Bowie State University News July 22, 2015 Bowie State Team to Use DNA for Biodiversity Survey in West Africa Three Bowie State University students and their professor will travel to Nigeria this summer to study the DNA sequences in native varieties of yams, a staple crop in western Africa. The students will then use their findings to analyze yam products that are imported to the United States, as they hone food forensics skills that could aid the nation in fighting future agroterrorism attacks. Led by Professor George Ude, the team will document the genetic diversity of the tropical yam species and perhaps discover unique gene sequences, using a powerful, online supercomputing tool called the DNA Subway<http://www.iplantcollaborative.org/ci/dna-subway>. The team will then share their findings with scientists all over the world through GenBank<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank>, a gene database developed by the National Institutes of Health. Using food forensics, they will test imported yam products, like flour, sold in local Maryland markets to ensure that they contain only elements of yam varieties, not other plant sources. Because the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency calls agro-terrorism a dangerous threat to the food supply, Dr. Ude is working to build Bowie State's capability in food forensics and preparing students to help in "securing the country from potential food terrorism, especially involving exotic food types imported from other countries." The students - Daniel Ballah, Jonathan Harper and Julian McCormick - are seniors majoring in biology who showed strong research skills in Dr. Ude's molecular biology course last fall. They will serve as mentors to their peers in a new genetic engineering course at Bowie State starting in fall 2015. "Bowie State undergraduate students are working with the same tools and skills as seasoned researchers in the fields of biotechnology and bioinformatics," Dr. Ude said. Before the team travels to Nigeria, the students worked with expert instructors at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory<http://www.cshl.edu/> in New York, one of the most prestigious biological research and education institutions in the country. During an intensive three-week training programs the students learned advanced techniques to analyze gene sequences and manipulate DNA in the lab. In Nigeria, the team will work with researchers from the Godfrey Okoye University to collect and analyze the samples of yams. When the students return to Bowie State in mid-August they will continue data analysis on campus in the plant genomics lab. Dr. Ude is introducing Bowie State students to the analytical skills that drive modern biology through Bowie State's Applied Biotechnology Initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)<http://www.nsf.gov/>. The initiative is designed to provide more opportunities for undergraduate students to conduct biotechnology research. Through an ongoing partnership with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Godfrey Okoye University, Bowie State students in Dr. Ude's courses now regularly use the DNA Subway to analyze gene sequences and have opportunities to work on research with students in Nigeria. The skills they learn in the laboratory courses will prepare them for the jobs of the future in biotechnology. "Having the experience of using the DNA Subway to analyze sequence data for gene annotation and DNA barcoding gives Bowie State students an advantage over their peers as they compete for internships and jobs," Dr. Ude said. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.