|
|
|
|
|
Students/Professors
|
|
FLCC STUDENTS AND PROFESSOR VISIT MONTSERRAT FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Finger Lakes Community College biotechnology students Nola Hause, of Stanley, and Jessica Halliley, of Marion, joined James Hewlett, FLCC associate professor of biology, on a recent expedition to the island of Montserrat to study coral and coral reefs. This field experience served as part of a credit-bearing independent study for the students, who will continue to study the coral samples they brought back from their trip.
The trip will advance the efforts of two organizations, Reef Check and the Boston University Medical Campus Research Integrating Molecular and Environmental Science (BUMC RIMES) program. According to its Web site, www.reefcheck.org, Reef Check is an international program developed in 1996 that works with communities, governments, and businesses to monitor, restore, and maintain coral reef health. Hewlett and the students examined two coral reefs, one reef in an area affected by the activity of the Soufriere Hills volcano, the eruptions of 1995 and 1997 in particular, and the other reef in an unaffected area. The team examined a variety of features of the reefs including the coral itself, fish, and volcanic ash, and looked specifically for indicators of health such as certain fish present only in healthy reefs.
The group's findings are the first set of this kind of data from Montserrat and will be sent to the main Reef Check database. In addition, Hewlett has been named the National Coordinator for Reef Check on Montserrat, making him the lead scientist and coordinator for all Reef Check activity on that island.
Complementing the reef study was the study of the coral itself at the molecular level. Hewlett and the students met with a team of researchers and students involved in the BUMC RIMES program, directed by Dr. Bruce Jackson of the Boston University School of Medicine and funded by the National Science Foundation, to continue their study of the effect of the eruptions and ongoing activity of the Soufriere Hills volcano on the area's ecosystem. Meeting in January and June of each year in Montserrat, the teams' various projects focus on the molecular level, namely, organisms' adaptive responses to sudden environmental changes resulting from volcanic activity.
The FLCC team made observations on the general health of the coral and looked for early indicators of stress, Hewlett's primary research interest. Hewlett claims that this research will be useful in determining coral's response to volcanic activity and in improving the ability of researchers to examine and quantify stress in coral when attempting to predict the impact of human population development in areas beyond Montserrat, such as growth and development in coastal areas.
As Hewlett explains, one of the goals of RIMES is to build a permanent research station in Montserrat. Additionally, this program serves as a mentoring process for undergraduate scholars, creating a baccalaureate-to-doctorate bridge program that helps undergraduates develop their own research as they progress through their studies into research careers in the marine and environmental sciences. (Those interested in more information on the RIMES program may visit the Web site www.bumc.bu.edu/rimes.)
The biotechnology degree program at FLCC prepares students such as Hause and Halliley for transfer to four-year institutions as biotechnology or biology majors and for entering the job market upon graduation. The program focuses on development in genetic research techniques, genetics laboratory skills, bacteriological methods, electrophoresis, and cell tissue and culture. With faculty guidance, students have the opportunity to participate in research projects, such as the Montserrat project, collecting field samples and processing information in the College laboratory. In addition, FLCC holds an articulation agreement with Rochester Institute of Technology that guarantees qualified students entrance with full junior standing into RIT's bachelor of science biotechnology program. Both Hause and Halliley plan to transfer to four-year biotechnology programs in the fall.
FLCC biotechnology students benefit from the College's connection to Bio-Link, an advanced technological education center funded by the National Science Foundation that serves to enhance and expand biotechnology education programs.
Biotechnology career opportunities include positions in a wide range of areas such as forensics, cloning, chemistry, microbiology, and bio-engineered food. "The United States is currently the world leader in the research and development of the biotechnology industry," said Hewlett in regard to the employment outlook in biotechnology. "As a result, the market for biotechnology technicians is rapidly expanding in both the public and private sector - research labs in industry, universities, and medical centers."
For more information on FLCC's degree programs, contact the Admissions Office at (585) 394-3500, ext. 7278, or visit the College Web site at www.flcc.edu.
|
|
|
Click On Banner For More Information
|
