Loer Lab Gallery

Did you know that one can see our DNA garden in back of USD's Shiley Center for Science and Technology showing the double helix with its correct major & minor groove and 10 bp per full turn from aerial photography? Click for a larger image from Google Earth

Ever since our lab mascot corn snake Sydney died, we have been without a lab pet. And now the rules have changed about having animals that make it too much of a pain. Some lab members came up with a solution by naming two of our armadillo-shaped foam floaties from the Austin, Texas based company Ambion. (Thanks to Erin for the pic.)

Click for a larger image. As you can see, they are named Atticus & Ronaldo.

Spring 2013 Snapshots

Max Ofoma joined the lab in Fall 2012.

My wife Linda and I recently went to Hawaii ('the Big Island') and climbed Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa; overall, 4 days of hikes totalling ~9800 ft up and 9800 ft down, ~30 mi. Our Mauna Kea hike, from the MK 'Visitor Information Station' was 5200 ft up to the summit & back down, ~13 miles roundtrip, and took a bit over 9 hrs. The next day, we did a shorter hike up Mauna Loa to the 'North Pit Caldera' from the ML Weather Observatory (~11,000 ft), but did not go to the top summit because we got a late start (we were a little tired from the day before) and would have run out of daylight. There wasn't much elevation left, but the hike around the rim of the main caldera to the summit was a couple more miles each way. Pics are taken with the timer on a Canon EOS Rebel camera on a lightweight tripod. On both hikes, we saw only two other people on the trails.

Mauna Kea summit, 13,796 ft. Some of the many
observatories in the background. Sure, you can drive
to the top with a 4WD, but why do that when you
can hike? View of Mauna Loa from Mauna Kea, during the
hike up. Weather was perfect that day. Click for larger
pic; arrow there shows approx. location of North
Pit Caldera. At the North Pit Caldera of Mauna Loa; just over
13,000 ft - cold, windy, and starting to rain. Time to
go back down.

Fall 2010 Snapshots

We were privileged this fall to have a visit by 2008 Nobel Laureate and worm scientist extraordinaire Dr. Martin Chalfie. Here's a picture of Marty with all the undergraduate Loer labbies just after his seminar on Friday, Nov 12, 2010 . Thanks to Antonya for the pic (actually, the photography intern shot the image).

Left to Right: Dr. Loer, Antonya Takahashi, Kimberley Maiers, Dr. Chalfie, Erin Williams, James Kahn (click for the full-sized image)

In December, Morris Maduro (UC Riverside) and Dr. Loer were invited by Marty Chalfie to give a presentation associated with the T.H. Morgan centennial celebration at Columbia University. Morgan published his discovery of the fruit fly white eye mutant in 1910, marking the beginning of modern genetics. Beginning at Columbia in the 'Fly Room,' Morgan and his students subsequently established many of the basic rules of genetics using Drosophila. Our presentation was entitled "On The Fly: An Irreverant Look at Drosophila-philia" ... it was 'a humorous historical retrospective on fruit fly genetics and molecular biology, with an emphasis on the bizarre and absurd.' Marty commented that such a presentation was ironically appropriate since T.H. Morgan was well known NOT to have a sense of humor.


Loer in front of Columbia Univ landmark	Posters for the Morgan Lectures	Loer & Maduro prep for the 'talk' in Morris' room

Loer & Maduro in Chalfie's office	Loer with Tulle Hazelrigg before the 'talk'	Loer & Maduro present a 'moment in fly history'

Summer 2010 Snapshots

Erin Williams at the 'scope
Erin giving her talk at summer 'group meeting' - look, data!
Dr. Tim Hendricks looks up from his work

Dr. Loer's trip to a Wellcome Trust meeting [ Evolutionary Biology of Caenorhabditis and Other Nematodes ] in Hinxton, Cambridge, UK, June 5-8, 2010
Most of these were taken by Morris Maduro (UC Riverside); more meeting pics can be found on his website here

Conference Center on Wellcome Genome Campus
Eric Haag (Univ of Maryland) opens the meeting
After sessions, enjoying a pint with David Wharton (University of Otago, New Zealand)

Leisure activities: punting on the River Cam
Hamming it up on the punt with Morris Maduro
Kings College (founded in 1441 by King Henry VI), Cambridge University, including the famous Chapel (built 1446 to ~1515) viewed from the punt on the Cam

Our punter
Leaving Kings College after trying to visit without being 'members'
Dr. Loer taking questions after the very last talk of the conference

Summer 2009 Snapshots

Ryan Kast
Ryan and Juan in the prep room
Juan Huezo-Velasquez

Spring 2005 USD Student Research & Internship Conference

Kyle Kent at his poster

Summer 2003 Snapshots, including moving days

Tonya at the microscope.
Tonya looks up.
Dr. Rivard and Allie at the 'scope.

Al Carlson helping to move the microscopes. Thanks, Al!
Dr. Rivard packing her desk.
Allie packing boxes. The place is a mess.

Not very close-up of Greta in the progressively emptying old lab.
Yes, Tonya, too - packing yet more boxes.
Greta & Tonya in the door of the not quite empty old lab in Serra Hall.

2001 Student Research & Internship Conference

Scott and Adam at their posters with Dr. Loer.

Summer 2000 Snapshots

Scott working at the computer.
Jennifer pouring lots of plates.
Dr. Curtis Loer confers with Scott at the 'scope.

Emily at the microscope, making worms jump through hoops.

Graduation 1999 Snapshots

Jamie, Nicola, Cristina and Tania (left to right) at the Biology Department Senior Party warmup.
Nicola, Jamie, Dr. Loer, Cristina and Tania (left to right) at the Biology Department Senior Party main event.

Summer 1998 Snapshots

Cristina, Jamie, and Nicola decked out in lab gear; looking very scientific. Nicola, Cristina, and Jamie somewhat more relaxed, but still in lab coats. Patrick, about to tend the worms.

Cristina pipetting.

Nicola removing many supernatents.

Jamie pipetting something nasty in the hood.
The delicious and clever end-of-summer party worm cake. Note especially the orange NSM cell bodies in the anterior bulb of the pharynx (anti-serotonin staining with a rhodamine-conjugated secondary antibody).

Snapshots of lab members from Lafayette College (1993-1997)

Susan Anderton Color, B&W1, B&W2
Kate Bassett Color, B&W
Mike Brittain
Angela Choo
Artsy silhouette of Morria Gabbay
Niki Hinson


Mauna Kea summit, 13,796 ft. Some of the many observatories in the background. Sure, you can drive to the top with a 4WD, but why do that when you can hike?	View of Mauna Loa from Mauna Kea, during the hike up. Weather was perfect that day. Click for larger pic; arrow there shows approx. location of North Pit Caldera.	At the North Pit Caldera of Mauna Loa; just over 13,000 ft - cold, windy, and starting to rain. Time to go back down.

Conference Center on Wellcome Genome Campus	Eric Haag (Univ of Maryland) opens the meeting	After sessions, enjoying a pint with David Wharton (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Leisure activities: punting on the River Cam	Hamming it up on the punt with Morris Maduro	Kings College (founded in 1441 by King Henry VI), Cambridge University, including the famous Chapel (built 1446 to ~1515) viewed from the punt on the Cam
Our punter	Leaving Kings College after trying to visit without being 'members'	Dr. Loer taking questions after the very last talk of the conference

Tonya at the microscope.	Tonya looks up.	Dr. Rivard and Allie at the 'scope.
Al Carlson helping to move the microscopes. Thanks, Al!	Dr. Rivard packing her desk.	Allie packing boxes. The place is a mess.
Not very close-up of Greta in the progressively emptying old lab.	Yes, Tonya, too - packing yet more boxes.	Greta & Tonya in the door of the not quite empty old lab in Serra Hall.

Scott working at the computer.	Jennifer pouring lots of plates.	Dr. Curtis Loer confers with Scott at the 'scope.
Emily at the microscope, making worms jump through hoops.

Cristina, Jamie, and Nicola decked out in lab gear; looking very scientific.	Nicola, Cristina, and Jamie somewhat more relaxed, but still in lab coats.	Patrick, about to tend the worms.
Cristina pipetting.	Nicola removing many supernatents.
Jamie pipetting something nasty in the hood.	The delicious and clever end-of-summer party worm cake. Note especially the orange NSM cell bodies in the anterior bulb of the pharynx (anti-serotonin staining with a rhodamine-conjugated secondary antibody).