William R. Bowen Microscopy Center

Student
Projects

The following are undergraduate/graduate student projects.
Graduate student names are underlined. See the Gallery page for specific sampling of micrographs from each student.

 Tiffany Bohlmann and Benjie Blair- 2001. Scanning Electron Microscopy of plastics exposed to bacterial biofilms.  Tiffany was able to present her findings at the Association of Southeastern Biologist meeting in Boone NC.

 Deeya Holland and BENJIE BLAIR. 2001.Comparison of pollen samples collected from fresh and preserved specimens using Scanning Electron microscopy. Senior Seminar JSU Biology Department.

TATUM, TATIANA, BENJIE BLAIR,  and TIFFANY BOHLMANN. 2001 Jacksonville State University—Comparisons of etching patterns by various bacteria on samples of synthetic plastics and chitin. Southeastern Biologist V. 49 No. 2

WILLIAMS, CHRISTIE, TIFFANY BOHLMANN* and BENJIE BLAIR, 2001. Department of

Biology Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville AL. 36265-- Comparison of Ultrastructural Characteristics Between the Cellulolytic Anaerobe Eubacterium cellulosolvens 5494 and a Mutant Constitutive for Cellulose Adherence. Southeastern Biologist V. 49 No. 2.

 Ms. Williams is a graduate student who has now completed and defended her master's thesis using the Electron microscope.  

Projects of Undergraduate Students in the Electron Microscopy Course at JSU.

The Effect of Temperature and Growth Substrate on the Formation of Surface

Protuberances on Eubacterium cellulosolvens 5494. 2002. Ms Tiffany Bohlmann, an undergraduate student has completed this project and is currently preparing it for submission to the Journal of the Alabama Academy of Science. She recently presented her findings at the Association of Southeastern Biologists meeting in Washington D.C. Ms. Bohlmann has been accepted to attend the Auburn University Veterinary College beginning in Fall of 2003. 

Scanning Electron Microscopic Examination of Cryptobiosis in Terrestrial Tardigrades of

the Genera Microbiotis and Echiniscus. 2002Robert Dafoe, Benjie Blair and Frank Romano. Project to be submitted for publication.

A Scanning Electron Microscopic Analysis of Marine Tardigrades of the Genus

Batillipes Collected from Dauphin Island Alabama.  2002. James A. J. Young, Benjie Blair and Frank Romano. Project to be submitted for publication.

Electron Microscopic observation of crystalline cry Proteins from Bacillus thurigenensis isralienensis.  Natasha Woods, Jessica Olive and Lajoyce Debro.  2003. Ms. Woods has used the micrographs for presentations at several regional meetings and will also be featured on a poster at the National meeting of the American Society of Microbiology May 2003.  Please note that by request these micrographs are not included in the photo Gallery. 

The Effect of Water Quality on Surface Cilia from embryos of the African Clawed frog

(Xenopus laevis). 2002 Benjie Blair, James Rayburn. This could be your project if you are interested!

The effect of various concentrations of lead pollution on populations of epiphytic diatoms from Snow Creek in Glencoe AL.  2003. Mark Choquette.  This project is complete but the data is inconclusive and would need extensive revision for           publications. 

Developmental aspects of monospecies biofilms.  Donna Evans.  2003.  A few very good micrographs.

Morphological effects of Phloxine B on the development of Artemia spp.  2003. Randy

            Kilgore. This project has produced some good results but will need to be repeated

several times before it is suitable for publication. 

Electron Microscopic examination of Tardigrades isolated from moss collected on the

campus of Jacksonville State Univeristy.  Colleen Mitchell. 2003. Specimens are

dehydrating too much for good observation.   Ms. Mitchell is in the process of

troubleshooting the preparation protocol.

Electron microscopic examination of cellulosome disappearance after treatment with

soluble substrates. 2003.  Billy Brown. This work is being done in collaboration

with Dr. Kevin Anderson of the USDA swine research unit in Ames IA.

Interdisciplinary use of the Microscope.

There has been a great deal of use by both the chemistry and biology departments. 

Dr. Jan Gryko is working with students on the X-Ray EDS aspects of the microscope and has three current projects underway.

Dr. Al Nichols is working on a project to detect heavy metal toxins in core samples taken from trees in the area of Anniston Alabama.

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