The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the final seminar of the spring semester, "Shell Calcification and Growth of the Aquatic Snail Planorbella trivolvis Under Low Calcium Conditions Typical of Decalcified Northern Lakes," presented by Buffalo State alumnus Shawn Witte, on Monday, May 8, at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 216. 

Mr. Witte obtained his M.A. in biology from Buffalo State in 2021 and his B.S. in veterinary technology from Medaille University in 2018. He is now a scientist in the Molecular Department on the New Product Development team at ZeptoMetrix, formulating molecular controls and panels using qPCR and sample-to-result assays.

Attendees are welcome to arrive at 2:30 p.m. to enjoy coffee and cookies before the seminar begins.

Abstract
In this two-topic seminar, Shawn Witte will share his experience since graduating and illustrate the versatility of a degree in the biological sciences. While at Buffalo State, he researched the impact of low water calcium on the shell calcification of freshwater snails and completed his thesis in the lab of Professor Alicia Pérez-Fuentetaja. His interest in microbiology and molecular biology grew as a graduate teaching assistant, and he is now a scientist at ZeptoMetrix developing positive controls for infectious disease diagnostic panels. The first part of this seminar will be a virtual tour of the ZeptoMetrix facilities, including an overview of the bacteriology, virology, and molecular biology departments and information on the internship program. To conclude the seminar, Mr. Witte will talk about his thesis research, which used laboratory methods to replicate a human-induced ecological disruption in soft water regions and assess its impact on a calcium-demanding aquatic snail.