Locally Sourced Science

Locally Sourced Science
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  • NATURAL SCIENCES

Science explorations & events happening in the Finger Lakes Region.

  1. 08/03/2021

    LSS 113: Plant Sociability and Chronic Wasting Disease

    Horticulturist Brandon George leads a tour of the Cornell Botanic Gardens Bioswale (photo courtesy of B. George) In today’s episode, you’ll hear interviews of two Cornell scientists who are observers of vastly different organisms living in the great outdoors. Brandon George (photo courtesy of B. George) First off, horticulturist Brandon George talks about his observations of the characteristics of how different plant species and cultivars grow in their natural habitat. George talks about the concept of plant sociability in exploring the plantings in the Cornell Botanic Garden Bioswale (https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/location/bioswale-garden/). Brandon George is receiving a Masters in Professional Studies in Public Garden Leadership at the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He explores the field of horticulture at his podcast, “Horticulture Rising” (https://horticulture-rising.libsyn.com/). White-tailed Deer (photo courtesy of Creative Commons (by Mike Tewkesbury licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0)) The second half of today’s show features an interview with Dr. Krysten Schuler about the incidence of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in wild and captive deer populations. CWD was discovered in captive deer in Pennsylvania near the New York border in late May 2021. Schuler discusses the measures being taken to prevent the spread of CWD to deer in New York State. Schuler is Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information about Chronic Wasting Disease, visit (https://wildlife.cornell.edu/our-work/cornell-wildlife-health-lab/chronic-wasting-disease-risk-assessment-prevention-and) To close out today’s show, we feature a number of local science events happening in the month of August: https://freescienceworkshop.org/ https://www.priweb.org/visit/events#event=67213086;instance=20210813100000 https://www.tcpl.org/events/highkey-science-family-program http://www.communityscience.org/4h2o/ Producer: Esther Racoosin Host: Fred Balfour Music: Joe Lewis; Blue Dot Sessions

    30 min

  2. 05/25/2021

    LSS 112: Building DIY Neuroscience Tools

    Drosophila neurons expressing a calcium indicator linked to Green Fluorescent Protein (left). Do-it-yourself epi-fluorescent microscope imaging labeled neurons (right). Photos courtesy of Dr. James Ryan (left) and Dr. David Deitcher (right) In today’s show, we feature an report about three neuroscientists who have developed inexpensive “Do-it-yourself” neuroscience research tools. Cornell researchers Drs. Bruce Johnson and David Deitcher, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges professor James Ryan hope that their epifluorescence microscope and micromanipulator can be used in undergraduate laboratory courses. Cornell undergraduate student Joanna Papadakis also speaks about her experience building and using the microscope in her neuroscience lab course. To learn more, visit: https://www2.hws.edu/ryan-creates-3d-printed-fluorescence-microscope/, and https://www.funjournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/june-19-134.pdf?x89760 Eastern Screech Owl (photo courtesy of Esther Racoosin) Later on in the show, you’ll hear about how Ithaca-area birders Mark Chao and Miyoko Chu introduced passers-by on their evening walks to an Eastern Screech Owl roosting in a dead tree. We also recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander History Month by profiling the late Nobel Laureate, Dr. Roger Y. Tsien. He, along, with Dr. Martin Chalfie and Dr. Osamu Shimomura, received the 2008 prize in chemistry for the discovery of and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP for use in cell biological applications. Producer: Liz Mahood Interviews: Esther Racoosin Music: Joe Lewis and Blue Dot Sessions

    27 min

  3. 04/13/2021

    LSS 110: Studying Migration of Metastatic Cancer Cells and Embryonic Neural Crest Cells

    In today’s episode, we begin by listening again to an interview from March 2020 to re-explore how metastatic cancer cells migrate. In our second interview, we hear about a recent study showing similarities between the metabolic behavior of migrating embryonic neural crest cells and metastatic cancer cells. Tracking migrating breast cancer cells (photo courtesy of Dr. Mingming Wu) First off, Dr. Mingming Wu talks about her laboratory’s studies of how tumor cells migrate in response to exposure to chemokine hormones. This work models cancer cell chemoinvasion and its implications in cancer metastasis. Dr. Wu is a Professor in the Cornell Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. For more information, visit https://biofluidics.bee.cornell.edu/cancer-cell-invasion.html Distribution of neural crest cells in developing chicken embryo (left) and migrating neural crest cells (right). Photos courtesy of Dr. Marcos Simoes-Costa. In the second part of today’s show, we speak with Dr. Marcos Simoes-Costa, Assistant Professor in the Cornell Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. One area of investigation in Dr. Simoes-Costa’s lab is the study of the developmental fate of neural crest cells in the chicken embryo.  In today’s interview, Dr. Simoes-Costa talks about a recent study investigating what genes are expressed when neural crest cells start to migrate. The neural crest cells began to produce high levels of enzymes related to glycolysis, an anaerobic form of metabolism. This is similar to the metabolic behavior of metastatic cancer cells. For more information about Dr. Simoes-Costa’s work, visit https://research.cornell.edu/news-features/embryo-single-cell-amazing-wonder. Producer : Liz Mahood Interviews of Drs. Mingming Wu and Marcos Simoes-Costa: Esther Racoosin Music: Joe Lewis and Blue Dot Sessions

    30 min

  4. 03/30/2021

    LSS 109: Women in Paleontology; City Nature Challenge

    Dr. M. Alejandra Gandolfo, a paleontologist depicted in the “Daring to Dig” exhibit. Photo taken at a field research site in Argentina. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Gandolfo) Just in time for Women’s History Month, the Museum of the Earth has opened an exhibit called “Daring to Dig, Women in American Paleontology”. The exhibit explores the achievements, adventures, and discoveries made by women in American paleontology over the past few centuries. In today’s show, you’ll hear an interview of Kate Rowell, the organizer of the new exhibit. For more information about the exhibit, visit https://www.museumoftheearth.org/daring-to-dig/ Volunteer Lucy Gagliardo searches for snails in leaf litter during 2017 Bioblitz at the Cayuga Nature Center Later on in the show, we speak with Dr. Alexandra Moore, Senior Education Associate at the Paleontological Research Institution. She discusses how citizen scientists can get involved in the City Nature Challenge, an international effort for people to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. The local City Nature Challenge is taking place in the Eastern Finger Lakes region from April 30 to May 3. Anyone can participate! For more information about how to take part in this local “bioblitz”, visit: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-ithaca-ny Producer and Interview of Dr. Alexandra Moore: Esther Racoosin Interview of Kate Rowell: Dr. Anna Levina Music: Joe Lewis and Blue Dot Sessions

    30 min

  5. 03/16/2021

    LSS 108: Women’s History month: recognizing women scientists in the Finger Lakes region

    Similar to previous years, in March we recognize women scientists who have connections to the Finger Lakes. Isa Betancourt is an entomologist and science communicator who received her B.S. from Cornell University and M.S. from Drexel University. She runs The Bugscope! a very popular live broadcast every Thursday ~2:45 pm ET. Her followers can learn about 6 and 8 legged creatures on her Facebook account and on Twitter as well. She talks to Mark Sarvary about insects and science communication (they share a passion for both of those topics) and her super exciting upcoming adventure with National Geographic. In a historical piece, Kitty Gifford tells us about Anna Botsford Comstock (September 1, 1854 – August 24, 1930) and her best-selling book The Handbook of Nature Study. Anna Botsford Comstock, plate III. Wood engraving. Insect life; an introduction to nature-study and a guide for teachers, students, and others interested in out-of-door life (1897), by John Henry Comstock. Dr. Anna Levina is an Active Learning Postdoctoral Researcher and potato expert at Cornell University. Nancy Ruiz talked to her about potatoes, teaching, pedagogy, and life in general. Producer: Mark Sarvary Music/Voiceover: Joe Lewis Contributors: Kitty Gifford, Nancy Ruiz & Mark Sarvary

    30 min

  6. 03/02/2021

    LSS 107: Under the Microscope

    In today’s show, we hear interviews of two different professionals who use microscopes in their work. Mark Sarvary starts the show off by presenting a review of an exhibition called “The History of Glass and the Microscope”, that was on display in 2016 at the Corning Museum of Glass. You can still read about the exhibit here: (https://www.cmog.org/collection/exhibitions/microscopes). Diagram of set-up for visualization of Fluorescent-stained proteins on DNA (figure courtesy of Dr. Brooks Crickard (https://blogs.cornell.edu/crickardlab/sample-page-1/)) Our first interview of today’s show is with Dr. Brooks Crickard, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell University. He talks about his research using single molecule total internal reflection microscopy (TIRFM). This technique allows him to directly visualize proteins and protein complexes as they function on DNA in real-time. Crickard also discusses challenges he has faced as a new faculty member during the pandemic. Foldscope parts (bottom) and Instructions (top) (Photo courtesy of Sten Anderson) Student-collected images using foldscopes (Photo courtesy of Sten Anderson) In the second part of our show, you’ll hear an interview with Sten Anderson, a science teacher at DeWitt Middle school in Ithaca, New York. He recently taught his 7th grade students how to use foldscopes, flexible, waterproof, paper-based microscopes (www.foldscopes.com).  Students learned how to use foldscopes during both in-person and remote instruction.  Anderson guided students in how to gather, examine and record images of non-living and living specimens.  The purchase of a foldscope for each of his students was made possible by a Red and Gold Grant from the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (http://www.ipei.org). Producer: Liz Mahood Segments: Mark Sarvary, Nancy Ruiz, Esther Racoosin Music: Joe Lewis, Blue Dot Sessions

    29 min

  7. 02/16/2021

    LSS 106: The story of the new Cornell CALS Dean and what is new in Alzheimer’s research

    In this episode, Mark Sarvary interviewed the new dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Dr. Benjamin Houlton began his term on October 1, 2020, as the Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He is also and a professor in the departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Global Development. Hear the story of how Dean Houlton almost received a Cornell Ph.D. and how he works with farmers in both California and in New York state to mitigate the impact of climate change. In the second interview, Candice Limper talked to Nancy Ruiz about her research at Cornell University, discussing what Alzheimer’s disease is and some of the symptoms. Nancy is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate and is trying to understand what factors contribute to the development of this disease as part of her thesis. During this interview, she describes a mouse model that she uses to understand the molecular mechanisms involved. In our Locally Birding segment, Kitty Gifford talked about the largest American woodpecker (and used some puns). Kitty mentioned in her segment this recent research: The Re-Establishment of Pileated Woodpeckers in New York City Following Nearly Two Centuries of Extirpation Pileated woodpecker in Newfield, NY | Photo by Kitty Gifford. Thanks for listening and thanks to our contributors: Producer: Mark Sarvary Segments: Mark Sarvary, Candice Limper, Kitty Gifford Music: Joe Lewis

    30 min

  8. 02/02/2021

    LSS 105: Science Education in Colleges and Universities – Remote learning and camera use study; and a new course “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM”

    Kitty Gifford interviews Dr. Frank Castelli, Educational research postdoc with the Investigative Biology Teaching Laboratories at Cornell. Word cloud created by Frank Castelli using student responses. One of the greatest challenges in online learning is that students do not turn their cameras on and teachers speak into the void. Frank Castelli and his co-author, Mark Sarvary, studied this phenomenon and published a study in the Journal Ecology and Evolution titled  “Why Students Do Not Turn on Their Video Cameras During Online Classes and an Equitable and Inclusive Plan to Encourage Them to Do So,” The results of the study are discussed along with a plan any instructor can use to encourage camera use: 1. Do NOT require video cameras to be turned on and do offer alternatives. 2. Explicitly encourage camera use, explain why you are doing so, and establish the norm 3. Address potential distractions and give breaks to help maintain attention. 4. Use active learning techniques to keep students engaged and promote equity. 5. Survey your students to understand their challenges. You can also read about the study in the Cornell Chronicle: Appearance, social norms keep students off Zoom cameras Janani Hariharan interviews Dr. Corrie Moreau, Martha N. and John C. Moser Professor of Arthropod Biosystematics and Biodiversity at Cornell University. Dr. Corrie Moreau Dr. Moreau created a seminar class called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in STEM in Fall 2020. This interview touches on her motivation to create such a class especially in the wake of the George Floyd protests of 2020, the structure of the class and her favorite moments of the class. She also shared some recommendations for other educators who might want to design similar classes at their own institutions. Image of Mars NASA Rover Perseverance (Courtesy of SPIF) And, to close out the show, Esther Racoosin speaks with Zoe Learner Ponterio, Manager at the Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility, also known as SPIF, located at Cornell. SPIF is hosting a watch party on Thursday, February 18 at 2:30 pm to view the landing of the Mars 2020 mission. To find out more about SPIF, visit http://www.cornellspif.com

    30 min
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Science explorations & events happening in the Finger Lakes Region.

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