Brooke Randle News Writer brandle@unca.edu UNC Ashevilles student-run Synthetic Biology Club plans to compete for the first time in a worldwide competition taking place this October. The International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, held in Boston, Massachusetts, brings together undergraduate students from more than 40 countries worldwide to create genetically-engineered systems in the areas of health, environment and alternative energy, according to the competitions website. Teams of students work to produce projects which contribute to local and global communities while building a network of research for others to use. Nick White, president and co-founder of the Synthetic Biology Club at UNCA, said while some friends were skeptical at the thought of entering the newly-formed club into a world-renowned competition, he soon garnered the support of faculty and his fellow students. I texted friends of mine after we finished organic chemistry together and said, I want to do this and they said, Thats cool, but it sounds a little crazy, White said. I told them I was serious and thats when everyone was like, Go for it. That was the moment that I thought, I dont know whats going to happen but Im excited to see whats going to come out of … Continue reading →

Cell biology A light switch for kinases Nature.com A photodissociable dimer of the Dronpa fluorescent protein can cage kinases, making these important signal transducers controllable by light. Kinases are central to many signaling events in our cells, but they are fickle; their activity needs to be ... and more » Read this article: Cell biology A light switch for kinases - Nature.com … Continue reading →

In recent years, the Syrian community in Romania grew due to the ongoing civil war. They say they like Romania. They have their school there. But still, the refugees wish to eventually return home, they told EURACTIV.ro. We met some of them at the Tichrin Arabic School. They came from Syria, some of them years ago, others just recently. They are professors and teach the Arab children English, mathematics, Romanian language, chemistry, physics and other disciplines. They did not come locked in a truck, they did not cross the sea in an inflatable boat along with dozens of other people. Still, the ones that came, in the recent years, had the same reason for which tens of thousands risk their lives on the road: the conflict in Syria. They are part of the intellectual class of Syria. At home, they had everything they needed. They had status. Even if they support the Assad regime, the consequences of the conflict are the same for them. ISIS and the absurd rules they had to obey forced them to leave. Romania has become a second home for them. Some years ago, an ambitious Kurd from a village in northern Syria won a scholarship … Continue reading →

Courtesy Hans Werner Herrmann | The Daily Wildcat Examining the catch from an oxbow lake in the Amazon rain forest. Students who particpiate in the Ecuador study abroad program have a chance to do original research. Published Apr 27, 2017 6:00am UA Study Abroad offers more than just semesters abroad for students learning languages or studying culture. Many short-term options focus on science. One such trip is the winter break expedition to the Ecuadorian rain forest, lead by Hans-Werner Herrmann, a research scientist and adjunct professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. This is a first glimpse for an undergraduate to get a little bit of international experience, Herrmann said. UA undergraduates at the eastern slopes of the Andes, where the mountains meet the rain forest. The Ecuador study abroad program runs over winter break. Lasting about two weeks and costing, all expenses included, around $5,730, student participants of SWES 495F/595F Amazon Rainforest Conservation Biology in Ecuador perform field work in Yasuni National Park, one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. Herrmann said students have a number of assignments on the trip. They keep a field notebook, lead a discussion of a peer-reviewed paper, … Continue reading →

Senior Bilyana Petkova took first place and senior Sheldon Saccoman placed third at Beta Beta Betas 4-NE District Convention on Saturday Seniors Bilyana Petkova and Sheldon Saccoman placed first and third respectively for their oral presentations at the biology honorarys district convention Saturday at Mt. Union University in Alliance, Ohio. Petkova earned the Brooks Award, the highest honor at the Beta Beta Beta 4-NE District Convention for presenting her research on oral bacteria that could prevent tooth decay. She has the opportunity to publish her work in BIOS, the honorarys scholarly journal, and she is entitled to attend the honorarys national convention in 2018 at California State University. The convention honored Saccoman for presenting his research on the capacity to induce mutations of the active ingredient glyphosate in the weed-killer Roundup. He found that, at a certain concentration, glysophate has properties similar to a known carcinogen after examining it with a comet assay. Bilyana was an exceptional researcher and did as much work in three weeks time as some students of mine have done over a six week period, biology department chairman Frank Steiner said. Sheldon is a problem solver and managed, pretty much on his own, to figure out … Continue reading →

Standing feet from around 250,000 bees, Ellie Symes spoke about the nearly 4.25 million more The Bee Corp. is in the process of acquiring. The fact that she is allergic earned a casual mention. I used to bee-keep in dresses, Symes said, adding that she hadnt always been allergic to the primary focus of her benefit corporation. They dont want to sting you because they know what it does. Symes, CEO of The Bee Corp., cares about bee survival rates on both the individual and the mass levels. Some beekeepers practice survival of the fittest to weed out genetic weaknesses, Symes said, but The Bee Corp. looks to guide survival rates by improving software and collecting data for hive health analysis. Sensors gauging a hives temperature, weight, humidity, acoustics and more already exist, but Symes said that data is just sitting there. Were using the biology of the hive to help beekeepers, Symes said. It seems like common sense to me. If we dont have bees, we dont have one-third of our food. I love what were doing, and its a fun way to attack the problem. When Symes talks about the problem, its with a capital p. Since the … Continue reading →