Coastal Marine Biolabs Announcements


	CMB formalizes a partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth February 24, 2010 In an effort to inspire talented pre-college students from around the nation, CMB recently formalized a partnership with the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. In summer 2010, CTY students will participate in CMB’s NeuroLab program, an interdisciplinary field and laboratory experience that provides a unique opportunity for high school students to explore how scientists use marine-derived fluorescent proteins to examine various aspects of nervous system development and other biological processes. The NeuroLab program will be also offered in an expanded format to students who are accepted for regular enrollment through CMB’s nine-day resident biosciences program. The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario to support CMB’s student-led DNA-based bioinventory of California’s northern Channel Islands kelp forest fish and invertebrates February 2010 The worldwide DNA barcoding initiative is supported by the sequencing facilities at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB), which is based at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO). BIO also maintains the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), an online digital interface and data repository for the international DNA barcoding community. To help CMB encourage the participation of high school students in creating a genetic library of kelp forest fish and invertebrates, the CCDB will perform automated DNA sequencing of 2000 COI amplicons generated by students in CMB’s biosciences laboratories. The Institute’s bioinformatics team will also take a lead role in creating a pre-BOLD user interface to remotely manage and interrogate data generated by students and other non-professionals through our educational programming. Students initiate a combined ultrastructural and genetic study of Pacific Coast hydrocorals at CMB January, 2010 In collaboration with Dr. Milton Love (University of California, Santa Barbara) and under the supervision of CMB scientists, local undergraduate students initiated a research project aimed at exploring the phylogenetic relationships among Pacific coast hydrocorals using a combined ultrastructural and genetic approach. This unique, research-based educational experience is made possible through a U.S. Department of Education College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) STEM grant awarded to Ventura College. As an organizational partner in the grant, CMB is providing the scientific training and mentorship needed for students to apply scanning electron microscopy and various molecular genetic techniques in pursuit of their project goal. The achievements of CMB’s citizen scientists highlighted on NPR’s Morning Edition January 18, 2010 CMB students from fourteen cities and two states have joined scientists around the globe in their efforts to create a DNA-based inventory of all life on the planet. Their participation in the landmark Barcode of Life Initiative was highlighted in a feature story that aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on January 18. Click here to view a slide show of CMB’s DNA barcoders in action. CMB’s Environmental Water Quality Monitoring program cited as an exemplary environmental education program by the California Regional Environmental Education Community December 2009 Funded by the California Applied Biotechnology Centers Initiative, this pilot program provides opportunities for youth volunteers to apply molecular and genetic techniques to monitor the levels and host source of fecal indicator bacteria in Ventura Harbor and the Ventura Keys. Click here for more information. CMB students tour the submersible Delta in Ventura Harbor September 20, 2009 The Seattle-based research vessel (R/V) Velero IV arrived in Ventura Harbor carrying the Delta, a two-person submersible, as its cargo. The arrival of Velero IV marked the start of an extensive, deep-water survey of fishes, invertebrates, and seafloor habitats. The research expedition was led by Dr. Milton Love (University of California, Santa Barbara), who took time from his last minute preparations to describe his research expedition, lead an in-depth tour of the Velero IV, showcase the submarine it supports, and tell some entertaining stories to our students. Click here to view a video of the tour. CMB’s DNA barcoding program cited as exemplary environmental education program by the California Regional Environmental Education Community October 2009 CMB’s Biomes to Genomes summer residential program has captured the excitement and fascination of students from around the region and beyond. Through this program, students are making bona fide contributions to a global biodiversity effort that seeks to genetically catalog all life on the planet. Click here for a description of this global scientific initiative and how CMB students are creating new pages in a genetic encyclopedia of life. CMB completes the expansion of its marine wet lab December 2009 To temporarily maintain marine specimens that will be part of a student-led DNA-based bioinventory of kelp forest fish and invertebrates, CMB recently expanded its controlled temperate marine system and larval rearing system with the help of Dr. James Weaver. The expansion was made possible through funding support by the Temecula-based Sunsprite Warmbloods, LLC., and through product donations by Amgen. Students’ achievements highlighted in local press article June 17, 2009 A local reporter accompanies undergraduate students on a field expedition to collect rockfish specimens for a DNA barcoding project that they conducted at CMB. Click here to learn about their work and their career aspirations. Ventura College students discuss the DNA barcoding project that they conducted at CMB to an audience of prospective researchers May 2009 The work conducted by this motivated group of interns during an immersive resident session hosted at CMB is highlighted in the May 12, 2009 issue of the Ventura College Newsletter. This research-based educational experience was made possible through a U.S. Department of Education College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) STEM grant awarded to Ventura College. As an organizational partner in the grant, CMB provided the scientific mentorship and training needed for students to successfully generate reference DNA barcodes in our biosciences laboratory. Ocean Genome Legacy March 2009 CMB enthusiastically established a long-term collaboration with Ocean Genome Legacy (OGL) to store archival tissue obtained through our student-led DNA barcoding efforts. Based in Ipswich, MA on the New England Biolabs campus, OGL is a non-profit marine research institute and genome bank that is currently developing a repository and distribution system to supply marine genome resource materials to qualified researchers around the world.