Undergraduate Research - Biology Undergraduate research in Biology at The Ohio State University at Lima. By: The Ohio State University At Lima … Continue reading →

The horse meat scandal mightnt first spring to mind for Leaving Cert biology but it was one of the more contemporary issues featuring at higher level. The paper was challenging according to Una Moroney of the Irish Science Teachers Association. Students were required to think and apply their knowledge, she said. The short questions were reasonably straighforward although a diagram of body tissue in question three was poor, Moroney said. Mona Murray of the Institute of Education picked out question four as particularly challenging as it required a precise understanding of the different characteristics and major differences between the organisms in all five kingdoms, she said. Students were happy with Section B, the experiments. Each of the three questions focused on one particular experiment, unlike last year when one of the questions featured five different experiments, Murray said. There were some good topical questions in Section C, according to Ciara OShea of the ASTI although there was a heavy emphasis on plant systems throughout, she said. The role of DNA analysis in horse meat was an interesting approach, teachers agreed, although it may have baffled some students, Moroney said. A diagram of a joint came in for criticism, It really … Continue reading →

A plant biology graduate student at Ohio University is using spent grains from the Jackie O's brewing process to grow plants as a part of his final research project. If grad student Josh Crosiers current hunch about the spent grains is correct, the research project for his master's degree could benefit farmers in the area looking for a new protein-rich source of organic compost. Crosier said compost made from spent grains could go a long way toward keeping the materials used in local farming within Athens County. Were using a resource locally found here in Athens County to help Athens County farmers, he said. I dont want to see people shipping in nutrients from Missouri, or the carbon footprint associated with that. Crosier, who owns his own landscaping business, started his experiment last year at OU's West State Gardens a research area near the OU driving range for student and faculty usage. He struck a deal with Jackie O's to use its brewerys unwanted spent rye, hops and wheat in exchange for some regular lawn work. He piles them, wet, into the back of his truck after brew cycles and slops them out at the gardens with a shovel. They … Continue reading →

Modular Science is something Tim Lord spotted at last month's O'Reilly Solid Conference in San Francisco. Its founder, Peter Sand, has a Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT. He's scheduled to speak at this year's OSCON, and his speaker blurb for that conference says, "He is the founder of ManyLabs, a nonprofit focused on teaching math and science using sensors and simulations. Peter also founded Modular Science, a company working on hardware and software tools for science labs. He has given talks at Science Hack Day, Launch Edu, and multiple academic conferences, including SIGGRAPH." And now he's also been interviewed on Slashdot. Note that there are plenty of lab automation systems out there. Peter is working on one that is not only "an order of magnitude cheaper" than similar devices, but is also easy to modify and expand. It's the sort of system that would fit well not just in a college-level lab, but in a high school lab or a local makerspace. (Alternate Video Link) Tim: Peter, what is it that were looking at here. Its very interesting looking kind of a stationary robot here. Peter: Yeah, its a machine for a biology lab that has a pipetter, it … Continue reading →