Jeff Schilling's blog

This week middle school students are experiencing first hand the latest in ocean science research and technology at the annual Oceanography Summer Camp hosted by CMOP and Saturday Academy.

A few years ago, I made an instructional video with Caroline Fortunato, a graduate student of Byron Crump at the University of Maryland, Horne Point Lab, on the first step of DNA extraction from a water sample. We shot and edited the video during a CMOP research cruise. Who would've thought that the video would end up being viewed over 7000 times on YouTube? (Well I did but I don't want to brag.)

Lately I have been getting emails asking what is the second step. So, I teamed up with Michael Garcia, a graduate student of Peter Zuber, and went to work on it. Ben Li provided us with the protocal for field sample DNA isolation.We finished primary photography yesterday and are currently in post production. If all goes well. we should have it ready in July. For now, here is a photo showing two separated layers of the DNA and chloroform after centrifuging.

Undergraduate college students from around the United States have arrived at CMOP to work with world-renowned faculty and perform cutting-edge research. A total of 12 students were accepted in CMOP's summer undergraduate internship program. A web page is available where you can learn more about each intern, read their research projects, and find links to their weekly blogs.
Learn more about the 2012 summer undergraduate interns.

Congratulations to all CMOP students that graduated this year!

Melissa (Missy) Gilbert was spotted receiving her diploma at Oregon Health & Science University's commencement. Missy received a master's degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from OHSU's Division of Environmental & Biomolecular Systems. Missy's advisor was Joe Needoba, Ph.D. and her master thesis was titled "Nutrient Loading and Transformations in the Columbia River Estuary Determined by High Resolution In Situ Sensors." Missy now works as a research associate with OHSU's Aquatic Biogeochemistry and Plankton Ecology Group.

Nievita Bueno Watts has joined the CMOP team as our new Director of Academic Programs. Watts’s responsibilities will be to develop, refine and grow CMOP’s education program in K-12, undergraduate and graduate levels. She will work closely with Vanessa Green, who will continue her leadership role with increased focus on student recruitment and the REU program.

"Nievita’s strengths in the education pathway and broadening participation will help us build an overall CMOP education program that is vibrant up to and beyond year 10," says Antonio Baptista, director of CMOP.

Watts received her Ph.D. in Science Education from Arizona State University, writing her dissertation in broadening participation of Native Americans in earth science.

This morning, Tawnya Peterson was interviewed for the radio show titled "The OHSU Effect" on KXL 101.1 FM. The show illustrates how OHSU's people and programs positively effect the health of Oregonians on a daily basis. Dr.

R/V Oceanus Click to Enlarge CMOP's old friend the research vessel Wecoma was recently retired and replaced with her sister ship the R/V Oceanus. The 35-year-old Oceanus, owned by the National Science Foundation and originally operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, was acquired by Oregon State University to replace the Wecoma. She will operate along Oregon and Washington coastlines and assist CMOP's research into how climate change and human activities are affecting coastal areas.

Take a photo tour of the ship.

This years 6th Annual EBS Research Symposium had over 25 presenters ranging in education from undergraduates to postdoctoral scientists. The posters were evaluated by a panel of three judges and the best poster from each category was selected as the winner. Congratulations to CMOP scientists Ben Li and Michele Maier for winning best posters in the post-doctoral and advanced doctoral students (3+ yrs) categories.

Ben Li presents his poster to professor Rick Johnson on "Physical and biological controls on Mesodinium rubrum blooms in the lower Columbia River estuary."

It is always great to see how CMOP is translating our transformative research for the next generation of scientists.

On March 9th, Holly Simon (photo left in black vest) and her research group gave young students eye-opening demonstrations on how real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), SHARP sensor arrays and the Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) are used to identify microorganisms in environmental samples.