Graduate student Alana Lynes from the Department of Biology and Biochemistry was awarded this year's Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Assistants. Ms. Lynes received the award in recognition of her outstanding work as instructor in Genetics Laboratory (BIOL 3201). Ms. Lynes studies towards a master degree in ecology under the guidance of Dr. Steven C. Pennings. Her topic is "Centrifugal organization of salt marsh plant communities." Congratulations, Alana!
03/27/2008 -- The Genome of a Model Agricultural Pest
By far, the most successful and evolutionarily diverse animals are the beetles (400,000 described species), which can luminesce, spit highly corrosive liquids, and visually, behaviorally, and chemically mimic bees, wasps, and ants. This embarrassment of taxonomic riches has prompted J. B. S. Haldane to state: If one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of his Creation, it would appear that God has an inordinate fondness for beetles. Many beetle species, such as boll weevils, corn rootworms, potato beetles and longhorn beetles, are associated with billions of dollars of agricultural losses.
The red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, a widespread pest for dried commodities such as corn, maize, rice, and flour, and a model organism in population genetics and developmental biology has become the first coleopteran to have its genome sequenced. The sequencing, anno... More
