Biology students present research during “Antennae, Tentacles, and Beyond" fall research symposium

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, McDaniel College’s Biology department hosted a fall research symposium, titled “Antennae, Tentacles, and Beyond," which allowed Biology students to present their research from fall semester course-based projects on ecology, marine symbiosis, entomology, antibiotic resistance, and more, including scientific posters. 

Students who presented included: 

• Anna Kale, senior Environmental Studies and Biology major from King George, Virginia, and Patty Punchasutthi, senior Biology major from Boonsboro, Maryland, presented "Possible Antibiotic Discovery of Cassiopea xamachana."
• BreAnna Harmon, senior Biology major from Westminster, Maryland, and Kaitlyn Lee, sophomore Biology major from Gaithersburg, Maryland, presented "Discovery and Characterization of Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria from the Upside-Down Jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana."
• Matthew Garrett, junior Biology major from White Plains, Maryland, Nick Falk, junior Biology major from Mount Airy, Maryland, and Christian  Wallenmeyer, junior Psychology and Biology major from Gaithersburg, Maryland, presented on "Analysis of Sea Sponge Microbiome for Novel Antibiotics."
• Mahdia Jafari, junior Biology major from Damascus, Maryland, and Jessica Pronchick, sophomore Biology major from Selbyville, Delaware, presented on "Identifying Novel Antibiotics from Polyandrocarpa maxima."
• Zach Olvey, junior Biology major from Columbus, Ohio, and Reese Beck, junior Biology major from York, Pennsylvania, presented on "Finding Antibiotics with Sea Pansies and Pathogens."
• Dennis Diaz Sapon, senior Biology major from Silver Spring, Maryland, and Gage Fogler, senior Biology major from Dundalk, Maryland, presented on "Bacteria from the Red Tunicate (Polyandrocarpa maxima) contain anti-microbial metabolites."
• Cassie McQuay, junior Environmental Studies major from Monrovia, Maryland, and  Jillian Chiappelli-Maez, junior Environmental Studies major from Pasadena, Maryland, presented on" The effects of varying turbidity on Daphnia magna populations."
• Carter Youtz, junior Environmental Studies major from Easton, Pennsylvania, and Brennan Roycroft, junior Biology major from Windsor Mill, Maryland, presented on "How soil quality and sunlight affect the stream bank erosion at the McDaniel Environmental Center."
• Haley Thomas, senior Health Sciences major from Toms River, New Jersey, presented on "Environmental conditions associated with moss presence on trees."
• Naimah Bryant, junior Biology major from Washington, D.C., I'Naka Hudgins, senior Biology major from Salisbury, Maryland, and Sommer Hill, junior Biology major from Owings, Maryland, presented on "Soil moisture, pH, and mushrooms."
• Marissa Riddell, senior Art and Environmental Studies major from New Market, Maryland, Kailah Floyd, senior Biology major from Washington, D.C., and Ryan Gervasi, junior Environmental Studies major from Street, Maryland, presented on "Environmental features influencing frog habitat use in Maryland stream ecosystems."
• Rena Bell, senior Biology major from Reisterstown, Maryland, presented on "Do microbial communities change when Japanese stilt grass is removed?"
• Zoe Philip, senior Environmental Studies major from Severna Park, Maryland, and Riley Jackson, sophomore Biology major from Perryville, Maryland, presented on "Correlation between abiotic factors and species diversity in a pond ecosystem at the McDaniel Environmental Center."
• Anna Rando, senior Psychology and Biology major from Rising Sun, Maryland, and Camden Groft, senior History and Biology major from Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania, presented on "Vegetation effects on pond health."