Posts by Lisa McDonald

Professional Development Opportunities this Summer

Published by Lisa McDonald on 29 May 2014 in Bioinformatics, Education, Genomic Medicine, Microbial & Environmental Genomics and Uncategorized.

This summer we are offering two professional development workshops: GenomeSolver and Bioinformatics: Unlocking Life through Computation. Both explore bioinformatics, microbial diversity and the implementation in the undergradauate or high school classrooms.

The GenomeSolver workshop trains faculty on genome analysis. Workshop attendees will learn about general methodologies, standards, and processes used to annotate and analyze microbial genomes. The workshop contents will be available to aid the faculty in developing teaching modules. In addition, extensive documentation on methodologies and tools will be available via the online environment created for this project. On online web portal Genome Solver (www.genomesolver.org) will be a virtual space for development and sustaining of community. Genome Solver will assist faculty with technical issues and curricular design, as well as an online environment for the ongoing sharing of information including publication of student work.

http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/education/prodev/genome-solver-annotation-workshops

Bioinformatics: Unlocking Life through Computation is a new opportunity for high school teachers. Genomics and biotechnology are valuable tools in our quest to understand life and nature. However, introducing the science classroom to the computational and mathematical underpinnings of biology can be challenging. The goal of this workshop is to introduce a curriculum for mathematics and science education in the area of genomics (with a focus on the fascinating world of microbes). Educators will be introduced to the various analysis and computational challenges that arise in this discipline. Workflow examples illustrating comparative genomic analysis will be made available through the JCVI Metagenomics Report (METAREP) software infrastructure. The eventual aim is for the educational material to be integrated with local high school curricula requirements to expose students to both hypothesis-driven and discovery-based science.

http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/education/prodev/bioinformatics-unlocking-life-through-computation/

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The 2014 Summer Internship Application is Open and Announcing the Genomics Scholar Program

Published by Lisa McDonald on 19 December 2013 in Education, Genomic Medicine, Infectious Disease, JCVI, Microbial & Environmental Genomics, Plant Genomics, Sequencing, Synthetic Biology & Bioenergy and Uncategorized.

The 2014 Summer Internship Application is now open. Last summer, we hosted 49 interns from a pool of 424 applicants. They presented their research in the First Annual Summer Internship Poster Sessions held in San Diego and Rockville. The posters were judged by a team of volunteer JCVI scientists and the poster sessions were open to all employees, interns and their guests to share what great work they all participated in this summer.

 

 

2013 Intern Poster Session

2013 Intern Poster Session

We are also excited to announce the new Genomics Scholar Program beginning this summer and also accepting applications. The Genomic Scholar Program (GSP) is a targeted research experience program to community college students in Rockville. Our program incorporates multiple avenues of support for students through the research experience with the Principal Investigators as mentors, and supplemental professional development provided by the JCVI. Additionally, selected students will have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research conferences.

The GSP is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number R25DK098111.

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The Next Generation Science Standards are Ready for Review

Published by Lisa McDonald on 10 January 2013 in Education.

The second draft is ready for public comment through January 29th. Please be sure to take some time to review.

http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards

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Plant Bioinformatics Workshop

Published by Lisa McDonald on 10 January 2013 in Bioinformatics, Education, Plant Genomics and Uncategorized.

JCVI recently held its 3rd Annual Plant Bioinformatics Workshop from July 15-19th. During the week-long workshop, 20 scientists from the Plant Research community visited JCVI and learned many aspects of Bioinformatics from the members of Chris Town’s Plant Genome group. Attendees included undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, research scientists and faculty at various Universities throughout the United States as well as a biotech company. In addition to the on-site participants, we had 5 additional participants attend the workshop via WebEx. The virtual participants had the opportunity to sit in on the lectures and complete the hands on exercises by logging into an Amazon Cloud instance, which was set up specifically for this purpose. The topics covered during the workshop included UNIX tools for Bioinformatics, Genome Assembly, Structural and Functional Annotation, RNA-seq assembly and analysis and SNPs. In addition to JCVI’s instructors, we had additional sections covered by external instructors. Eric Lyons (University of Arizona and iPlant) presented on Comparative Genomics and the iPlant Infrastructure and Ann Loraine (UNC Charlotte) presented on Integrated Genome Browser. All sessions contained a hands-on component so the students would have the opportunity to use the tools that we discussed during the lecture portion. Watch our website for future offerings!

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JCVI Internship Information for 2013 Is Ready

Published by Lisa McDonald on 4 December 2012 in Education.

We are now accepting applications for the 2013 Summer Internship Program. We are excited to be able to continue to inspire young scientists! Last year, we received 546 applications. Of which, thirty-one interns were selected to work in diverse areas.

 

2012 San Diego Summer Interns

2012 San Diego Summer Interns

 

2012 Rockville Summer Interns

2012 Rockville Summer Interns

 

Some of the intern projects were:

  • Isolation and Characterization of Electricity Generating Bacteria
  • Characterizing the Microbial Population of Rabbit GI Tract
  • Cloning Ureaplasma urealyticum: An Odyssey
  • Comparative Genomics of three isolate strains in the actively serpentinizing Cedars Springs
  • Coronavirus: Amplification of the HE and Spike genes in human coronavirus genomes

The 2013 JCVI Internship Program is open to accept spring and summer applications. The application process includes the submission of a resume, essay and transcripts as one PDF file via our online application site. We do not require letters of recommendation.

Information about the 2013 program can be found at http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/education/internship-program/

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2012 JCVI Internship Program Is Now Accepting New Applications

Published by Lisa McDonald on 29 November 2011 in Education, JCVI and Uncategorized.

Wow! Another year has gone by. Its hard to think it is November - almost December with the warm weather we have been enjoying. However it did not start that way.

Halloween Snow in Maryland!

The 2012 JCVI Internship Program is open to accept spring and summer applications. The application process includes the submission of a resume, essay and transcripts as one PDF file via our online application site. We no longer require letters of recommendation.

Information about the 2012 program can be found at http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/education/internship-program/

For summer 2011, we received 544 applicants. Of these applicants, 30 Interns were selected (10 in San Diego and 20 in Rockville):

  • 7 high school students
  • 9 undergraduate students
  • 13 graduate students
  • 1 secondary teacher

The intern projects ranged across the Institute:

  • A lethal set of virulence factors in uropathogenic E. coli ?
  • Expanding genome transplantation: Streptococcus thermophilus
  • Random Assembly for Use in Swapping as a Tool for Genome Minimization
  • Assembling terminators and promoters
  • Developing Galaxy Tools for the Ordination Analysis of Meta-genomic samples

Good luck to all the applicants this year!

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The Mobile Lab Is Going to Sunny San Diego

Published by Lisa McDonald on 20 October 2011 in Education and JCVI.
Late one evening in January 2006, the mobile lab pulled into the parking lot at 9704 Medical Center Drive. It was such an exciting evening!! Within a few days, we had all the lab supplies on it and began visiting students. The first school in the Washington Area was Patapsco Middle School in Howard County. In addition the other inaugural participating schools were Ron Brown Middle School, Hines Junior High School, and Eliot Junior High School in Washington, DC. Since then, we had the opportunity to bring the mobile lab to thousands of students in the past 5 years.
First Class on the DG! Mobile Lab, January 2006

First Class on the DG! Mobile Lab, January 2006

Today, the mobile lab began its journey across the US to San Diego. Let us know if you see it on the highway!
As you may have seen in September, we just broke ground on our new facility in San Diego. We began offering education programming in San Diego at our temporary facility in 2007 - we have worked with over 30 teachers. From these relationships, we look forward to bringing the same opportunities to San Diego students we have in the Washington Area.
Students on the DG! Mobile Lab

Students on the DG! Mobile Lab

With the current economic environment, keeping this program rolling is challenging. Yet, it is needed more and more in the classroom. We need your help! To find out how you can help keep this science program rolling, visit our Giving Page.

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The Hill School: Day 2

Published by Lisa McDonald on 19 October 2011 in Education and Microbial & Environmental Genomics.

The day started early Tuesday with first period. Thirty eager students arrived on the bus to determine the results of the amplification of the DNA they extracted the day before. The PCR ran overnight, copying part of a conserved gene in plants, RuBisCo, that can be used to identify the species of land plants.

Loading Gels at the Hill School

Loading Gels at the Hill School

Using gel electrophoresis, we were able to load gels and run them quickly to see the results. Most students successfully had amplicons – this was a great since they had not ever done DNA extraction or electrophoresis. The samples have been brought back to Rockville for sequencing and will be available for the students to analyze in about two-weeks.
Loading Gels like a Professional at the Hill School

Loading Gels like a Professional at the Hill School

We had a great visit with the students and are curious to see what plants they brought from around campus.

We look forward to working with them again in the future!

To support our Education program visit http://www.weizhongli-lab.org/cms/giving/overview

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The Hill School: Day 1

Published by Lisa McDonald on 17 October 2011 in Education and Microbial & Environmental Genomics.
DiscoverGenomics! Mobile Laboratory at the Hill School

DiscoverGenomics! Mobile Laboratory at the Hill School

The day started early with reagent and lab preparation before we even left for school OR had coffee. We expected to do over 100 DNA Extractions as the first step in the DNA Barcoding. We arrived on campus as the first period was starting –we didn’t have class until after 9:00.

Grinding samples at the Hill School

Grinding samples at the Hill School

It was a full house (bus) most of the day and busy getting through the DNA extraction. Various specimens were brought in from around campus to determine their species. It will be interesting to see the diversity of plants on campus.

Moving through the protocol at The Hill School

Moving through the protocol at The Hill SchoolThe Hill School

 

The Hill School

The Hill School

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The Mobile Laboratory Hits the Road

Published by Lisa McDonald on 16 October 2011 in Education and Microbial & Environmental Genomics.

After a hiatus this summer, the Mobile Laboratory hit the road again today for a trip to Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Driving through the rolling hills of northern Maryland into southeastern Pennsylvania, it passed small towns and beautiful foliage. Tomorrow and Tuesday, we will be working with students from the Hill School.

The students will be exploring their campus by determining the species of plants they collect. This process is often called “DNA Barcoding.” DNA Barcoding is a standardized procedure using PCR, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to determine the various species of plants, bacteria, etc. based on conserved genes.

Stay posted for more updates tomorrow!

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