Biology

Biology Professor Dr. Laura Twersky Presents at Columbia University Seminar

Web Office — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 16:50:57 +0000

On February 25, Laura Twersky, Ph.D., professor of biology, served as a speaker at a Columbia University Seminar. Her discussion was titled, “Amphibians and Endocrine Disruption” and was focused on her research regarding the putative endocrine-disrupting causes of the declining numbers of amphibians and the increase in amphibian malformations.

Student and Professors Present Research at Annual Cell Biology Meeting

Web Office — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:15:19 +0000

Christina Mortellaro, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, Laura Twersky, Ph.D., professor of biology, and Michael Verile ’19 recently presented at the annual cell biology meeting in Washington D.C. The presentation was titled, “Can Tualang or Manuka honey prevent the rate of development changes and malformations seen after bisphenol A exposure in Xenopus laevis (clawed frog) and Rana pipiens (leopard frog)?”

Biology Students Skype with Author Ben Goldfarb

Web Office — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:12:06 +0000

Biology capstone students had the opportunity to talk with science writer Ben Goldfarb via Skype about his book Eager, the Suprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. Students read the book, which was the recipient of the 2019 Pen/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and held weekly discussions as a part of the current issues component of their senior capstone class.

Biology Professors Discuss Work at The Rockefeller University

Web Office — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 17:11:56 +0000

Laura Twersky, Ph.D., professor of biology; Christina Mortellaro, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology; Jill Callahan, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of biology; and Irene Matejko, Ph.D., adjunct instructor of biology, visited Jeffrey Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., and Elias Coutavas, Ph.D., at The Rockefeller University to discuss their work and student research opportunities. Dr. Matejko formerly worked in the laboratory of Dr. Freidman, who discovered leptin, a hormone made by fat cells that suppresses appetite. Dr. Coutavas served as a senior research associate of Gunter Blobel, Ph.D., who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1999 for discovering the function of protein transport signals in cells.

Biology Students Receive Research Grants from TriBeta Research Foundation

amarcel15 — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 16:00:56 +0000

The TriBeta Research Foundation has awarded three research grants to �鶹��ýAVPeter’s biology students for the FY’20 academic year.

Wonja Kim ’20, under research advisor Laura Twersky, Ph.D., received a grant to research the “Effects of green tea and Triphala extract, individually and in combination, on diet-induced obesity in zebrafish.”

Melissa Quintana Blanco ’21 and Giovanni Gonzalez ’22 received a grant for their research, “Can kaempferol prevent the development of malformations in clawed frog larvae exposed to bisphenols?” Their research advisors are Laura Twersky, Ph.D., and Christina Mortellaro, Ph.D.

Khawlah Nazzal ’20 is researching the “Effects of aspartame and saccharin on the gut microbiome” with advisors Christina Mortellaro, Ph.D., and Jill Callahan, Ph.D.

Biology Students Visit the Jose Marti STEM Academy

Web Office — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:26:54 +0000

Seniors from the biology capstone class taught by Brandy Garrett Kluthe, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, visited high school biology students at the Jose Marti STEM Academy in Union City, N.J. Students partnered up and covered topics relevant to biology and the experience of majoring in a STEM field in college.

Biology Capstone Class Hosting Food Drive This Month

Web Office — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 17:24:40 +0000

The biology capstone class is hosting a food drive in collaboration with Campus Ministry. All unexpired and nonperishable goods can be placed in the following locations:

Biology Department
Enrollment Services
STEM Engagement Center
Pete’s Place
The Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library
Mac Mahon Student Center

To learn more, please contact Maria Home-Gomez, president and co-founder of the health professions club, at mhomegomez15@saintpeters.edu.

Faculty and Students Present Projects at Biology Conference

jmatthews19 — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 18:46:30 +0000

Several faculty and undergraduates from �鶹��ýAVPeter’s University attended the 52nd Annual Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB) Conference held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. on October 26. Attendees included Sara Gonzalez ’20, Bianca Cantillano ’20, Claudio Amaya ’21, Kathy Wydner, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, Jill Callahan, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of biology and Laura Twersky, Ph.D., professor of biology. Dr. Callahan serves as Recording Secretary for the 2018 MACUB Executive Board.

In the first photo, mentees of Dr. Wydner presented their poster, “Project FeederWatch, Year Five: A Garden of Birdly Delights.” In the second photo, Chiara Mercado ’20, mentee of Brandy Garrett Kluthe, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Rebecca Conley, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics, presents their poster, “Seed Germination Rates from Laboratory Propagated Plants Under Varying Seed Preparation Protocols.”

�鶹��ýAVPeter’s Receives Grant for Native Plant Garden

Web Office — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 14:02:57 +0000

�鶹��ýAV University has been awarded $1,000 from the Society for Biodiversity Preservation (SBP) to create a “Native Plant Garden for Birds and Pollinators.” The garden is currently under development along Gannon Hall. The goal of the project is to restore natural habitat and promote biodiversity. Plans include planting native species such as wildflowers that will support bees and butterflies. Milkweed will be planted as a food source for Monarch butterflies and shrubs such as blueberry, elderberry and viburnum will be added to produce food and shelter for birds. Wild ginger, purple coneflower, New England aster, cardinal flower and wild columbine are examples of perennials planned for the garden. The SBP grant includes funds for expanding feeding stations used for Project FeederWatch (PFW), a winter survey of birds, which will soon be in its 5th season on campus. In addition, several students involved in PFW have been assisting in the hard work of removing foreign and invasive plants from the site to make way for native species. Pictured above is Kathy Wydner, Ph.D., associate professor of biology and director of the grant.

Students Present Research at Annual Academic Symposium

Web Office — Thu, 03 May 2018 18:19:53 +0000

Over 25 research, theses and internship posters were presented by students in science and mathematics for the Annual Academic Symposium. The symposium was sponsored by Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society, the biology department,
STEM Undergraduate Retention Graduation and Empowerment (SURGE) and the Office of the Academic Dean.