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Top Stories
Undergrads, Vet Students, Teachers Dive Into Summer Research at NIMBioS
Sixteen students and two high school teachers from 16 different institutions across the United States lived on the university campus and worked in teams with professors on various research projects as a part of NIMBioS' Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) and Research Experience for Veterinary Students (REV). Click here to read more about it in Knoxville's hometown newspaper.
Cooperation and Confict
Dr. Erol Akçay is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). He investigates the dynamics of cooperation and conflict in animal social behavior and ecological mutualisms. Click here to view the video. (4 min 01 sec)
Transmission Dynamics of Infectious Disease
Dr. Folashade Agusto is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). She conducts research involving mathematical analysis and optimal control of transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, focusing specifically on bovine tuberculosis, malaria and avian influenza. Click here to view the video. (1 min 53 sec)
Biodiversity in a Changing World
Dr. Xavier Thibert-Plante is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). He studies the impact of climate change on biodiversity, specifically the evolution of biodiversity and the process of biodiversification in a changing environment. Click here to view the video. (2 min 11 sec)
Ants and Climate Change
Dr. Sharon Bewick is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). She studies how different ant species interact and how their interactions affect forest plant composition. She focuses particularly on how ant communities might be affected by disturbances in the global climate. For more information about Dr. Bewick's research, click here. To view the video, click here. (2 min 23 sec)
The Evolution of the Protein
Dr. Yi Mao is a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis. She studies enzymatic protein's role in biological energy production and the physical principles that drive protein evolution. Because the origins of many diseases lie in the malfunction of proteins, a better understanding of how proteins behave could lead to new discoveries in medicine. Click here to view the video. (1 min 12 sec)
The Fight of the Feral Cat
Kerrie Anne Loyd is a graduate student at the University of Georgia's Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and a short-term visitor at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is developing a mathematical model to analyze and determine the most efficient way to manage feral cat populations. Click here to view the video. (2 min 23 sec)
2010 NIMBioS/UBM Award Winners Chosen
Nine undergraduate students from across the nation have been selected to receive a 2010 NIMBioS/UBM award to attend the Beyond BIO2010 Celebrations and Opportunities Symposium, May 21-22, in Washington, DC. The conference focuses on initiatives underway at the nation's colleges and universities to transform the way biology is taught at the undergraduate level. The award covers transportation to and from the conference, where students will present their research.
NIMBioS Undergrad Wins Research Award
Steve Fassino, who participated in the 2009 Research Experience for Undergraduates at NIMBioS, has won an undergraduate research award from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT). Fassino, a junior majoring in mathematics at UT, won a EURēCA award in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources division.
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REU/REV Students Chosen
Seventeen students and two high school teachers from 17 different institutions across the United States have been chosen to participate in this year's summer research program at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis.
NIMBioS Undergrad Wins Goldwater Scholarship
Nathan Stebbins, a biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology major at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been named a 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. Stebbins is currently conducting research on cancer biology as an undergraduate.
NIMBioS Congratulates Its Newest Postdocs
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) congratulates its newest postdoctoral fellows, who will begin their research at NIMBioS later this year: R. Tucker Gilman, Tom E. Ingersoll, and Xavier Thibert-Plante.
New Guidebook Helps Life Scientists Navigate R Statistical Software
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis has released an introductory guide to data analysis using the R system to conduct statistical analysis and techniques widely used in the life sciences. Written by Marco Martinez, a graduate student in the department of mathematics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, R for Biologists was produced as companion material for the R Tutorial for Life Sciences seminar, held in 2009 and co-sponsored by NIMBioS and UT's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Freely available on the Internet, R offers a variety of statistical and graphical techniques used by life science researchers.
AAAS Symposium Investigates Math Applications in Biology
Under what conditions does an epidemic spread? What is the optimal way to design an effective HIV intervention plan? How does the human brain work when it makes poor choices? The answers to these questions can be found mathematically, and will be explored in a symposium at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, to be held Feb. 18-22 in San Diego.
NIMBioS Leaders Among 11 UTK Faculty Named AAAS Fellows
NIMBioS leaders Suzanne Lenhart and Cynthia Peterson, were named 2010 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Lenhart is a professor of mathematics at UT and NIMBioS Associate Director for Education, Outreach and Diversity, while Peterson is a professor of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and NIMBioS Associate Director for Graduate Education. AAAS named 11 UT Knoxville faculty members to the 2010 class of fellows, more new fellows than any other university in the South.
Congratulations to the Newest NIMBioS Recipients of Support
The sustainability of coral reef ecosystems and nutrient cycling in food webs are among the topics to be studied in 2010 at NIMBioS. The range of topics to be investigated advance the Institute's mission to foster collaborative efforts to address biological questions using mathematical and computational methods.
Songwriters, Scientists Put the Pop in Science at BioSongs Project
Todd Steed, R.B. Morris and other local singer-songwriters heard University of Tennessee, Knoxville scientists talk about their research at an all-day songwriting workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at NIMBioS on the UT Knoxville campus. The NIMBioS BioSongs Project brought together singer-songwriters and UT biologists and mathematicians to share stories about research and about the people who do it with the goal of sparking ideas for songs about modern biology.
NIMBioS Celebrates First Year with More Than 400 Participants
NIMBioS celebrated its one-year anniversary in September, and thus far, more than 400 individuals from 15 countries and 43 states have participated in various research and educational activities.Located on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, NIMBioS focuses on advancing research and education at the interface of biology and mathematics. Programs for visitors to NIMBioS began in March 2009, including working groups, investigative workshops, tutorials, and educational opportunities.
