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Author: Kevin Kocot

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Posts by Kevin Kocot

BSC welcomes Dr. Nathan Jones

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama is pleased to introduce Dr. Nathan Jones, a new assistant professor who will join the faculty in August 2019.  After receiving his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2015, Dr. Jones held postdoctoral positions at the same institution and at the University of Maryland/National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.  His research is focused on ecohydrology, including water quality, stream and wetland restoration, and watershed management.  He uses a diverse set of techniques, including […]

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BSC research helps shed light on last common ancestor of animals

A new publication in the journal Nature has called into question a long-held hypothesis about the last common ancestor of animals. A group of single-celled (or colonial) protists called choanoflagellates are the closest living relatives of animals. Choanoflagellate cells have a whip-like flagellum surrounded by a basket-like structure that they use to capture and eat bacteria floating in sea water. Interestingly, these cells look and function very similar to feeding cells of sponges, one of the earliest-branching groups of animals. […]

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BSC and DISL welcome Dr. Kenneth Hoadley

The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama is pleased to introduce Dr. Kenneth Hoadley, a new faculty member who will be stationed at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.  After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Delaware in 2016, Dr. Hoadley worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research (Germany).  His research has largely focused on how symbiotic algae living within coral tissues respond to […]

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Dr. Kocot’s team discovers bizarre new species and sheds light on evolution of molluscs

Aplacophorans are unusual shell-less and worm-shaped molluscs related to snails, slugs, clams, and octopus. About 400 species are known to science but because there are only a handful of scientists worldwide studying the group, it is estimated that there are likely tenfold more species waiting to be discovered. Little is known about aplacophoran evolutionary history, which has hindered understanding of early molluscan evolution. Dr. Kocot and his collaborators at Auburn University, the University of Bergen, and Rådgivende Biologer in Bergen […]

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Congratulations to the *many* BSC students recognized during honors week!

The department of Biological Sciences is very proud of our students whose achievements in academics, research, and teaching were recognized during Honors Week. Congratulations all! Inge and Ilouise Hill Research Fellowship Katie Sandlin (Reed) Joab Langston Thomas Scholarship Rebecca Varney (Kocot) Outstanding Teaching by a Graduate Student in Biological Sciences Fall 2018 – Samuel Scopel (Caldwell) Fall 2018 – Jennifer Thies (Caldwell) Spring 2018 – Jennifer Gresham (Earley) Spring 2018 – Feng Kong (Ramonell) Bishop Award Anthony Cremo (Yoder) Aurora […]

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Dr. Ryan Earley awarded the Leadership Board’s Outstanding Commitment to Students Award

Congratulations to Dr. Ryan Earley for being awarded the UA Leadership Board’s Outstanding Commitment to Students Award. This award recognizes a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences for service in the advancement of students beyond the classroom.

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Congratulations to NSF GRFP awardees Sommer Starr and Abigail Rae Sisti and honorable mention Meghan Yap-Chiongco

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. This year, BSC graduate students Sommer Starr (Mortazavi lab) and Abigail Rae Sisti (Earley lab) were awarded fellowships and graduate student Meghan Yap-Chiongco (Kocot lab)  received an Honorable Mention. Congratulations!

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Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan and BSC graduate student Lucy Chou-Zheng uncover critical insights into bacterial immunity

In new work published in the journal eLife, Dr. Asma Hatoum-Aslan and one of her graduate students, Lucy Chou-Zheng, uncover new insights into how a common skin bacterium combats its viruses. The researchers discovered that the immune system in Staphylococcus bacteria known as CRISPR-Cas does not function on its own, but rather, it mobilizes other cellular processes that are normally not associated with immunity to defend against viral infection. These findings will help facilitate efforts to develop more effective antimicrobials […]

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New publication by BSC alum Emily Brown and Dr. Ferguson identifies best conservation strategies for endangered woodpeckers

Dr. Paige Ferguson, along with UA M.S. alumus Emily Brown, recently published  a structured decision making analysis aimed at increasing the Red-cockaded Woodpecker population in the Oakmulgee Ranger District of the Talladega National Forest and balancing stakeholder objectives in this area. Their paper is one of the first published studies on the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker in this 157,000-acre forested area, which is located between Tuscaloosa and Selma, Alabama. It is home to the largest population of red-cockaded woodpeckers remaining in […]

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