact of our lab activity and to assess Staten Island’s public transportation resources. We expected estuarine water to have intermediate levels of salt and intermediate densities, and found this to be the case when we measured these parameters in the lab.
Solute Concentration %
Solute concentrations of various Staten Island water samples. KVK means Kill Van Kull. GNP means Gateway National Park. Contributed by Patrick Powers
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Density g/ml
1.035
1.03
1.025
1.02
1.015
1.01
1.005
1
0.995
0.99
0.985
Garbage found on the beach at GNP by Vincent Deluca and
Alexandra Ricciardi.
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Density g/ml
Density measurements of various Staten Island water
samples. Contributed by Timothy Grady
Some of the places we visited aroused concern among students. For example, one group found much garbage including
a switchblade among the tall reeds and grasses. Learning
about natural ecosystems is vital for their protection. Understanding the valuable services they provide brings to light their
importance. Brian Bugbee had this to say in conclusion of our
research and his personal experiences as a member of NY/NJ
Baykeepers:
“Estuaries are important because they are the nursery for marine and aquatic plants, animals, and fish. It is important that
they be protected; otherwise the species which depend on the
estuaries will experience population loss and possibly extinction in the future.
Many times governments are not concerned with the state of
natural environments in the surrounding area until the sites are
so terribly polluted or destroyed that it becomes an issue for
the EPA. In New York City, the government does not consider
the natural environment a high priority, and as a result, private
organizations have to take care of the local estuaries and rivers. One such organization is the NY/NJ Baykeepers. The organization coordinates clean ocean action projects and environmental projects to help clean up the rivers”. - B. Bugbee, BI
110
(You
can
visit
this
organization
at
www.nynjbaykeeper.org )
Our public transportation experiences were variable. Some
students found their sampling sites to be conveniently accessible by public transportation, while others found them timeconsuming. All of the students who used the Wagner ferry
shuttle service to the Kill Van Kull found this service to be extremely clean, efficient, and positive.
Vincent Deluca Collecting a water sample from GNP.
Gateway National
Park.Contributed by
Alexandra Ricciardi
Photo by Alexandra
Ricciardi
Michael Giangrande
collecting a water
sample from Blue
Heron Park.
Marsh/Mudflat near the Outer Bridge. Contributed by Gregory
Trenti
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Jereme Spinks collecting a water sample from the Kill Van
Kull.
Clove Lakes Park
photo. Contributed
by Brittany Frazza
ranging in environmental, physiological, genetic even to microbiological was a great sight to see. All of the professors
who stopped by were cordial and interested in what we were
presenting. What was even better was that we were able to answer their questions, which gave us a great feeling of accomplishment. MACUB has prepared us for future presentations.
We will continue with our research and hope to present our
completed research this coming spring at the Eastern Science
Conference here at Wagner.
Contributed by Georgia Dellas and Tanya Modica with photographs by Sejmir Izeirovski.
Switchblade found
near the Outer
Bridge by Gregory
Trenti,
Anjelica
Cunningham and
Jim Okun.
Contributed by Professor Beecher and students from her Environmental Biology class.
MACUB CONFERENCE
Our trip to Montclair State University in
Montclair, New Jersey for this year's
MACUB conference was one that we
will never forget. Upon hearing that we
were signed up to present a poster on
our research we had been working on
since this past summer, feelings of both
excitement and nervousness filled our
minds--Will we be able to efficiently
present these results to other students
and professors? Considering this was
the first biology conference for both of
us, we did not
know what to expect but wanted it
to be an event to
look back on and
be proud of.
Seeing all the participants from the
different colleges with their posters depicted the various types of research
219 UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Dr. Cook’s class Gene Expression and
Development (BI 219) is designed to
familiarize students with fundamental
biological principles emphasizing
DNA replication, transcription, translation, control of gene expression, and
genomics. Gametogenesis, fertilization, early embryonic development,
sex, and reproduction are considered in
light of the molecular mechanisms involved. The laboratory experiments
give students hands-on experience with
various aspects of molecular biology
and development. Towards the end of
the semester developmental stages of
sea urchins (blastula, above) and
chicken (embryo, below) are observed
under the microscope.
Contributed by Dr. Onken, preparations by Victor Stora.
BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY CLASS VISITS THE
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Thursday, December 4,
2008, Dr. Stearns’ Biodiversity and Ecology
class went to the American Museum of Natural History, where the
students were treated to
a
behind-the-scenes
tour of some of the museum’s research and
collection facilities that are not open to the general public.
Showing frog specimens he and others had collected in Southeast Asia, Raoul Bain, a biodiversity specialist and herpetologist for the museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, described how he was able to distinguish closely related
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
species from each other
based on morphological
features. In the process,
he described some of
the dangers of collecting unknown, possibly
poisonous, species in
the wild. Quoting from
the web page of the
Center
for
Biodiversity
and
Conservation
(http://cbc.amnh.org), “In 1993, responding to concern among
its scientists over rapid species loss and increasing habitat degradation around the world, the Museum created the interdisciplinary Center for Biodiversity and Conservation...[Its] mission is to mitigate critical threats to global biological and cultural diversity by advancing scientific research in diverse ecosystems; strengthening the application of science to conservation practice and public policy; developing professional, institutional, and community capacity; and furthering the Museum's efforts to heighten public understanding and stewardship of biodiversity.”
After lunch, the students went to the Hall of Biodiversity and
the Milstein Hall of
Ocean Life, both of
which served as a good
review of biodiversity,
taxonomy, and animal
phylogeny.
The class
gives a group thanks to
Jay Holmes, Senior Educational Supervisor for
the museum, for making the museum arrangements for a successful field trip.
Contributed by Dr. Stearns with photographs by Professor Raths.
PUBLICATIONS
Etinger, A., J. Lebron, and B.G. Palestis. (2009, in press).
Sex-assortative shoaling in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Bios.
Onken, H., Moffett, S. B. and Moffett, D. F. (2008). Alkalinization in the isolated and perfused anterior midgut of the larval mosquito, Aedes aegypti. 20pp. Journal of Insect Science
8:46, available online: insectscience.org/8.46.
Onken, H., & Moffett, D. F. (2009). Revisiting the cellular
mechanisms of strong luminal alkalinization in the anterior
midgut of larval mosquitoes. Journal of Experimental Biology.
212: 373-377.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S.B. & Moffett, D.F. (2009, in press). Strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti): Involvement of luminal Na+/K+-ATPase.
Journal of Experimental Zoology. Published online: DOI:
10.1002/jez.512
Moffett, D.F. and Onken, H. (2009, in press). The Cellular
Basis of Extreme Alkali Secretion in Insects: A Tale of Two
Tissues. In: Epithelial Transport Physiology (ed. George A.
Gerencser). Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Dellas, G., Modica, T., Khanna, N., Marin, A. Corbo, C. &
Cook, H. (2008). Preparation of Thin Sections of Drosophila
Ovaries for Examination by Transmission Electron Microscopy. 41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S. B., Moffett, D. F. & Onken, H.
(2008). The anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti): Effects of hemolymph-side or luminal nutrients on the transepithelial voltage and strong alkalinization.
41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Rogers, R. & Moorthy, A. S. (2008). The study of chromosomal aberations in Vicia faba as a result of exposure to UVA
and UVB radiation. 41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Capelli, C. (2008). Gender Differences Caused by Urinary
Creatinine Adjustments Made to Heavy Metal Measurements.
41st Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Husic, J., Mosher, R. & Palestis, B. (2008). Determination,
Sex Ratio, and Hatching Order of Sterna hirundo Chicks. 41st
Annual Fall MACUB Conference.
Palestis, B.G. and S.E. O'Neill. (2008). Responses of common
tern chicks to feather sample removal. Presented at the meeting of the Waterbird Society. South Padre Island, Texas. November 5-8.
Palestis, B. 2008. Feather samples: a useful tool in waterbird
research. Presented at the meeting of the Greater New
York/New Jersey Harbor Colonial Waterbirds Working
Group. Lyndhurst, NJ. December 11-12.
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT FORGET TO PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING
CONFERENCE:
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April 24,
2009.
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about where you
are, how and what you do!
PAGE 6
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
CARTOON:
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve publishing contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, February 23
(from www.lab-initio.com)
PHOTO OF THE MONTH:
AMAZING:
The phaonmneel pweor of the hmuan mnid: I cdnuolt blveiee
taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg.
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearcr at Cmagbride Uinervtisy, it deosn't
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers of a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a
porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey
lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
Found at http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/questions.htm.
NIDHI KHANNA: OUR NEW ASSISTANT EDITOR
Nidhi is currently a sophomore at Wagner College. She
was born in India, but her
family moved to Staten Island when she was a few
months old. She is double
majoring in Biology and Philosophy. Even though Nidhi
is a commuter student, she
tries to remain an active
member of the Wagner community. She is a member of
several clubs and organizations on campus including Kallista (Wagner's yearbook), the
Wagnerian, Project Sunshine, The Interfaith Coalition, Spanish Club, and the Pre-Health Society. Nidhi also works as a
Peer Tutor on campus (History and Philosophy). Most recently, she served as an active volunteer in the 2008 Presidential
Election. During her free time, Nidhi enjoys listening to music, going on Facebook, and watching her favorite television
shows, House and The Office.
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Department Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: Nidhi Khanna
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
PAGE 7
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Limulus Newsletter, January 2009
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Houlihan, Adam J.
Stearns, Donald
Deluca, Vincent
Spinks, Jereme
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Biology staff and faculty news / Roy Mosher and Horst Onken -- The first Pfister scholar : Alina Guseynova / Horst Onken -- Biology Club news / Hort Onken -- Tri-Beta news / Ryan Rogers -- Research with mosquitoes and crabs / Horst Onken -- 125 years of biology at Wagner College / Horst Onken -- Adventures in environmental biology / Patrick Powers, Timothy Grady, Alexandra Ricciardi, Brittany Frazza, Sierra D. Beecher, and Gregory Trenti -- Macub conference / Georgia Dellas, Tanya Modica, and Sejmir Izeirovski -- 219 under the microscope / Horst Onken and Victor Stora -- Biodiversity and ecology class visits the American Museum of Natural History / Donald Stearns and Linda Raths -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Alumni -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
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2009-01
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en
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2009, Issue Spring-02
February, 2009
ADJUNCT PROFESSOR SERIES
“The collaboration aims to develop a transgenetic zebra fish
that will model the cellular events in Alzheimer Disease.” He
is particularly interested in Neuroimmunology research, specifically focusing on glial cells and how they evoke diseases,
like Alzheimer’s, in the brain.
As a professor, Corbo teaches a variety of classes including
Electron Microscopy (both the lecture and lab sections), Basic
Histology Labs, Exploring Biology Labs, and Neuroanatomy
and Physiology Labs. He was very enthusiastic about coming
back to Wagner as an adjunct professor. “As a student,” he recalls, “I was not that interested in research. The professors at
Wagner gave me a lot of insight and I realized that I could be
interested in other areas beside research. The Wagner community invested a lot of time into me, and teaching is a great way
to give back to Wagner while still being at a place I enjoy.”
CHRISTOPHER CORBO
Professor
Christopher
Corbo joined the faculty
of the Department of Biological Sciences in the
summer 2006 semester.
Corbo has been part of
the Wagner community
since his time as an undergraduate student. He
graduated from Wagner
with a Bachelors Degree in Biology in 2006. As an undergraduate student, he was a proud member of the Tri-Beta Honor
Society, and unaffiliated Sigma Xi. Sigma Xi is a scientific research society that was founded in 1886. As a member of this
prestigious honor society, Corbo participated in the Sigma Xi
Student Research Conference. He received recognition for the
Best Presentation in Cell Biology. He recounted his fondest
memory of that conference stating, “It was very exciting to get
this distinction because that was an international conference.
Many prominent schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Cambridge participated in the conference, and it was wonderful
that students from such a small school like Wagner could get
recognized for doing great things.”
Corbo continued his higher education at Wagner, and obtained
a Masters Degree in Microbiology in 2008. He is simultaneously teaching at Wagner and working towards a PhD in
Neuroscience at the City University of New York. Currently,
Corbo is working on collaborative research with Dr. Fulop and
his mentor Dr. Alejandra Alonso of The College of Staten Island. Corbo went into detail about his endeavor, explaining,
LAKSHMI YERNENI
Professor Lakshmi Yerneni began teaching at Wagner in the
spring 2008 semester. Prior to
her career at Wagner, Professor Yerneni taught in her native India for thirty years. She
spent the majority of her career teaching zoology. She has
also served as a guest speaker
at many Indian universities,
specifically addressing the
topics of genetics and biotechnology. In addition to teaching
zoology, Professor Yerneni
was an active volunteer in her community. She gave her time
to medical and veterinary camps in India, and served as an advisor to many students in a Youth Leadership Training Program at an AIDS Awareness Camp. Professor Yerneni completed her higher education at one of the most prestigious universities in Southern India. She attended Vikram University
and received both her Masters of Science in Biology with
First-Class Honors, and her Masters of Philosophy (M.Phil) in
Biology with First-Class Honors.
As an adjunct professor at Wagner, Professor Yerneni has
taught the Cells, Genes, and Evolution Labs and the Human
Anatomy and Physiology Labs. She moved to Staten Island
about two years ago, and was aware of Wagner’s great reputation on Staten Island. Professor Yerneni decided to join the
Biology department’s staff, and she has enjoyed her brief time
at Wagner. She stated, “All of the faculty members are very
cooperative and understanding.” As a newcomer to Wagner
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE FEBRUARY LIMULUS
The current LIMULUS wears the fingerprint of our new student assistant editor, Nidhi Khanna. Nidhi did a great job, reviving our series about adjunct professors of our department.
Moreover, she made two interesting interviews and wrote an
article about celebration of Darwin’s birthday. Dr. Moorthy
contributed a “lateral thinking quiz” (see page 8).
I hope you enjoy our February Limulus,
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
BIOLOGY STAFF AND FACULTY NEWS
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
and the United States, Professor Yerneni noticed some differences amongst her students at Wagner and the students that
she taught in India. She marveled, “Wagner students show a
lot of enthusiasm for the subjects, and this is evident in the
class discussions that we have in lab. I also noticed that American students are more independent thinkers.”
Professor Yerneni is particularly interested in genetic research,
and hopes to conduct more studies while she is teaching at
Wagner. She was impressed by all of the technological differences between the United States and India, and commented, “I
hope I will have the opportunity to focus more on research. In
India, it was difficult to perform scientific research because
the resources were limited. I used to work in a rural area in India, and the opportunities for research were scarce.” She added, “The teaching methods in the United States are a little different from the methods used in India. In India, most tests are
prepared by the use of pen and paper, and computers are rarely
used. As a professor at Wagner, I am required to prepare PowerPoint presentations. The resources are much greater and
are more advanced. Only a few years ago, overhead projectors were introduced in India.”
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
PRE-HEALTH AT WAGNER: AN INTERVIEW WITH
TANYA MODICA
Wagner College’s Pre-Health
Program attracts many new incoming freshmen every year.
Dr. Wendy deProphetis-Driscoll
and Dr. Heather Cook are cochairs of the Pre-Health Committee. Many Wagner seniors
are applying to prestigious medical, dental, and graduate
schools across the country. A
handful of Wagner students
wish to pursue a career in dentistry. Many underclassmen sought a student’s perspective on
the application process. Recently, I sat down with Tanya Modica, a senior here at Wagner, to gain some insight into the predental application process.
Q: What is your major? Do you have a minor?
A: I am Biology major and I have a minor in Chemistry.
Q: When and why did you decide to pursue dentistry?
A: I don’t exactly remember when I decided I wanted to become a dentist. I do recall that my interest in biology sparked
when I was in the sixth grade. At one point, I considered veterinary school and even medical school. When I was younger, I
had braces and I remembered all the frequent visits I made at
the orthodontist. I liked seeing the way my teeth transformed
through the process, and I realized that I wanted to help people
with oral health problems.
Q: Can you briefly describe the application process for
dental school?
A: The application is completed online, and there is no paper
version. Each application cycle starts in June, and you want to
start filling out the application as soon as it becomes available.
The website that other students should visit is www.adea.org. I
found the website to be useful and a little frustrating at the
same time. The great thing about completing the application
online is that you could save your work and go back to it
whenever you want. The website tells you if the schools you
applied to received all of your materials. Schools can also notify you if you have been denied or accepted.
However, I did encounter some problems with application
process. Wagner uses a unit system, and dental schools want
you to convert units to credits. The labs at Wagner count for
zero units, and sometimes it was a bit frustrating to figure out
the value of the units in credits. The Registrar converts labs to
around 4.4 units, and on the website, it will not allow you to
input the conversion yourself. The website has set credits, and
when I had to fill out the application, my labs could be
counted for either 4.2. or 4.5 credits. I know some of my
friends who are applying to medical school are able to input
the credit conversions, and you simply cannot do that with
dental school applications. I decided that it would be best to
list my lab credits as 4.2, even though the value was a little
more.
When students fill out the application, I would suggest that
you have your resume on hand. My resume was very detailed
and I ran into some problems when I was filling out my application. The website counts characters, so you have to make
sure that you are precise and concise. You need to decide what
details in your resume are absolutely important. The website
allows you to upload your personal statement right on the site,
but you have to remember that all of the characters will get
counted, and it may be possible that your personal statement
may get messed up accidentally.
Q: Did you take any review courses to prepare for the
DAT? Did you find them to be useful?
A: I took a review course through Kaplan. I thought certain
aspects of the course were useful. The course syllabus is available online, and you can do review questions and take practice
tests from virtually any computer. The instructors helped organize the information into the topics that were most important for the DAT. I found the practice tests beneficial because
they help you get comfortable with actual test setting. We took
several practice tests on the computer, and they lasted four
hours. It made you get a real feel for the test, and I think that is
really important. Kaplan provided us with flashcards, review
books, and CD-ROMS. They gave useful tips on how to answer the multiple-choice questions, and I am glad I took the
course.
Q: Do you work at a dental office? Where should predental students look to get more experience in the field?
A: I was planning to work with my orthodontist, but he was
semi-retired. It was a little difficult at first to find a dentist office where I could apply for a job. I eventually shadowed a periodontist, and now I work as a dental assistant. The job is really hands on, and I am responsible for taking X-rays and developing them. My job includes studying models of patients’
teeth, and I am extremely lucky that the dentist I work with
teaches me as we go along. He explains why certain things
happen and the causes of specific dental problems.
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
I heard that the Staten Island University Hospital has a good
volunteer program in the dentistry department. I was planning
to volunteer there, but I knew that they did not let you have
more of hands on experience right away. My suggestion is that
if you are really interested in dentistry, start volunteering at
the hospital as soon as possible. They make you do mostly paperwork in the beginning, and then as time goes on, they let
volunteers assume more responsibilities.
Q: Is there any other advice you would give pre-dental
students?
A: I would tell students to get their resume finished on time. I
went to the Career Development office on campus, and they
really helped me with my resume. Dr. Cook and Dr. deProphetis-Driscoll looked over all of my applications and I found that
to be helpful as well. If students are going to ask professors for
recommendation letters, I advise them to have their resume
and a cover letter prepared. A cover letter tells the professors
what they are writing the recommendations for, and also bring
an official transcript. Lastly, I would tell students to start studying early for the DAT. I felt that I studied too much over the
summer, and basically tired myself out. I think you need to
make sure you find a balance between studying and fun. Make
sure you have fun and don’t wear yourself out!
Tanya is one of the few students applying to dental school this
year. She was really surprised by the large number of predental students that currently attend Wagner. She added,
“When I came to Wagner, I think there were about five students in the freshmen class who were considering applying to
dental school. There are so many more pre-dental students
now, and I feel this interview will help underclassmen get a
better understanding of the application process. I wish I could
have received advice from upperclassmen when I was going
through the application process. It would have made the
process a little bit easier and I would not have felt so overwhelmed.
On behalf of Limulus, I would like to thank Tanya for allowing us to interview her. Good luck with your final semester
and we wish you the very best for the future!
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research opportunities for
students in the frame of
a project in which he
collaborates with scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principal investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straightforward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. (Mt. Desert Island Biological Laboratories, Maine), Brazil (University of São
Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, University of Paraná in Curitiba) and
Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin
(Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology),
an
ecophysiological
study is in an early stage
of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for
two to three students. If
interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle Science
Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room 406) or via
e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 420-4211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
RECYCLEMANIA: AN INTERVIEW WITH
DAVID HAMMILL
Wagner College’s very own Sustainability Committee is participating
in an exciting competition called
“RecyleMania.” Many notable colleges and universities around the
world partake in this annual event.
Currently, 514 colleges and universities have registered to compete
this year alone.
In order to fully understand the
purpose of this competition, it is
important to be aware of the history
of RecyleMania. About eight years
ago, Ed Newman, (a student from
Ohio University) and Stacy Edmonds Wheeler, (a student
from Miami University) spearheaded the idea of RecyleMania.
The first official competition was between Ohio and Miami
University, and lasted about ten weeks. After its first year as a
certified competition, Miami University held the title as
champions.
RecycleMania continues to be a growing competition worldwide. The ultimate goal of this competition is to help reduce
the amount of waste that is thrown every day at college campuses. RecyleMania wants to promote recycling, and this international competition is an excellent way for more students
to get involved in an important cause.
All colleges and universities that offer on- site degrees in
North America are qualified to participate in this annual competition. Secondary institutions outside North America are allowed to participate in the competition, but will only be able
to participate in the benchmark division if they offer certificates, and not degrees. Higher institutions are judged by reporting the total amount of trash that they dispose and recycle
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
weekly. The waste is categorized into four divisions: the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, and the
highest recycling rate.
Wagner College’s Sustainability Committee has decided to
partake in this national event. David Hammill, the Coordinator
of the Sustainability Committee was generous enough to take
the time out of his busy schedule to elaborate more about
Wagner’s participation in this event.
Q: How did the Sustainability Committee first hear about
RecycleMania? How many years has Wagner been participating in the competition?
A: The Sustainability Committee first heard about RecycleMania via one of the waste publications that we subscribed to.
This will be Wagner's first year participating. Within this
competition there are two ways to participate. One such way
is the full on competition where the entire campus is involved.
Since it's our first year, we have decided to take part in the
benchmarking piece of the competition. This means that we
can just use pieces of the campus as compared to the whole
campus. However, this also means we are not eligible for a
trophy. It was a tough decision to decide to participate in the
benchmarking piece, but it's proven to be a positive one as the
competition presents a large organized effort. Since Wagner
is in its infancy in terms of recycling, it provides a great way
to test the waters.
Q: How do you plan to get the Wagner community to participate in the competition?
A: Our plans to get the campus participating start in the residence halls. It was our belief that students are the ones who
spend the most time on campus and will be the force behind
putting the trash and recyclables in their respected places. So
far we've reached out to Resident Education and asked to provide floor programs for the RA's. This has proved to be mildly successful with a handful already signed up.
Q: Is everybody in the community allowed to participate?
Will you be revealing the data you collected to the rest of
the Wagner community?
A: Everyone in the community is indeed encouraged to participate. However with limited resources, we have just focused
on the residence halls in order to try to get the most bang for
our buck. The data that is collected will be available to the
Wagner community. It will start with electronic sources in an
attempt to save paper.
Q: I read that some schools give out awards to participants. Will the Sustainability Committee giving out prizes
for its best competitors?
A: The Sustainability Committee will be giving out shirts to
those caught doing the right thing, i.e. recycling. This is what
we are calling "get caught green handed." We wish that we
could take the credit for that, but another school came up with
the phrase. One way that we are encouraging students in the
dorms will be to provide pizza parties for those doing the most
recycling.
We are excited that the Sustainability Committee has decided
to participate in this international competition, and aims to
promote awareness about recycling. Best of luck to all participants! For more information about RecycleMania, please visit
www.recyclemaniacs.org. We would also like to give a special
Thank You to Dave Hammill for speaking with the Limulus
Staff about this excellent cause he is endorsing all over campus! If you would like to get involved with RecycleMania,
please contact David Hammill (david.hammill@wagner.edu_).
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna
BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES DARWIN’S
200TH BIRTHDAY
February marked two important
milestones in history. Abraham
Lincoln and Charles Darwin both
celebrated their 200th birthday on
Thursday February 12, 2009.
President Lincoln and Darwin
served as important revolutionaries of their historical epochs,
and are still admired by individuals around the world. Many
people across the globe commemorated Darwin’s historic anniversary in several ways. Documentaries, lectures, and museum
visits were planned, and even a
replica of the H.M.S. Beagle was scheduled to sail in the exact
route that Darwin traveled while aboard the famous Royal
Navy ship. Although many
scientists and biology enthusiasts are remembering Darwin’s accomplishments, some
individuals often fail to fully
understand the concept of
evolution and the obstacles
Darwin encountered when he
tried to have his ideas acknowledged by rest of the
scientific world.
Darwin presented his theory of evolution in 1859 and faced
major criticism for his most famous work, The Origin of Species. Despite receiving very little support for his brilliant insight, Darwin did not stray away from his beliefs. Alfred Wallace single handedly proposed the idea of natural selection
prior to Darwin’s publication of The Origin of Species. Ac-
PAGE 4
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
cording to New York Times reporter Nicholas Wade, Wallace
simply did not have the audacity to persuade the science
community to consider his original idea of natural selection.
However, Wade portrays Darwin in a more positive manner
and praises his ability to methodically study any opposition to
his theory of evolution and natural selection.
Darwin’s work influenced the discipline of biology, and many
scientists have realized that Darwin made fairly accurate
claims. Modern science allows biologists to extensively study
a vast variety of resources, such as fossil records and DNA.
Darwin was not fortunate enough to be able to utilize a detailed fossil record. Scientists today can study fossils that provide ample evidence of life that dates back more than three
billion years ago. The introduction of genetic information and
DNA was not fully comprehended by scientists until almost a
hundred years after Darwin published his renowned Origin of
Species. Even though certain aspects of Darwin’s theory were
inaccurate, many scientists are amazed by method in which he
was able to formulate his ideas with such limited resources.
Günter Wagner, an evolutionary biologist at Yale University,
expressed his appreciation for Darwin in a recent article in
Time Magazine. He said, “You can’t even start to make sense
of all this data without a framework of evolution.”
Many scientific break-throughs have served as vital evidence
for Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. Scientists have studied bacteria that are able to protect themselves
from powerful drugs. They can now conclude from their observations that gene mutations have allowed these bacteria to
become more resilient against specific drugs, thus enabling
them to produce generations of offspring with advantageous
traits.
Another important idea that Darwin proposed dealt with the
issue of common ancestry amongst various species. In the
past two decades, paleontologists have been evaluating fossil
records of land whales that had legs. Scientists believe that
contemporary whales may be related to these land whales.
DNA has been tremendously useful and has allowed scientists
to compare genetic similarities amongst various species. DNA
evidence shows that human beings share more genetic similarities with mushrooms than with sunflowers.
As a curious science student, I have come to appreciate all of
Darwin’s major accomplishments in the field of biology. It is
astonishing that Darwin could make so many claims to his
theory without the use of modern technology. He has helped
modern biologists understand certain concepts in a more organized fashion.
In honor of Darwin’s major contributions to the field of
science, the Biology Department joyously celebrated his 200th
birthday. Stephanie Rollizo and Professor Linda
Raths spearheaded the
event. The fourth floor of
Megerle was decorated
with various images that
pertained to Darwin, including the finches Darwin
studied, maps of his
voyages around the globe,
the Beagle, and of course,
pictures of the birthday
boy himself! The Biology Department distributed specially
made stickers of Darwin. The celebration did not end there!
Faculty, staff, and students from the sciences participated in
the event by enjoying several homemade foods and partaking
in interesting conversation. The event was a huge success! We
would like to thank to all those who attended and prepared delicious food. A special thank you goes out to Stephanie Rollizo and Professor Linda Raths for organizing such a great
event!
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna with photographs from Dr. Onken
PUBLICATIONS
Etinger, A., J. Lebron, and B.G. Palestis. (2009, in press).
Sex-assortative shoaling in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Bios.
Moffett, D.F. and Onken, H. (2009, in press). The Cellular
Basis of Extreme Alkali Secretion in Insects: A Tale of Two
Tissues. In: Epithelial Transport Physiology (ed. George A.
Gerencser). Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press.
Onken, H., & Moffett, D. F. (2009). Revisiting the cellular
mechanisms of strong luminal alkalinization in the anterior
midgut of larval mosquitoes. Journal of Experimental Biology.
212: 373-377.
Onken, H., Patel, M., Javoroncov, M., Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S.B. & Moffett, D.F. (2009, in press). Strong alkalinization in the anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes
(Aedes aegypti): Involvement of luminal Na+/K+-ATPase.
Journal of Experimental Zoology. Published online: DOI:
10.1002/jez.512
Palestis, B.G. (2009, in press). Use of artificial eelgrass mats
by saltmarsh-nesting common terns. In Vivo.
Zaatari, D., Palestis, B.G. & Trivers, R. (2009, in press). Fluctuating asymmetry of responders affects offers in the Ultimatum Game oppositely according to attractiveness or need as
perceived by proposers. Ethology.
PAGE 5
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT FORGET TO PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING CONFERENCE:
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April 24,
2009. The deadline for abstract submission is March 16. For
any further details visit:
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/ECSC
Volunteers from Wagner College who want to help to make
this meeting an extraordinary experience for all our visitors
should contact Professor Raths (lraths@wagner.edu).
ALUMNI
Some responses from alumni to the January Newsletter:
Dr. Onken,
Thank you for sending me the recent Biology newsletter. As a
proud member of the Class of "79, I was a Biology/Psychology double major and have nothing but wonderful
memories of my years on the 4th Floor. Under the guidance of
Dr. Yarns, Dr. Hazen, Dr. Priddy and Dr. Kanzler we learned
in an environment which was unique and that I hope remains
today.
The relationship we had with our professors was special in
that we not only had the utmost respect for them, but truly enjoyed them as individuals. Each day for lunch the faculty
would eat together in the conference room over a daily bridge
game. Students were allowed to observe. It was wonderful
since all but Dr. Yarns took the game seriously as we commented on the day's events peppered with a brief retort by a
professor in the middle of a trump...whatever that is?
Dr. Yarns, the most fit of the professors, would ride his bike
up Howard Ave each day. … Yarns took his subject matter seriously, but was not afraid to inject humor into his lectures.
Dr. Annette Ruark-Hazen was the most brilliant woman I'd
had the honor of knowing. She was able to break down Neuroanatomy/physiology in a class by sharing the information,
not preaching. She was also one of the first, female, ordained
Episcopalian priests ordained. While dissecting a calves' brain
in neuroanatomy lab, I asked her how she reconciled the Creation/Big Bang Theory, she calmly and directly said, "Someone
had to push the button."
I spent the most time with the above mentioned professors, but
I have to say that the faculty in general shared a common trait.
They all took what they did very seriously and put the students
first, but most importantly they took themselves lightly. It was
a most endearing quality. I would love to say that I took my
degree and pursued a related career, but alas I had an eighteen
year career on Wall Street which ended after 9/11. I've pursued more creative endeavors, but I have to say that I still recall the material learned in the labs and can converse about
human anatomy and physiology with a level of confidence.
Thank you again for sending the newsletter. It forced me to
take a trip down memory lane, a wonderful place in this instance, and remember some major influences in my life whom
I admired and from whom I learned about Biology and Humility.
All the best,
Harold Theurer Class of '79
------------------------Dr. Onken,
Thank you for including me on your distribution list for the
Wagner College Biology Department Newsletter. I continue to
be proud of Wagner and its ability to inspire students in Biology and the Health Sciences.
In the section on when Biology became prominent at Wagner,
I wonder about that as well. My first impulse is to suggest the
Dr. Ralph E. Deal may have been the beginning of that. He retired during my Senior Year in 1966 but I recall that prior to
his becoming THE Biology Professor at Wagner he was a
young professor in a Columbia University annex 'The Cloisters' and was a Bio-Evangelist who would give tent lectures
along side of William Jennings Brian with the purpose of
promoting interest in making biological sciences a subject that
would be taught at all liberal arts colleges. Therefore I imagine
one need not look any further back in time than Dr. Deal to
find when Wagner provided courses in biological sciences.
Natale Collosi taught microbiology at Wagner but I am not
sure if that was there before or after Dr. Deal as microbiology
was a separate track, quite possibly alligned with Nursing,
when I was a student.
The topic I spoke on when we had the dedication of our electron microscope has now made it into the fabric of biology and
immunology science. Here is a recent review by Dutch Scientists that makes that point. I also include a "preview" I wrote
for a confirming article.
And, here is an online Power Point Presentation that includes
some of the slides I presented at Wagner.
http://www.geocities.com/artnscience/Crosby/Art_and_Scienc
e_files/fullscreen.htm
Best regards.
Art
Arthur O. Anderson MD
Director, Office of Human Use and
Ethics, Research Integrity Officer
US Army Medical Research Institute
of Infectious Diseases
1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick
Frederick MD 21702-5011
"There is always an easy solution to every human problem -neat, plausible and wrong." - H. L. Mencken
------------------------Thanks you so much for forwarding the newsletter to me. I
thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Very well put together with a
lot of information. I graduate in 1971 with a BS in Biology.
Things have really changed! For the better I might add.
bob piegari
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�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
CARTOON:
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about where you
are, how and what you do!
MISCELLANEOUS
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
(from www.lab-initio.com)
LATERAL THINKING WORD PUZZLES:
Man
Board
Stand
I
/R/E/A/D/I/N/G/
R
O
ROADS
D
S
cycle
cycle
cycle
0
M.S.
Ph.D.
Knee
Light
THINK
Death / Life
Ground
feet feet
feet feet
feet feet
T
O
U
C
H
ii ii
● ●
T
O
W
N
ecnalg
ababaabbaabbaaabbbaaabbb…
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve publishing contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, March 23
Answers in the next issue of LIMULUS!
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Department Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: Nidhi Khanna
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
PAGE 7
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Corbo, Christopher
Yerneni, Lakshmi
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Biology and faculty news / Nidhi Khanna -- Pre-health at Wagner : An interview with Tanya Modica / Nidhi Khanna -- Opportunities / Horst Onken -- Recyclemania : An interview with David Hammill / Nidhi Khanna -- Biology department celebrates Darwin's 200th birthday / Nidhi Khanna -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Alumni / Harold Theurer, Arthur O. Anderson -- Jokes, puzzles, quotes, cartoons
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Limulus
NEWSLETTER
Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
Volume 2009, Issue Spring-03
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
THE MARCH LIMULUS
The LIMULUS of this month highlights a student who will
graduate at the end of this semester and was accepted for a
PhD program at the University of Connecticut: Ryan Rogers.
Also, an alumnus of our Department, Brian Petuch, was recently certified by the National Registry of Microbiologists.
Other articles address the upcoming Earth Day and the first
wind turbine on Staten Island. The answers for Dr. Moorthy’s
“lateral thinking quiz” can be found on page 4.
I hope you enjoy the March issue of the LIMULUS.
Dr. Horst Onken, The Editor
CURRICULUM NEWS
2009 SUMMER COURSES AND INTENDED AUDIENCE
BI 110/110L Environmental Biology. Session A
Non-science majors and Environmental Studies minors
BI 120 Human Biology. Runs May 18-May 29
Non-science majors
BI 209/209L Human Anatomy and Physiology I. Session A
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI 210/210L Human Anatomy and Physiology II. Session B
Nursing and Physician Assistant majors
BI 213/213L Cells, Genes, and Evolution. Session A.
Biology majors and pre-health students
BI 323/323L Basic Medical Histology. Session A.
Biology majors
BI 335/335L Natural History of the Mid-Atlantic States.
Runs May 18-May 29
Biology majors and Environmental Studies minors
BI/MI 400E Experiential Component of Senior RFT. Session A.
Biology and Microbiology majors
MI 200/200L Microbiology. Session B
Microbiology, Nursing, and Physician Assistant majors
MI/BI 517/517L Electron Microscopy. Session B
Microbiology and Biology majors and Microbiology
graduate students
MI 615/615L Electron Microscopy. Session B
Microbiology graduate students
MI 797, 798, 799 Research. Session A
Microbiology graduate students
Contributed by Dr. Palestis
March, 2009
BIOLOGY STUDENT NEWS
GOING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL: AN INTERVIEW
WITH RYAN ROGERS
Every year, many Wagner students apply to prestigious graduate school programs across the
nation. I recently interviewed
Ryan Rogers, an accomplished
senior who recently received
some exciting news.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit
about the program that you got
accepted into?
A: I got accepted to the PhD program at the University of Connecticut Health Center. The Biomedical Science Department has an umbrella program and it
allows students to focus on a variety of different fields.
Q: When did you decide that you wanted to pursue a PhD?
A: I originally wanted to go to Optometry School because I
have early poor vision. Later, I considered going to medical
school, and I even worked as a medical assistant in a pediatrician’s office. I realized that this was not the career path for
me. I started to do research which focused on the effects of
UV radiation on chromosomes. I discovered that I wanted to
become a professor and pursue a PhD. As a professor, you can
do research and teach at the same time.
Q: What kind of research do you hope to focus on?
A: I am really interested in immunology or doing research that
deals with genetics and diseases.
Q: What kind of advice would you give students applying to
graduate school?
A: I would tell students to start studying for the GRE early! It
is one of the hardest exams I have ever taken. I would advise
students to remember a few things when they are going on an
interview for graduate school. It is important to be yourself
and to be prepared to talk about your research. You need to
make sure that you are assertive and ask the interviewers a lot
about themselves. The interviewers enjoy sharing their experiences with you, and you should also make sure you are familiar with their research as well.
Q: What clubs/organizations, or extracurricular are you part
of?
A: I am captain of the Cross-Country and Track and Field
team. I am also president of Tri-Beta, and secretary of the Stu-
PAGE 1
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
dent Advisory Committee. In addition, I am a member of
ODK and a peer tutor for biology.
On behalf of the Limulus staff, I would like to thank Ryan for
taking the time out of her schedule to conduct this interview.
We wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors!
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna with a photograph by Sejmir Izeirovski
BIOLOGY CLUB NEWS
The Biology Club visits the BODIES EXHIBIT on Saturday,
April 4th. Contact Sejmir Izeirovski by e-mail as soon as possible (Sejmir.izeirovski@wagner.edu), if you also want to go.
The Biology Club asks its members to actively contribute to
the Eastern Colleges Science Conference at Wagner College
on April 25th. There are also plans for another clean-up at the
Arthur Kill shore line.
Contributed by Sejmir Izeirovski
OPPORTUNITIES
RESEARCH WITH MOSQUITOES AND CRABS
Dr. Onken offers research opportunities for
students in the frame of
a project in which he
collaborates with scientists from Washington
State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of Alberta (Edmonton, CA). The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and studies the physiology of the
midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti).
Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of parasites, transmit devastating diseases like malaria, yellow fever and dengue, and
are a major threat to the health of billions of people on our
planet. The principal investigators of this project address larval mosquitoes, because it appears more straightforward to
fight these vectors as long as they are confined in an aquatic
habitat.
In collaboration with
colleagues from the
U.S. (Mt. Desert Island
Biological Laboratories,
Maine), Brazil (University of São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto, University
of Paraná in Curitiba)
and Canada (University of Manitoba in Winnipeg) Dr. Onken
pursues research with Crustacea related to the osmoregulatory
capacities and mechanisms of crabs. Together with Dr. Alauddin (Chemistry) and Professor Beecher (Biology), an ecophysiological study is in an early stage of planning.
Dr. Onken can offer research opportunities for two to three
students. If interested contact Dr. Onken in his office (Megerle
Science Hall Room 411), lab (Megerle Science Hall Room
406) or via e-mail (horst.onken@wagner.edu) or phone 4204211.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
EXPERIENCES
APRIL 22nd IS EARTH DAY
Earth Day was established in the United States about forty
years ago to encourage more Americans to take better care of
the environment. Earth Day was originally founded to raise
awareness about pollution, oil spills, and the destruction of
wildlife. Since then, Earth Day has become a day that is internationally celebrated. People around the globe are urging
more individuals to take action and to help preserve the planet.
The central focus of Earth Day presently is global warming.
Many scientists have warned politicians and citizens about the
dangers of global warming. It is estimated that almost half a
billion people are involved in Earth Day events every year.
The message of Earth Day is simple; anybody can get involved and make an impact to save the planet. Here are some
great daily tips that can help save our planet:
1. Make sure you turn off all electronic devices (such as cell
phone chargers, stereos, televisions, etc) when you are not
using them. It is estimated that you could even save about
$10.00 a month on your electric bill if you unplug electronic devices like toasters and washing machines.
2. Most water heaters are set to around 145 degrees Fareheinheit. Just by lowering water heaters by 25 degrees
will save around 160 pounds of carbon dioxide!
3. Fix any leaks that you may have around the house. On average, a leaky toilet wastes 200 gallons of water a day.
4. Climate change can be observed even at the workplace.
Put computers and other office supplies on stand-by. It also helps to turn off lights after leaving the office. By
switching light bulbs to ENERGY STAR bulbs, you can
save at least $60 a year on energy bills.
5. Contact to your local politician or councilman to make
sure their policies focus on environmental preservation.
Ordinary citizens can make a difference. (This tip was
cleverly suggested by Dr. Stearns).
6. Reduce, reuse, and recycle! It is important to do all three
of these things to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
pollution.
Wagner College’s Earth Club is planning many on campus
events during Earth Week. For example, the Earth Club is
planning to do a clean up behind Haborview Hall. If you
would like to get more information on Earth Week, please
contact the active president of Earth Club, Megan Allen
(megan.allen@wagner.edu).
If you would like more information on how to save energy,
please visit http://www.earthday.gov/athome.html and
http://www.epa.gov/earthday/. Remember, everyday is Earth
Day! Statistics were compiled from www.epa.gov.
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna
FIRST WIND TURBINE ON STATEN ISLAND
Many countries around the world are investing in wind power.
Germany is currently the nation that uses the most wind power. In the United States, only one percent of our electricity is
produced by wind energy. Many environmentalists are hoping
that the tax credit offered in the new economic recovery will
allow the wind industry to develop more turbines throughout
the United States.
PAGE 2
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
Ray Mascucci, is the developer of the living community called
the “Tides of Charleston.” The “Tides of Charleston,” is located in the Arthur Kill section of Staten Island and is also
home to the island’s very first wind turbine. Mascucci hopes
that his wind turbine will encourage more Staten Island residents to invest in wind energy. Many residents hoped that a
wind farm would be built over the old Fresh Kills Landfill.
Fresh Kills is ideal for a wind farm because this area is near
the coastline. It is estimated that seven wind turbines could be
built in Fresh Kills and they would probably stand at around
400 feet. Mascucci realizes the importance of wind energy,
and he has even dedicated his career to alternative energy. He
owns a company that sells and fixes wind turbines. The “Tides
of Charleston” wind turbine may bring around $3000 worth of
electricity to the area each year. Many local residents are hoping that more wind turbines will be installed all over Staten
Island. According to the American Wind Energy Association,
wind turbines can save the average person around 50-90% on
reduce electric bills. The average life span of one wind turbine
is about 20 years, and statistics like these are encouraging
more residents to invest in wind energy. The best part of wind
turbines is that very little maintenance is required because the
wind does all of the work for you!
For more information on wind turbines, please visit
http://www.awea.org/. If you would like to know more about
the “Tides of Charleston” wind turbine, please visit
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/nyregion/thecity/15disp.
html?ref=science.
Contributed by Nidhi Khanna
PUBLICATIONS
Izeirovski, S., Moffett, S. B., Moffett, D. F. & Onken, H. (in
press 2009). The anterior midgut of larval yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti): Effects of nutrients on the transepithelial voltage and strong luminal alkalinization. Wagner College Forum for Undergraduate Research.
PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS
FUTURE MEETINGS
DO NOT FORGET TO PREPARE FOR THE FOLLOWING CONFERENCE:
The next Eastern Colleges Science Conference will be held
at Wagner College (Staten Island, NY) on Saturday, April 25,
2009. For any further details visit:
ALUMNI
BRIAN PETUCH CERTIFIED BY NRM
Brian Petuch, an alumnus of Wager College, was recently certified by the National Registry of Microbiologists. We received the following press release from the American College
of Microbiology:
WASHINGTON, DC—February 24, 2009— Brian R. Petuch, M.S., Biosafety Officer, Merck & Co., West Point, PA,
is now a Registrant of the National Registry of Microbiologists (NRM). On November 17, 2008, he became certified as
a Specialist Microbiologist in Biological Safety Microbiology.
To earn the NRM credential, Mr. Petuch first met rigorous
educational and experiential eligibility requirements and then
passed a comprehensive written examination. He has demonstrated the knowledge and skills necessary to develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive biological safety program.
The NRM is a voluntary certifying body which was founded
in 1958 and has certified microbiologists in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and on six continents.
The goals of the NRM are to minimize risk to the public by
identifying qualified microbiologists; encourage mastery of
microbiological knowledge and skills that contribute to improving the human condition; and foster professional pride
and a sense of accomplishment in qualified microbiologists.
The American College of Microbiology is the component of
the American Academy of Microbiology responsible for accreditation of postdoctoral training programs, certification of
microbiologists and immunologists, and other programs consistent with its mission of providing leadership in promoting
the high quality and ethical practice of the microbiology and
immunology professions for the benefits of human, animal,
and environmental well-being. For more information about
the NRM or other programs of the American College of Microbiology, please visit www.microbiologycert.org or contact
the College at college@asmusa.org.
Contributed by Dr. Onken
Dear Alumni,
If you are interested in contributing to our newsletter, you
are very welcome to do so. Contact Dr. Onken by e-mail
(horst.onken@wagner.edu) with your submission, comment,
ideas or questions! We are excited to hear about where you
are, how and what you do!
MISCELLANEOUS
http://www.wagner.edu/departments/biological_sciences/ECSC
If your contribution does not fit in any of the sections above,
you can post it here.
Volunteers from Wagner College who want to help to make
this meeting an extraordinary experience for all our visitors
should contact Professor Raths (lraths@wagner.edu).
DO YOU MISS A SECTION? LET ME KNOW
WHICH AND MAKE A CONTRIBUTION!
PAGE 3
�The Newsletter of the Department of Biological Sciences, Wagner College
PUZZLES, JOKES, QUOTES, CARTOONS
LATERAL THINKING WORD PUZZLES:
Man
Board
Stand
I
/R/E/A/D/I/N/G/
R
O
ROADS
D
S
cycle
cycle
cycle
0
M.S.
Ph.D.
Ground
feet feet
feet feet
feet feet
Knee
Light
THINK
T
O
W
N
T
O
U
C
H
ecnalg
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS
ii ii
● ●
Death / Life
ababaabbaabbaaabbbaaabbb…
Answers:
man overboard
crossroads
neon light
think big
life after death
I understand
tricycle
six feet underground
touchdown
dark circles under eyes
reading between the lines
two degrees below zero
downtown
glance backwards
long time no see
CARTOON:
Authors in all sections should keep in mind that not all
readers are specialized in their area of interest. Keep your
contribution on a level that everybody can understand.
Contributions may vary in length between about 50 and
500 words and must be submitted by e-mail to
horst.onken@wagner.edu.
Photographs or other images that accompany an article are
very welcome, but must be submitted as separate files
(high quality jpg is the preferred file format) attached to
the e-mail. Be aware that photographs/images may be minimized in size.
Indicate the section of the newsletter where you want your
contribution to appear.
The editor reserves his right to edit your contribution
or post an immediate response.
Editing may involve publishing contributions in other
sections as indicated by the author.
All contributions will clearly indicate the author's identity.
All contributions are reviewed and publication may be
refused by the editor.
DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
MONDAY, March 23
Science made simple!
The Editorial Board:
Editor: Dr. Horst Onken, Associate Professor
Assistant Editor: Stephanie Rollizo, Dept. Secretary
Student Assistant Editor: Nidhi Khanna (Biology major)
Student Assistant Editor: N.N.
Modified from www.lab-initio.com
PAGE 4
�
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Limulus: The Newsletter of the Wagner College Biological Sciences Department
Description
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The Department of Biological Sciences circulates a newsletter that will be updated monthly, culminating in two special issues per year (January and September). The January edition reviews the fall semester and the September edition reviews the spring semester and summer events. The name of the newsletter is LIMULUS and it is made available as pdf files.
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Title
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Limulus Newsletter, March 2009
Table Of Contents
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Letter from the editor / Horst Onken -- Curriculum news -- Going to graduate school : An interview with Ryan Rogers / Nidhi Khanna and Sejmir Izeirovski -- Biology club news / Sejmir Izeirovski -- Opportunities / Horst Onken -- April 22nd is Earth Day / Nidhi Khanna -- First wind turbine on Staten Island / Nidhi Khanna -- Publications -- Professional meetings -- Brian Petuch certified by NRM / Horst Onken -- Puzzles, jokes, quotes, cartoons
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Wagner College, Department of Biological Sciences
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Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
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2009-03
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Wagner College Digital Collections
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4 pages
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en
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