COMB Scientist Speaks at JHU 2005
Science and Technology Series

Baltimore, MD - More than 400 parents and their students coming from New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, New Jersey and other states attended the Johns Hopkins University 2005 science and technology program for gifted and talented students. This was the 8th program in the 2005 series and it was sold out.

Dr. Russell Hill, Associate Professor for the Center of Marine Biotechnology at UMBI spoke at The Johns Hopkins University Explorations in Marine & Ocean Sciences program. The event took place on Sunday, November 13th at Shriver Hall on Hopkins Homewood campus. Dr. Hill's presentation was entitled, "Microbiology of Marine Sponges: Potential for New Drugs from the Sea". The Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland Sea Grant Program were sponsors for this event.

(Dr. Russell Hill, Associate Professor at COMB speaks to the students and parents)

UMBI's Education and Outreach team also participated in this program for gifted and talented students. Jeff Morgen, Education Specialist from UMBI Science and Technology Education Program spoke and conducted a hands on activity "Biofilms and Biodiversity". The workshop activity allowed the students to examine marine microscopic accumulations on disks from the Inner Harbor. Gina Hildt also an Education Specialist from SciTech presented "Natural Products and Biosensors". A hands-on workshop gave participants a chance to create their own anti-bacterial extraction from plants and quickly test the effectiveness on Bioluminescent bacteria.

 
(Left to right Angela Pond, Director of Johns Hopkins University Family Academic Conferences; Dr. Jonathan G. Kramer, Director of the Maryland Sea Grant College Program; Dr. Russell Hill, Associate Professor, COMB)

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Celebrating our 20th anniversary year, UMBI is Maryland's premier biotechnology research institute within the University System of Maryland and was established in 1985. The University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) consists of five major research and education centers and is dedicated to advancing the frontiers of biotechnology. UMBI’s centers of research include: CARB, the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology located in Rockville; CBR, the Center for Biosystems Research located in College Park; and COMB, the Center of Marine Biotechnology, MBC, the Medical Biotechnology Center, and IHV, the Institute of Human Virology, all located in Baltimore. For more information, visit www.umbi.umd.edu