MAGIC Outreach at Ohlone

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Microscope And Graphic Imaging Center

Ohlone Community College Outreach

Students from Ohlone College come to MAGIC to work on SEM sample preparation. Dean Ronald Quinta, of the Mathematics, Social Science and Natural Science Division at Ohlone, and Nancy Smith are working jointly on a Biology Special Project learning module. Ohlone College has implemented a Biology Basic Skills Enhancement (BBSE)/Biology Fellowship Program. The BBSE Program is designed to recruit, prepare, and retain students who are under-prepared in prerequisite skills and knowledge needed for success in Principles of Biology courses, who learn better in a non-lecture setting, and who are ethnically under-represented in biology majors and career fields.

Students who want to participate in the Special Project learning module are required to write a one-page essay, expressing their interest and how this experience will benefit them. From the essays, ten students are selected to participate. The objectives of the learning module are for students to learn specimen preparation techniques and develop skill in SEM technology at CSUH. They gain hands-on experience and develop some of the laboratory skills necessary for the effective use of the SEM in studying biological specimens. The students work in teams for the specimen assignments. At the end of the semester, each participant is required to share the experience gained with peers at Ohlone College by giving an oral presentation.

This program was awarded a GTE Focus Grant in January, 1998. The award allows MAGIC to fund peer mentors from CSUH and Ohlone. Sample preparation equipment will be purchased for the Ohlone campus. A workstation purchased with this award allows MAGIC to perform remote control of the CSUH SEM to incorporate SEM images into Ohlone's biology courses.

Fall 1997 semester

	Davinia Johal (left) and Patty McQueen are all smiles as they view their samples with the computer-controlled SEM!
Davinia and Patty's project was the difficult task of preparing salivary gland polytene chromosomes. The polytene chromosomes were prepared as part of the Biology 1A lab. The squashed cells were treated with acetic acid to liberate the chromosomes. The samples were stained and viewed with an optical microscope to see the chromosomes. The samples were then prepared by Patty and Davinia for viewing with the SEM. Although the samples did not yield well-defined chromosomes (many of the samples looked squashed), these women enjoyed and benefited from the experience of coming to MAGIC.
Malwana Adalat (left) and Rose-Antoinette Tamayo take a short break from their project to pose for the camera.
Malwana Adalat and Rose-Antoinette Tamayo prepared planarian flatworms for SEM observation. Here they are processing the flatworms using the critical point dryer. Malwana and Rose-Antoinette set up planarian regeneration experiments in which they cut some of the worms, so they could observe the resulting tissue regeneration process. Click here to view one of Malwana and Rose-Antoinette's SEM images.
	Tarana Bhatnagar (left) and Roopal Shah prepare their Drosophila presentation for the class.
Tarana Bhatnagar and Roopal Shah prepared Drosophilia melanogaster wild type and genetic mutants. Click here to view some of Tarana and Roopal's SEM images.
Barry Southerland and Isabell Phan get ready to present their protist/fungi project to the class.
	Janette Kofler and Jonathan Greathouse take a break from viewing their samples.
Janette Kofler and Jonathan Greathouse prepared bacterial and algal samples and achieved some wonderful results. Click here to view some of Janette and Jonathan's SEM images.

Below, participants of the Biology Special Project pose with the MAGIC staff.

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From left to right:

Back Row: Isabell Phan, Kimberly Dauphin, Jonathan Greathouse, Patty McQueen, Nancy Smith, Rose-Antoinette Tamayo, Malwana Adalat, Janette Kofler, Dr. Ron Quinta.

Front Row: Barry Southerland, Davinia Johal, Tarana Bhatnagar, Roopal Shah, and Nicole Gomez.

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Please send us email with any questions or comments: Nancy Smith

Copyright © 1997, 1998 California State University, Hayward
Last updated 06/30/98