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It is not every day that an entire bacterial genus is discovered and reclassified. We are lucky when occasionally we find a new species, but that alone certainly does not redefine an entire genus. It took the sequencing and comparative analysis of eight new genomes, in addition to the three known genomes of heliobacteria, to come to this discovery. The family of heliobacteria are a small group of phototropic bacteria that were… Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday lives globally and many scientific research labs have halted or shifted their research efforts. Student research at Bellevue University has also been impacted by this, and students are only allowed to continue working in the labs under restricted circumstances, following social distancing and with additional PPE requirements in place. On the other hand, this change has allowed for some students to finish writing up and publish… Read More
We all know how challenging the current COVID-19 pandemic is, and hopefully everyone is doing their part in social distancing and working online. However, imagine if your job is taking you directly in contact with coronavirus patients, makes you work overtime hours with not being able to go to the grocery store until around closing hours, all while you are still taking your college classes online. That is exactly what is happening… Read More
During this growing pandemic, many organizations and companies are doing their part in preventing and limiting the spread of the coronavirus. This often takes significant changes and adaptations to the company production lines and strategies. Valero, a global energy company with several ethanol and renewable energy plants, started producing hand sanitizer at their Hartley, Iowa ethanol plant earlier this week. One of Bellevue University’s students, Beth Young, who is a senior in… Read More
For scientists, sequencing a genome is truly cause for celebration. Which is exactly why Bellevue University Science Lab faculty and students gathered recently at a pizza party to mark an important Lab milestone – sequencing 50 genomes from all around the world. According to Dr. John Kyndt, Associate Professor in the College of Science and Technology, sequencing a genome is an important step toward decoding an organism, which is the ultimate goal…. Read More
Illumina is a global leader in genomics and Next Generation sequencing. Illumina’s innovative sequencing and array technologies are fueling groundbreaking advancements in life science research, translational and consumer genomics, and molecular diagnostics. This past November, Bellevue University was invited to take part in an Illumina project to beta test their new Microsoft 10 compatible sequencing software. Seven students from the Microbiology, Biology Investigation 205, and Independent Study courses were trained in the… Read More
Sydney Robertson, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Biology program, recently has had two papers accepted for publication. Robertson’s paper “Whole-genome sequence of a novel Elioraea species, isolated from a Yellowstone National Park hot spring”, has been published in Microbiology Resources Announcements (MRA), and the paper “Whole-Genome Sequences of the Purple Nonsulfur Photosynthetic Bacteria Rhodobacter capsulatus SP108 and SL Reveal a Need for Reclassification of the Genus” will be… Read More
On a vacation trip to New Mexico this summer Dr. Kyndt sampled some water from Dripping Springs in the Organ Mountains to look at the bacterial composition in this pristine natural area. After returning to the labs at Bellevue University, he grew the samples on bacterial agar plates and noticed several bright orange colored colonies on one of the plates. Intrigued by this, he purified the bacteria and isolated its DNA. After… Read More
The past few weeks we had several news reports about new developments at the BU Sciences. One was the Bellevue Leader article about the discovery of a very unique flatworm species at the BU science labs. The worm is a local species that was discovered during regular field work with our students: https://www.omaha.com/sarpy/bellevue/bu-science-discovers-new-worm-species/article_4604564a-c3e6-501b-9e88-950bf0b2cf83.html Another piece was a Fox 42 News story on the new Sustainability Outdoor Learning Lab that is being… Read More
Every year, Bellevue University recognizes and awards faculty for their contribution to teaching and service to the university. Peers and students have a chance to nominate the faculty for one of four awards. This year the science department took home two of the awards! The ‘Excellence in Innovation Award’ recognizes innovation by faculty/staff that has a positive impact on the University and/or student learning, and is described as: “Innovation, for the purposes… Read More
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