BIOLOGYCURRENTS 2012 | THE QUEENS COLLEGE BIOLOGY ALUMNI NEWSLETTER | VOLUME 15, NO. 1 Letter from the Editor John Dennehy Receives an NSF Career Award I hope all of our bacteriophages readers are enjoying and their bacterial Biology Currents. hosts as a model It is one way of keeping abreast of system. These are the activities of the easy to manipulate Biology Department. in the laboratory, While the others and evolution ways may be more experiments can be up-to-date, Biology Corinne Michels ‘63 performed in weeks. Currents endeavors Fundamentally, the to give more of the backstory that would population dynamics be hard to tease out of our online sites. of bacteriophages Nonetheless, I encourage you to check is no different than the Department’s web page at http:// eukaryotic viruses biology.qc.cuny.edu/ or “Like” us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ from an ecological pages/Queens-College-CUNY-Biology- and evolutionary Department/133250930074226. Dr. John Dennehy with a few of his undergraduate perspective. You may note a theme to this issue— research students. Dennehy’s pro- the increasing role of student research posal specifically in our students’ educational experience. Dr. John Dennehy received a five-year addresses several hypotheses regarding Students at all levels are involved in faculty National Science Foundation Early Career the emergence of viruses into new host research, not just graduate students. This Development Award for $713,900 for types. The first aim is to ascertain whether can be seen here in Dr. John Dennehy’s his project Population Dynamics and initial virus fitness on the novel host is NSF-sponsored Career Award, in “Faculty Evolutionary Ecology of Viral Emergence. positively correlated to the probability of Scholarship” (page 10) that lists student The CUNY NSF Career Development emergence. The second aim is to deter- authors on several published journal mine whether virus adaptation is enhanced articles, and in “Student Highlights” (page Award Incentive program will supplement 11) that reports presentations made the NSF award in the amount of $50,000 in mixed host communities as compared and awards won. The Department also from Vice Chancellor for Research Gillian to communities containing a single host maintains several programs that focus Small. type. The third aim is to establish whether on supporting undergraduate original Dennehy’s proposal addresses the gene flow between virus populations research, summarized on our website question of how viruses jump from host to infecting different hosts enhances adaptive under “Student Resources.” In recognition host, which is called virus emergence. In evolution. The fourth aim is to investigate of the importance of original research in recent years, some emerging viruses, such the significance of translational adapta- quality education, the College has recently as HIV and West Nile, have significantly tion (i.e., evolution of phage codon usage initiated a program of undergraduate affected public health. On the other to match host tRNA abundance) in viral research grants that provides a small hand, other viruses, such as avian emergence. Together these experiments amount of funding to a select few influenza and SARS, have failed to gain a constitute one of the most comprehensive students in all fields, not just science. You should also be aware that the Biology foothold in human populations. Dennehy experimental approaches to the study of Alumni Fund (coordinated by Dr. Esther hypothesizes that fundamental differences virus emergence attempted. Successful Muehlbauer) has provided student travel in virus population dynamics govern completion of the work may allow more awards to undergraduates to present their whether an emerging virus is successful realistic models of virus emergence and research at national scientific conferences or not. enhance our ability to identify and coun- and, in other ways, supports the student Since testing this hypothesis in the teract potentially dangerous viruses. research effort. pathogenic viruses of animal hosts would Undergraduate students carry out much Why are we putting such emphasis be challenging because of time, space, of the research in Dennehy’s laboratory. on undergraduate student research? Be and ethical constraints, Dennehy uses Students work during the academic year, continued on page 6 continued on page 3 Dr. Esther Muehlbauer—Naturalist and Writer Appointed Lecturer of Biology We are very pleased to announce that childhood summers in the seaside town Dr. Andrew Greller’s field botany course. Dr. Esther Muehlbauer recently became of Cutchogue on eastern Long Island’s During trips to local parks he encouraged a permanent member of the Biology North Fork. With Peterson’s Field appreciation of the aesthetics of the parks Department faculty following over Guides in hand and a pair of binoculars along with plant identification. She still a decade of teaching in a variety of as her equipment, she stalked the salt has the herbarium created for the class. temporary positions. But this is a kind marsh habitat surrounding East Creek Dr. Muehlbauer studied poetry and short- of homecoming for her since she has and Peconic Bay, identified everything story writing with Dr. Sandra Schor, who been part of the Biology Department in sight, and kept detailed lists of all encouraged her efforts to incorporate community for far longer. sightings. Thus began Dr. Muehlbauer’s “organic elements” into her writing. Dr. Muehlbauer first arrived at love of field study and her dedication to Dr. Muehlbauer earned the master’s/ Queens College as an undergraduate the living environment. PhD degrees from New York University, student and graduated with a BA Dr. Muehlbauer fondly remembers her focusing her research on the salt marsh degree with a major in Biology and classes in Colwin Hall (called E Building estuaries of eastern Long Island. Her a minor in Creative Writing. To this at the time), including Dr. David Alsop’s master’s research was conducted at the day, she remains active in both fields. hissing cockroaches, en masse trips to NYU School of Environmental Medicine The combination may seem unusual, Pelham Bay Park at low tide with Dr. at Sterling Forest (Tuxedo, NY) where, but Dr. Muehlbauer tells us that she is Jon Sperling, and Dr. Peter Chabora’s under the guidance of Dr. Joseph “the daughter of two poets/writers who ecology course field trips to diverse spots O’Connor, she studied the growth of the valued nature as both an inspiration and on Long Island and the New Jersey Pine salt marsh grass Spartina alterniflora. Dr. a mindset,” and it is from them that she Barrens. In particular, she remembers Herndon Dowling, a notable herpetologist developed her love of the diversity of a late night jaunt with the entire class (herpetology curator at the American living things and the natural environment to collect nocturnal insects. Her first Museum of Natural History and Bronx that shaped her career. exposure to laboratory research was with Zoo), was her doctoral thesis research While she grew up in an apartment Dr. Chabora working on Drosophila advisor. She studied the salt marsh in Queens, Dr. Muehlbauer spent parasitic wasps. She especially enjoyed turtle Malaclemys terrapin terrapin (the Dr. Muehlbauer on field trip with class 2 Diamondback Terrapin) and identified Biology 011 is taken by most Queens DENNEHY RECEIVES NSF CAREER AWARD an endogenous tidal activity rhythm College undergraduates to fulfill the continued from page 1 (namely, a biological clock in sync General Education science laboratory with the six-hour tidal cycle of the course requirement. About 1,000 often for credit in the Department’s estuary). Dr. Muehlbauer continues in students register for Biology 011 every research courses, and during the summer. an advisory role in eastern Long Island year. As if this were not enough, Dr. Dennehy’s Career Development Award salt marsh conservation efforts, working Muehlbauer teaches a number of smaller will support the summer salaries of with both the Town of Southold, seminar classes designed for the non- at least three undergraduate research Long Island, and the North Fork science major: “Evolutionary Biology” assistants each summer for five years Environmental Council. (Bio 025) and “Human Origins” (Bio and provides money for supplies and While her four children were young, 023). Over the past two years Dr. equipment. It will also pay for students to Dr. Muehlbauer spent several years Muehlbauer has taught a course through attend national meetings to present their away from college campuses, doing the Macaulay Honors College on “Salt results. In addition, Dennehy acquired textbook writing/editing for Navta Marsh Estuaries, and the Natural History funding to support a Phage Hunters Associates/Heath Publishing Company, of New York City,” hoping to enlighten but she missed teaching and campus life. a new generation about the important As her family grew older, she began role of salt marshes in coastal ecology. teaching part-time at Barnard College/ Dr. Muehlbauer is increasingly involved Columbia University in Manhattan, in developing and teaching courses on and then briefly at Queensborough evolution, utilizing Darwin’s landmark Community College. Soon she decided texts and other important evolutionary to seek out adjunct positions within an writings. Most recently she developed easy commute of where her children “Writing in the Sciences— Evolutionary were attending school. Queens College Themes,” a course aimed to help was the obvious choice, but it was students hone their skills in writing for not until 1999 that an adjunct position different audiences while gaining an became available and Dr. Muehlbauer understanding of evolutionary principles. returned to her alma mater. Dr. Muehlbauer has translated her Phage Joe Dirt, which was isolated by For over a decade, Dr. Muehlbauer talent as a writer to the College’s Dr. Dennehy’s Phage Hunters class played a pivotal role in the Biology advantage by becoming active in Department as part of our adjunct the Queens College Writing Across initiative at Queens College.