Helen Call

Helen Call, a School of Biology and Ecology student and attendant on UMaine’s University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (UVAC), recently rescued a dining hall coworker from choking. Helen completed her first year at UMaine as a recipient of the SBE Academic Award and the Dr. Joseph W. Warren Scholarship, both awarded for high academic standing. Read the full story from the Wiscasset Newspaper here.

Researchers in SBE as well as the Engineering Department are taking advantage of radio-controlled planes to solve the mysteries of bird migration. Brian Barainca, a mechanical engineering student, has been building radio-controlled (RC) planes ever since he was in high school. When SBE Professor Rebecca Holberton saw him flying his RC planes on campus, she called upon him to help with bird migration research, and it has been an adventure ever since.

Drone Migration Research Highlighter Video

The plane works via a remote control by someone on the ground. A camera on the front of the plane sends live video footage to the controller in order for the controller to see exactly where the plane is going. Although the current camera on the plane is great for live viewing, Barainca hopes to get a new camera that is higher quality for recording. Also, the camera is not equipped to see if there are birds right below the plane, which Barainca hopes to also improve.

The researchers ideally want to survey shorebird populations and find migration patterns. The plane will hopefully be able to track birds with radio frequency signals. Tagging birds with radio tags has not been successful in the past because researchers don’t necessarily know where the birds go. If the plane can detect tagged birds it will be monumental for migration research.

Barainca is obsessed with aircraft. Although he already knew how to build planes, his engineering education has helped him apply what he has learned to biology. “Airplanes brought me to mechanical engineering, and my major has helped me analyze stress on the plane,” he said. Best of luck to Professor Holberton, Ani Varjabedian and Brian Barainca as they soar to a new level of bird research.

Fungicides are a type of pesticide used to kill unwanted fungi and are used heavily in agriculture. New types of fungicides are produced regularly because fungi can develop resistance to them quickly. Unlike herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed on plants at certain times of the year, fungicides are applied when habitats are damp. Studying fungicides is increasingly important due to the potential for climate change to make some areas warmer and wetter, including Maine, increasing the use of fungicides.

Elskus summarized data on the specific environmental consequences of fungicides on organisms inhabiting aquatic environments. Insecticides on the one hand, can target an insect’s nervous system but fungicides have to target the most basic cell processes like mitosis and RNA transcription because fungi are so simple, being single celled organisms. Many organisms such as fish, birds and mammals, as well as invertebrates like clams and water fleas all share these same biological processes, and therefore could be harmfully affected by fungicides.

Native fungi may also be susceptible to these fungicides. Native fungi in streams break down leaves allowing bacteria to come in and break down the leaves even more to get nutrients into the streams and allow for healthy nutrient cycling.

Elskus’ report identifies a broad range of significant sub-lethal effects of fungicides on aquatic organisms and ecosystems, indicates the biochemical mechanisms where known, and points out where further research is needed.  Her report is entitled: ‘Toxicity, Sublethal Effects, and Potential Modes of Action of Select Fungicides on Freshwater Fish and Invertebrates’ and can be accessed by going to http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20121213.

Students practicing radio telemetry in Avian Biology Lab

The purpose of the course is to be able to identify species of birds by sight and sound, and to be able to understand how specific birds are related to each other and how they are adapted to the environment. “I like the lectures because they are a lot of fun.  I love learning about birds. They are unlike any other species on earth…I had heard that this class was the most sought after undergraduate ecology class at UMaine.  I knew that it would be interesting, because I had Brian Olsen as a professor in BIO 100 & 200” explains Dana Freshley, a student studying communication with a minor in biology. This course allows students to see how all the interdisciplinary aspects of an organism’s environment play a role in the interaction of all living organisms.

 “Biology is often taught through reductionism.  Students learn about each system and biological mechanism isolated from all of the other things going on at the same time…The beauty of organismal sciences is that we get to talk about the nexus among the biological sub disciplines using a single organism as a semester long case study…I think that adds a needed flavor to how a student then interprets their other classes” explains Olsen.

In the lab, which is not a requirement, Olsen gives his students exposure to some of the major methods currently used by avian biologists.  These methods provide students with pertinent skills by teaching his students identification skills without relying on a guidebook, or an iPhone, though these things are great resources for ecologist currently.  Along with knowledge of general fieldwork procedure, the course exposes students to Program R (a very common program used by biologists), mist netting and capturing techniques, and how to use the necessary technology for ornithology, such as radio telemetry.  These necessary skills provide students with building blocks for future work with birds in the eastern North America.

Olsen assigns his students a semester long project that will help improve their ability to construct a formal research paper.  Students are able to design a field project, and analyze the data using the Program R mentioned above.  Throughout the semester, students present on their research project, giving them multiple opportunities to receive input from their professor as well as their classmates.  Dana Freshley and India Stewart, both current students in Avian Biology& Ecology, decided to do their research on the American Crow. Their project involves fieldwork in which they visit 6 birding spots a week, testing population habitat as a function of temperature. They will be presenting their results in a few weeks.

Olsen’s love for Avian Studies was sparked during a summer field job he acquired in the summer before his sophomore year college. He became a field site surveyor in the White Mountains, and from this experience his love for avian studies began to emerge. Olsen described his passion for Avian Studies as “A slow growing love.”

“Brian always keeps you alert, attentive, and he uses his sense of humor to teach his class. He always looks at the broader picture of ecology which makes him a great ecologist,” says Dana, a student of Olsen.

Olsen has been a valued member of our SBE Faculty since 2008.  He has been teaching this course for five years, and he is still surprised and delighted by the diverse ways students handle difficult questions.  “I really enjoy watching students grapple with open ended scenarios…when we work on hypothetical applications of biological theory, especially when students construct and defend answers that were far removed from what I expected” said Olsen. Olsen runs a research lab called “The Olsen Lab” with help from several undergraduate and graduate students.  The research he focuses on in his Avian Biology course is not directly correlated to his personal research, though he does recruit potential students for his research in the Olsen Lab.

“In terms of research, I find a deep abiding joy by indulging my own intellectual curiosity and working with graduate students is deeply rewarding…to work with some of the best students form the undergraduate pool …allows for both the teaching relationship and the abilities of the students to grow. It is a pretty awesome experience.”

Good luck to Professor Olsen and his students as they finish up the rest of their semester.

Minna Mathiasson (left) and Sara Bushmann (right) stand with their advisor, Frank Drummond.

Congratulations to Minna Mathiasson and Sara Bushmann who were recently presented the Outstanding Women in Science awards! The awards ceremony took place at Fogler Library on April 21,2013.  For the undergraduate category, Minna gave a presentation entitled “Impact of Invasive Plant Species on Maine Native Plant-Pollinator Interactions.” For the PhD category, Sara gave a presentation on, “Wild bumblebee diversity and Nosema infection levels associated with low bush blueberry production and commercial bumblebee pollinators”.  Both individuals are advised by Frank Drummond, professor of Insect Ecology and Insect Pest Management here at he University of Maine.

CUGR Poster Session Highlighter Video

Carl Tugend, a fifth year zoology student, presented his research on The Jordan Pond Water Quality Change; his research mentor was Jasmine Saros. “My favorite part about this whole experience was how fun the field work is, and to be able to look at how things are changing in our environment is really interesting.” Explains Carl.

Rafael Garcia, a food and nutrition’s major, presented his research on the potential for the production of mycotoxins in Fungi Isolated from maple syrup.  Rafael works in Seanna Annis’s lab, and SBE professor here on campus.

Amy Michaud presented on the alteration of microflora of the insect parasitic nematode pristionchus entomophagus and its potential application as a biological control agent.  Her faculty mentor was Eleanor Groden, the School of Biology director.

Justin Lewin gave an oral presentation titled “What are They Talking about: Does Peer Discussion at the Middle School Level Lead to Learning?”  Justin is interested in Science Education Research, and is advised by Michelle Smith, a SBE Professor.

Christie M. Edwards, majoring in biology, gave a poster presentation on the Effects of Ketamine on Alcohol Withdrawal-Induced Depression. Her researched focused on the locomotor activity of alcohol withdrawn mice. Her faculty Mentor was Alan Rosenwasser.

“CUGR, The Center for Undergraduate Research, is supporting the culture of independent learning on campus. So we support all different disciplines and all different colleges, by providing them first off with an opportunity like this showcase to come and talk about their research and talk about other peoples research, as well as providing funding.” Explains Dr. Ali Abedi, director of the academic showcase.

Congratulations to all of the participants in the CUGR showcase, and best of luck in your future research!

Kimberly Dao receiving one of the three Frank H. Lathrop Scholarships

On April 17th, The School of Biology & Ecology held their sixth annual recognition Ceremony in 102 Murray Hall, which recognized undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty for their hard work and commitment to their academic studies.  During the ceremony, Ellie Groden, director of the School of Biology & Ecology, and Christa Schwintzer, presented student awards, prizes, and scholarships to the recipients

SBE Academic Awards, which are given to students with the highest GPA in a major within the School, were given to the following recipients:

Congratulations to all award recipients, and we wish you all the best of luck in your future studies!

 “Most students come in and say “well I want to be a doctor, I want to be a dentist”, and that might be all they really know…they may not have a very good understanding of what those occupations are about…we want students that are interested in health care, to stay in health care” says Crisanne Blackie, the health and legal professions career specialist at the University of Maine.

Health Professions Career Day

The pre-med concentration is intended for students preparing for a career in medicine or one of the other health professions (dentistry, optometry, osteopathy, physician assistant, pharmacy, podiatry, veterinary medicine and other health-related fields). In addition to the required science and mathematics courses, the concentration also includes general education courses that are desired by many medical schools as well as graduate programs. The concentration allows for considerable choice in courses and provides valuable guidance to students and their advisors with regard to course selection in their major and in general education requirements.

Scott Merrill, sophomore SBE student studying biology, describes how the University of Maine has helped to prepare him for Medical school. “The one that has obviously helped me the most is Crisanne Blackie, who has been guiding me through the process making sure I stay on track step by step with the plan that I have, and making sure I take full advantage of as many opportunity’s as possible.”

The opening session for the day was a presentation by Dr. Samer Sbayi, a laparoscopic and general surgeon practicing at Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln, Maine.  This provided students with a real life look into what it is like being a doctor, as well as the necessary steps Dr. Sbayi took to get where she is in her career.

After a complimentary lunch, Dr. Brenda Joly spoke on the topic of public health.  Dr. Joly is an Associate Research Professor in the Master of Public Health Program at the University of Southern Maine.  Her presentation focused on the idea of public health, and how the public health system can do better at reducing premature death and chronic illnesses in the United States.  She also discussed the opportunities available if a person were to choose a career in Public Health.

Next, students had the opportunity to meet with different health care professionals and representatives from graduate school programs in small groups.   The students had the opportunity to choose which guest they got to speak with and ask questions about the field.  Guests included physician’s assistants, DO students, pharmacy students, Dentists, and representatives from National Health Service Corps, Husson University School of Pharmacy representatives, Logan chiropractic, UNE Osteopathic Medicine, and USM’s Master in Public Health program.  These representatives provided students with great real-life perspectives of what it is like to work in these areas of Medicine.

For more information on The University of Maine Pre-Medical Concentration contact Crisanne Blackie, the Umaine Pre-Med advisor, or visit her office in the Career Center located in the Union. Thank-you to all the presenters, and we wish all the pre-med students the best of luck with their future studies.  To view the requirements for the Pre-med Concentration please click here.

Weren’t able to attend the event? That’s okay! Click here for a highlighter video

Graduate student Jenny Shrum is as excited as ever to start her new project on maple trees this spring. She is interested in the role of sugar maples in the Northeast and is examining how climate change may shape this role. The first part of her study explores the plausibility of using traits expressed at the edge of a species’ range to help cope with climate change. In the case of sugar maples, she is interested in finding out if trees from other regions might actually be better suited to the conditions Maine will be experiencing in fifty years. If so, foresters and syrup producers may be able to plan sugar maple seeds from those regions here. Many people think that tree species exist here because they are best adapted to this environment, but that’s not always the case. “We might be able to utilize specific characteristics adapted by a certain subpopulation to help a forest or sugar bush to thrive despite climate change.”  The second part of her study will try to draw correlations between sap flow and weather conditions to better understand how the sugaring season is likely to be affected as the severity, length, and timing of winter changes in the decades to come.

Shrum is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate Program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences and is working under SBE professor Brian McGill. Her dissertation will include planting different populations of sugar maple seeds from across the range in a common garden and comparing the rate of germination and seedling growth success. With a little luck, she hopes to find a successful tree that perhaps can be tapped for syrup in later years. Unfortunately Shrum won’t be able to tap the trees before her Ph.D. program is over. “It takes 20 years before you can tap a tree,” she said. However there may be people able to continue the study.

Shrum has found several citizens that have been tapping trees for many years, and they may be able to give insight into maple syrup production in the past and future. “One man said he doesn’t see sugar maples reproducing like he used to, and now he has to plant them himself,” she said. “Another man has been collecting soil temperature in his yard at two feet deep for the last 20 years. I can use this data to correlate temperature and snow cover to sap flow.” After talking to citizens it is clear to Shrum that maple trees provide a certain role in New England culture and are very important to the people of Maine.

Before coming to UMaine, Shrum was working on numerous wildlife ecology projects over a span of fifteen years, but she is enjoying working with maple trees even more. “I wanted to study something that had ecological, economic and social importance. This is something that families have been doing for years and I hope this research will be meaningful and help someone along the way,” she said. Best of luck to Jenny Shrum as she continues her research. Shrum is producing a short video about her research that will be available on the SBE website by mid summer.

To help students understand abstract concepts in genetics, Dr. Smith’s teaching philosophy includes an emphasis on interactive learning and stresses the importance of real life examples that she hopes students will carry beyond her class.

“I hope that this class may be a reality check for my students, to have them realize that they are going to need this genetics class when having children, or having loved ones diagnosed with cancer or other genetic diseases, I hope that students will be able to call upon their knowledge from this class in the future.” -Dr. Michelle Smith

As part of this strategy to interlink genetics with real-world scenarios, Dr. Smith recently welcomed the former Miss Teen Maine, who coincidentally is also named Michelle Smith and her mother Blue Smith to speak to her class. Michelle Dawn Smith is a student at Southern Maine community college, studying business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship.

On the surface, Michelle Dawn Smith seems like an average college student; self-driven and confident, but what you can’t see is her life threatening syndrome that wreaks havoc on her life causing many daily difficulties and medical complications. She has Marfan syndrome, a serious genetic disorder of the connective tissue. During Michelle’s speech in Dr. Smith’s genetics class, she described the difficulties she faces on a daily basis living with Marfan syndrome.

Marfan syndrome is a genetically inherited syndrome, which results from mutations that occur in the fibrillin 1 gene located on chromosome 15. This protein is responsible for the elasticity of the body’s connective tissues. This defect results in an increase in a protein called transforming growth factor beta, or TGFβ. The increase of this particular protein causes problems with the connective tissues throughout the body, causing numerous medical complications. Genetic testing for Marfan syndrome is currently not routine, so the initial diagnosis is typically made through a series of clinical evaluations.

This disorder, still unknown to many medical professionals, affects many organ systems, including the skeleton, lungs, eyes, skin, heart, and blood vessels. A very serious area of the body that is affected by this disorder is the heart and blood vessels. Marfan syndrome can cause an enlarged aorta; which is the blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. Separation of the layers of the aorta can cause the walls to tear, resulting in what is known as an aortic dissection, often misinterpreted by medical professionals as a heart attack. A person with Marfan syndrome has a 250 times greater risk for an aortic dissection, with an 80% mortality rate. Individuals with Marfan syndrome live with this reality, that at any time, if too much stress is put on their heart, it could give out.

There are a few obvious physical characteristics that are commonly associated with Marfan syndrome, like slenderness, unusually long arms, legs, fingers, and toes. They also generally have a very low percentage of muscle mass, often being misidentified by others as suffering from anorexia nervosa. Often affected individuals will be double jointed and have an either inward or outward curvature to their chest bone. Also mild to severe curvature of the spine, and in some more extreme cases, scoliosis will be present. Other common physical characteristics are flat feet, and sight and eye complications. Michelle embodies many of these physical characteristics including abnormally long arms, feet, and toes, low muscle mass, double jointed, and a severe case of scoliosis.

The Bio 350 students had a positive reaction to having Michelle Dawn Smith visit the classroom. “Michelle seems to embrace her genetic disorder,” said Lance Lajoie, a BIO 350 student, observed. “She has really good spirits and a great sense of humor. I was impressed by her ability to stand in front of a group of people and show all these “tricks” she could do as a result of having longer appendages/fingers. It takes a lot for someone to be able to do that and I admire her self-confidence.” Lances comments reflected Dr. Smith’s overall goals for welcoming Michelle Dawn Smith into her class. “I wanted the students to see that people with genetic disorders are all around us. To be able to observe Michelle’s energy and enthusiasm for themselves, and see that just because a person has a genetic disorder, it does not dictate how they have to live their life” said Dr. Smith.

About 1 out of every 5,000 people are affected by Marfan syndrome, but misdiagnosis and general lack of knowledge on the disorder gives scientists the idea that there is a much greater percent of the population affected by the disorder.

Michelle’s mother searched for an answer to her questions about her daughter’s health for five years, while many doctors assured her she had a perfectly healthy child. At one point her mother was accused of having Munchausen by proxy, a psychological disorder that involves the exaggeration of illness or symptoms of another person by their primary care taker.

Michelle Dawn Smith does not see Marfan syndrome as a disability, but rather uses her experiences to raise awareness to others about Marfan syndrome, and gives hope to individuals that were born with the genetic syndrome. She encourages these individuals to embrace their differences and to not to be ashamed of them. Furthermore, she is a lead advocate for Hands Saving Hearts, a campaign to help people recognize the common physical characteristics of those affected by Marfan syndrome. “Knowing you live, not knowing you die” is Michelle’s mantra for about raising awareness for Marfan syndrome.