May. 15, 2012

In March, several biology students at Shawnee State University won awards at Purdue University at the Beta Beta Beta Northeast District 4 Convention.

Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) is a national biological honor society dedicated to promoting undergraduate research in biological sciences. Shawnee students competed against students from Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Five SSU students placed in the competition. All the SSU students that attended received certificates.

"Our chapter also received certificates, one for bringing the most students to the convention, and one for traveling the farthest to get there," said Eugene Burns, Ph.D., biology professor and chair in the Department of Natural Sciences.

Zachary Baird, of Thurman, and Corey Johnson, of Stoutsville, won second place in the Molecular Biology Division for presenting "Investigating the Existence of a Co-biofilm of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans in dental plaque."

In the Organismal Biology Division, Camron Clark, of Portsmouth, won third place with his presentation "Taking the bait: Intercepting cucurbit pests using kairomonial semichemicals for use in a narrow spectrum biorational management plan."

Jeff Ringiesn, of Otway, and William Harrison Andry, of Winchester, won third place in the Molecular Biology Division with "Insertional Inactivation of a Bordetella bronchiseptica Gene Increases Attachment to Canine and Procine Respiratory Cells in Vitro."