Category: Research

Guiliang Tang and Hairong Wei awarded NSF $2.5M NSF grant

PI Guiliang Tang (BioSci) and Co-PI Hairong Wei (SFRES) were awarded $2,499,979 from the National Science Foundation for their three-year project “Targeting microRNAs for Destruction in Crops by Short Tandem Target Mimic (STTM).”

From Dr. Joshi, Chair, Department of Biological Sciences:

Heartiest congratulations to Dr. Guiliang Tang and his team on receiving a $2.5 million grant from NSF Plant Genome program for the project titled “Targeting microRNAs for destruction in crop plants by Short Tandem Target Mimic (STEM) “.

This is one of the biggest grants Biological Sciences Department has received in recent years that brings our new external funding in this fiscal year close to $3.5 million.

In the current era of limited funding for University research, this is a great achievement and all the credit goes to dedication of our faculty, staff and students in pursuing and publishing high quality research.”

Dr. Sue Bagley awarded Society of Industrial Microbiology Award

This award recognizes those member(s) who have an outstanding record of sustained service to the Society for a period of seven or more years in various capacities such as a Society officer, chair of a standing or presidential committee, SIMB News editor-in-chief, JIMB editor-in-chief, Developments editor-in-chief, program chair, or other service to the Society acceptable to the committee and board; and have been an active member of SIM for 10 or more years.

Susan T. Bagley. PhD, is Professor Emerita of Environmental Microbiology in the Department of Biological Sciences at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, MI. She has over 35 years’ experience as an environmental microbiologist, working in academia and government (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) on microbial-based treatment of air, waterborne, and industrial organic wastes, microbial production of bio-based fuels, and mutagenicity and toxicity of environmental pollutants.

More at Charles Porter Award

Students funded with SURF awards working in Biological Sciences

Reprinted from Tech Today

This summer, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program will fund 23 students from across the University with funds from the Vice President for Research and the Honors Institute. The total funding for the program this year is $80,500.

Congratulations to:

Jessica Karwosk working with Dr. Rupali Datta

Mark Keranen working with Dr. Thomas Werner

Jade Ortiz working with Dr. Amy Marcarelli

Additional SURF recipients,their project titles, and their advisors are listed online.

Tenth Annual ESC/BRC Research Forum Awards Announced

The Ecosystem Science Center and the Biotechnology Research Center announce award recipients of the Tenth Annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum held March 19.  60 posters presented

Graduate Research

$100 Merit Awards

Biotechnology Research Center
Yiping Mao (Bio Sci) for “Overexpression of microRNA-30d increases insulin biosynthesis and protects against high-fat diet induced glucose intolerances,” Advisor Xiaoqing Tang.

Ecosystem Science Center
Cameron Goble (Bio Sci) for “Assessment of Fish Communities in Tributary Streams of the Big Manistee,” Advisor: Nancy Auer.

Other award  Department’s award winners are highlighted in “Tech Today.”

Participants Needed for a Research Study

If you have made plans to exercise more, diet or lose weight in 2014 you may want to consider joining a 12-week research study. Please see the attached flyer to determine if you qualify. Those that qualify may receive free consultation from a Registered Dietician or personal training from a National Strength and Conditioning Association certified professional. You could also receive a free 12-week pass to the SDC Fitness Center as part of this study. Please contact John Durocher at jjduroch@mtu.edu if you are interested.

approved flyer M1088 Durocher

Morton Harwood – 1st place winner in the oral presentations for the 2014 Graduate Research Colloquium

Oral Presentation Award Winner: Morton Harwood from the Department of Biological Sciences was awarded the first place presentation award at the 2014 MTU Graduate Research Colloquium.

“The Acute Cardiovascular Responses to Marathon and Ultra-marathon Competition”

Morty is a Ph.D. student in Dr. John Durocher’s laboratory.

Komal Raja, Biological Sciences, 2nd Place Posters, Graduate Research Colloquium 2014

Komal Raja, Biological Sciences, 2nd Place Posters, Graduate Research Colloquium 2014

Komal Raja, Biological Sciences,

Title: The Role of Toolkit Genes in the Evolution of Complex Wing, Thorax and Abdominal Color Patterns of Drosophila Guttifera –

Graduate Research Colloquium 2014 at Michigan Technological University

Original picture (courtesy of Emil Groth) and more winners at the Graduate Research Colloquium 2014 page.

Komal works in Dr.Werner’s lab and more about their research can be found in Dr. Werner’s lab page.

Ken Kraft Passes away

Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences Ken Kraft passed away on Jan. 12 at his Chassell Township home.

Kraft’s research was in invertebrate ecology, particularly in aquatic environments, and some of his work was used by the Army Corps of Engineers and Cleveland-Cliffs (now Cliffs Resources) in their environmental studies.

“He was well respected in his fields of study—entomology and aquatic environmental studies,” said Professor Emeritus Bob Keen. “He was also a mentor to a number of graduate students, including some who went on to attain PhDs and did very well.”

Professor Emerita Janice Glime recalled him as a “rather gentle, quiet person. You could always count on him. He was in his office from 9 to 5, when he wasn’t in class. His lab and library were adjacent to his office, and he was always there.”

“He was a very soft spoken gentleman who had a great smile,” said long-time staff member Pat Asselin. “He was a pleasure to know and work with.”

Kraft’s career at Michigan Tech actually began in forestry, where he was taught zoology, and he joined the biological sciences department when it was formed in 1962. He eventually rejoined the forestry faculty before retiring.

“He was the nicest guy I knew,” said Professor Emeritus Jim Spain, also of biological sciences. “We did work together on Lake Superior. We once took a boat and a student to Rabbit Island to find a heron rookery. Well, we searched all over and couldn’t find it. We went back to the boat to discover that we had parked it right underneath the rookery!”

Kraft was instrumental in setting up Tech’s first research program on Lake Superior through his connections with faculty at Minnesota-Duluth.

Spain also credited Kraft with creating the “rock pasty”—pebbles surrounded by a cloth—that was lowered into the lake and became a home for invertebrates that they were studying. “We published that one,” Spain said.

Spain said Kraft also led a seminar where he had everyone, including the faculty, read “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. “We grew our enrollment exponentially at the time, because of the environmental movement,” Spain said.

Kraft was one of the founders of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Houghton, according to fellow church member Harriet King.

“He served as president, did our newsletters, and always brought fresh eggs from his farm,” King remembered. “He would have church and community members out to his farm to see the orchards, gardens, and chickens.”

Kraft received his PhD in Entomology and Botany from the University of Minnesota. He taught at Minnesota, Moorhead State and Bemidji State before coming to Tech. He retired in 1996 after 34 years of service.

Kraft was preceded in death by his wife, Susie, in 2009 and is survived by two daughters, Jennifer Turner and Karen Miller, and grandchildren, Jessica Turner and Alexander and Andrew Miller. The O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock is in charge of arrangements. A summer memorial service is planned.

Original article published in Tech Today

Great Lake Fishery Commission – Lake Superior Technical Committee Lake Superior Research Presentations

Great Lake Fishery Commission – Lake Superior Technical Committee

Lake Superior Research Presentations

Great Lakes Research Center – Michigan Technological University

7 January 2014

1:00 Opening Tom Pratt and Guy Meadows
1:15 Marine Engineering Activities at the GLRC Guy Meadows
1:30 Remotely Operated & Autonomous Vehicle Support Jamey Anderson
1:45 Buffalo Reef Spawning and Stamp Sands Charles Kerfoot
2:00 Sand in Lake Superior Tributaries: Ecology and Restoration Casey Huckins
2:15 Ecosystem responses to Restoration Activities in Lake Superior Tributaries Amy Marcarelli
2:30 Optics and Remote Sensing of Lake Superior Colleen Mouw
2:45 Phytoplankton Productivity  and Optical Characteristics – Interlake Comparison Gary Fahnenstiel
3:00 Hydrodynamic Modeling of Lake Superior for Decision Support Penfgfei Xue
3:15 Nutrient-Phytoplankton-Modeling of Lake Superior for Decision Support Marcel Dijkstra
3:30 Bioenergetic Modeling of Lake Superior for Decision Support Nancy Auer
3:45 Multidisciplinary Social Science Research Related to Lake Superior Fisheries Pat Martin
4:00 Carbon Cycling and Restoration Efforts in the Coastal Wetlands of Lake Superior Rod Chimner
4:15 Engaging K12 Students, Teachers and the Community in Lake Superior Stewardship Joan Chadde
4:30 Closing Guy Meadows and Tom Pratt
4:45 GLRC Tour Guy Meadows, Mike Abbott and Marty Auer
5:00
5:15
5:30 Dinner and Discussion Guy Meadows and Marty Auer