AU Biology Research

LABORATORY FACILITIES - DIVISION OF BIOLOGY, ALFRED UNIVERSITY

Research Laboratories
The Biology Department has 2500 square feet of research-dedicated laboratory facilities, which include the Molecular Biology Labs, the Pathogen Lab, the Histology Lab, the Botany Lab, the Physiology Lab, Animal Facilities, environmentally controlled growth chambers, and light controlled growth rooms. In the past four years these labs have been refurbished and updated with approximately $240K in new equipment. There is a separate 375 sq. foot preparation room housing our pure water system, media preparation and dishwashing facilities, and two sterilizers. The anatomy laboratory is equipped with a state of the art exhaust and lighting system. All biology students are encouraged to participate in research opportunities by becoming involved in faculty research projects, by designing their own independent research projects, and pursuing ARGUS grants (Alfred Research Grants for Undergraduate Students). With training, all division equipment listed below is available for use in undergraduate independent and classroom research projects.

• Olympus IX51 Inverted Fluorescent Research Microscope with DP12 Digital Camera system
• UVP Bio Digital Imaging System
• Nuaire Biological Safety Cabinet, Class II Type A/B3
• Coy Flexible Anaerobe Chamber
• Zeiss Fluorescent Microscope with 35mm camera system
• New Brunswick Scientific G24 Environmental Incubator Shakers
• Thermo Spectronic BioMate3 Spectrometer
• Thermo Forma –86 ULT Freezer
• Molecular Devices MAXline Emax Microplate Reader
• Biolog Microstation for microbial metabolic fingerprinting
• BioRad D-Code Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) system
• SLM-Aminco French Pressure Cell Press
• Sorvall RC2B Ultracentrifuge
• Beckman Allegra 64R Refrigerated Ultracentrifuge
• Precision refrigerated centrifuge
• Rotary evaporator system
• Nanopure Deionized Water System
• Barnstead FI-Streem II Glass Still
• Microm HM310 Microtome
• Virtis Freeze Dryer
• MJ Research PTC-100 Thermocycler for polymerase chain reaction
• ThermoForma Water Jacketed CO2 incubator for tissue culture
• NAPCO Incubators
• Getinge-Castle Series 122LS Sterilizer
• Thermo-Shandon Cytospin 4 cytological centrifuge
• Turner BioSystems TD-20/20 Luminometer and thermal printer
• Tissue-Tek Embedding Center with Cryo module
• Heraeus Biofuge fresco refrigerated microcentrifuge
• Percival Controlled Environment Chamber
• Perkin Elmer 650-40 Fluorescence Spectrophotometer
• Quadrants, tape measures, diameter tapes, clinometers for forest measurements
• Dip nets, drift nets, Hester-Dendy samplers for stream sampling
• Van Dorn water sampling bottles
• Clarke-Bumpus zooplankton sampler
• Qubit Systems CO2 analyzer, O2 sensor, heart rate monitor, temperature sensor, and data logger for low- and high-range respiration, metabolism, and physiology experiments
• Millipore multiscreen vacuum filtration system
• Incubation chambers for temperature-dependent sex determination studies
• Leitz and AO Scientific Instruments bright field microscopes
• Bausch and Lomb dissecting microscopes

Current Faculty Research Projects
Bowden
- - Utilization of stored sperm in fertilization in mated and remated live-bearing semi-tropical fishes
Cardinale
- - Variations in subsurface denitrifying and sulfate-reducing microbial populations as a result of acid precipitation
- - Microarray System for Contaminated Water Analysis (with Dr. Rebecca DeRosa, SOE, Alfred University)
- - Function of Gonococcal Anaerobically Induced Proteins
Emmons
- - Antimutagenic activity of extracts from yellow trout lily
- - Habitat description for migratory bird nesting preferences
- - Genetic variation in beech and hemlock populations of New York State
Flick
- - Cellular response to debris particles from orthopaedic implants, including inflammation and T cell trafficking; T cell-mediated control of erosive bone loss
- - Biocompatibility of titanium alloys for orthopaedic implant applications (with Dr. Carl Boehlert, SOE, Alfred University)
- - Evaluation of Acid Fuchsin stains for bone histomorphometry applications
- - Quantification of viruses from environmental sludge samples
Godshalk
- - Textbook in Aquatic Ecology
- - Methods of Wetlands Assessment
Kohel
- - Effects of nutrient intake and reproductive status on thyroid hormone and calcium regulation in reptiles
- - Metabolic and behavioral investigations in leopard geckos
- - Validation of ELISA’s and measurement of plasma thyroid hormones in reptilian species
- - Ectoparasite control in iguanas

Current and Recent Student Independent and ARGUS Research Projects

Biofilm Formation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: A Sea of Unexplored Possibility
The effects of minimal fluoride exposure on the uptake of nutrients in agricultural and horticultural plants
Genetic diversity of American beech and Canadian hemlock in Allegany County
The Therapeutic potential of Viral-Vector Based, Antigen Specific, Vaccines for Oral Cancer
Tissue culture and cytogenetics of Amazon water lilies
Steady State Nitric Oxide Levels in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Physiological analysis of Growth Patterns in Two Mutant Strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Tissue culture of insectivorous plants
Anaerobic Liquid Culture of Neisseria gonorrhoeae
An Investigation into the Sources of Fecal Coliforms in the Canacadea Creek
The chemical basis of autofluorescence of oat hulls
Analysis of the Role of the Highly Conserved Region in Bacterial Quinoprotein Dehydrogenase Based on Relative Kinetic Studies of Site-Directed Mutation in Escherichia coli
Oil-degrading Microbes at AU
Effect of Cranberry Extracts on Helicobacter pylori
Statistical analysis of body piercings in AU students
An Investigation of Extremophiles in Extraterrestrial Environments
Sensitivity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to Human Serum

Teaching Laboratories
The Biology Division maintains four teaching classroom/laboratories. Each laboratory has the physical setup and equipment to effectively support the courses utilizing that laboratory space. Students also use the equipment in the research labs for many of their laboratory exercises and projects. Our discovery-based approach to laboratory experiences encourages students to design and utilize all available resources with the Division. Two of our classroom laboratories have fixed multimedia capabilities, while the remaining two are supported by a mobile multimedia system. The division maintains twelve common-use PC computers in our labs and in the Biology Student Lounge to support classroom and research work.