update – Drown Lab

Aug

August 23, 2016

field, research, update

Travel to Toolik (68° 38' N, 149° 36' W, AK)

On August 20th, Biology and Wildlife graduate students and researchers traveled to UAF's Toolik Field Station for an awakening taste of arctic atmosphere. Devin and I used this nine hour road trip north of Fairbanks for investigation...in the 68th degree.

Toolik provided an opportunity to use the MinION sequencing capabilities in the field and sample for microbes on the North Slope.

Soil sampling and DNA sequencing with the MinION was supplemented with an abundance of scarlet alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina) and characteristically Alaskan Arctic beauty.

Oct

October 8, 2015

research, update

New tech, MinION

Thanks to the efforts of Ian Herriot who initiated the application to the Oxford Nanopore MinION Access programme (MAP), we have acquired access to a new nanopore sequencer (pictured above). The MinION at just 87 grams and half the size of an iPhone is so portable that it will visit the International Space Station as a proof of concept in remote collection of DNA sequence data. Working in collaboration with the IAB DNA Core Lab, the Drown lab will begin experimenting with this technology in the near future and expand access to potential undergraduate researchers in Spring 2016. This device can provide opportunities for student researchers to generate their own low cost DNA sequence data (as little as $500 / experiment).

Sep

September 2, 2015

update

A journey north into the Arctic

September marks the beginning of the new academic year and with it brings a new cohort of graduate students to the Department of Biology and Wildlife. As a bonding experience each year, several researchers lead a trip up to Toolik Field Station in the Arctic. This field station is operated by the Institute of Arctic Biology here at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The mission of the field station is

to support research and education that creates a greater understanding of the Arctic and its relationship to the global environment.

Jan

January 26, 2015

update

Alaska arrival

I made the move from Indiana University and joined the faculty at the University of Alaska Fairbanks this January. I have a joint appointment in both the Institute of Arctic Biology (research) and the Department of Biology & Wildlife (teaching).

a digital version of the research in my lab

Category Archives: update

Travel to Toolik (68° 38' N, 149° 36' W, AK)

New tech, MinION

A journey north into the Arctic

Alaska arrival