Biological Sciences Blog

Congratulations to the Bioathlon winners A.D. Johnston, Hancock and Houghton High Schools

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The team winning FIRST PLACE was A.D. Johnston High School from Bessemer, MI

Instructor:       David Rowe
Molly Wieringa
Valerie Rowe
Jess Mazzon
Zack Mazurek

The team winning SECOND PLACE was Hancock High School from Hancock, MI:

Instructor:       Kristin Raisanen Schourek
Andrew Bess
Kaylor Holmstrom
Matthew Sanregret
Aspen Stroud

The team winning the THIRD PLACE was Houghton High School from Houghton, MI

Instructor  Alex Gerborkoff
Brittany Coombs
Kyra Neufeld
Julia Menzel-Smith
Isaac Stone

TV10 video

Daily Mining Gazette article

Each team was composed of four students who have not had formal class work in biology beyond the traditional sophomore high school general biology course.  All teams tackled the same four problems:

Dissection: designed by Biological Sciences undergraduate students Shannon Twomey and Travis Wakeham with input from Dr. John Durocher and assisted by Komal Bollepogu

Molecular Biology: Designed by Biological Sciences graduate student Emily Geiger, assisted by Aparupa Sengupta.

Field Identification: Designed by Biological Sciences graduate student Ashley Coble assisted by Ramana Pidatala and Jamie Olson.

Medical Laboratory  Science: Designed and proctored by Medical Laboratory Science undergraduate students, Claire Meneguzzo, Christjana Nichols, Brooke Bedore, Kelly Hanes and Misty Brouilette with input from Senior Lecturer Alice Soldan and Professor of Practice Karyn Fay.

Through these exercises, students needed to demonstrate organizational skills, knowledge of facts and concepts, laboratory skills and creativity.

Each member of the first, second and third team will receive a small cash award along with a plaque.  Each student participating in the competition will also receive a certificate of participation and a Bioathlon T-shirt.

The teacher activity was:

What’s up with the Weather? Climate Change and Aquatic Life in the Great Lakes. This was an interactive workshop developed and taught by Stacy Cotey, Academic Advisor of Biological Sciences.

In the morning, they toured the newly opened Great Lakes Research Center. The center is an interdisciplinary facility that studies the processes, function, and issues of the Great Lakes. They discussed how climate change may alter this dynamic ecosystem. In the afternoon, they conducted activities suitable for the classroom that explored the effects of a changing climate on aquatic organisms in the Great Lakes.  They collected and analyzed water samples from the dock at the Great Lakes Center and at Prince’s Point.

Funding was provided by MTU Admissions, the Department of Biological Sciences, the Michigan Tech Fund, MTU Alumni Mark Cowan, M.D., Robert C. and Kathryn DellAngelo, M.D., Olive Kimball, D.Ed., Ph.D., Nancy Auer, Ph.D. and Janice Glime, Ph.D.

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Board of Control Approves Tenure and Promotion Recommendations

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Congratulations to Dr Rupali Datta and Dr. Nancy Auer as well as the many other faculty our Department collaborates with.

On May 3, the Board of Control approved the tenure and promotion recommendations put forward by the Michigan Tech administration.

Promoted from assistant professor without tenure to associate professor with tenure were Megan Frost (Bio Med), Wenzhen Li (ChE), Veronica Griffis, Jacob Hiller (CEE), Christopher Middlebrook, Wayne Weaver (ECE), Gregory Waite (GMES), Bo Chen, Seong-Young Lee, Desheng “Dennis” Meng (MEEM), Lanrong Bi (Chem), Edward Cokely (CLS), Matthew Seigel (HU), Claudio Mazzolini (Physics), Patricia Helsel (VPA), Latha Poonamallee (SBE), Evgueny “Eugene” Levin and Aleksandr Sergeyev (SOT).

Appointed from associate professor without tenure to associate professor with tenure were Elena Semouchkina (ECE) and Rupali Datta (Bio Sci).

Promoted from associate professor with tenure to professor with tenure were Paul Bergstrom, Seyed “Reza” Zekavat (ECE), Nancy Auer (Bio Sci), Haiying Liu (Chem),

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Congratulations to our Medical Laboratory Science interns

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The Department of Biological Sciences sends our most sincere congratulations to the following Medical Laboratory Science interns.

Completed or completing 2012-13 practicums
Nicole Asiala, MLS, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI
April Hintzman, MLS, Marshfield Labs, Marshfield, WI
Sam Kerlin, MLS, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN
Tina Nguyen, MLS, Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, WI
Kelly Roxbury, MLS, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI
Faith Rushford, MLS, Aspirus Wausau, Wausau, WI
Brianne Schneider, MLS, St. John-Providence, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
Ana Vuk, MLS, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC

Beginning 2013-14 practicums
Jacob Davis, MLS, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI
Brittany (Hardy) Weirich, CT, Marshfield Labs, Marshfield, WI
Molly Laurin, MLS, Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau claire, WI
Kiley Mason, MLS, Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI
Claire Meneguzzo, MLS, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN

More information on the Medical Laboratory Science/Clinical Laboratory Science program is available on our web page.

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Zielinski co-winner in Creative Canvas Course Contest

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The Center for Teaching and Learning’s first Creative Canvas Course Contest (C-4) saw students nominate more than 100 different courses from almost every department. The results are in. The nine winners (listed below) have graciously agreed to provide short“video course tours” so that others can see and learn from the design features of their well-received Canvas courses.
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New Team Member Offering More at the Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute

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Dr. Stephanie Groves (left) is our newest team member at the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute. A West Michigan native, she graduated fromMichigan Technological University with a Ph.D in Biological Sciences – Microbiology. Her doctorate research was focused on the optimization of yeast strains and fermentation conditions for the production of fuel ethanol from woody biomass. She also received her BS and MS from Michigan Tech in Microbiology.Her areas of specialty are industrial microbiology, bioprocess engineering, and fermentation science. In addition, she has work in the brewing industry as a QA/QC manager. Some projects she will be working on at the institute are defining the relationship between sensory analysis data and the chemical composition of wine and optimizing the fermentation of acidic musts. She will also be working on a program to offer the area wineries microbiology testing services.

Read more here.

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Save a Spawning Site for Coaster Brook Trout

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Restoration of Coaster Brook Trout and Their Endangered River

Dr. Huckins’ Superior Ideas web page

Why This Project Is Important

Lake Superior coaster brook trout are at risk. By restoring the spawning site of the coaster brook trout, we will have a better chance of saving this unique migratory fish, and we can train the next generation of scientists and educators to have a better understanding of aquatic ecology and watershed dynamics.

Project Description

Coaster brook trout were once common throughout Lake Superior basin tributaries and near shore waters, but the populations were wiped out due to over-fishing and habitat degradation. The Salmon Trout River, in Marquette, Mich., hosts the last known remnant breeding population of coasters in the area.
Our team has been conducting long-term research on the status and ecology of this population since 2000. Based on annual assessments of coasters using stationary fish-counting weirs and visual counts of fish at spawning sites, the population appears to consist of only a few hundred adults that ascend the river each fall to spawn.
Over the last decade, the Salmon Trout River has become degraded by land use and roads in the watershed causing erosion. Sand now covers the small section of stream-bottom cobbles where the majority of coasters once spawned, making the existing small population even more at risk of dying out.
As sand continues to cover the cobbles and gravels where the coasters spawn, it also changes ecosystem dynamics; we have been examining these effects as the sands accumulate in the river so that we can also study the beneficial effects of removing the sands.
In an attempt to save the main spawning site, we received funding to install a sediment collector (which traps sand as it moves downstream) in August 2012. So far, it has produced excellent results, trapping sediments moving downstream. But the sediment build-up downstream of the collector still poses a big problem. This coming summer, we hope to remove sand from the spawning site downstream of the sediment collector. Once we have cleared the sand that covers the spawning site, the collector will be able to keep the site clean on its own, allowing coaster brook trout populations a better chance of recovery. Now, we need your help to fund the restoration of this critical river habitat and its iconic coaster

Dr. Huckins’ Superior Ideas web page

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ESC/BRC Student Research Poster Forum Winners Announced

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Congratulation on the great showing and wins

from the Dept. of Biological Sciences!


ESC/BRC Student Research Poster Forum Winners Announced

The Ecosystem Science Center and the Biotechnology Research Center announce award recipients of the Ninth Annual ESC/BRC Student Research Forum, held March 27, 2013.
For the graduate students, two Grand Prize Awards, six Merit Awards were presented. They were selected from among the 59 posters and abstracts submitted by graduate students conducting research related to ecology, the environment and biotechnology at Michigan Tech.
Each center also awarded a Grand Prize to an undergraduate researcher in a separate division of 17 undergraduate student submissions this year.
Posters will continue to be on display in the atrium of the Forestry building through April 12th.
Graduate Research:
$500 Grand Prizes

Biotechnology Research Center
Ramkumar Mohan (Biological Sciences) for “miR-483, a Novel MicroRNA Expressed in Pancreatic Beta Cells but not in Alpha Cells”, Advisor: Xiaoqing Tang lab.
Ecosystem Science Center
Adam Coble (SFRES) for “Comparison  of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Leaf Morphology in a Closed-canopy and Canopy Gap”, Adviser: Molly Cavaleri
$100 Merit Awards

Biotechnology Research Center

Komal K. Bollepogu Raja (Biological Sciences) for ” The Role of Toolkit Genes in the Evolution of Complex Wing, Thorax, and Abdominal Color Patterns in Drosophila guttifera “, Advisor: Thomas Werner

Maria Tafur (Chemical Engineering) for “Reduction of Porcine Parvovirus Infectivity in the Presence of Protecting Osmolytes “, Advisor: Caryn Heldt
Ecosystem Science Center

Brian Danhoff (Biological Sciences) for “Manistee River Tributaries as Potential Arctic Grayling Habitat”, Advisor: Casey Huckins

Anthony Matthys (Biological Sciences) for “Estimating Physical Habitat Characteristics and Fish Habitat Preference within Streams: A Tool for Restoration Monitoring”, Advisor: Casey Huckins

James Olson (Biological Sciences) for “Evaluating the Impact of Culvert Designs on Hydrologic Connectivity and Nutrient Uptake in Northern Wisconsin Streams”, Advisor: Amy Marcarelli

Julie Padilla (Civil & Environ. Eng) for “An Evaluation of the Proposed MDEQ Water Quality Standard for Copper in the Upper Peninsula Using Two Multimetric Approaches “, Advisor: Noel Urban
Undergraduate Research:
$150 Grand Prizes

Biotechnology Research Center

Morgan Owen-Cruise (Biomed Engineering) for “Synthesis and Characterization of Dopamine and Nitrodopamine Modified Poly(ethylene glycol)”, Advisor: Bruce Lee
Ecosystem Science Center

Jade Oritz (Biological Sciences) for “Sand Accumulation in the Salmon Trout River Changes Gross Primary Production and Respiration Rates by Biofilms”, Advisor: Amy Marcarelli

Undergrad Merit

Keegan Yates (Biomed Engineering)for ” Divalent Ion Removal Improves Stability and Mechanical Properties of Gelatin Hydrogel “, Advisors: Megan Frost and Feng Zhao
Thank you to the participants, the judges, and all who helped with another successful ESC/BRC Student Research Forum.
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Professor Jack Holland passes away.

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Jack Calvin Holland
March 5, 2013
From The Daily Mining Gazette

HANCOCK – Jack Calvin Holland, a resident of Hancock, died on Saturday, March 2, 2013, at his home. He was born on March 11, 1925 in Alameda, Calif., son of Calvin and Della (Chart) Holland of Bessemer, Mich. He graduated from Bessemer High School in 1942 and attended Michigan Tech until 1943 when he enlisted in the Navy. Jack served during WW II in the South Pacific on sub chasers and participated in the re-invasion of Corregidor in the Philippine Islands. He was discharged in 1946 and returned to Michigan Tech where he obtained Bachelors and Masters degrees in Chemical Engineering.

The Copper Range Mining Company first employed him at Freda, as a chemical engineer in the research that led to the opening of the White Pine Mine in 1950. He then moved to Duluth where he served on the faculty at the University of Minnesota (Duluth) and consulted at St. Luke’s Hospital as a Clinical Chemist. He later directed The Duluth Clinic Medial Laboratories for ten years.

He returned to Michigan Tech in 1963 and earned his Doctoral degree in Chemistry specializing in Biochemistry. He acted as Director of the Clinical Laboratory Science (Medical Technology) degree program until his retirement as a full professor in 1988.

During his teaching career at Michigan Tech he was responsible for the graduation of over 1000 Clinical Laboratory Science Bachelor degree students, 16 Biological Sciences Masters students, and two Biological Sciences Doctoral students. His research work extended from award winning publications in clinical chemistry and cancer research to extensive work with the DNR on the blood chemistry of the Michigan deer herd. Several of his students performed research on the blood chemistry of the Finnish people of the Copper Country including research on the Finnish sauna. One of his doctoral students performed research on the chemistry of the hibernation phenomenon of woodchucks and the application of hibernation to human space exploration.

In 1949 he married Joan Maki, who graduated from Michigan Tech that year with a degree in chemistry and a registry in Medical Technology. They had three children and celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary in September of 2012.

He is survived by his wife, Joan; daughters, Jeanne (Alan) Karkkainen, Janice (Earl) Brogan, and June (Robert) Klein; his grandsons Matthew (Bridgett) Karkkainen, Kevin (Carol) Karkkainen, Adam (Courtney) Karkkainen, and Patrick (Kate) Brogan; and great-grandchildren Annika and Anderson Karkkainen, Charlie and Mac Brogan and Owen Karkkainen.

He was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Megan Brogan, and a great-granddaughter, Keira Karkkainen.

Dr. Holland frequently described his teaching at Michigan Tech a pleasure because of the intellectual quality of the students. He felt that his highest honors were receiving the Distinguished Teacher Award. On retirement, his faculty and students created the Jack Holland Scholarship in his name (Jack Holland Med Tech Endowed Scholarship at mtu.edu) which continues to help many Michigan Tech students reach their career goals at this time. Jack requested that, in lieu of flowers, gifts be given to the scholarship fund.

Arrangements will be private, per Jack’s request. The Jukuri-Antila Funeral Home of Hancock is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at antilafuneral.com.

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