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AN INTERNATIONAL TRAINING COURSE Offered by the Sponsored by the with support from the Open to students and researchers at the graduate, June 11 to July 10, 2008 Download the 2008 Geobiology course flier (PDF)
The course, co-directed by Will Berelson and Kurt Hanselmann, is limited to 20 participants and will be held at the University of Southern California's Wrigley Marine Science Center on beautiful Catalina Island, just offshore of Los Angeles. More than a dozen leading faculty co-teach the course. An intensive course on how interactions between microorganisms and the environment have shaped the evolution of the earth and how microbe-mineral interaction leave imprints in the rock record. Participants get hands-on experience in research methods in geobiology and work in research groups solving current questions relevant to the field.
Course Description
The course offers intensive interactions between the fields of biology and earth sciences on an advanced level. Over a period of five weeks, the participants will be exposed to an in-depth treatment of how biology interacts with the environment and how these interactions have shaped the evolution of the earth. Participants will get hands-on experience on modern research methods in geobiology and participate in small research groups solving current questions relevant to the field.
Understanding geobiology will open new insights into the history of life on earth and possibly suggest approaches to discovering life on other planets. The purpose of the course is to provide an overview of the many facets of the exciting field of geobiology by bringing together various aspects of a number of environmental sciences. Since a major goal of the course is to initiate contacts between scientific disciplines that are not usually combined, it encourages a rapprochement between various areas of microbiology, geochemistry, earth systems sciences and geology and treats them with an evolutionary outlook. It encourages interactions between students and instructors in a uniquely informal setting. The course provides interdisciplinary training for a new generation of scientists. It is our expectation that the gathering of biologists, geochemists and geologists will promote the development of collaborations between established investigators and young scientists to solve important problems in geobiology. The development of a common "geobiological language" that the course will facilitate is essential for progress in this field at all levels. Our most important goal is to train students to identify geobiological topics of interest, pose challenging research questions and explore ways to approach them.
The course is comprised of morning lectures, afternoon laboratory work and colloquia in the evening. An important component of the course will be fieldwork carried out during the a field trip to Colorado and to nearby sites of interest to introduce the participants to microbial ecology, field geology and geochemistry as it happens in natural settings. On Catalina, we will emphasize the marine environment but not exclude other interesting microbial and geological systems available on the island. The lectures delivered in the course come from a variety of instructors, permanent and visiting faculty, and cover a broad range of topics. Some lectures will illustrate the importance of microbes as living chemical agents and emphasize the roles microbes play in global geochemical cycles, others will address chemical systems on the early earth and again others will emphasize the diversity of microbial genomes which harbor the majority of the geophysiological "inventions" made in the course of evolution. Lectures on biochemistry, mineralogy, sediment geochemistry, paleontology, and earth and atmospheric evolution will compliment those dealing with the microbial world. Understanding life processes promises to provide a better awareness of the microbial biosphere, which is the earth's life support system. Preparatory discussions, computer modeling and exercises on particular subjects are offered during the course as requested by the participants and specific themes will be discussed during two mini-symposia. Field trips give us the opportunity to point out characteristic microbial habitats, collect geochemical samples and microbes for enrichment and isolation in the laboratory. Chemical and physical measurements in situ and analyses of environmental samples employing in vitro techniques will be applied to define environmental determinants in particular habitats. The laboratory work is investigative, i.e., we would like to discover new processes and microbes and understand their interactions and activities. Research themes are designed to educate students about current techniques in geobiology and to encourage independent research. The students will carry them out in groups or individually with faculty assistance and independently. The course requires complete student participation in all aspects of the program for the full duration of the course. Proficiency in the English language is essential. Course work begins early in the morning and may often run late into the evening. Although there will be little time for activities other than course work, past experience has shown that students find time to enjoy the fascinating water world which is easily accessible at the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center. The intensity of the course work and the sharing of common experiences encourage long-lasting friendships and collaborations among the participants.
Symposium 1: June 20, 2008 - Colorado School of Mines Please contact Sue Anderson (suema@usc.edu) for reservations and details.
WHAT IS EXPECTED FROM THE PARTICIPANTS? Students of the course are expected to:
DATES, LOCATIONS AND FACILITIES 2008 Schedule:
Research Facilities: The USC Wrigley Marine Science Center has modern laboratory facilities and instrumentation for molecular biological investigation of microbial genomic work, microelectrodes for geochemical studies of pore water oxygen, pH and sulfide content, analytical equipment for studies of methane and CO2 in natural systems, and state of the art microscopes and imaging systems. The lab is fully internet-connected and has PCs and Mac computers, scanners and printers available for student use, 24 hours/day. Sites on the island provide easy access to microbial mat environments in a nearby lagoon and fresh-water pond and anoxic marine sediments are accessible in the deep basin between the mainland and the island. Accommodations: All student and faculty housing is on-site in modern, dormitory accommodations. For more information, please see http://wrigley.usc.edu/msc/infrastructure.html
COURSE ORGANIZERS AND INSTRUCTORS The course is organized by the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies in conjunction with the Co-Directors of the course. Lecturers, teaching staff and course instructors are drawn from microbiologically, geochemically and geologically oriented research groups from research institutions in the US and abroad. Co-directors: Will Berelson, University of Southern California Course Coordinators: Ann Close, USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies
The application deadline for the 2008 course has passed.Prerequisites: Participants should be relatively experienced in their scientific field. Basic knowledge of chemistry and biology are prerequisites for successful participation. The course requires complete student involvement in all aspects of the program for the full duration of the course. The field trips planned for this year will involve rigorous physical exertion, both slogging through hypersaline waters and trudging up mountains. We ask all applicants to be aware that this course involves field work and the inherent potential dangers. Language: The course will be taught in English. Proficiency in the English language is an essential prerequisite for participation. Student credit: Participants will receive a certificate of attendance. Upon request, the organizers will certify the successful completion of the course, offer an opinion as to the credit value of the program, and suggest an appropriate grade if requested to do so. It is the student's responsibility to validate these credits at his or her home institution. Students may copy and distribute their certificates as necessary; institutions desiring authentication may contact the organizers. Insurance: Accident and health insurance are the responsibility of the participant. The organizers undertake no liability. Participants must provide proof of appropriate insurance coverage. Admission: The admission process for the course is competitive. A maximum of 20 participants are admitted on the basis of their academic or teaching records, demonstrated research and/or teaching interests and abilities, originality, recommendations and career goals as they are related to the course objectives. All applications are reviewed by the education committee which strives to select the best student applicants from a broad international setting. Notification of acceptance and further information will be sent to all applicants by mid-March. Costs and Financial Aid: Course costs (including the field trips) are covered through the generosity of the Agouron Institute and the National Science Foundation. Students are responsible for their travel to and from Los Angeles, although limited financial assistance is available for foreign travel. Application Procedure: Complete the application and forward it between January 1 and March 7, 2008 to the Admission Office of the Geobiology Course (see address below). Along with your application and your financial statement (if needed for assistance for foreign travel), please submit a two page CV and two letters of recommendation completed by a person, other than a faculty member of the course, who is able to evaluate your professional experience, your commitment to the field of the course, your scientific abilities (creativity, imagination, curiosity, initiative, skills) and your overall potential for success in applying the course contents in your professional career. Foreign participants will require a visitor visa for participation in this training program and will have to sign a "health insurance memo of understanding." The necessary forms and a formal invitation letter needed for the visa application will be mailed to accepted applicants who will then have to apply for the visa through the US embassy in their country. Students are responsible for their own visa acquisition.
For further information please contact:: Geobiology Course Coordinator, Ann Close
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