Looking for Workshop Ideas in Microbiology of the Built Environment!

We need your help! One of the goals for microBEnet in 2014 is to host/organize/support targeted workshops within the broad area of the microbiology of the built environment.  In the past we’ve been involved in a number of general workshops since the field was so new.   Now we’d like to focus more on specific areas …

Discussion of surface sampling methods in the built environment (video) [Updated w/ notes]

Researchers from the University of Oregon, UC Berkeley, Cornell, and Texas looking at bacterial and fungal communities in the built environment had a great video discussion on our methods for surface sampling. Watch the video on YouTube Notes on the discussion and equipment used by each group should be coming soon. Thanks again to everyone …

Video Conference on Air Sampling Methods[Updated with notes]

Some of us doing bioaerosol sampling had a video conference to discuss methods in the field. The goal was to swap experiences, considerations, and ideas as the field moves forward. It was a great conversation among researchers from Berkeley, Oregon, Cornell, and Univ. of Texas. Summarized notes are in the works and will be uploaded …

Tutorial at AAAR Oct 2012 on “Molecular Biology-Based Studies

Of potential interest to microBEnet readers: Tutorials at the AAAR 31st Annual Conference — October 8-12, 2012 · Hyatt Regency Minneapolis · Minneapolis, Minnesota. includes the following:     Molecular Biology-Based Bioaerosol Analyses Jordan Peccia, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT Abstract: This tutorial covers molecular biology concepts and tools …

Guest Post: Paul Orwin from CSUSB on an undergraduate microbial genome sequencing project

A while back we posted about our microBEnet project to have undergraduates come into the lab and sequence reference genomes from the built environment.  That project now has it’s own blog, being maintained by the students themselves.   Comments about our original post led to the following guest post by Paul Orwin, who is doing something …

Everyone choose a genome (reference genome sequencing as an undergrad research project)

(cross-posted with modifications from the Eisen Lab blog) Not enough reference genomes from the built environment? Looking for ways to increase undergraduate participation in research? The marriage of these two concepts seems fairly straightforward.   Bring undergraduates into the lab, have them culture microbes from the built environment, then sequence and assemble genomes… one per student. …

Course Announcement: Introduction to Food- and Air-Borne Fungi, June 18-22 Ottawa

Introduction to Food- and Air-Borne Fungi. 18-22 June 2012, Ottawa, Canada. We are pleased to offer our five day course for mycologists interested in food spoilage, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, mycotoxins, pharmaceuticals, biodeterioration, etc.. More than 100 mould and yeast species common in indoor air and on food will be examined, including important species of Penicillium, Aspergillus, Fusarium …

#microBEnet education and training notes: IGERT on Indoor Environmental Science and Engineering

We are starting a new thread here on the blog focusing on education and training in microBEnet related topics (metagenomics, microbiology, the built environment, etc).  And I discovered a very interesting program at the University of Texas.  There they have what is called an “IGERT.”  The IGERT program is ” the National Science Foundation’s flagship interdisciplinary …

Course announcement: Introduction to food and air-borne molds – June 6-10, 2011, Ottawa

Just got information about this course: INTRODUCTION TO FOOD AND AIR-BORNE MOLDS – 2011 (a course in fungal identification) (See the website here International Commission on Indoor Fungi (ICIF)).  From the organizer: Introduction to Food- and Air-Borne Fungi. 6-10 June 2011, Ottawa, Canada. For the first time in three years, we are pleased to offer our five …