http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/3882 2026-05-19T00:02:11Z 2026-05-19T00:02:11Z Green-Gavrielidis, Lindsay http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/3891 2026-04-08T18:17:28Z 2026-02-13T00:00:00Z

Evolving Ecosystems: Seaweeds in a Changing Climate Green-Gavrielidis, Lindsay When most people visit the seashore and decide to poke around to look at organisms, they are typically focused on the animals and especially the ones they see moving. While seaweeds might be overlooked by many, they form the base of most marine ecosystems. Habitat-forming seaweeds are those that form the three-dimensional structure of coastal habitats and include many species of rockweeds and kelps. Due to the combined effects of climate change, especially increased sea surface temperature, the abundance and distribution of habitat-forming seaweeds have been changing. These changes are likely to cause ripple effects through entire coastal marine ecosystems that may affect which species are present and in what quantities. In this talk, Dr. Green-Gavrielidis will share research on how habitat-forming seaweeds in the northwest Atlantic are changing, and offer a glimpse at what may be local adaptation in seaweed populations to changing conditions. Dr. Green-Gavrielidis will also highlight findings from other temperate regions and propose future research areas to better understand the complexity of the response of seaweeds to climate change stressors.

2026-02-13T00:00:00Z Henion, Leigh Ann http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/3889 2026-04-08T18:10:58Z 2026-02-12T00:00:00Z

Appreciating the Magic of Natural Night Henion, Leigh Ann Leigh Ann Henion is the New York Times bestselling author of Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark (2024) and Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World (2015). Night Magic was, in part, inspired by an article Henion wrote for The Washington Post Magazine about synchronous fireflies. After that piece ran, many readers reached out to let her know that they’d started turning off their porch lights more often, and she was amazed that her story had inspired real-world action that led to reduced light pollution. Henion subsequently spent several years in the company of owls, moths, salamanders, and other nocturnal creatures to explore the importance of natural darkness in an age of increasing artificial light.

2026-02-12T00:00:00Z Polleys, Erica http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/3890 2026-04-08T18:10:34Z 2026-02-12T00:00:00Z

A Genomic Threat: How Repetitive DNAs Cause DNA Damage And Mutations Polleys, Erica Much of the human genome is comprised of repetitive DNA sequences. Microsatellite regions are small sequences which repeat, can change in length and cause over 30 inherited neurodegenerative disorders. Biochemical characteristics of DNA mean microsatellite repeats can form non-linear DNA structures and impede DNA transactions. My talk will focus on how microsatellite sequences must be negotiated during essential processes like DNA repair and discuss the human consequences when accurate repair fails at these sites.

2026-02-12T00:00:00Z Elliott, James http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13013/3892 2026-04-08T19:44:11Z 2026-02-13T00:00:00Z

Of Moose and Men: Evolutionary Threads in Wildlife Disease and Vaccine Manufacturing Elliott, James Moose calves (Alces alces americana) in northern climates face substantial nutritional stress during winter, and many carry extraordinary winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) burdens—sometimes exceeding 90,000 ticks per animal. To date, nearly 400 collared calves and 51 adult cows in northern Maine have been examined for how co-infection with an uncharacterized Anaplasma bacteria and varying winter tick loads influences survival and fitness. Calves experiencing both Anaplasma blood infection and moderate to heavy tick loads showed a marked reduction in overwinter survival probability. Physiological indicators suggest that Anaplasma infection contributes to anemia and may alter immune function. These findings highlight how co-infecting parasites compound stress in a population already challenged by climate-driven tick proliferation, underscoring the importance of genetic and ecological monitoring for a species of major cultural, ecological, and economic significance in Maine. The second section part of the talk shifts to the molecular manufacturing landscape during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing an Alumni’s journey to being a part of how New England Biolabs mobilized to support Moderna’s mRNA vaccine program. I describe the rapid scaling and manufacturing process development of critical enzymatic reagents and the collaborative problem-solving required to maintain uninterrupted access to high-quality raw materials essential for vaccine production. This high level behind-the-scenes view illustrates how industrial biotechnology can respond with speed and precision when the stakes are global.

2026-02-13T00:00:00Z