Graham Short Beverage: Citadelle Gin (France) Site Link: [click here] Listen: [mp3 download] [ca_audio url=”http://beerwith.bmsis.org/BwBMSIS_33_SEP2014.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]
Read moreOur “Beer with BMSIS” podcast for July features a conversation with Dr. Abel Méndez of the University of Puerto Rico about his research on “Habitabily Metrics for Astrobiology“. Habitability is often defined as the ability of a planet to have liquid water on its surface, but can one planet be “more habitable” than another? Is Earth at optimal habitable conditions? Dr. Abel Méndez raises such questions in his efforts to quantify habitability using analytical tools borrowed from ecology. He describes […]
Read moreThis month we feature Mrina Nikrad, a research scientist with a specialty in marine sciences and microbial ecology who recently joined our team. BMSIS: Please tell us a little about yourself. Mrina: I’m a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University, studying microbial biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nitrogen in polar ecosystems. My training and background span from ecology and evolution to biomedical science, but my passion is studying microbes that live in extreme climates, especially because of relevance to astrobiology and […]
Read moreOur “Beer with BMSIS” podcast for June features a conversation with our own Dr. Craig Hardgrove about current progress in Mars rover exploration titled “Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Mission Update: The Road to Mt. Sharp“. Missions to Mars require careful management by a team of coordinated experts to accomplish science goals, maintain the integrity of the technology, and keep focus on the long-term timeline. Dr. Craig Hardgrove gives us an insider’s perspective on the daily communication between scientists, engineers, and […]
Read moreHow do engineers design the scientific experiments that fly on the International Space Station? In a new Spark 101 video, Dr. Sanjoy Som gives us a guided tour of the engineering processes at the NASA Ames research center for the soon-to-launch fruit fly observation system. A free educational video suitable for a range of classroom ages, Dr. Som concludes by providing some valuable advice for students who wish to pursue science or engineering or who dream of someday working at […]
Read moreThis month we feature Steve Hsu, a research scientist with a medical background who recently joined our team. BMSIS: Please tell us a little about yourself. Steve: I was born in 1963 in Taiwan, where I was raised by my paternal grandparents, who were the first western-trained doctor and nurse in my family. Growing up watching my grandfather mixing medications in his own formulary and the antiseptic smell of the clinic are vivid memories. It wasn’t until I was older […]
Read moreDr. Duncan Forgan Beverage: Cigar City Jai Alai IPA (United States – Florida) Handout: [click here] Listen: [mp3 download] [ca_audio url=”http://beerwith.bmsis.org/BwBMSIS_32_AUG2014.mp3″ width=”500″ height=”27″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player”]
Read morePrometheon Pharma is a startup biotechnology company founded by BMSIS research scientist Dr. Steve Hsu (MD/PhD), and the company launched its international Indiegogo #NoPricks campaign (July 28-Sept 8) to eliminate painful needle injections for insulin, growth hormone, other injectable drugs, as well as vaccines. Prometheon is developing simple, convenient, 7-day, and biodegradable needle-free drug patches that do not need refrigeration. The company is raising funds to support costly studies that will allow it to obtain approval to begin human clinical […]
Read moreOur “Beer with BMSIS” podcast for May features a discussion between Dr. Sanjoy Som and Dr. Jacob Haqq-Misra about the philosophical question “Why explore space?“. One of the questions raised by skeptics of space exploration is the particular value that this enterprise adds to human civilization. The auxiliary discoveries of space exploration often are cited as the reasons for public investment, such as technologies that resulted from investment in space exploration but now benefit everyday consumers. Other reasons for valuing […]
Read moreA new astrobiology textbook is scheduled for publication in October and includes chapters written by our own Dr. Jim Cleaves and Dr. Sara Walker! The book is titled Astrobiology: An Evolutionary Approach and will be released by CRC Press on October 2, 2014. The book provides an interdisciplinary cross-section of many contemporary issues in astrobiology and could form the basis for an undergraduate or graduate course. Pre-orders can be placed now on Amazon.com!
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