Each topic has a team leader who has been assigned. If you are interested in a particular topic,
inform the leader you want to be part of that group.  The sooner you do this, the greater the liklihood you will get the topic with which you most identify.

               ORAL PRESENTATION TOPICS                                    TOPIC GROUP (a = team leader)

1.  Bacteria (i.e. prokaryotic cells) divide quite differently from  eukaryotic cells. Part of the reason is that, in eukaryotic cells,  there are numerous chromosomes that have to be divided between the two daughter cells. Tell us about the situation in bacteria. How do they divide and why might they have "chosen" this mode of cell division despite the fact they might also have more than one cromosome.  Presentation date 9/9.   (Advisor:  Dr. Schaeffer)	a.___Jessica Schwartz  _________ b.___Scott Barbick _____________ c.___________________________ d.___________________________ e.___________________________ f.____________________________
2.  It is currently believed that bacteria evolved at some  point in the early life of planet Earth.  During that time, the planet was an extremely inhospitable place compared to today.  Why we believe bacteria evolved during this time period, is the fact that there is a  recently recognized group of bacteria called the Archaea.  What are the Archaea? Where do we find them? Pick one member of the Archaea group and tell us how they live and function in the found. Presentation date 9/18. (Advisor:  Dr. Schaeffer)	a.___Amy Rogers _____________ b.___Sarah Jacob______________ c.___Ann Schneideler___________ d.___Rebekah Wilkins___________ e.___Kerri Sterrett______________ f.___Elizabeth Godfrey_ _________
3. Barbara McClintock made an incredible discovery when she predicted that genes were not always stable in the chromosome. In fact she said some of them must "jump around". It took a number of  years using bacterial genetics before we understood this process at a  molecular level. It is called transposition. What is transposition?   What are transposable elements? How were they discovered?  Why are inverted repeats important? How can we use transposons to make mutations?  Presentation date 9/25. (Advisor:  Dr. Richman)	a.__John List_________________ b.__Rebecca Link_______________ c.__Amanda Turner_____________ d.__Alicia Holmes___ ___________ e.__Lindsey Morese_____________ f.__ Stephen Rizner______________
4. In order for us to be able to cope with the many and varied microorganisms which are found in and around us, we must be able to control them. Once we gained information about these various microorganisms, we devised both chemical and physical means for sterilizing and disinfecting surfaces. Tell us about sterilization and disinfection by defining the two terms and describing the techniques involved. (Do not include the class of agents known as antibiotics.) Presentation date 10/9.   (Advisor:  Dr. Schaeffer)	a.__Sarah Goodrich_____________ b.__ Jamie Orzech______________ c.___Cedric Pecor_______________ d.___Ilona Casellini_______________ e.___ Toby McGovern_____________ f.____________________________
5. Viruses are an enigmatic group of organisms. Enigmatic because, on the one hand, they are chemical structures incapable of growth on their own--they must grow inside living cells. Therefore, in one way one would not consider them alive but in the sense that they can replicate, they satisfy the definition for being among those organisms considered living. There are several groups of viruses called bacteriophage which infect bacteria. One of these groups is known as the T-Phage. Tell us about how these bacteriophage were discovered and describe their biology. Presentation date 10/14. (Advisor:  Dr. Schaeffer)	a.____Jillian Giardina__________ b.____Peter Hurd______________ c.____Jesse Miller___________  _  d.____Beth Assell_______________ e.____Ryan Blanton____  ________ f._____Rebecca Conway_________
6. Tools for Diagnostic Microbiology: Agglutination and immuno-techniques such as ELISA and Western blots (In book Section  21.5,21.8, 21.9). Presentation date 10/21.   (Advisor:  Ms. Tessmann)	a.___Dustin Scheuch__________ b.___Dan Skerritt_____________ c.___Meaghan Wheeler_________ d.___Jake Koster____ __________ e.___ Lindsay Brunel ___________ f.____________________________
7. One means by which organisms have evolved to fight infection is by way of the process known as the immunological response. One aspect of the immune response to the invasion of certain microoganisms is by a process known as opsonization.  Describe opsonization and the mechanistic details involved (in other words how and why it works). Presentation date 10/28.  (Advisor:Dr. Ward)	a.___Ryan Crete______________ b.___Caitlin Bailey_________ ___ c.___ Amanda McSweeney_____ d.____Kathlyn Coughlan________ e.____ Michele Lareau__________ f._____Jill Smith_______________
8. There are many people who feel if biological warfare occurs, that the organism will be airborne. What are the features of airborne infections that make this likely? What speaks against this method? Talk about three such organisms that are being discussed recently as potential biological weapons   Is there any way to defend ourselves against biological warfare? Presentat'n date 11/4. (Advisor:  Dr. Ward)	a.___Scott Barbick ____________ b.___David Stephens____________ c.___Dominic Gualtieri___________ d.___Devin Berthiaume___________ e.___Anna Liberatore_____________ f.____________________________
9. The most important common source of infection is water. Hence communities spend a great deal of money in ensuring that drinking water and swimming water is safe. What tests are used to determine if our water supply is safe. How does a sewage treatment plant operate? What are leach fields and septic systems? If you build a new house what do you have to be concerned about as far as water is concerned? What are the common organisms transmitted in water? Presentation date 11/11. (Advisor:  Dr. Richman)	a.___Rachel Colella ___________ b.___Susan Kissel______________ c.___Carlos Rivadeneira ________ d.___ Logan Junger____________ e.____Mary Kate Bennett_________ f.____Melissa Randall____________
10.  Mycoplasmas are the smallest, and simplest  free-living microorganisms known.  They infect both animals and plants. They cause, or are involved in a host of diseases in both plants and animals.  Describe these most interesting microorganisms and pick three to discuss in detail. Presentation date 11/18. (Advisor:  Dr. Schaeffer)	a.__Anna Bramley_____________ b.__ Candace Tietsworth   _______ c.___Genevieve Abedon_________ d.___ Rachel Barrack____________ e.____Allison Maslack____________ f.____Rebeca Butler______________
11. Very few living organisms are able to digest cellulose. One group of herbivores, called ruminants, are able to do this through the activity of populations of anaerobic bacteria. Human food economy depends on  the ability of these animals to do this.  Discuss the anatomy of  the rumen and how microbial fermentation takes place in the rumen. Presentation date 11/25. (Advisor:  Dr. Richman)	a.___Gary Paul _______________ b.____Jennifer Ather   __________ c.____ Melanie Pare____________ d._____Misty Maglaris   ________ e._____ Alison Williams_________ f.______Joshua Benson__________
12. Xenobiotics are chemically synthesized compounds that do not occur naturally. If there were no way for microorganisms to break down these compounds, they would completely cover the earth.  Discuss some of the xenobiotics. How is it that bacteria can break  down many of them? What role does the biodegradation of xenobiotics play in our understanding of microbial evolution. What does all of this have to do with the landfill crisis?  Presentation date 12/4.   (Advisor:  Dr. Richman)	a.__Jonathan Davies_____________ b.___Danielle Frechette____________ c.___Adam Wallace____   ________ d.___Jessica Haley____  _________ e.___________________  ________ f.___________________  _________