The Daily Bulletin Archive

Please join the Biology Department for a biotechnology seminar on Thursday, November 3, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in Classroom Building B119. November's seminar will be presented by Carleen Pope, chief molecular scientist for the Erie County Public Health Laboratory. Her seminar is titled "Role of Molecular Technologies in Improving Public Health Preparedness and Response."

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

Seminar Abstract
Significant advances have been made in the field of laboratory testing since the structure of the gene was described by Watson and Crick in 1953. Advances in the understanding of molecular biology and new developments in technology and applications from the 1960s through today have allowed public health laboratories to better understand the disease process, expand diagnostic and surveillance relevance and capacity, and facilitate disease control strategies.

Over the last decade, the Erie County Public Health Laboratory (ECPHL) has been incorporating molecular testing methods into their efforts toward emergency preparedness and response, disease detection and surveillance, and, most recently, environmental health and food safety. The role of molecular techniques and the application of these methods in the detection and control of novel emerging disease were best illustrated in the quick response of the public health laboratory system during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.