Wednesday 28 January 2015 at 3:00pm

Title: “When space and time meet in the pelagic ecosystem, what do we do?”

Speaker:
Dr. Hongsheng Bi, UMCES, Chesapeake Biological Lab

Abstract:
TBD

Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.

BALTIMORE, MD (January 26, 2015)

Graduate students at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor recently completed the first semester of an entrepreneurial boot camp focusing on basic business principles, venture capital and entrepreneurism. The Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program was established in June 2014 with funding from the Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to help young scientists cultivate the leadership and business skills necessary to bring their bench research into commercial markets.

During the past semester, the Program featured a veritable who’s who of experts from Baltimore’s innovative science and technology community. These included Steve Dubin, of SDA Ventures and former CEO of Martek; Ted Olsen of PathSensors; Paul Silber of Blu Venture Investors; Jason Brooke of Vasoptic Medical. The program brought in real world experts as such as patent attorneys Nick Landau of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and Gianna Arnold of Saul, Ewing LLP. Jamie Lacey-Moreira of Press Comm Public Relations and Jennifer Dodson of Adashmore Creative led activities on strategic marketing. Ken Malone, CEO of Early Charm Ventures, who has launched several companies in Maryland and in other states, provided advice to the program throughout the semester.

“This is just the beginning,” said Russell Hill, Director and Professor at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology. “We believe that this entrepreneurship program is going to have a demonstrable impact on our students by broadening their career horizons. We also anticipate that the program will help to recruit new students in biotechnology who want to exercise their scientific skills within a business framework. We are grateful to the Ratcliffe Foundation for making these opportunities possible.”

The program runs over the course of two semesters with the Spring semester catalyzing the learnings of the Fall semester in the form of business plans and investor pitches. The Spring semester will host a number of prominent business leaders from Maryland, such as Rachel King of GlycoMimentics, Steve Davey of DSM Nutritional Products, and Blake Paterson of Cerecor.

“The program includes stipend support for two students, short course programs over four weekends for a cohort of eight students as well as externship opportunities,” said Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program Director Nick Hammond. “We also have a pool of seed funds available to students who wish to launch their own businesses. One student has already received a seed grant to support his start up concept.”

Recognizing that careers in academia are limited for scientists, the Ratcliffe Environmental Entrepreneurs Fellowship Program prepares students to gain a more informed appreciation of the potential business implications of their research discoveries. This effort is helping some students start their own small businesses in environmental science and helping others to prepare for careers in large companies working on such issues at nutritional supplements, aquaculture, environmental health and alternative fuel development.

BALTIMORE, MD (January 23, 2015)

A local donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has made a generous philanthropic gift to support the sustainable aquaculture work of marine biologist Yonathan “Yoni” Zohar at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The contribution of $380,000 will support Dr. Zohar’s work as chair of the Department of Marine Biotechnology at UMBC. He also leads the Aquaculture Research Center at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) in Baltimore.

“I continue to be gratified and inspired by the tremendous outpouring of support from local and national funders who have demonstrated confidence in our efforts to advance sustainable aquaculture,” said Zohar. “Together, we are expanding the possibilities for providing long-term sources of food to sustainably feed the planet. As the oceans’ fisheries continue to show signs of dramatic depletion, solutions to provide a consistent supply of healthy seafood will become increasingly more important.”

IMET is a global leader in sustainable aquaculture research. Past support from individuals and foundations has catalyzed new and innovative research on a variety of species, including Mediterranean sea bream, sea bass (Bronzini) and bluefin tuna. Zohar’s research, well known worldwide, has discovered ways to close the life cycle of a variety of species in pristine, environmentally responsible ways. He and his team have developed efficient and sustainable hatchery and farming technologies for commercially and ecologically important marine fish. The most recent funding is supporting Dr. Zohar’s research on bluefin tuna, one of the most valuable marine commodities in the world.

“Tuna are a highly valuable across the globe, but unfortunately they are severely overfished,” said Zohar. “We have brought tuna eggs to IMET’s Aquaculture Research Center in an effort to grow these fish to juvenile stages, thus overcoming the main hurdle to their farming. Our efforts have made considerable progress, but more research is needed to ensure that we can sustain this important species for generations to come.”

IMET scientists are at the leading edge of efforts to manage commercial fishing, restore natural stocks and produce marine fish through sustainable aquaculture. In response to the decline in fisheries resources, Zohar notes that marine aquaculture has been steadily growing. However many current aquaculture practices are not environmentally responsible or optimal for fish.

“The generosity of many individuals, foundations and corporations is making a long-term, demonstrable impact to advance critical research in aquaculture,” said IMET Director Russell Hill. “We are grateful for their support and foresight in addressing this important environmental issue and we are proud of the excellent research being conducted by Dr. Zohar and his team.”

OCEAN CITY, MD (January 19, 2015)

A team of IMET scientists participated in the East Coast Commercial Fishermen’s and Aquaculture Trade Exposition in Ocean City last weekend. IMET developed and staffed an exhibition booth at the Expo focusing on its blue crab hatchery program. Posters, live broodstock, and hatchery-produced juvenile crabs were displayed. The booth attracted significant interest among Mid-Atlantic watermen, aquaculturists, biologists, state/federal resource managers, and the teaching community.

For more information on the Maryland Waterman's Expo, click here.

Wednesday 21 January 2015 at 3:00pm

Title: “The Role of Autecology in Estuarine Science”

Speaker:
Dr. Lora Harris, UMCES, Chesapeake Biological Lab

Abstract:
TBD

Host: Dr. Russell Hill, Ph.D.

BALTIMORE, MD (January 7, 2015)

The Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET)'s Environmental Biotechnology Incubator (EBI) program has officially joined the Maryland Business Incubation Association (MBIA). This collaboration will greatly aid in informing Maryland startups about the EBI program at IMET, as well as providing a new partner that can contribute to the growth of the program as a whole.

The MBIA was founded in 2002 to advance business incubation in Maryland. Representing 22 incubators, MBIA supports nearly 550 companies across the state in both urban and rural areas. Since its inception, their incubators have generated 11,800 jobs, making it equivalent to one of the state’s largest employers.

The EBI program at IMET serves as a business incubator for young companies working to promote the development of products and services having a positive impact on the environment and human health. The scientists at IMET create technologies designed to foster the protection and restoration of coastal marine systems, sustainable use of their resources and improvement of human health. Incubation of small businesses focused on this mission will further IMET’s important role in economic development, protection of marine systems, and the promotion of human health.

For a detailed look at the EBI program at IMET, click here.

To see more on this in the Baltimore Business Journal, click here.

IMET chosen as one of the top 10 names to know for Baltimore startups.

Wednesday 7 January 2015 at 11:00am

Title: “Ecology of a fatal blue crab virus: Detection, genetic diversity, and prevalence of Callinectes sapidus reo-like virus”

MS Thesis Defense Seminar

Adviser: Eric Schott, Ph.D.

Tuesday 6 January 2015 at 12:30pm

Title: “Understanding molecular mechanisms regulating the initial shell-hardening process of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus: involvement of prophenoloxidase and tanning hormone, bursicon”

Dissertation Defense Seminar

Adviser: J. Sook Chung, Ph.D.