Department of Biology Dominates at Regional Conference

May 4, 2017

Several students and faculty members from Columbus State University’s Department of Biology recently attended the annual conference of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, the largest scientific professional organization in the Southeast.

Lauren Whitehurst, a graduate student enrolled in CSU’s Master of Science in Natural Sciences program, and Kevin Burgess, professor of ecological genetics, took home three awards for their presentation of “Implementing a DNA Barcoding Pipeline to Prevent the Introduction of Invasive Species in the Port of Savannah.” Those awards were:

-- The Ecological Society of America’s Eugene P. Odum Award ;
-- The Botanical Society of America’s Southeast Section Award ; and
-- The Southern Appalachian Botanical Society Award.

CSU’s Mu Omicron Chapter of Tri Beta, the national biological honor society, won the District II Outstanding Chapter Award. With 21 members in attendance, CSU also delivered the most delegates to the conference. Out of all Tri Beta participants:

-- Rachel Pearson and professor Lauren King were awarded first place for their presentation of “Detection of Neutrophil Apoptosis in Response to Haemophilus influenzae.”
-- Lauren Johnson and professor Katey Hughes were awarded second place for their presentation of “The Involvement of Estrogen Receptors in Astrocyte Survival.”
-- Rowan Pitts and professor Lauren King received an honorable mention for their presentation of “Intracellular Survival of Acinteobacter baumannii in Human Neutrophils.”

Other Tri Beta presentations:

-- Amy Adams and professors Elizabeth Klar and Michael Newbrey - “The Seasonal Prevalence of Female Sex Cells in Gonads of Male Largemouth Bass in the Columbus, Georgia Area of the Chattahoochee River”
-- Jeramy Belt and professors Elizabeth Klar and Michael Newbrey - “A Comparison of Age and the Prevalence of Intersex Within Largemouth Bass in the Columbus, Georgia Area of the Chattahoochee River”
-- Michael Rohly and professor Brian Schwartz - “Altruism in Colonies of Yeast Sarccharomyces cerevisiae and the Effects of Nutritional Parameters on Colony Growth and Cell Viability”

Other Association of Southeastern Biologist presentations:

-- Professors John Barone and Kevin Burgess — “Plant / Grasshopper Food Webs in Prairies and Longleaf Pine Savannas Using DNA Barcodes”
-- Marissa Granberry and professor Clifton Ruehl — “Cold Tolerance in Introduced Apple Snails Along a Latitudinal Gradient”
-- Lauren Johnson, Rowan Pitts, Rachel Pearson and professor Katey Hughes - “Effects of Estradiol and Progesterone on Nerve Activity of Procambarus clarkii”
-- Aaron Thomas and professor Clifton Ruehl — “Nutrients Modify the Effects of Predation in Simple Aquatic Communities”
-- Bridget Smith and professor Katey Hughes — “Effects of Stress on Astrocytes and Hormonal Protections”
-- Ashley Turner and professor John Davis — “Use of Methylobacterium as a Possible Protective Against Pathogenic Infection in Red Clover, Trifolium pretense”