Read the latest news and updates from the Biology department.

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Bioblitz@Oxy

The Bioblitz@Oxy is a citizen science event to document the biodiversity of Occidental College. During this one day event, we will identify as many species as possible on the Occidental College campus. These data will provide baseline knowledge about local biodiversity so we can measure how these species respond to future environmental changes.

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Image for Miguel Ordeñana: #NatureinLA: Documenting L.A. Wil
Miguel Ordeñana: #NatureinLA: Documenting L.A. Wildlife Using Cameras, Citizen Science, and Social Media
I will be talking about urban wildlife research projects that I have been involved in along the urban edge and core of the Los Angeles area. I will discuss how technology and citizen science has provided new opportunities to conduct research on elusive species in understudied ecosystems at new scales.
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Dr. Michael Wagner: Nitrification 2.0: The discovery of Comammox bacteria in terrestrial and freshwater habitats

We love to study the hidden world of microbes and are particularly excited to investigate microbes directly in their natural environment. My team is interested in many aspects of the nitrogen cycle. Bioavailable nitrogen is essential for all organisms and is the main limiting nutrient for life on our planet.

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Image for Aaron Aslanian: Proteomic analysis of the DNA dama
Aaron Aslanian: Proteomic analysis of the DNA damage response
Faithful transmission of genetic material is essential for cell viability
and organism health. The occurrence of DNA damage, due to either
spontaneous events or environmental agents, threatens the integrity of the
genome.
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Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Workshops
Ever wonder what mass spec and proteomics are? Come and learn about mass spectrometry in this series of talks and workshops. We will learn about the technique and the kind of information we can obtain from it, as well as learn how to analyze the data (also applicable to any surveying technique such as microarray and RNAseq).
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Image for Dr. Stephen D. Davis: Influence of California’s Hi
Dr. Stephen D. Davis: Influence of California’s Historic Drought on Chaparral Community Structure

Chaparral shrub species of California are known for their ability to survive several environmental stresses, such as recurrent summer drought, periodic wildfire, and winter freezing. For example, many species can re-sprout from the ground after fire, and fire stimulates seed germination for other species.

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Biology Science Scholars

Two biology students have been awarded Science Scholars Fellowships!

Please join us in congratulating Chelsea Blankenchip, a Fletcher-Jones Scholar mentored by Shana Goffredi, and Catherine Conlon, a Norris Scholar mentored by Roberta Pollock!

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Daniel Stoebel: How does the concentration of a regulatory protein influence gene expression? Whole genome and mechanistic views of RpoS in E. coli

Biologists have long known that the activity of proteins inside of cells directs the expression of genes. What we generally lack is a quantitative understanding of these regulatory interactions. For example, how does the amount of a regulatory protein determine the nature and extent of regulatory interactions? In this talk, Dr.

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Spring 2016 ASP Grants

Two biology students have been awarded $300 ASP grants for the 2016 Spring semester. Congratulations are in order for the following students and mentors:

Jasmine Chen | Roberta Pollock

Isabelle Yuen | Cheryl Okumura

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Contact Biology
Bioscience Building Room 200