Anthony and Huy presented the results of their independent research projects at the Biology Scholars Program symposium in April. Anthony’s research examines why some rhizobial species are common while others are rare, and Huy’s research investigates the nifH and nodC genes of rhizobial strains found in northern California. Both did a great job presenting their research!
Congratulations to Helen Kurkjian, who was just informed that her Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant proposal has been recommended for funding!
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The weekend before Thanksgiving, we spent a morning exploring the Exploratorium. We especially enjoyed the Science of Sharing exhibit. Briana and Helen check out the Prisoner’s Dilemma. They got it right for the one-off: both defected. What happened when it … Continue reading
Briana breezed through last week on her way to Alaska. She is enjoying a road trip before buckling down to graduate work. I think that this is a great idea, as it is harder to get away for long periods … Continue reading
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Simms lab members were very proud that senior thesis researchers Aastha Garde and Michael Paap both received special recognition at the IB commencement for their academic and research accomplishments.Congratulations to both! Aastha Garde was honored with a Marian Diamond Award … Continue reading
The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses! Pulses are legumes raised for their seed crop. They include lentils, dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas ( also known as garbanzo beans), lupini, and cowpeas, among other legume seed … Continue reading
After six months in the lab, Marriam made great progress on her PhD thesis research (including identifying the rhizobia she isolated from peas and chickpeas using 16S DNA sequence and using thin-layer chromatography to identify the AHLs they produce). Mohsin … Continue reading
I really enjoyed reading the transcript of this interview of Richard Lewontin by David Sloan Wilson. They touched on the importance of humility as a scientific virtue, and in a rather indirect fashion, how the lack of it could influence … Continue reading
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It was a beautiful day in the field! Marriam and Mohsin prepare to collect soil. It’s a very dry year. Mohsin seeks tiny seedlings. Found two! An L. bicolor and an A. strigosus adjacent to each other! The two species … Continue reading
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During this week’s lab group meeting we shared champagne and sparkling cider to celebrate Kim’s new NSF grant and Astha’s acceptance into Duke Medical School. Unfortunately, Astha was studying for midterms, so she wasn’t at the meeting.