College of Science and Technology
LOOK INSIDE: Biology Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Biology UPDATE MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Zebrafish Researcher . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Ocean Acidification in Antarctica . . 2 The Race to Understand a Devastating Wildlife Disease . . . . . 3 Undergraduate Profile . . . . . . . . . . 3 New Faculty: Rachel Spigler . . . . . 4 New Center for Computational Genetics and Genomics . . . . . . . . .4
Winter 2014
Biotechnology master’s degree launched
Welcome to the inaugural issue of Biology Update, the annual newsletter of the Department of Biology. This is an exciting time for the department. Within the last five years we have hired 10 faculty members who have established cutting-edge research and teaching programs in cell and developmental biology, genomics, evolution, biomechanics and biodesign, virology and ecology. Our two most recent hires, Professor Jody Hey and Assistant Professor Rachel Spigler, are profiled in this issue.
Now in its second year, the two-year Professional Science Master’s in Biotechnology program prepares students for careers that focus on solving real-world problems in health and environmental sciences. From drug discovery to remediation to reduce contaminants in air and water, the PSM Biotech program is designed to prepare tomorrow’s research, regulatory and business leaders.
Hey’s Center for Computational Genetics and Genomics will provide an important base for programs in computational biology. Spigler will establish a program in plant evolutionary genetics and ecology that will utilize the new state-of-the-art plant-growth facility in the Bio-Life Building. Also in this issue is Assistant Professor Brent Sewall’s research on white-nose syndrome, which is devastating North American bat populations.
The program trains students across a variety of disciplines through evening classes, an original research project and, during the second year, paid internships. Several students have been placed with pharmaceutical companies, such as GlaxoSmithKline. Courses include analytical and microbial biotechnology; genomics and bioinformatics; and ethics, policy and regulation.
Many of our undergraduate biology majors, as well as our exceptional graduate students, are engaged in research projects with either faculty from our department or from departments across CST and Temple; three of them are profiled in this newsletter. With more than 10 students currently enrolled, the first year of the Professional Science Master’s Program in Biotechnology is a success. The program enables productive collaborative research and educational ties with the private and public sectors, and is a key contributor to much-needed workforce training for the biotech industry. In order to provide advanced facilities for optimal hands-on learning experiences, we are gradually renovating all undergraduate teaching laboratories. Currently, the microbiology laboratory is undergoing important upgrades, and we hope to have all the renovations completed by the end of the decade. Modern research laboratories and classrooms in Bio-Life, combined with new biology spaces in the Science Education and Research Center, will provide an outstanding environment for teaching, research and scholarly activities for years to come. I invite you to visit our department—online or in person—and see the excitement of research and teaching in action. Sincerely,
Allen Nicholson
Its broad, multidisciplinary nature is unique, according to Mark Feitelson, program director and professor of biology. “In this economic environment, it’s harder for narrowly trained people to be competitive,” Feitelson says. “This program allows our students to look at problems from different perspectives and gives them new skill sets to assume leadership positions in different biotechnology areas.” Rachel A. Chiaverelli, BS ’12, Bio, who—after she graduates from the program this May—hopes to pursue her PhD and ultimately run her own research laboratory, agrees: “The program gives you a nice view of research but it’s also so broad that you could easily one day become a project manager.”
For more information, go to: bio.cst.temple.edu/biotech/