The Eastern PA Branch ASM is a proud sponsor for the Delaware Valley Science Fair and our members helped judge the various presentations at the science fair. Congratulations to the following students:

1st Place Winner: Ian Fabris, Devon Prep (Melanie Kingett, teacher) “Efficacy of the use of bacteriophages to combat potato black leg caused by Pectobacterium atrosepticum

Honorable Mention: Sreeja Paruchuri, High Technology High School (Dine Ellsworth, teacher) “Antibacterial efficacy of antibiotics supplemented with varying sizes of gold nanoparticles on E. coli

Honorable Mention: Mia Watson, Cherry Hill High School West (Brian Grillo, teacher) “Using Aspergillus flavus biofilter to reduce nitrogen pollution in an aquaponic system”

“The Impact of Undergraduate Research in Biology at a Small Primarily Undergraduate Institution”

Stacey Lettini, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Gwynedd Mercy University

In 2009, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) developed the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education A Call to Action. This document called for a revision to the approach of biology education.  Specifically, it called for students to obtain five core competencies: the ability to apply the science process; use quantitative reasoning; use modeling and simulation; communicate and collaborate with other disciplines; and understand the relationship between science and society.  All five of these core competencies can be achieved through undergraduate research, and undergraduate research is now considered an educational best practice by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). It has become an important pedagogical tool for training students in the sciences.  For small primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) such as Gwynedd Mercy University (GMercyU), undergraduate research has been essential to biology students obtaining these core competencies as well as successfully training students for experiences post-graduation.  GMercyU will be used as an example for the development and maintenance of successful, impactful undergraduate research experiences for students at a small PUI.

**New Location**

Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building (PISB)

Drexel University Campus in University City

3245 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Building #58 on map at 33rd and Chestnut Street  

https://drexel.edu/about/locations/university-city-campus/ucity-campus-map

Reception: 5 to 6pm

Lecture: 6 to 7pm

Please join us in person for refreshments, reception, and lecture!

For those who cannot attend, the meeting will be live streamed via Zoom (for Branch Members) or our EPAASM YouTube Channel (non members)

Masks and COVID-19 vaccination recommended.

Transportation Information

Parking: Drexel University Parking Garage, 34th Street between Chestnut and Market Streets (#16 on the campus map, entrance is at the corner of 34th and Ludlow), Philadelphia, PA 19104. Parking will be validated at a cost of $5.00 if using this garage.

Would you like to support STEM education in underserved communities in Philadelphia and Camden? We are looking for volunteers to serve as judges for a system wide science fair for Mastery Charter Schools.

Friday, May 26, 2023
Academy of Natural Science
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia 19103

Mastery Charter Schools has 24 schools, mostly in underserved communities in North Philadelphia and Camden

Learn about Mastery Schools – click here

There will be a rubric and a tutorial for judges

To volunteer or ask for more information, contact:
Linda Miller, EPAASM Education Committee
email: cmidpharma@gmail.com

Black Spot, Black Death, Black Pearl: Tales of Bacterial Effectors

This lecture uses three interwoven examples to illustrate how bacterial pathogens rewire host cells using their effector proteins. Black Spot refers to work with Xanthamonas campestris, which causes black spots on tobacco and tomato leaves. Black Death highlights work with Yersinia pestis, which causes “the black plaque,” and how Yersinia Yop proteins hijack host cells. Black pearl covers work with effector proteins from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which contaminates oysters.

More information about the Kim Orth Lab

For those that cannot attend in person, the meeting will be live streamed on Zoom (Members only) or the EPAASM YouTube channel