The Biology Department at Albion College has traditionally maintained strong programs for the preparation of students for careers in a wide variety of professions. The Department recognizes that students need to be informed about the many different professional directions possible, and that they often desire advice on the best ways to prepare to enter specific professional careers. The Biology faculty take a strong interest in their advisory function and regularly participate in meetings to inform students of career options, in hosting visits by professionals and representatives of postgraduate opportunities with whom students can interact, and by providing students with opportunities for direct [internship] experiences in areas of biology in which they have interests.
Schedule for the Day
8:45 a.m. Meet in Bonta Admission Center (100 N. Hannah St., Albion, MI)
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Coffee& Donuts (Science Center Atrium, Ground floor Putnam)
9:15-10:15 a.m. Q&A About the Biology Program at Albion along with a tour of the department with Dr.
Ken Saville, Chair or Dr. Rabquer
10:30-11:00 a.m. and 11:00-11:30: Mini lab experience. There will be three labs to choose from. Each lab will be take place at 10:30 and 11:00.
The Choices of Mini-Laboratory Experience are:
Mutualism: Investigating symbiotic relationships between termites and microorganisms with Dr.
Sheila Lyons Sobaski (Kresge, Room 170)
During this mini-lab, we will explore mutualisms in the form of symbiotic relationships among species.
Mutualistic organisms have coevolved together and rely on each other for survival. We will explore symbiotic relationships between termites and the microorganisms that digest cellulose that is found
within wood. Upon completion of this exercise, students will have a better understanding of the interconnectedness of nature.
Wolbachia and disease in insects with Dr. Roger Albertson (Kresge, Room TBA)
The presence of Wolbachia in some host insects leads to several diseases in mammals, such as elephantiasis and river blindness. In spite of this medical importance, very little is known about how Wolbachia manipulates its host at a cellular level. Wolbachia is present in every insect order and globally distributed in over 65% of all insect species. The global distribution of Wolbachia is due to its ability to rapidly spread through populations. A dramatic illustration of this phenomenon is fruit fly infections, which has spread north from Southern California to Northern California in less than 10 years. Yet, it is unknown if Wolbachia has spread north of California. In this exhibit, we will utilize epifluorescent microscopy to examine if newly-captured Oregon fruit flies are infected.
Virus Hunters ! with Dr. Ola Olapade
Bacteriophage, or simply ‘phage’, are a type of virus that only infect bacteria, and are harmless to humans. Recently, Albion College was selected through a competitive process to participate in an exciting initiative developed by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science Education Alliance (SEA). In the Virus Hunters course, each student isolates, characterizes and names his or her own previously undiscovered phage! The genome (all of the phage DNA) is then isolated and purified and sent to a lab for DNA sequencing over the winter break between semesters. Students are invited to participate in a follow-up course in the second semester to perform computer analyses of the DNA. These results are submitted to a central database, which serves as a resource for researchers in the field of bacteriophage genetics. In this mini-lab experience, Dr. Olapade will demonstrate ongoing student research projects.
11:45 p.m Lunch with Biology faculty and students.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Campus Tour
2:30 pm. Admission Session
3:00 p.m. (optional) Ice Cream Social with Biology faculty and current students
Registration is no longer available.