BNL, Dowling, and Southern University at New Orleans Team Fingerprints Pine Barrens' Microbial Community

August 11, 2008

Working with BNL's Tim Green (right) this summer are (from left) Murty Kambhampati, Jeffrey Ambrose and Nyesha Smith from Southern University at New Orleans, who form one of the Faculty and Student Teams (FaST) in the Office of Educational Programs' FaST program.

This summer at BNL, undergraduate students from the Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) are working alongside two professors - one from SUNO and the other from Dowling College - to map the microbial community of the Long Island Pine Barrens. This is the first-ever project of this type in the world. The research is supported by DOE's Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) and the U.S. Department of Education's Minority Science & Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP).

Tim Green, who manages BNL's natural and cultural resources, and Noel Blackburn, an educational programs administrator at BNL's Office of Educational Programs (OEP), are facilitating this collaboration. In addition to contributing new findings to the field of microbiology, the research brings faculty from Dowling College, a small liberal arts school, and students and faculty from SUNO, an HBCU school, together with BNL scientists.

"The collaboration provides research opportunities not only for the professors but for the students as well," Green said. "It is important that we develop researchers from schools where they otherwise might not have had a chance to do research."

Vishal Shah, a Dowling College professor, has been collaborating with Green on the project for the past two years. Last summer, Shah worked with high school student Bishnu Panigrahi, who received high honors at the 2008 Long Island Science Congress. This summer, SUNO professor Murty Kambhampati and undergraduate students Jeffrey Ambrose and Nyesha Smith, OEP Faculty and Student Team (FaST) members, are working with Shah to map the community-level physiological microbial profile.

"My goal as a faculty member is to motivate under-represented students by exposing them to state-of-the-art science and technology in the field of environmental science," Kambhampati said. "That's why we formed this collaboration. Our team has had a great experience working with Dr. Shah. He is an enthusiastic mentor and an excellent team player."

The team goes out in the field to take soil samples from strategically mapped permanent forest health spots established by the Foundation for Ecological Research in the Northeast - 93 in all - throughout the forest. They take soil layers from three different levels and bring them back to Dowling for analysis. This project, which will provide more information about the health of the Pine Barrens, might also lead to the discovery of new microbes with potential medicinal properties, Kambhampati explained.

Summer students Nyesha Smith (left) and Jeffrey Ambrose (right) study a soil sample with Dowling College professor Vishal Shah (center).

"We took the challenge and so far the research has been successful," he said. "We look forward to making it a more meaningful project both scientifically and educationally."

Shah noted that this collaboration gives students confidence. "Even if you are in high school or an undergrad, if you believe in yourself, you can do wonders," he said.

Ambrose and Smith, both of whom plan on pursuing combined M.D./Ph.D. degrees after completing their undergraduate degrees in biology, have benefited from their first research experience.

"Jeff and Nyesha have great potential and talent," Shah said. "By getting this research exposure and working with professors like Dr. Murty, I am sure that they will succeed in their future careers."

"It has been a fulfilling experience," Ambrose said. "It's a lot of hard work but we're up to the challenge."

Smith added that this summer helped solidify her future. "It has made me love research even more," she said. "Now I know what to expect in this field." To learn more about the research done by BNL summer students, stop by the Student Symposium, Poster Presentations, and the closing ceremony, which will be held in Berkner Hall from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 14. For more information about FaST and other internships offered by OEP, visit www.bnl.gov/education/programs.asp.

-- Kirsten Dorans

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