My research in Taiwan is becoming beyond entertaining! However, it wasn’t always so. For about two and a half weeks I have been overloaded with several experiments all at once—trying to find a suitable bacterial strain for protein expression, electrophoresis, etc. Usually, I’m in the lab from 8 a.m. to 6 or 7:30 p.m. and then go out for an amazing Chinese meal with my newfound lab friends!

Continue reading "You wanna bet? S&T's Isaac Deatherage reports from Taiwan" »

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So, I went to church. Not exactly what you thought would be the start of a story, huh? It was an interesting conglomeration of Chinese and English, and in a flashback to Rolla, I was the only girl. Prior to beginning, the priest, who came to Taiwan from France 8 years ago, handed me an English Bible with the scripture readings so I could follow along. I even joined in during the Alleluia since I recognized the tune (and the fact that it’s still ALLELUIA kinda helped).

Continue reading "Story time (and I don't mean menu-translating time)" »

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Yay! There ARE people reading this! It’s so much more fun to write when you know you have an audience.

Rachel, the rabbit. I just saw it as we were walking around the Dragon Boat festival, and had never seen one so tiny before. When I cropped the picture, I purposely left the Coke bottle in the frame for a size reference. Just one of those random things that I found entertaining.

And for anyone who is unaware, we left the U.S. on May 26, and will be returning July 22. So we’ll be here for eight weeks, with about a week in the middle where we’ll be taking a ‘vacation’ to Kenting National Park and visiting another university.

Continue reading "Taiwan: slow times" »

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Guest blogger Jaime Statler continues to share updates from Taiwan.

HEY! I know you are reading this, so talk to me! Leave me comments, ask me questions, let me know I’m not talking to myself here. I’m writing about what I think would be interesting to read, but if you are curious about anything, or want to hear more about something, just leave a comment. I’d love for this to be more interactive.

Alright, to start, I want to explain the picture of the fish from the last post, in case anyone else is confused. Yes, that is a tiny fried fish. There was a small pile of them on my plate of lunch the other day. I’ve been pretty willing to try just about everything that’s been thrown at me, but the exception is seafood. Not only do I not like fish, but I have a problem eating something that can stare back at me. So shrimp, one of the few kinds of seafood I actually do like, is also usually not an option, because they are typically served whole, heads, legs, roe, and all.

Continue reading "Taiwan: Hey you, with the face." »

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Jaime's post from Taiwan continues.

So I was wrong in my count of lab members. There’s not twelve. There’s eighteen. But I’m doing much better on names, although by no means do I have all of them yet. Every Monday starts with a lab meeting, where each member discusses the work they did over the previous week. It was a long meeting this Monday, because they are not used to presenting in English. There have been some interesting mix-ups in translation, although the only one that immediately comes to mind was substituting “machine” with “mushroom” when explaining the menu at a restaurant.

Continue reading "Taiwan: Into the lab" »

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A group of Missouri S&T students are in Taiwan this summer for a research project. Here's the latest on their journey from Jamie Statler.

So I’ve heard it said that every plan has to have its glitch, and I think our trip has already had its share, just from the travel to get here in Taiwan. First, Angela has a ridiculously turbulent flight from KC to Detroit, while Isaac, Dr. Huang, and myself decided that we had a new pilot for our flight from St. Louis, judging from the weaving on the runway at takeoff, and the bouncing on landing. If that had been all, it wouldn’t even be worth mentioning. But after that, our flight out of Detroit was delayed for three and a half hours due to a broken plane. We are all boarded, head out to the runway, accelerate… and stop. Some light is apparently going off, so the pilot tells us we are going to try again, see if it was just a computer malfunction. Such a reassuring turn of phrase when dealing with air travel, wouldn’t you agree? Well, it happens again, so once more we just accelerate down the runway only to stop and head back to the terminal. After holding us on the plane for an hour while they try to fix the problem, but they end up making us deboard and move to a new plane. Which we have to wait another hour to board. This one at least works the first time, and we finally take off. Oh, and I’m being blamed for the glitch, seeing as the same thing happened to me when I traveled to China a few years ago.

Continue reading "Taiwan: Nothing if not interesting…" »

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Tara Gosnell, an English and technical communication major, ends her series of blog posts from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas with a note about "the final countdown."


21 May

Today was more or less a "choose your own adventure" day, as the geology group went off on some field trip and biology went to the high school for an assembly. A couple English students went with the biology group, who presented a digital projector they bought for the school through fundraising. We stood outside, and I could only hear part of what was being said. I heard a prayer, they recited the Lord's Prayer, they sang the national anthem of the Bahamas, recited the pledge to the Bahamas, there was a reading from Genesis, a song called' What a Mighty God We Serve,' another prayer, and then a short speech from the principal. Sparrow, one of the biology students, said a few words to the students, and then we presented the projector and left. The whole thing lasted about 10 minutes. The students sang really well.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: Tara's final note" »

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Amanda Conigliaro, a geology and geophysics student, ends her series of blog posts from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas with a note about car repair and the continental shelf.

Today was our last full day on the island, but unfortunately, it did not go completely as planned. The geology group split from the other groups today, and began the morning heading to Fernandez Bay to snorkel over Telephone Pole Reef. Not only did we see some amazing creatures, but we also got to swim to the continental shelf where the ocean floor dropped from beneath us and we stared down into the vast depths of the blue sea.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: Amanda's final note" »

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You've read about her experiences with hiking, snorkeling and riding in the truck in the rain. Read more from Tara:

20 May

I slept until 9:30 today. Since today was our free morning, I intended on hiking to see the sunrise at a little after 6:00, eating breakfast, and then going to church to see a little culture. However, that didn't happen.

I had opened the door and was walking into the bathroom when I heard this ticking sound and a somewhat large crab scuttled in front of me. I yelped, and then realized it wasn't a huge spider and was, therefore, cool, and called for Mike to get his camera. It ran into the corner near a large hole, so I backed out and stood with my back against the wall, lest it see me.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: The crab invasion" »

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Tara Gosnell, one of three student-bloggers reporting from the Bahamian island of San Salvador, shares her latest experience, complete with pictures from Saturday, May 19.

Mike and I had just sat down with our chow this morning when Dr. Swenson came over to tell us to be prepared for anything but hard hiking today. The plan was to go snorkel in French Bay, float Pigeon Creek, and see Watling Castle. Oh, and we were to be at the trucks in 15 minutes.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: bananas and spiders" »

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Biological sciences student Scott Perdue is one of three student-bloggers reporting from the Bahamian island of San Salvador. Here's his latest dispatch, from a Friday (May 18) snorkeling excursion.

There’s a whole new world under the sea. Of the nearly 20 biology students who went on the trip, every single one was certified back in the States and dove here in San Salvador. The SCUBA portion of the trip has come to a close, and what a rough ride it has been.

Most of use divers were recently trained, by our beloved Scuba Bob, in the UMR pool and Quail Run Divers’ Quarry in Rolla. We soon found that our training in Rolla had prepared us for everything but rough seas.

Prior to the trip, we made reservations for half the group to dive on Wednesday and half on Thursday. When we woke up Wednesday morning to a rainy day, we expected to drive up and be rescheduled. To our surprise, we went out amidst the pouring rain. Bad idea.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: 'a whole new world'" »

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Our series of blog posts from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas continues with a note from Amanda Conigliaro, a geology and geophysics student, who writes about "the perfect Bahamian day" of Friday, May 18.

Today couldn’t have been a more perfect day. We woke to the warm shining sun in a cloudless sky. We began the day with visits to the inland lakes, We visited Storr’s Lake, first, where we got to see mangroves and stromatolites. We also visited Pigeon Creek, Big Salt Pond and Little Salt Pond.

The afternoon was the highlight of the day. We took a boat ride out to Bird Island, Iguana Island, and snorkeled in Gaulin’s reef. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but the reef dive was spectacular. On the reef we saw parrotfish, barracuda, triggerfish, sea fans, sea anemones, and tons of coral. The water was crystal clear and calm allowing all the life on the reef to easily be seen.

We ended the day with a visit to the local bar to relax and tell stories about all the splendor that we’ve seen. The day ended with fun and laughter. A perfect end to the perfect Bahamian day.

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Visions staffers may get weekends off, but our intrepid bloggers on the Bahamian island of San Salvador -- Amanda Conigliaro, Tara Gosnell and Scott Perdue -- all stayed busy over the weekend writing about their latest academic adventures on that island. First up is Gosnell, an English and technical communication major who, along with her fellow English students, spent time on Friday teaching similes and metaphors to some local schoolchildren.

May 18, 2007: Lost on a One-Road Island

Today was the English trip to the elementary school. It was also the first completely sunny day we've had. We rode out in a full-size van with a door that threatened to open while driving and windows that had to be propped open by hand. We dropped off one of the biology girls at the medical clinic along the way, but we passed by it so we had to turn around.

The school consisted of several trailers with grade levels posted on the doors. We split into two groups; one for 3rd grade and one for 6th grade. All the younger students were happy to see us, and the grades that we didn't visit were disappointed we didn't stop by.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: teaching poetry, watching iguanas" »

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Tara continues her updates from San Salvador, where UMR English, geology and biology students are studying everything from the local culture to local creatures.

16 May

Today, half of the SCUBA group left at 7:30 to go diving. The rest of us went to the Cockburn Town Fossil Reefs to explore. Again, it was raining. Rain doesn't seem to take away from the experience; the water is still about a dozen shades of blue, people are still walking around enjoying themselves, and all the rocks and life we're here to see aren't afraid of the water, so we can still do what we need to. Several people (including myself) learned from yesterday's experience, and wore trash bags to keep covered from the rain.

After we wandered around the fossil reefs and the town, we again ate lunch at the Christopher Columbus monument, and went to Grotto Bay. The water was choppy at Grotto Bay, so everyone ended up just riding the huge waves and trying to avoid being smashed on the rocks. It was like a giant water park. We stopped at some tidal pools on the way back to the research center.

Continue reading "Bats and other Bahama beasts" »

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Tara Gosnell continues her dispatches from the Bahama island of San Salvador, where she and her fellow Englsh students (pictured above) are studying this week.

When we woke it was raining. Woe to those who left laundry on the line overnight. Regardless of the rain, we all slathered on sunscreen. We had breakfast (pancakes and bacon), and then climbed on the trucks to head to Sue Point. Dr. Maglia was driving, so Neil asked to switch trucks. Second gear didn't work well, so we heard a lot of grinding. Scott Perdue lost his water bottle on the way, and we had to pull the convoy over so he could retrieve it. He also later poured rotten coconut juice in his hair.

Continue reading "Blogging from Bahamas: Tara's take" »

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Sally Lightfoot, a rare, evasive crab

May 15, Day 3

Two and a half days into the trip. I’m exhausted, yet ready for more. After many adventures on the beautiful island of Nassau, we arrived here in San Salvador yesterday on a gorgeous afternoon. The gradients of blues in the ocean are unbelievable, as we witnessed from our small propeller plane.

After landing, we ate lunch and went to a brief orientation. And then we had another orientation---snorkeling. We each grabbed a buddy and went into Graham’s Harbor, right outside the Gerace Research Center where we are staying. It turns out that those quizzes throughout the semester were actually useful for something---in a matter of minutes, I identified at least 15 different species of plants and animals which I didn’t previously know about. From the colorful fairy basslet to the swaying staghorn coral, I was amazed to find so many creatures to be easily identifiable.

Continue reading "A biologist perspective from the Bahamas" »

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More dispatches from our troika of student bloggers on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. This one comes from Tara Gosnell, a graduate student in English and technical communications. Gosnell is one of 30 UMR students on the trip, and is joined by fellow English students Katherine Durham, Tara Gosnell, Mike Gosnell, Neil Hamilton, Liz Hogancamp and Julie Massey.

With a little mishap (Liz having to recheck an extra bag and Tara, Mike, Liz and Neil almost missing the flight to Nassau), we arrived in the Bahamas. The pilot came over the speaker and said the walkway wasn't operational, so we had to exit the plane by the aft stairs, ducking out past the roaring engines. As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a live rhythm band, and a few people started to dance in line.

Continue reading "Blogging San Salvador, Bahamas: struggle in paradise" »

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In true Visions spirit, we're again passing the blog torch over to students at the University of Missouri-Rolla. This time, we'll be sharing posts we receive from our student bloggers in San Salvador, one of the Out Islands of the Bahamas. And in typical UMR fashion, we'll be sharing the journals of an interdisciplinary group of students as Anne Maglia, Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe and Kristine Swenson are teaching their biologiy, geology and English classes from the island of San Salvador, also known as Columbus Island (named after its most famous visitor). Amanda Conigliaro, a geology student, is one of the three students we will be receiving dispatches from. Here's her perspective on the trip so far:

Today we arrived on San Salvador from Nassau. We have a very large and diverse group of students and professors. There are 30 undergrads, three graduate students, and five professors (Wronkiewicz, Laudon, and Oboh-Ikuenobe in geology, Maglia in biology, and Swenson in English and tech comm). The majority of the students are geology, biology, and English, but there are even computer science and electrical engineering students.

Our first journey was to Graham’s Harbor for our very first snorkel. In just one day we’ve already seen starfish, spiny lobster, barracuda and a variety of corals.

The sheer beauty and friendly culture is overwhelming. The skies are blue, the water is crystal clear, and the beach sand is snowy white. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

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Two movie-related items today, completely unrelated except they both have a tie to a University of Missouri campus:

• Robert Altman, director "M-A-S-H" and "Gosford Park," died yesterday. The 81 year old was given a lifetime achievement Oscar this past February but I bet you didn't know this about him:

  Born Feb. 20, 1925, Altman hung out in his teen years at the jazz clubs of Kansas City, Mo., where his father was an insurance salesman. During World War II, Altman was a bomber pilot in the U.S. Army Air Force from 1943 to 1945. After the war he studied engineering at the University of Missouri in Columbia before taking a job making industrial films in Kansas City.

  Via AP.

• UMR biology students will learn about biotechnology from the Swamp Thing and other creepy creatures in a new course to be offered on campus next semester.
  

  Biotechnology is becoming more and more popular in movies and television, but most people don’t know where the science stops and the fiction begins, says Dr. Anne Maglia, assistant professor of biological sciences. Maglia hopes to clear up some biology misconceptions through her upcoming UMR course, “Biologywood: Unraveling Biology Fact from Fiction at the Movies.”

  
  

Technorati tags: robert altman, biotechnology

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Is this even possible? Surely there are some readers who could settle this for us, maybe even readers who actually have UMR degrees in some kind of science or something. Or maybe you just took a biology class once. That would probably work too. Please give us your expert opinion by leaving a comment.

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Stem cell research is a hot topic in Missouri this fall, as voters prepare to consider a constitutional initiative that would allow researchers in the Show-Me State to conduct any stem cell research that is permitted under federal law. Proponents of the Amendment 2 initiative are breaking spending records in a media blitz as the Nov. 7 election nears, and as is typical with most controversial political campaigns, voters are swarmed by information from both sides.

An upcoming forum at UMR on the science, ethics and spiritual issues surrounding stem cell research might help voters to become better informed of the issues. While the forum, to be held on Oct. 24, won't directly address the Amendment 2 ballot issue, it promises to be an informative session about the science, ethics and faith-based issues surrounding stem cell research.

The panel will feature two UMR researchers, who will discuss the science behind embryonic and adult stem cell research. Dr. Katie Shannon, assistant professor of biological sciences, will discuss embryonic stem cell research, and Dr. Klaus Woelk, associate professor of chemistry, will discuss adult stem cell research. They'll be joined by a bioethicist and two clergy, who will discuss the ethical and faith-based issues surrounding stem cell research.

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Imagine living in a liquid with the same pH as ammonia that is 10 times saltier than seawater. Sounds like the setting for a science fiction novel, but it's not. The super salty and slowly vanishing Soap Lake in Washington state is populated with some newly discovered bacteria, which, according to a UMR researcher, may be able to clean up some of humanity's pollution.

UMR environmental microbiologist Melanie Mormile is working with Montana State University chemical engineer and Central Washington University microbiologist Holly Pinkart to identify bacteria in the lake and its surrounding salt flats. Their work led the National Science Foundation to classify the lake as a "microbial observatory."

The trio recently discovered the bacterium Halomonas campisalis devours nitrates for nourishment, making it perfect for treating nitrate-bearing wastewater as well as water left over inthe production of explosives and fertilizers.

Normally, temperature changes in lake water cause them to turn over twice a year, allowing material like dead algae with all their nutrients to accumulate at the bottom of the lake. Soap Lake's shape and high bottom salt content prevent it from turning over, trapping those nutrients. The bottom section of the lake contains so much salt it's like syrup.

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She's just like the Crocodile Hunter, but with frogs.

Anne Maglia, assistant professor of biological sciences at UMR, studies the tiny amphibians -- specifically the decline in their populations and the malformations that show up in frog development. She recently shared her knowledge on midwestfrogs.com, an online documentary sponsored by the Chicago Herpetological Society.

Maglia hopes to learn how contaminants in the water supply -- from pesticide residue to lead mines -- effects this creature she likens to the "canary in the coal mine." If the junk in the water causes problems in the frogs, it won't be long before it becomes a problem for you and me.

Continue reading "Crikey!" »

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Some bacteria living in very salty conditions, like those in Soap Lake, Wash., can use iron instead of oxygen to breathe. A new genus of iron-breathing bacteria, discovered by a UMR grad student, could help clean up metal-contaminated environments.

This research project is just one of five presentations UMR biology and geology students are making today and tomorrow at a regional conference of the American Society for Microbiology in Kansas City, Mo.

Continue reading "Papa's got a brand new bacteria" »

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We know that jarosite is a mineral that only forms in the presence of acidic ground water. We now know that jarosite has been found on Mars -- meaning that we can also surmise that Mars once had some sort of acidic ground water. Despite all that we know, a team of UMR researchers visited Australia last year to learn more. The iron-red lay of the land in Western Australia looked a lot like Mars, they say. And they did find some jarosite at a few highly acidic salt lakes, but that didn't really surprise them -- and, to be truthful, that's not exactly what they were looking for anyway. Of more interest? The pollen they found trapped in evaporites.

The UMR researchers presented their preliminary findings about the possibilities of life in extreme environments to an audience at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting last week in St. Louis.

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Daryl Beetner, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMR, is developing a quick and painless tool to detect skin cancers while the diseases are in the early stages and can be treated effectively. While more study is needed before the tool is used in a clinic, the inexpensive technique may enable physicians to identify lesions earlier, potentially saving many lives each year.

Continue reading "Expert Insight -- Skin cancer detection" »

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Becoming a physician isn’t some wild pitch for Heather Maggard, a senior in biological sciences and first baseman for UMR’s softball team.

Continue reading "Student View -- Heather Maggard" »

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Think of them as a CSI team minus the blood and guts.

Continue reading "Team Watch -- Dilligent detectives" »

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As America’s baby boomers grow older and heavier, one researcher at UMR is helping find a way to keep the elderly on their feet longer.

Continue reading "Faculty View -- 'Hip' professor eyes ceramics" »

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Raising a glass against infection

Doctors could eventually speed recovery times and strengthen bone mass by using infection-fighting glass pins and surgical sutures to treat breaks instead of using metal pins and medical screws, say two UMR researchers. Glass, in combination with silver, provides the best defense against infection because as glass dissolves, the bone meshes with the glass to work together as one unit.

Continue reading "A Quick Look -- Biology" »

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That’s a phrase roughly 200,000 homes in St. Louis might as well have hanging in a cross-stitched frame on their living room wall, according to a UMR researcher.

Continue reading "Eye on Research -- Home, sweet (and toxic) home" »

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When you think of frog deformities, you picture a frog with extra limbs, right? Like those of the six-legged, three-headed frog found in an English nursery school yard in March, extra-limb deformities are the most common type seen by the average person because that is a deformity a frog can live with, says UMR biologist Anne Maglia.

Continue reading "Eye on Research -- 'Frog' on to this new anatomy website" »

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