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bio website blogs.longwood.edu/…
location Longwood University, VA
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visits member for 1 year, 5 months
seen May 9 at 21:28
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I am an Assistant Professor of Biology at Longwood University. My main interests are how biodiversity affects ecosystem function in aquatic sediments. You can find out more about what my lab is doing here: http://blogs.longwood.edu/fortinolabnotebook/


May
9
comment Does biofuel production by microalgae need an extra source of CO2?
OK so that sounds like a slightly different question... it sounds more like you are asking if algal biofuel production could lower atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations to the point where it is no longer possible. I think the issue here is that the industrial process that "farms" the algae could concentrate the $CO_2$ in the bioreactor so that the atmospheric $CO_2$ concentration isn't that important. There was certainly lots of algal production when atmospheric $CO_2$ was 280 ppm, so that is plenty to get them to grow.
May
9
comment Does biofuel production by microalgae need an extra source of CO2?
That is definitely an interesting question but I am not sure it is a biological question as much as an engineering question.
May
9
comment Does biofuel production by microalgae need an extra source of CO2?
I think your question needs some clarification to be answerable. Algae need $CO_2$ as a carbon source for photosynthesis but the source is irrelevant. Are you asking if industrial scale biofuel production can be sustained at atmospheric $CO_2$ concentrations?
Apr
29
comment What organs are absolutely needed by the human body?
As the comments are gradually illustrating, I think this question is too vague to really be answered effectively. There are some clear examples of organs that can be removed w/o immediately causing death with varying degrees of medical intervention but you could likely keep any small amount of human tissue alive for weeks in the lab so the answer would be all of them except for that piece* (lots of medical intervention required).
Apr
14
comment What is a bacterial biofilm?
Why would you want to combat them universally? Some do us harm (e.g., the plaque on our teeth) but most are essential for the functioning of the biosphere.
Mar
30
comment If life is discovered on another planet, will it likely be classified using the current domain/kingdom/phylum system?
Yeah I think that captures it. I am not sure this question is more contcontroversial than phylogeny in general :)
Mar
30
comment If life is discovered on another planet, will it likely be classified using the current domain/kingdom/phylum system?
I disagree. Our current classification system is based on classifying evolutionary history from a single common ancestor, not function. Function is used to assess evolutionary relationships. Excluding panspermia, any extraterrestrial life would represent a completely unique evolutionary history and could not be classified.
Mar
21
asked Does preservation in ethanol alter leaf litter mass?
Mar
6
comment Are animals that live in areas where avalanches happen equipped to deal with that?
I don't have a definitive answer for you so this is a comment but my gut feeling is that most animals would not encounter avalanches often enough for them to act as a selective force. I can't think of any animal that lives on steep snow covered slopes. There are mountain dwelling animals (mountain goats) but I don't think they spend a lot of time in snowy slopes, but not bc of the avalanche risk but bc it is hard to walk in deep snow. Note that humans encounter avalanches mostly when skiing, which is a pretty odd behavior as behaviors go.
Mar
6
awarded  Custodian
Mar
6
reviewed Leave Open Types of bacteria that will kill other types of bacteria?
Mar
4
revised How does this diagram illustrate carbon cycling in lakes?
converted title into a question
Mar
4
revised How does this diagram illustrate carbon cycling in lakes?
added link and clarified inorganic carbon
Mar
4
answered How does this diagram illustrate carbon cycling in lakes?
Feb
25
revised Gas from bacteria that's not methane
clarified further
Feb
25
comment What is this crow eating, and is it a common part of the corvid diet?
I agree with @AlanBoyd that we cannot know for sure but I would say it is unlikely that a crow could catch and kill a healthy flicker. So just based on that, it seems more likely it scavenged it.
Feb
25
comment Gas from bacteria that's not methane
@JackAidley indeed they do... thanks. I edited the answer.
Feb
25
revised Gas from bacteria that's not methane
added 38 characters in body
Feb
25
answered Gas from bacteria that's not methane
Feb
18
comment Are there grass or fiber eating birds?
+1 It could also be noted that the fact that Canada Geese eat grass is one of the reasons that they are thriving (i.e., a nuisance) in the human constructed suburban environment of lawns and ponds.