LSU Graduate Student Blogs from Antarctica for Sulphur High School Students

BATON ROUGE – Shawn Doyle, graduate student in biological sciences at LSU, recently left university life for the cold of Antarctica. He’s participating in field work with Brent Christner, assistant professor of biological sciences at LSU. Despite the rigors of research in one of the harshest climates on Earth, Doyle makes time to inspire students at his alma mater, Sulphur High School of Sulphur, La., through an outreach program he developed before leaving. As part of the program, Doyle is blogging from base camp in Antarctica.

The blog, available at http://glacialmicrobes.blogspot.com/, is geared toward encouraging students in the Advanced Placement Biology II course at the school. Doyle, a graduate of the Sulphur High School Class of 2004 and former Advanced Placement Biology II student, visited with current advanced placement students at the high school prior to departing for Antarctica, encouraging them to begin biological research early in college. He also provided information about field research in general and his research specifically.

Doyle, who is investigating the geomicrobiology of Taylor Glacier, will be blogging for the entirety of his trip, which is scheduled to take approximately two-and-a-half months. He is also bringing back glacial ice for the students to study and use in experiments.
 

Related Links:
 
• Brent Christner Research Group
http://brent.xner.net/
 
• LSU Professor Looks for Life in and Under Antarctic Ice
http://appl003.lsu.edu/UNV002.nsf/ebbed8deb406c8c986256da30052e7dd/259b63387d78bd8d8625734800693553?OpenDocument
 
• LSU Scientist Finds Evidence of “Rain-Making” Bacteria
http://appl003.lsu.edu/UNV002.nsf/ebbed8deb406c8c986256da30052e7dd/d807d7193ca91738862573fe004e8ff8?OpenDocument