The Microbiology LettersIssue 2 | October 2015

Field of Microbiology Students @ Cornell University

NewsHighlights

OctoberEvents

FarewellwishestoMichelleL.ColeOnOctober2,wecelebratedMichelle’slastdaywithMicroandwishedherthebestonhernewpositionoutsideofCornell.

Callforposters!Don’tforgettoattendandpresentaposteratthe2ndAnnualCornellMicrobiologySymposium.

Presentations and Awards OlgaLastovetsky–2015-2016Procter&Gambleoralpresentationprizewinner

Powered by FOMS: FrancineArroyo-fa257|DanielRojasTapias-dfr47|AzulPinochetBarros-vap48 www.micro.cornell.edu/academics/graduate

October31stHalloweencontest

Oct2-3rdHelmannLab25th

anniversaryreunion

Oct12thMicrobiologySymposium

More pics & updates on Facebook

Field of Microbiology Students

CoffeeHour@WingHallOnSeptember25,wehadourfirstcoffeehourofthesemester.Itgaveeveryoneachancetocatchupandenjoysometastybagels.

TeamAquaticViruswithDr.IanHewson

FormoreinformationonSSWDresearchandamphipodcircoviruses,visitDr.Hewson’sactiveblogsat:http://seastarwastingdisease.wordpress.com;http://www.teamaquaticvirus.com

TeamAquaticVirushavebeeninvestigatingtwoexcitingareasofviralecology:Seastarwastingdisease(SSWD)andcircovirusesofamphipods.

SSWDisadiseaseattributedtothesuddenandmassivedieoffofmillionsofseastarsalongtheNorthernAmericancoastline(fromBajaCalifornia,MexicotoSouthernAlaska).CombiningKoch’spostulatesandviralmetagenomics,theHewsonteamhaveidentifiedacandidatepathogenforSSWD,theseastar-associateddensovirus(SSaDV).

TheyreceivedNSFfundingfora3-yearstudytofurtherinvestigatetheepidemiologyofSSWD.LedbygraduatestudentElliotJackson,theyplantodeterminehowSSaDVcausesdiseaseusingcomparativetranscriptomicanalysisofhostresponsesfromhealthyanddiseasedseastars.Additionally,thegroupplanstoexplorehowthevirusistransmitted,examinetherelationshipbetweengeneticvariabilityandheterogeneityofSSWDsymptoms,andinquireastowhetherthemolecularevolutionofSSaDVhadaneffectonthecurrentepidemic.

Circoviruses,specificallycircularRep-encodingssDNA(CRESS-DNA),haverecentlybeenfoundinhighoccurrenceinmarineandfreshwaterarthropods.MicrobiologygraduatestudentKaliaBistolasexplains,“Circoviruseswereoriginallythoughttoonlyinfectplantsandvertebrates,butitturnsoutthattheymightbemoreubiquitousthanwethought!”Littleisknownhowthesevirusesaffecttheirhostsortheirhost’sroleinfoodwebs.Kalialeadsthegroupinexploringtheecologicalandbiogeochemicalimpactsofamphipodcircoviruses.HerworkfocusesonthefreshwatertaxonDiporeiaspinthelaurentianGreatLakesandthekelpamphipodPeramphithoefemorataontheUSwestcoast.

Latest Publications PetersLab Shietal.2015–ConformationaltogglingcontrolstargetsitechoicefortheheteromerictransposaseelementTn7(NuclAcidsRes) HelmannLab Pandeyetal.2015–MntR(Rv2788)atranscriptionalregulatorthatcontrolsmanganesehomeostasisinMycobacteriumtuberculosis(MolMicrobiol) Dr.JohnHelmann–Editedthevolumeon“ArchaealandBacterialTranscription”intheMETHODSseries(Elsevier) MadsenLab Dr.EugeneMadsen–Releasedthesecondeditionofhistextbook“EnvironmentalMicrobiology:FromGenomestoBiogeochemistry”(Wiley)

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The Microbiology LettersIssue 2 | October 2015

Field of Microbiology Students @ Cornell University

NewsHighlights

OctoberEvents

FarewellwishestoMichelleL.ColeOnOctober2,wecelebratedMichelle’slastdaywithMicroandwishedherthebestonhernewpositionoutsideofCornell.

Callforposters!Don’tforgettoattendandpresentaposteratthe2ndAnnualCornellMicrobiologySymposium.

Presentations and Awards OlgaLastovetsky–2015-2016Procter&Gambleoralpresentationprizewinner

Powered by FOMS: FrancineArroyo-fa257|DanielRojasTapias-dfr47|AzulPinochetBarros-vap48 www.micro.cornell.edu/academics/graduate

October31stHalloweencontest

Oct2-3rdHelmannLab25th

anniversaryreunion

Oct12thMicrobiologySymposium

More pics & updates on Facebook

Field of Microbiology Students

CoffeeHour@WingHallOnSeptember25,wehadourfirstcoffeehourofthesemester.Itgaveeveryoneachancetocatchupandenjoysometastybagels.

TeamAquaticViruswithDr.IanHewson

FormoreinformationonSSWDresearchandamphipodcircoviruses,visitDr.Hewson’sactiveblogsat:http://seastarwastingdisease.wordpress.com;http://www.teamaquaticvirus.com

TeamAquaticVirushavebeeninvestigatingtwoexcitingareasofviralecology:Seastarwastingdisease(SSWD)andcircovirusesofamphipods.

SSWDisadiseaseattributedtothesuddenandmassivedieoffofmillionsofseastarsalongtheNorthernAmericancoastline(fromBajaCalifornia,MexicotoSouthernAlaska).CombiningKoch’spostulatesandviralmetagenomics,theHewsonteamhaveidentifiedacandidatepathogenforSSWD,theseastar-associateddensovirus(SSaDV).

TheyreceivedNSFfundingfora3-yearstudytofurtherinvestigatetheepidemiologyofSSWD.LedbygraduatestudentElliotJackson,theyplantodeterminehowSSaDVcausesdiseaseusingcomparativetranscriptomicanalysisofhostresponsesfromhealthyanddiseasedseastars.Additionally,thegroupplanstoexplorehowthevirusistransmitted,examinetherelationshipbetweengeneticvariabilityandheterogeneityofSSWDsymptoms,andinquireastowhetherthemolecularevolutionofSSaDVhadaneffectonthecurrentepidemic.

Circoviruses,specificallycircularRep-encodingssDNA(CRESS-DNA),haverecentlybeenfoundinhighoccurrenceinmarineandfreshwaterarthropods.MicrobiologygraduatestudentKaliaBistolasexplains,“Circoviruseswereoriginallythoughttoonlyinfectplantsandvertebrates,butitturnsoutthattheymightbemoreubiquitousthanwethought!”Littleisknownhowthesevirusesaffecttheirhostsortheirhost’sroleinfoodwebs.Kalialeadsthegroupinexploringtheecologicalandbiogeochemicalimpactsofamphipodcircoviruses.HerworkfocusesonthefreshwatertaxonDiporeiaspinthelaurentianGreatLakesandthekelpamphipodPeramphithoefemorataontheUSwestcoast.

Latest Publications PetersLab Shietal.2015–ConformationaltogglingcontrolstargetsitechoicefortheheteromerictransposaseelementTn7(NuclAcidsRes) HelmannLab Pandeyetal.2015–MntR(Rv2788)atranscriptionalregulatorthatcontrolsmanganesehomeostasisinMycobacteriumtuberculosis(MolMicrobiol) Dr.JohnHelmann–Editedthevolumeon“ArchaealandBacterialTranscription”intheMETHODSseries(Elsevier) MadsenLab Dr.EugeneMadsen–Releasedthesecondeditionofhistextbook“EnvironmentalMicrobiology:FromGenomestoBiogeochemistry”(Wiley)

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Oct  30th  Halloween  contest  &  coffee  hour  

The Microbiology LettersIssue 2 | October 2015

Field of Microbiology Students @ Cornell University

NewsHighlights

OctoberEvents

FarewellwishestoMichelleL.ColeOnOctober2,wecelebratedMichelle’slastdaywithMicroandwishedherthebestonhernewpositionoutsideofCornell.

Callforposters!Don’tforgettoattendandpresentaposteratthe2ndAnnualCornellMicrobiologySymposium.

Presentations and Awards OlgaLastovetsky–2015-2016Procter&Gambleoralpresentationprizewinner

Powered by FOMS: FrancineArroyo-fa257|DanielRojasTapias-dfr47|AzulPinochetBarros-vap48 www.micro.cornell.edu/academics/graduate

October31stHalloweencontest

Oct2-3rdHelmannLab25th

anniversaryreunion

Oct12thMicrobiologySymposium

More pics & updates on Facebook

Field of Microbiology Students

CoffeeHour@WingHallOnSeptember25,wehadourfirstcoffeehourofthesemester.Itgaveeveryoneachancetocatchupandenjoysometastybagels.

TeamAquaticViruswithDr.IanHewson

FormoreinformationonSSWDresearchandamphipodcircoviruses,visitDr.Hewson’sactiveblogsat:http://seastarwastingdisease.wordpress.com;http://www.teamaquaticvirus.com

TeamAquaticVirushavebeeninvestigatingtwoexcitingareasofviralecology:Seastarwastingdisease(SSWD)andcircovirusesofamphipods.

SSWDisadiseaseattributedtothesuddenandmassivedieoffofmillionsofseastarsalongtheNorthernAmericancoastline(fromBajaCalifornia,MexicotoSouthernAlaska).CombiningKoch’spostulatesandviralmetagenomics,theHewsonteamhaveidentifiedacandidatepathogenforSSWD,theseastar-associateddensovirus(SSaDV).

TheyreceivedNSFfundingfora3-yearstudytofurtherinvestigatetheepidemiologyofSSWD.LedbygraduatestudentElliotJackson,theyplantodeterminehowSSaDVcausesdiseaseusingcomparativetranscriptomicanalysisofhostresponsesfromhealthyanddiseasedseastars.Additionally,thegroupplanstoexplorehowthevirusistransmitted,examinetherelationshipbetweengeneticvariabilityandheterogeneityofSSWDsymptoms,andinquireastowhetherthemolecularevolutionofSSaDVhadaneffectonthecurrentepidemic.

Circoviruses,specificallycircularRep-encodingssDNA(CRESS-DNA),haverecentlybeenfoundinhighoccurrenceinmarineandfreshwaterarthropods.MicrobiologygraduatestudentKaliaBistolasexplains,“Circoviruseswereoriginallythoughttoonlyinfectplantsandvertebrates,butitturnsoutthattheymightbemoreubiquitousthanwethought!”Littleisknownhowthesevirusesaffecttheirhostsortheirhost’sroleinfoodwebs.Kalialeadsthegroupinexploringtheecologicalandbiogeochemicalimpactsofamphipodcircoviruses.HerworkfocusesonthefreshwatertaxonDiporeiaspinthelaurentianGreatLakesandthekelpamphipodPeramphithoefemorataontheUSwestcoast.

Latest Publications PetersLab Shietal.2015–ConformationaltogglingcontrolstargetsitechoicefortheheteromerictransposaseelementTn7(NuclAcidsRes) HelmannLab Pandeyetal.2015–MntR(Rv2788)atranscriptionalregulatorthatcontrolsmanganesehomeostasisinMycobacteriumtuberculosis(MolMicrobiol) Dr.JohnHelmann–Editedthevolumeon“ArchaealandBacterialTranscription”intheMETHODSseries(Elsevier) MadsenLab Dr.EugeneMadsen–Releasedthesecondeditionofhistextbook“EnvironmentalMicrobiology:FromGenomestoBiogeochemistry”(Wiley)

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