MSU-IIT strengthens research fieldwork in Biological Sciences with Dr. Ming Kai Tan
by Kassandra Buenafe, OfCom | Feb 07 2024
To strengthen research fieldwork in Biological Sciences and to seek expertise in the study of the species of Ensifera (crickets, katydids, and bush crickets), Dr. Ming Kai Tan from the National University of Singapore was invited by the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) of MSU-IIT on January 6-12, 2024.
Dr. Tan’s visit to the University involved a plethora of activities. On January 6-10, he went on a research expedition with Dr. Olga M. Nuñeza, along with the graduate students of DBS for collaborative research on crickets at Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park, Misamis Occidental.
On January 11, he conducted a lecture and training-workshop on the Bioacoustics and Dissection of Ensifera at PRISM. The topics discussed during his lecture were the principles of taxonomy and systematics: the definition, description, and importance. Additional areas that were included in the discussion were the types of species concepts, the work of taxonomists in science, and a quick introduction to phylogenetics.
According to Dr. Nuñeza, Dr. Tan demonstrated during the workshop the dissection of Ensifera specimens to study and compare the morphology of the genitalia with reference materials to expedite species identification. The workshop was attended by Biology graduate students and Senior High students from Iligan Computer Institute who were doing their immersion on campus.
Dr. Tan’s involvement with DBS will continue as he was invited as an external adviser of one graduate student taking a doctorate in the university. Furthermore, they will be organizing future research projects, still focusing on Ensifera research but on different prospect areas in Mindanao– Mt. Diwata range, mangrove forest in Surigao, Mt. Malindang Range, Lake Sebu and Mt. Busa, Mimbilisan Protected Landscape.
The collaboration has also led some MSU-IIT students to pursue part of their work at the Institut de Systematique, Evolution, Biodiversite (ISYEB) Museum National d’Historie Naturalle Batiment Entomologie in Paris, France. As articulated by Dr. Nuñeza, this coming March, two students per batch will be working on their thesis in this lab.
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