Biolog Newsletter 2016

O n June 1st, La Sierra University held its annual Research Emphasis Week poster competition. This

event is the cornerstone of Research Emphasis Week and this year nearly 60 posters were displayed

in the hallways of both floors of the Thaine B. Price Science Complex. This event gives students the op-

portunity to share the interesting and

diverse range of research that is

taking place on campus, from biolo-

gy and chemistry to education and

psychology. The Biology depart-

ment is proud to announce that Jose-

phine Simorangkir, who works in

Dr. Arturo Diaz’s lab, was awarded

first prize for her research on the

role of COPII components in the

replication of brome mosaic virus.

This is the third consecutive year

that a student working in the Biolo-

gy department has won first place.

Josephine’s project consists of

characterizing the role that cellular

proteins play during the replication

of positive-strand RNA virus-

es, which are the largest genetic

class of viruses and include many

serious human pathogens such as hepatitis C virus, Dengue, and Zika. In particular, she is looking at

whether COP II components, which are involved in transporting protein cargo from the endoplasmic retic-

ulum to the Golgi apparatus, contribute to inducing and maintaining the vesicle-like membrane-bound

compartments that positive-strand RNA viruses create to organize and to protect their RNA genome during

replication. The results will shed light on the virus-host interactions required for proper replication com-

partment assembly, which will help in developing novel broad-spectrum antiviral strategies going forward.

R e s e a r c h E m p h a s i s W e e k

B i o l o g y D e p a r t m e n t 1 s t p l a c e

P o s t e r c o m p e t i t i o n

B y A r t u r o d i a z

T A B L E O F

C O N T E N T S

Research Emphasis Week

New Faculty Member—Dr.

Arun Muthiah

1

Dr. Natasha Dean’s

Microbiology Lab 2

Dr. Arturo Diaz’s Lab

Dr. Raul Diaz’s Lab 3

Dr. Lee Grismer’s Lab

Dr. Eugene Joseph’s Lab 4

Dr. John Perumal’s Lab

Dr. Nate Sutter’s Lab

Dr. Trueblood’s Lab

5

Dr. James Wilson’s Cutting

Edge Science Class

Earth Day & Environmental

Awareness Campaign

6

GB III Camping Trip 7

Pre-Dent Society

Environmental Club 8

Pre-Med Society 9

Tri-Beta Society

Affiliated Club Information

Bulleting boards

10

Club Bulletin Boards

(Continuation)

Department Awards - Annual

BBQ

11

Department Chair Message 12

BIO LOG

LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER June 2016

Page 1

A run grew up as an SDA in India. He has a Bachelors degree (B. Sc) in Zoology with minors in botany and

chemistry. Watching live motile bacteria under a microscope exited him and led him to

pursue a masters (M.Sc) degree in medical microbiology, which he obtained from Christian

Medical College, Vellore, India. Before moving to the US to further enhance his education,

he taught Anatomy, physiology and microbiology to medical, nursing and clinical science

students in India and Nepal. Arun’s PhD studies at Loma Linda University focused on mi-

crobial pathogenicity, in particular he analyzed the role that glycans (sugar) play in the matu-

ration of virulence proteins in Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen. Since

graduating he has been teaching Anatomy & physiology, microbiology and gen-

eral biology at community colleges in the Inland Empire. He is married to Sally, an RN, and

has a teenage son. He likes what he does ( i.e. Teaching) and is aiming to continue research in the field of micro-

bial pathogenicity.

Josephine Simorangkir working in the Diaz’s Lab. Photo credit : Natan Vigna

M icrobiology labs are fun for students because of

the “hands-on” nature of the labs, but there’s a

lot that goes on behind the scenes. Success

depends on two arms of the prep team: (a) me-

dia and (b) cul-

tures.

Media is

critical for mi-

crobiology labs

because micro-

organisms need

nutrients to

grow. Bacteria

can be grown in

a laboratory

setting at high

densities in liq-

uid medium

called a broth,

but they can also grow on solid medium. There are different

types of solid media: slants are solid media in a test tube hard-

ened at an angle, agar deeps are solid media in a test tube hard-

ened upright, and plates are solid media in Petri dishes. Media

also differs in its composition. Some of the common media we

use are Nutrient broth, Nutrient agar, Trypticase Soy broth and

Trypticase Soy agar. Media are sterilized by autoclaving. The

autoclave is our best friend because the high temperature

(121oC) and high pressure of the autoclave kills all microorgan-

isms.

Media preparation takes dedication.

A lot of what we do is very time-

consuming, as we prepare media by the

hundreds, sometime even by the thou-

sands for just one lab that happens every

Wednesday. When you factor in the num-

ber of students per quarter and the num-

ber of exercises per lab, it’s easy to imagine how this process

can be expansive. The most important part of making media is

first and foremost having good sterile techniques to minimize

contamination. Second to that is the ability to work well with

other technicians. Teamwork is more than an option; it’s a

requirement.

It also demands the ability to follow directions as changes

to the recipe can negatively affect bacterial growth. People who

have worked in media have said that it is like baking. You have

to accurately measure all of your ingredients, and then mix

them together. Dispensing media into test tubes and sterile

plates is the most labor-intensive part of media preparation.

Despite the workload, it’s still a great job because every media

technician knows that the secret of success for each experiment

lies with the media. In 24 hours, the magic of microbiology

becomes clearer and in-

visible creatures become

visible to the naked eye.

Culture technicians

understand this magic.

Growing and working

with bacteria is a very

unique and interesting

experience because seeing

how a small sample of

bacteria multiplies abun-

dantly shows how great

life truly is. Without a

doubt, growing bacteria is

a very important part of

the microbiology lab:

The only way to deter-

mine how a changing

environment affects bacterial growth is to start with bacterial

cultures. The wise technician knows that you have to select the

right medium and control environmental conditions if you want

bacteria to multiply overnight (18-24 hours).

The growth needs of the bacterium depend on the organism

itself. For example, Escherichia coli may grow quite well on

minimal medium like Nutrient broth or LB broth, while other

organisms will require a richer, more complex medium such as

Brain-heart infusion (BHI). Also, temperature greatly affects

microbial growth. Again, E. coli may grow well from 30- 37oC,

while heat-loving thermophiles like Geobacillus stearother-

mophilus grow best between 55-75oC.

In addition to dedication and skill, maintaining bacterial

cultures also requires proper aseptic techniques. Proper aseptic

technique is probably the most important skill to have while

working with bacteria (along with patience) because it not only

guards against cross-contamination, but it ensures the techni-

cian’s safety.

Knowing that

some of the

microorganisms

you work with

can make you

sick if you’re

not careful de-

mands that the

culture room

remains clean,

well organized,

and strictly off

-limits to those

who are un-

trained.

D r . D e a n ’ s M i c r o b i o l o g y L a b

S e c r e t s o f t h e I n v i s i b l e

B y C h r i s t o p h e r H u y n h , E a r v i n A y a p a n a a n d M a r i n a G a y i d

C o o r d i n a t e d b y D r . N a t a s h a D e a n

LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY BIOLOGY DEPARTMENT BIO LOG June 2016

Page 2

Students in Microbiology class analyzing data

Media Technician, Christopher Huynh, by the

media ingredients shelves.

Microbiology Teaching Assistants for the Spring quarter.

Front row, seated: Patricia Gerungan, Cynthia Gouw, Marina

Gayid, Cindy Wen Chok. Back row, standing: Christian Mata

Padilla, Earvin Ayapana, Kyle Pham, Christopher Huynh.

Petri dishes and test tubes

with growing bacteria

T he Diaz lab is composed of Dr. Arturo Diaz and students

Josephine Simorangkir, Cheyenne Feig, Phoudong Keo-

vilay, Jennifer Yoo and Jieun Ahn. The Diaz lab focuses on a

group of viruses known

as positive-strand RNA

viruses, which includes

many serious human

pathogens such as hepati-

tis C virus, rhinovirus

(the predominant cause of

the common cold), as

well as recently emerged

viruses like Dengue,

Chikungunya, and Zika.

Research interests include

the study of host and viral

factors involved in viral

replication, viral patho-

genesis, and anti-viral

host responses. Since

viruses remain serious

threats to public health

due to a lack of effective

controls and the continuing emergence of new, highly pathogenic

viruses, the development of more effective virus controls requires

better understanding of virus replication and virus-host interac-

tions.

In particular, research in the Diaz lab focuses on testing and

refining a proposed model for positive-strand RNA viral replica-

tion complex formation, structure, and organization using brome

mosaic virus (BMV) as a model system. Currently the lab is

working on two major projects that involve identifying and char-

acterizing the role that cellular proteins play in viral replication

and in forming the replication complexes. Josephine is focusing

on the role that components of vesicle transport from the endo-

plasmic reticulum to the Golgi play in BMV replication. Chey-

enne and Phoudong are working on a protein family known as the

reticulons, which partition and stabilize highly curved mem-

branes of the endoplasmic reticulum and have been shown to

stabilize the BMV replication compartments. Jieun and Jennifer

joined the lab at the beginning of Spring quarter so they have

been learning basic lab techniques and assisting on the reticulon

project.

With regards to her experience in the lab so far Jieun men-

tioned that she “enjoyed learning techniques on DNA and protein

extractions. I like how the concepts learned in Biology and other

science classes are used in research. I also enjoyed applying the

things I learned in class to the techniques and experiments done

in lab”. Working in the lab has broadened Jennifer’s view on

possible occupations that she may want to pursue in the future.

“I feel that my experience

here has positively changed

my view on research. Previ-

ously I had little knowledge

about what goes on inside the

lab beside the small insight I

received in biology and

chemistry lab and the stereo-

types presented by society.”

Work in the Diaz lab will

continue over the summer in

collaboration with colleagues

at Virginia Tech University.

D r . A r t u r o D i a z ’ s L a b

T he R. Diaz Lab has been

working hard toward estab-

lishing the most species

diverse Squamate reptile

(snakes, lizards) research facility in the

USA. We will be housing and breed-

ing >15 species of diverse body plans,

colors, patterns, and dependence on

sensory systems. We have been utiliz-

ing modern genomic techniques

(transcriptomes, genomes), gene ex-

pression (mRNA and protein), embryo

tissue and organ culture. Moreover,

classic techniques in anatomy such as

histology and clearing skeletons will be used to understand how

the reptile embryonic body changes over time to give species

specific anatomies. Specifically, we are using lizards and snakes

to understand the evolution of the vertebrate skull, formation of

reptile skin and its coloration, and the development of the muscu-

loskeletal complex of the hands and feet. With the use of very fun

toys such as Micro Computed Tomography to make 3D renditions

of embryos for study using animation software (such as the im-

age ,on the right, of a Desert Grassland Whiptail Lizard, photo

rendered at USC Imaging Center).


Page 3

Diaz’s research students. From left: Jennifer Yoo, Jieun Ahn,

Phoudong Keovilay, Cheyenne Feig, and Josephine

Simorangkir.

Last year’s (fall quarter) group of research stu-

dents sporting their best Christmas sweaters.

From left, front row: Tania Sandoval, Ronia Ali,

Cheyenne Feig, and Josephine Simorangkir Back

row: Phoudong Keovilay, and Dr. Arturo Diaz.

Dr. Diaz.

Photo credit: Natan Vigna

Above. A cleared and stained (Alizarin Red: Bone, Alcian Blue: Cartilage) skeleton of a Meller's Chameleon, the largest chameleon in Africa. This

technique allows one to study the skeletal tissue of a vertebrate in place to

better understand how organisms are constructed and compare different species to understand how they all diverge.

D r . G r i s m e r ’ s L a b B y H a y d e n D a v i s

D r. Grismer’s herpetology lab had a very

busy, productive 2015–2016 school

year. There are currently four students work-

ing in his lab: Anthony Cobos, Hayden Da-

vis, Matthew Murdoch, and Alexandra

Sumarli. However, the lab is about to get

much smaller as Anthony, Hayden, and Al-

exandra were all accepted into graduate

schools—Cal State Northridge, Villanova

University, and San Diego State University,

respectively—to continue their studies.

This year, Alexandra Sumarli had her

paper describing a new species of skink

from Peninsular Malaysia accepted and, once published, it will be her

second peer-reviewed paper published while working under Dr. Gris-

mer. Both Anthony and Hayden published their first peer-reviewed

papers this year with Anthony’s paper describing a new species of

Gecko and Hayden’s paper describing a new species of frog, both of

which were from Peninsular Malaysia.

Matthew is currently working on a few projects. He has been

working on a comprehensive study of the evolution of Geckos from the

Cardamom mountains in Cambodia, a study of the body sizes and char-

acteristics of cave-dwelling Geckos, and a checklist of the biodiversity

found on an island off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Dr. Grismer and his students all had the opportunity to pre-

sent their research at the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Rep-

tiles meeting at Kansas University during the summer of 2015 and the

following week they headed to Malaysia to expand their projects and

collect more data.

Lastly, Dr. Grimser’s lab

has received its second round of

funding from the National Geo-

graphic Society and has recently

been invited to do survey work in

mountains and limestone for-

mations in Myanmar.

D r. Joseph’s research laboratory focuses on the effects of oxidative stress on bone-like cells. Oxida-

tive stress

can cause

cells to mu-

tate and may lead to can-

cer and metabolic diseas-

es. Research in the labor-

atory focuses on cellular

mechanisms that counter-

act the effects of oxida-

tive stress on bone cell cultures. Recently, the research

laboratory has also acquired an additional cell line (human

pancreatic cancer cells – Panc-1 CRL 1469). This new cell

line is used to study the anti-cancer effects of EGCG (an

active ingredient in green tea) on human pancreatic cancer

cells. Students who work in the lab develop critical think-

ing and problem solving skills. They also are given the

opportunity to learn and apply several biomedical research

techniques. Part of the undergraduate research team is

featured in the picture below: [From left to right: Samuel

Bolivar, Kevin Bautista, Kelly Fong, Abigail Rodriguez,

Nok Hang (Tony) Lai]. At the end of each school year, the

data generated in the laboratory through individual student’s projects are analyzed and displayed. Students get the opportunity to present their

work during Research Emphasis Week at La Sierra University and at the international Experimental Biology Meetings, upon acceptance of any

poster abstracts submitted.

D r . J o s e p h ’ s L A b


Page 4

Dr. Grismer and new lab member, Zoe

Top: New species of frog de-

scribed in Hayden’s paper.

Left: Hayden Davis (left) and

Anthony Cobos off the coast of

Northeast Malaysia.

Left: Alexandra Sumarli holding a Fijian iguana. Top. Matthew Murdoch

holding a Reticulated Python caught in

Kelantan, Malaysia.

T he Sutter lab studies how the genomes of dogs, horses and rabbits are altered via events in domestication.

Domestication is fairly rare: only about 1% of the 4000 mammal species have been domesticated. Further-

more, a number of striking changes to certain traits accompany domestication as a result of intense selection

by breeders: body size changes radically, other skeletal shape changes ensue (think of a dachshund’s legs or a

bulldogs snout, for example) and coat coloration and patterns diversify. We aim to understand how SINE

(short interspersed elements) retrotransposon insertions into genes may enable these rapid changes in traits.

SINEs are known to disrupt normal gene splicing and expression levels and we have therefore created catalogs

of thousands of SINEs inserted in the dog, horse and rabbit genomes in order to check for possible gene dis-

ruptions. We are also using these datasets to study genes controlling rabbit body size varia-

tion.

D r . P e r u m a l ’ s L a b

B y C h a n M e e ( E s t h e r ) L e e

D r . S u t t e r ’ s L a b

O ur lab has seen some interesting developments this year; first we had the addition of three new sopho-mores, Eugenie Choi, Tristan Luu and myself to the group, which included Somyung Ji and Victoria

Nguyen who are seniors and Fred Choi who is a junior. Then we had a rude awaking to the reality of ecologi-

cal research when our planned experiments of a large batch of plants growing in the greenhouse was attacked by what we deduced was a field mice which chewed the base of most plants. So we had to reinstate the experi-

ment in the growth chamber in the research lab itself. So currently we are working on an experiment to deter-

mine how various pollutants affects the growth and establishment of Zea mays (corn). We decided to use deter-gent, vinegar, and motor oil as the pollutants.

As we moved forward with the experiment, we are confronted with more challenges. We had some issues with

the growth chamber particularly with the lightings which were rather intermittent so we had to improvise some additional lightings and to ensure that all the specimens studied were getting uniform exposure to the lights we

moved the plants randomly throughout the duration of the treatment.

We are about to gather the data from the experiments and are looking at plant height, leaf area, biomass, and root-shoot ratio to conclude this experiment. We are all excited to find the real relationship between pollutants

and plants. We will be analyzing the data using various statistical methods and are working on having a poster

to be presented at the research emphasis week in June, 2016.


Page 5

T he adventures in aquatic physiology continue in

the Trublood lab. This year we had the pleasure

of being the proud parents of approximately 10,000

octopus babies. We were very fortunate to have sever-

al of our Red Octopus (Octopus rubescens) deposit

and brood eggs in our lab. Shauna Cyr and Luke

Gardner did a great job caring for and attempting to

rear this huge number of offspring. Besides working

with the babies, we also collected data on the effect of

ocean acidification on metabolism and critical oxygen partial pressure in

this species.

When she wasn’t wrestling octopus in the aquaria room, Sophomore

research student Shauna was at the lab bench working on muscle en-

zyme kinetics from two ectomorphs of Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis

macrochirus). Her work on this project was presented at the 2016 Socie-

ty of Integrative and Compar-

ative Biology annual meeting

in Portland, Oregon.

Collective it has been a great

year for research. This sum-

mer will be spent wrestling

octopi, grinding fish tissue, catching salps, gathering more data, and

working the data up for publication.

Dr. Trueblood’s Researchers Testimonials

Being a part of Dr. Trueblood’s lab is a ton of fun and a great learning experience. Learning hands on lets you implement what you've studied in the classroom and apply it in the lab. I especially enjoy working with the octopus and seeing what intelligent crea-tures they are. Dr. Trueblood is a great teacher and mentor because he always makes sure you understand the experi-ments, loves answering my millions of questions, and makes lab fun by hiding fart (motion-sensor) machines

around for us to find. - Shauna Cyr

Working with Dr. Trueblood has been a great and motivating experience. There are many things I've learned by being an active participant of his research team. Work-ing with Dr. Trueblood over the past 2 years, I had the privileged of observing vari-ous different deep sea critters, especially one of his favorites, the octopus. I have had a lot of memorable hands on experience in his lab of which I found most benefi-cial was learning how to critically analyze scientific journals. With this new and devel-oping skill one day I will write a scientific article of my own. The experience of work-ing with Dr. Trueblood has opened my eyes to new and different branches of science, making it one of my most memorable educational experiences. -Luke Gardner

D r . T r u e b l o o d ’ s L a b

Right figure: Agarose gel electrophoresis is a simple means of genotyping SINE insertion polymor-

phisms. This gel shows a dog SINE that is polymorphic: it is inserted into a particular locus in some

genome copies but not inserted in others.

From left: Tristan Luu, Somyung Ji, Chan Mee Lee, Eugenie Choi,

Victoria Nguyen, Dr. Perumal, and Fred Choi.

From left: Dr. Nate Sutter, Alexis Chrispens,

Jordan Orosco and Jose Salome Correa.

Left: baby octopus, approx. size 2mm. Right Adult octopus in a respirometer,

approx. 200 grams.

S tudents enrolled in the Science at the Cutting Edge class, Biology 410, attended the Experimental Biology Conference at the San

Diego Convention Center on April 3rd, 2016. This

annual meeting is a time when many different researchers and

scientists come together to present and explore recent scientific

studies. In addition, this conference showcases new technologies

that can be used in research labs. In total, over 14,000 scientists

attended, as well as six sponsoring societies in areas associated

with biochemistry, anatomy, and nutrition, among others. People

who attend this conference range from well-experienced re-

searchers to undergraduates who are eager to explore a career in

science. This conference gave the Biology 410 students an inside

look into how scientists interact with one another in the research

field. Overall, the Experimental Biology Conference is a great

opportunity to learn more about various research fields and also get an inside view on life as a scientist.

D r . J a m e s W i l s o n ’ s

S c i e n c e A t t h e C u t t i n g E d g e C l a s s

B y C a s s a n d r a S a v a l a & B r e t t M c k e a n

O n April 22,

students, pro-

fessors and

staff gathered

at Cossentine Hall for our

yearly Earth Day and

Environmental Campaign

Assembly. On this offi-

cial world-wide Earth

Day, we are reminded of

the importance of creating awareness and individual consciousness on a

cause that affects us all. Three students and Environmental club mem-

bers; Shauna Cyr, Joseph Ramos and Alexandra Sumarli presented on

the following topics: History of Earth Day, The Water Conservation and

Climate Change, respectively.

In her talk Alexandra Sumarli mentioned

that underground water extracted from within the La

Sierra campus property is used to water the green

areas on campus. Even though this water may seem

“free of charge” eventually the depletion of these

pockets of underground water will leave the ground

unstable, resulting in sink holes. This information

incentivizes us to make changes on our own campus.

Nevertheless, it is important to point out that several

areas, especially around Price Science Complex,

Cossentine Hall and Palmer Hall, have been popu-

lated with desert and native vegetation to reduce

water usage while maintaining a beautiful land-

scape.

The annual Environmental Awareness

Campaign concluded its campus evaluation for 2016 by recognizing

those departments that best complied with the following guidelines:

energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling and general impressions

on environmental awareness. The four volunteer judges that came and

evaluated each department building and several administration offices

this year were Tom Hutchinson from CL Industrial Coatings, Alma

Wagner who is a Project Manager at Bernard’s, Ronald Liu and John

Sanger with Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful. The Department of

Biology won first place while the Department of History, Politics and

Sociology and the Department of English finished in second and third

place, respectively.

Once again and to conclude the event, Dr. Perumal, the creator of this

campaign since 2006, encouraged all the participants to make a differ-

ence and be conscious of our actions towards the environment.

* A special thanks to the Provost office and to Dr. Schmidt from the CAS office

for their support and participation.


Page 6

Earth Day & Environmental Awareness Campaign By Pamela Fernández

Group of students who attended the conference lead by Dr. Wilson.

Dr. Adeny Schmidt, CAS

Dean presenting a certifi-

cate of appreciation to

Mrs. Alma Wagner, one of

the volunteer judges.

From left: Dr. Trueblood, Biology Dept. Chair; Dr. McBride, English Dept. Professor, Dr. Schmidt,

CAS Dean; Dr. Howe, History, Politics and Sociology Dept. Chair. Speakers: Alexandra Sumarli,

Joseph Ramos, Shauna Cyr & Dr. John Perumal, Biology Dept. Professor and Env. Club sponsor.

classic all-American pancake-and-egg breakfast. The breakfast was complimented with a brilliant sky bursting with an array of vibrant colors. Group 2 led out in a song service and wor-ship, after which the campers split into three groups. The first set out on a hike to the top of the mountain nearby, while the second went back to where the car waited, from the night before. The last group stayed in camp, and explored the near-by rock formations. Everyone met back at camp for the spaghetti and sal-ad lunch prepared by Group 3. In the late afternoon, Dr. Pe-rumal took the group on a nature walk where he pointed out various adaptations in desert plants, including the spines be-ing considered ‘modified leaves’ on cacti, or the fleshy modi-fied stems, leaves and roots that store water in succulents. We ended the hike with a sundown worship led by Alejan-drina. Sunday began abruptly at five fifty in the morning. A loud rustling on the side of our tents followed by Dr. Perumal exclaiming, “It’s morning! Time to get up!” could be heard throughout the camp. Scratched by desert plants and rocks, burned by the scorching sun and dirty from three days with-out a proper bathroom facility, the students left the campsite with so much more than just cuts, burns and dirt. They left with a sense of closeness and unity that only spending time together in the beauty nature can accomplish.

G B I I I C a m p i n g T r i p A t E d m u n d J a e g e r S a n c t u a r y

B y S h a u n a A s h l o c k


Page 7

O n Friday, April 22nd 2016, thirty-five Gen-eral Biology III students spent Earth Day

stuffing supplies and camping gear into vehicles. With high spirits, the group headed to the Edmund Jaeger Nature Sanctuary. The Edmund Jaeger Nature Sanctuary is about 50 miles east of Indio and a little past Joshua Tree Na-tional Park. The Bureau of Land Management has en-trusted this plot of land to La Sierra University. During our stay, some rules were implemented to preserve the natural habitat, and protect the wildlife in the area. This entailed digging a hole for biodegradable waste not too far from the canopy where food was prepared, and taking back any recyclables in plastic bags. As evening set in on the first day, amidst the hustle and bustle of setting up camp and figuring out the perfect place to pitch tents, Dr. Perumal began making his infamous Laksa: a popular Malaysian curry fusion with Chinese and Indian influences, served over rice noodles garnished with bean sprouts, and shreds of thinly sliced tofu, gluten and eggs. While the pots were cooking, Dr. Perumal received a call that one of the students took a wrong turn, and got his vehicle hopelessly stuck in the sand. This was the first of many sand-related vehicle mishaps on the trip! Well into the evening, after hours of pushing and pulling, the gang of students that volunteered to help free the vehicle fi-nally threw in the towel and came back to camp hun-gry and tired. Once everyone had their fill of second and third helpings of Laksa, the group migrated to-wards the campfire where marshmallows were being roasted for s’mores, Group 1 led out in vespers. On day two, we were awoken to the smell of a

Some of

the desert

vegetation

found in

the area

Campsite view

T he Pre-Dental Society is an organization on campus, whose goal is to guide students through the dental admissions process and offer

opportunities to be involved in the field of dentistry both in and outside of campus. Throughout the years, each and every one of the

officers have been accepted to Dental Schools across the country. The club does the best it can to offer students opportunities to net-

work with other pre-dental students and dental schools. Some of the activities that took place during the 2015-2016 school year in-

clude a dinner with the LLUSD ASDA chapter, multiple mini interviews with dental stu-

dents, Informative Meetings, PAT NIGHTS, and involvement in campus activities.

The dinner with the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry – American Stu-

dent Dental Association chapter took place in the Fall Quarter of 2015 at Prince Hall. Pre-

Dental students were dressed in professional attire and were introduced to several current

first-year dental (D-1) students while enjoying a prepared meal. After the introductions,

students were then allowed to engage in a Q&A with the D-1 students. Many great and

interesting questions surfaced on the floor, many of which will come valuable to those ap-

plying in the near future. After the Q&A, the students were given a tour of the dental

school, which included the two Simulation Labs and the main Dental Clinic.

The second time the Pre-Dental Society met with the LLUSD-ASDA students it

was with the Speed-Dating event that took place once more at Prince Hall. This time

around, however, students engaged with the D-1 students in an interview manner. The D-1

students asked the Pre-Dental students questions in order to simulate a real interview. After

the Speed-Dating event, some of the students were taken to bowl and socialize with each

other outside the classroom setting.

Most other nights, the Pre-Dental Society has met on campus at Cossentine Hall

for PAT NIGHT. PAT NIGHT is an evening in which the officers of the society share their

knowledge of the PAT, the perceptual ability portion of the DAT exam, by showing stu-

dents how to solve the different types of problem sets they will face when preparing and

taking the real PAT.

The Pre-Dental Society has kept a presence on club activities as well, with the

club taking part in events such as the HUB Fair, Festival of Nations, and the Year-End-

Spectacular (YES). The club tries as much as it can to keep a known presence on campus in

order to keep recruiting members. The club’s goal is to help ignite the passion and

knowledge of pre-dental students who want to make a difference not only in their lives but

that of others through dentistry.

P r e – D e n t S o c i e t y

B y A l f r e d o M a r t i n e z

T his year the Environmental

Club had many successful

events, including hikes, campouts,

fundraisers, fairs and recycling

drives. We had a great group of

members that helped the club ac-

complish many of the goals for this

year. We made many memories and

friendships on Dr. Perumal's cam-

pouts and enjoyed his delicious

Laksa curry noodles. Our biggest

event of the year was the Sola House fair as we were able to raise

funds for the Trax Equestrian Center in Riverside, a facility offer-

ing a unique riding program that

coordinates physical and emotional

therapy for disabled kids. With an

awesome turnout, we enjoyed a

home cooked meal made by our of-

ficers, henna by Srujana Sammeta,

and s'mores

by the bonfire. We are so thankful for

help from Dr. Perumal, Pamela Fer-

nandez, Hayden Davis, and Tara

Becker from OSI, for making this

year possible, and we look forward to

an even better year next year!

E n v i r o n m e n ta l C l u b

B y S h a u n a C y r


Page 8

Students posing at the Speed-Dating event.

Top. Students

at the top of

Mount Twobit

collecting trash.

Left. “Sola

House” outdoor

spring fair.

Succulants miniature planter ready to

be sold at the Sola House fair event.

Shauna Cyr and Alex Sumarli

posing at the Sola House fair booth.

P r e – M e d s o c i e t y B y J a v i a H e a d l e y

T he pre-med club has not been short on events this year. We started off Fall quarter strong with the How “U” Belong (HUB) fair , which introduces students to the clubs, departments and services available to them at the La Sierra Campus. We advertised our club, gave out free popsicles, and even

raffled off a few prizes to our members. We continued the quarter with general meetings where officers, professors and medical professionals stopped by to give

advice to our members. Then, near the end of the quarter, we held vespers at Huntington Beach. Many of our members came out to build community, play games, and welcome the Sabbath. One major highlight of that event was when Dr. Joseph played a few of his favorite trivia games with us. He was very tricky! We finished fall

quarter with our annual Fall Quarter Vespers. We partnered with a bible study group who cooked us great food and shared a wonderful sermon with us.

We began Winter quarter with our participation in the Festival of Nations. We sold hand rolled, clear rice spring rolls with peanut sauce. Everybody loved it! It was amazing to see all our officers and our members come out to help fundraise for the club. The next big event of the Winter quarter was the officer elections. We

had about 11 different students running for various positions in the club. We finished off Winter quarter with the Pre-Health vespers. The Pre-Health vespers was held

at Dr. Motschiedler’s house this year. About 35-40 of us drove to her house, in the middle of a stormy evening to play games, eat food, and welcome the Sabbath. In spring quarter of every year we hold our biggest event: The Pre-Professional Conference (PPC). For this year’s PPC we invited doctors, dentists, nurses,

medical students and more. In the morning, we began in Cossentine with opening remarks from

President Wisbey and Dr. Joseph. Following that, we had a panel of doctors eager to share with us their experience in the medical field. The members were able to ask lots of questions and interact

with them. Next, we had a panel of med school students. The panel of students is always a club

favorite. Club members are always eager to hear about students’ journeys through the hardest times in their life. After the speaker sessions we had Thai food for lunch, some catered, some made by

our very own officers. Following lunch, we had a variety of workshops that participants could

choose from. Members could choose to learn how to suture and then learn how to care for a gun-shot wound or they could join Dr. Joseph for a gross anatomy lab where they could cut open a

cadaver’s head and remove the brain. All in all, the Pre-Professional Conference was very success-

ful this quarter. Pre-Medical Society and its leaders are looking forward to a new school year. We’re excited to

mentor and help new students reach their career goals. We continue to aspire in bettering the La

Sierra student community around us as we make God the central focus of our mission.

Mission-Trip Spotlight: Guatemala Mission Trip Winter 2015

By Abhijeet Andrews

T he annual Guatemala mission trip is one of our keystone activities of the Pre-Medical Society at La Sierra University. Our goal as a club is not only

to provide the students with all the resources and aid to get into a medical school

but it’s also to help student’s experience the impact of helping our community. This year, another excited and ambitious group of students traveled to Guatema-

la. Dr. Joseph,

the Pre-Medical Soci-

ety Advisor,

has been able to coordinate

this trip with a

few friends that live out

there. Our trip

started right after the end

of Fall quar-

ter. The group spent approxi-

mately 10

days in Guate-mala. Each day was a mission, we were required to wake up early in the morn-

ing and get ready for the community outreach activity for the day. The first day

was spent planning and getting settled. We met our hosts and got acquainted with some of our coordinators that would be leading our mission trip activities.

We spent our first Sabbath at the local SDA church. It was a wonderful service, and we were all excited to have Dr. Joseph present the sermon for the worship.

For our first activity, we visited another community church and gifted families

food bags. It was definitely a humbling experience to realize that food is not taken for granted for these families. As each of us handed out food bags, fami-

lies would hug us with an immense sense of love and appreciation as tears rolled

down their faces. At the end of each day, we reflected on our experiences and many of us realized how unappreciative we are of the many amenities available

to us in the United States.

Each day was filled with valuable life experiences. During the next few days, we traveled to different parts of Guatemala to reach to families, orphans, students at

a SDA boarding school, and a nursing home. We were able to donate shoes and

clothes for the children. In addition, we organized games/activities for the chil-

dren. Those children were beyond excited to have us

visit them. In fact, we

were informed that these children wait for us.

They’re anticipating our

arrival each year around Christmas time. This was

a common theme

throughout the trip. This community out there in

Guatemala expects a

group of 10-15 student missionaries from La

Sierra University every

winter. They’re excited to have us spend time with

them, and when we get there they make us feel at home. I have seen and experi-

enced the impact this mission trip has on us, the students, as well as the commu-nity we serve. Our mission as Christians has always been to be a positive influ-

ence in the world. Paul writes to the Galatians “You, my brothers and sisters,

were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the

flesh; rather, serve one another hum-

bly in love.” The impact of putting love into action is profound. Humili-

ty and love shown by Jesus in his lifetime is to be mirrored to the

people around us. We are, if I may,

required to serve one another hum-bly as Christ served us.

Our intentions for this mission trip is to let students experience and

realize the needs of the communi-

ties around the world. We want to have students be moved by the impact of serving. As we fixate ourselves to

serve one another, we grow and learn. We learn to love. We learn to be patient.

We learn to appreciate. In the process, we start to mold a better world around us.


Page 9

Pre-Med students posing after distributing stuffed animals

and toys to the community children.

Children holding their new shoes. One of the

projects Pre-med carries on with donors’ help.

Pre-Med members and Dr. Joseph posing in front of

the pyramids at the Tikal National Park.

Students at their annual Fall quarter vespers.

T r i — B e t t a C l u b

C o o r d i n a t e d b y D r . N a t a s h a D e a n

Tri-beta welcomes each of you with personal messages. As one of the clubs housed

in the Biology department we offer programs and activities for you, all-year-long. We

invite you to attend. We are very excited to meet you.

Syria Armenta (Treasurer, 2014-2017)

I am Syria Armenta and this year is my second year as the treasurer for the Tri-Beta

Honor Society. I have managed the club's budget and helped bring awareness to the

school about the different careers paths students can follow with a biology degree. I'm

excited to plan for this year's induction and to plan for more events for the club and it's

members. Tri-Beta allows for students to not only learn more about the role of biology

in their academic lives but allows students to reach out to our campus and our commu-nity.

Lauren Bathan (Secretary, 2016-2017)

My name is Lauren Bathan and next year I will be assuming the position of secretary in

the Tri-Beta National Honor Society of La Sierra University. As next year’s Tri-Beta

secretary, I hope to spread the word about this club and get people excited again about

Biology and Tri-Beta. Since I have recently become a member of Tri-Beta, I am also

really excited for the opportunities and experiences it has in store for me, whether it be the ability to receive a better understanding of the world of Biology or the ability to

create connections and shape relationships with my fellow officers and club members. I

am really thrilled to be a part of Tri-Beta and can’t wait do my best to contribute to and

serve the club next year.

Christin Abdelmessih (Secretary 2015-2016; Vice-President, 2016-2017)

As secretary of the Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society, it is my responsibility to main-tain membership and club records including minutes of officer meetings, manage our

Orgsync webpage, and work with the Social VP and President to organize and keep

track of events. Being part of Tri Beta has been a valuable experience where I am able

to use my ideas and skills to promote the club chapter and life sciences on campus. I

believe Tri-Beta is a great opportunity to incorporate the sciences with student involve-

ment activities that bring together various backgrounds. For next year, I hope to con-

tribute in creating joint club activities with other biology/health clubs through fundrais-

ing events, camping/science museum visits, and community volunteering days.

Merna Nissim (Co-Out Reach Coordinator, 2016-2017)

I'm so honored to be a member in this valuable club. As an Out-Reach Co-coordinator,

I'm aiming to create a link between the activities of the club on campus and off campus.

In cooperation with my co-coordinator and LSU career services, I will do my best to

help the club attendees and any biology major find volunteer opportunities, and any

other activities that might help them reach their goals. Last but not least, I'll work hard to honor this awesome club and this great opportunity in my professional life, under the

leadership of my Dear Dr. Dean.

Diego del Carpio (Co-Out Reach Officer, 2016-207)

I am very excited to be an officer of Tri-Beta. The society's main goal is to help stu-

dents get a further understanding in the biological sciences. I look forward to helping

provide opportunities to help out the community, specifically in locations where we can

learn more about the natural world. With the help of my fellow officers and sponsor Dr.

Dean, I hope to create events through Tri-Beta for socializing, learning, and community

involvement.

Abigail Rodriguez (Secretary 2014-2015; Vice President, 2015-2016)

I have fully enjoyed serving as an officer these last two years. Not only has our club

become a great team, but we have also become a family in the process. What Tri-beta

has meant for me is being able to be part of a great group of people who are not only

enthusiastic about biology but excited about helping our community as well. I will be

graduating in June, and am working to pursue a career in medicine. My advice to those

still in their undergraduate studies would be to get involved, whether it be in Tri-beta or any other club on campus!

Alice Lim (Religious VP 2014-2015; President, 2015-2016)

My name is Alice Lim and I am the president of the Phi Omega chapter of the Beta

Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society. Beta Beta Beta is an important resource

for biological and scientific opportunities for its members and anyone else enthusiastic

about biology. Beta Beta Beta is a club that provides activities that stimulate an interest

in biology, motivate accomplishments in academics, and promote community outreach. In the upcoming year, we are excited and determined to expand our membership and

improve our club by promoting scholastic and fun activities for our club and by creat-

ing opportunities that will essentially expand our members academic horizons.


Page 10

The biology department affiliated clubs have a new bulletin board neigh-borhood. A sponsored contest between the clubs provided the incentive for the clubs associated with the biology department to move to an area desig-nated as a club neighborhood. The purpose was to encourage the clubs to use the deceptively simple space of the bulletin board as a way to en-gage their own members, increase interest in their club activities and events, and perhaps attract new potential students to the university as they visit our campus and the biology department. Tim Musso, Professor of Art+Design provided the club officers with a brief tutorial on design theory and concepts on November 19th. With this infor-mational lecture came the announcement of a competition for the clubs to move their informational bulletin boards into the club neighborhood on the first floor near the main atrium opposite rooms 101 & 102. Given the late date of the presentation it was suggested we actually start the competition in January. Though most of the clubs did get their boards

moved into the new neighborhood, a move-in reward was provided to three of the four clubs in March, and the actual competitive judging took place May 17. (continued on Page 11)

Biology Affiliated Club’s Have Information Neighborhood

By Ryan VanDeventer

Tri-Beta members at their annual Induction Ceremony. The event took place at the Price Science Complex back patio.

Biology Department Annual Awards and BBQ 2016

Every end of the school year, the Department of

Biology invites faculty, staff and students to

gather together for the annual End of the Year

BBQ and Awards.

On a sunny, warm day of June 3rd, everyone

started gathering for delicious veggie dogs, a

variety of toppings, cool lemonade and refresh-

ing popsicles.

After the meal, Dr. Sutter announced each of the

award recipients on behalf of the department.

The “Student Employee of the Year” award was

given to Amadeo Gonzalez for his outstanding

work in the biology stock room. Next, the

“Student Researcher of the Year” was awarded

to Jose Salome Correa, who is looking at the

effects of gene disruption by retrotransposons

on rabbit size variation in Dr. Sutter’s lab. Last

but not least, the “Biology Senior of the Year”

was given to pre-dent student, Alfredo Martinez,

who also received the Biology Student of the

Year award given by the College of Arts and

Science during their Awards Assembly.

Closing the awards ceremony, Dr. John Perumal

was the recipient of the “Teacher of the Year”,

which is a special award as it is chosen by the

students.


Page 11

Between the two evaluations Professor Musso made, the following awards are announced for the club’s efforts: First Place ($250.00): Pre-Medicine Society Second Place ($125.00): Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society Third Place (($75.00): Environmental Science Club Fourth Place ($50.00): Pre-Dental Society The awarded funds will be made during finals week by interdepartmental charge vouchers into each club’s operational account. One of the other facets of the club boards neighborhood is the purchase and installation of track lighting to enhance the displays. Unfortunately this is still being installed as Facilities was running short staffed for electricians Winter and Early Spring. One section of lighting track has been installed, and the rest with new light fixtures should be completed before the end of summer. When Fall quarter starts the clubs neighborhood will really shine with the new lighting. It’s hoped we might be able to repeat the competition earlier in the year, and perhaps make this an annual event.

Left. This year’s awardees: (from left) Jose Salome

Correa, Alfredo Martinez,

and Amadeo Gonzalez.

Below. Dr. Perumal smiling

after receiving his award.

Students and faculty enjoying

the food and camaraderie.

Biology Department

4500 Riverwalk Parkway

Riverside, CA 92505

Phone: 951-785-2105

Fax: 951-785-2111

E-mail: [email protected]

Web page: www.lasierra.edu/biology

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

M e s s a g e f r o m t h e C h a i r o f t h e B i o l o g y

D e p a r t m e n t

It has been an extremely fulfilling year in the Biology Department. Our students

and faculty have been busy with research trips, mission trips, club trips, adventures in re-

search labs, conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, graduate school applica-

tions, and, of course, classes.

This year has been particularly productive for our undergraduate research stu-

dents. One of the primary advantages to studying biology at La Sierra University is the op-

portunity work side by side with faculty members and to participate in data collection, anal-

ysis, and publication in their labs. As can be seen in the faculty spotlights of this newsletter,

we have a broad array of faculty research interests, and many opportunities for students to

participate in cutting edge science. This year we had more than thirty students attend major conferences. Addition-

ally four students gave oral presentations and two presented posters of their work at the American Society of Ichthy-

ologists and Herpetologists, The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology, and The Annual Plant and Animal

Genome meetings. Adding to this excitement there were eleven peer-reviewed publications produced with students

as authors, four of these publications had students as lead author in top-notch journals such as Herpetologica, and

the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

It is exceedingly rare for undergraduates to have the opportunity to work in a research lab, much less pre-

sent or publish their work in forums typically reserved for faculty and graduate students. The Biology Department is

proud to offer this unique opportunity to our students. It not only enhances their educational experience while

attending La Sierra, but it also opens other doors as they continue on in their careers.

For our current and future students, I encourage you to take the time to speak with each of the faculty in

our department to learn about their research. Take full advantage of the opportunity to work on cutting edge science

while you are here. The experience will greatly further your understanding of biology and open opportunities you

never thought of. To our graduating seniors and Alumni, as you advance in your careers, please remember the expe-

riences you have had working one on one with faculty in their labs and consider giving to support the next genera-

tion of student researchers.

-Lloyd A. Trueblood.


Page 12

Biology Department Newsletter

Bio Log

2016

EDITORS:

Arturo Diaz

Pamela Fernández

Thanks to all of the

writers, photogra-

phers, editors, and

everyone that made

this newsletter pos-

sible.

Documents

Biolog Newsletter 2016