A Chat about Research in NUS Biological Sciences (Mon 25 Sep 2017: 6.30pm @ S2-04 SR1)

The event is an informal discussion about research in NUS that might be useful for students thinking ahead toward internship, UROPS, FYP, or graduate studies.

Three graduate students, representing research labs in Environmental Biology & Biomedical Sciences will share their research experiences.

Join them on Mon 25 Sep 2017: 6.30pm – 7.30pm @ S2-04 Seminar Room 1 (Blk S2 Level 4)

Do indicate your interest so that we know how many students to expect – tinyurl.com/chalk2017.

If you have any other queries, feel free to email Jerome Kok (jeromekok@u.nus.edu).

LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity – open for registration by Wed 31 May 2017

Dear Students
Registration is now open for LSM4263 – Field Studies in Biodiversity!

This 4MC-module is conducted in Special Term Part 2, AY2016/2017. The module duration is from 19 June 2017 (Monday), to 28 July 2017 (Friday). A more detailed timetable will be available later. More information about the module is available at http://tinyurl.com/lsm4263-nus.

To qualify, students should:

• Be EITHER a LSM Major with specialisation in Environmental Biology (EVB), OR from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) programme;
• Be continuing into their Honours year in AY2017/2018;
• Possess a CAP of 3.2 or above;
• Be willing to cover part of the module cost (amounting to less than S$400).

The field trip to Pulau Tioman is from 6 July 2017 (Thursday), to 12 July 2017 (Wednesday). Local accommodation will be at Paya Beach Resort [link].

Local student enrolment is limited to 30 students, and priority is given to students who have passed LSM2251 Ecology and Environment, or other relevant experience.

To register, please complete the form at www.tinyurl.com/lsm4263signup.

Registration ends on 31 May 2017 (Wednesday), 6:00 pm.

Accepted student applicants will be notified by email.

Thu 27 Oct 2016: 6.30pm @ SR1 – For undergraduates: A chat about research opportunities in NUS with grad students

DBS graduate students Jerome Kok, Dorothy Cheong & Kenny Chua present a chat about about research opportunities in NUS. This is a lovely opportunity for undergraduates to get some advice from your seniors and to ask some frank questions.

Thu 27 Oct 2016: 6.30pm – 7.30pm @ Seminar Room 1 (S2-0414)

Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/dbs-gradchat

Click to view details

Job: Undergraduate part-time assistants wanted (Sep 2016 – Aug 2017) for image processing & digital archiving of Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey specimens

We are looking for undergraduate part-time assistants to help out with processing  images and other data from the recently concluded Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS) to the Animals and Plants of Singapore database from September 2016 to August 2017.

Project description: 

The Comprehensive Marine Biodiversity Survey (CMBS) to survey and document Singapore’s marine biodiversity has recently concluded, and has so far uncovered at least 100 species new to science, 200 new records for Singapore, and 10 rediscoveries. Identification and bioimaging of specimens are now completed and they are now ready to be uploaded onto the Animals and Plants of Singapore (APS) database. APS is a LKCNHM-based initiative to document the flora and fauna of Singapore. As an image-focused database, it aggregates species from various scientific projects and individual, verified experts. It was launched in February 2015, and has since grown to over 2,700 species.

Several undergraduate part-time assistants will be needed for help in this process, with responsibilities and requirements listed below:

Responsibilities:

1. Data entry of specimen information into the database
2. Imaging of specimens
3. Image processing of existing specimens
4. Digital specimen curation

Requirements:

1. Be able to help out over the semester break and during term time. Working from home for a part of the time is acceptable.
2. Experience in using Microsoft Excel and Adobe Photoshop is desired, but the candidate can also learn on the job.
3. Standard undergraduate hourly wages (8.74SGD) will be paid

Contact

Please contact Mr Jonathan Ho, Research Assistant, Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore at aps.lkcnhm@gmail.com

LSM4263 Field Studies in Biodiversity: Registration open!

Dear students

Registration is now open for LSM4263 – Field Studies in Biodiversity! 

This 4MC module will be conducted in Semester IV of AY2015/2016 from Tue 21 Jun 2016 to Fri 22 Jul 2016. Timetable details will be available later.

To qualify, students should be:

• LSM majors specialising in Environmental Biology (EVB), OR from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) programme
• Continuing into their Honors year in AY2016/2017
• Possess a CAP of 3.2 or above
• Willing to cover part of the module cost (amounting to less than S$400)

Other details:

• The Pulau Tioman field trip is scheduled from Tue 12 Jul 2016 – Mon 18 Jul 2016
• Accommodation at Paya Beach Resort
• Local student enrolment is limited to 30 students
• Priority to students with LSM2251 Ecology and the Environment, or other relevant experience

To register, please complete the form at tinyurl.com/lsm4263signup by Mon 06 Jun 2016: 1800h. Successful students will be notified by email.

Best wishes,
Life Sciences Undergraduate Program Committee
http://www.lifesciences.nus.edu.sg

Photo by drowgirl@Flickr

Life Sciences graduating students – you are invited to a Farewell Dinner, Fri 08 Apr 2016: 6.00pm – register now!

Dear Life Sciences Students,

“If you are completing the undergraduate course and graduating at the end of this semester, an early congratulation to you for the achievement made!

The Department of Biological Sciences would like to invite you to a farewell evening event!

Farewell Life Sciences Graduating Students
Friday 8th April 2016: 6.00pm
Venue: To be confirmed

To register for the event, please go to http://tinyurl.com/DBSgraduatefarewell2016.

We hope to see you there!

Regards,
Amy Choong
Department of Biological Sciences
National University of Singapore

Undergrad part-time lab volunteers wanted for DNA analysis of marine microbial communities (Mar-Jul 2016)

Marina (Photo by Zarina Zainul)

Marina biodiversity (Photo by Zarina Zainul)

Project description:

Analysis of microbial communities from Singapore’s marinas.

Two or more part-time volunteers are required for DNA analysis from March 2016 to July 2016.

What you will learn:

• Collection of samples from marina
• DNA extraction of samples collected from previous experiments
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel analysis

Candidates should be:

• Be able help out over term time and semester break
• Willing to learn new techniques

Contact:
Please contact Zarina Zainul, Graduate student, Experimental Marine Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore at zarina (at) u.nus.edu

Field sampling at a marina (Photo by Zarina Zainul)

 

Emails to Life Science undergraduates: field trips and research conversation opportunities

Sent to AY2014/15 Sem 1 students reading LSM1103, LSM2251 & LSM3261.

Field assistants for honours students
Sign up at: http://tinyurl.com/hons-fieldwork

Our undergraduate research students are engaged in a variety of field observations following monkeys in the forest, studying freshwater streams, mapping the distribution of fruit trees important to civets, exploring trash in mangroves and a variety other work.

This is an important period in their lives when they grapple with field work very seriously, examine the literature, evaluate their methods and collect data with specific objectives. It is a steep learning curve and educational for undergraduates to be exposed to.

Hence Life Science undergraduates are encouraged to sign up as volunteer student assistants to gain exposure to field work, learn about nature areas in Singapore and observe how science is conducted in the field. You will learn a lot from conversations with research students whom you follow.

That’s pretty much how I started – I was a first year undergraduate when I responded to an invitation to carry heavy stuff for a mangrove research team.

After you register, research students will contact you with their field trip schedule. It is not a blanket period, you will be able to pick and choose dates.

Once you respond to individual researchers, you must commit to the appointments you sign up for, turn up early rain or shine and be communicative with the researcher. You reputation depends on this. You can also ask the research students for recommendations to secure your own projects in future.

Cheerio!

Sivasothi a.k.a. Otterman

Invitation to a post-exam conversation with EVB Graduate students:
Mon 08 Dec 2014: 7.00pm
Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/dec-chalk

Dear undergraduates,

I am pleased to announce that three graduate students from the Environmental Biology (EVB) track are inviting you to an informal discussion about interests and concerns you might have about research in the Department of Biological Sciences. This is relation to the Honours year thesis (FYP), UROPS, lab attachments or techniques, experiences, constraints and philosophies.

Conversation with EVB grads about research in NUS DBS
Mon 08 Dec 2014: 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/dec-chalk

Undergrads should think about and discuss these issues early in your journey. There are few formal opportunities to do this so these graduate students are extending an invitation for you to join them in just such a conversation.

While Darren Yeo (Evo Lab), Ian Chan (Marine Lab) & Jerome Kok (Freshwater Lab) are in the EVB track, this invitation is extended to all undergraduate biologists.

Cheerio!

Sivasothi aka Otterman

Undergrad part-time lab volunteers wanted for phytoplankton research (April-Dec 2014)

Do you have an interest in freshwater fauna?
Want to learn about more about phytoplankton research techniques?

Picture taken from Singapore Biodiversity: Freshwater Ecosystems by Yeo & Lim (2011)

Project description: Sampling and experimental work on toxic cyanobacteria isolated form Singapore’s reservoirs.

Two or more part-time volunteers are required for sample processing (cell counting) from September 2014 to February 2015.

What you will learn

1. Sample processing (cell counting) of samples collected from previous experiments
2. Using of Sedgwick Rafter and compound microscopes
3. Learning to do basic phytoplankton identification
4. Learn more about Singapore’s freshwater fauna

Candidates should be:

1. Be able help out over the semester break and during term time
2. Willing to learn new techniques

Contact

Please contact Maxine Mowe, Graduate student, Freshwater and Invasion Biology Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore. Update (16 Jan 2015): Thank you for your interest. The researcher has recruited enough volunteers for the project.

Volunteer field assistants for research projects in biodiversity and ecology

During undergraduate classes, it is evident that students with at least a little field experience are much more aware of nature areas and natural history issues in Singapore and how to handle themselves in the field.

It is quite the difference, so how do you transform yourself?

Well, we are providing you with an opportunity to help field researchers – our honours and UROPS students need help with a variety of work in the field including projects with the common palm civet, mangrove horseshoe crab, long-tailed macaques and birds.

I recommend this as a great way to learn about biodiversity and ecology. While helping them, you will gain exposure to field work, learn about nature areas in Singapore and appreciate how science is conducted in the field. You will also be privy to some eye-opening conversations.

All you have to do is sign up with the form at: http://tinyurl.com/hons-fieldwork

This is open to undergraduates and ‘A’ level students awaiting results, but anyone can apply.

The research students will contact you once you register.