ADMU Department of Biology

The Department of Biology invites the Ateneo community to its Research Colloquium on 25 March 2026, at 5:00 pm in SOM 111 (Ching Tan Room). This Colloquium will be hosted by the Ateneo Parasitology Research Group (APRG).

The Philippine Society for Microbiology, Inc. (PSM) warmly invites you to the annual Cluster 2 Symposium with the theme: “Microbial Innovations Driving Sustainability and Securing Planetary Health.”

✨ Join us for a day of learning, collaboration, and innovation as we explore how microbiology can shape a sustainable future.

📅 April 25, 2026 (Saturday)
📍 Bulwagang Balagtas, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa, Manila
👉 Register now :https://www.psm.org.ph/2026/cluster-2-symposium-fy-2025-2026/
Deadline of registration: April 17, 2026

Everyone is invited in the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Inc Cluster 2 Symposium happening on April 25, 2026 (Saturday) at Bulwagang Balagtas, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Sta. Mesa, Manila with the theme “Microbial Innovations Driving Sustainability and Securing Planetary Health.”

Register now via https://www.psm.org.ph/2026/cluster-2-symposium-fy-2025-2026/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQjELNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCbnlYc0gxNHBOMUViRlUzc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmqn6ufMxl_lJXZOP--xBjVr8fM89R4jVsJYOfApYYaNtTp9E_r1CWB5dlI5_aem_QBaGXEHX_11vNsF5MBq-Sg

We are inviting everyone to join the International Conference and 43rd Scientific Annual Meeting of the Association of Systematic Biologists of the Philippines happening on June 2-5, 2026 at Mindanao State University – General Santos with the theme “Maneuvering barriers, reinforcing synergies towards an inclusive and accessible systematics”.

Registration can be done via https://tinyurl.com/ASBP2026Registration

See you all soon in GenSan! 🏞️🌊🪸

Get ready for an un-be-LEAF-able showcase! 🌱

The brilliant minds of BIO 110.01 - E are bringing plant science to life for World Wildlife Week! Step into a world of Botanical Wonders where biology meets creativity.

Whether you are looking for cool merch, a refreshing drink, or just want to geek out over flora, there are booths sprouting up just for you!

Come support the Department of Biology and celebrate the wild, wonderful world of plants.

📍 SEC A - Foyer
⏰ 2:00 PM

See you there!

The Department of Biology invites the Ateneo community to attend a talk by Janssen M. Kotah, Ph.D. on:

How Stress Shapes the Brain's Function
Speaker: Janssen M. Kotah, Ph.D.
Date: 12 March 2026
Time: 5:00-6:30 pm
Venue: CTC 413

Janssen M. Kotah is a neurobiologist with expertise in both wet and dry lab research. His academic career started in 2015, when he obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology, summa cm laude, from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. After being inspired to study the human brain in more detail, he moved to Europe to participate in the Erasmus Mundus Neurasmus joint master’s program, where he obtained his MSc in Medical Neurosciences at the Charité in Berlin, Germany, as well as MSc Research in Neurosciences at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

He then pursued a PhD at the University of Amsterdam at the group of Dr. Aniko Korosi and Prof. Dr. Paul Lucassen, where he used a mouse model to study the lasting effects of early-life stress exposure on the neuroimmune system and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Since 2022, he has been doing his postdoc with Prof. Dr. Bart Eggen and Dr. Susanne Kooistra at the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, where he uses single cell and spatial transcriptomics techniques to study neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

He is a 2025 Balik Scientist awardee.

Kindly pre-register to attend through: https://forms.gle/JdCRxFanJqAJrodP9

Celebrate the beauty and diversity of our natural world! 🌎

In honor of World Wildlife Week, we are hosting a series of events to showcase the incredible flora and fauna that share our planet. From the depths of the ocean to the heart of the rainforest, come explore the wonders of nature through the eyes of our dedicated students and experts.⛰️🌊

Event Schedule:
Group Project Exhibits featuring outputs from the Zoology & Botany Classes

March 11: SEC B and C Foyers

March 12–13: SEC A Foyer

Seminar Lecture: Philippine Wildlife Studies

March 12 | 5:00 PM

Location: Escaler Hall, ADMU 🏢

Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a budding scientist, or just curious about the world around you, there’s something for everyone. Let’s learn how we can better appreciate and protect our global biodiversity. 🐠🌱🦟🦜

See you there!

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MASTER'S THESIS DEFENSE

The Department of Biology invites everyone to the MS Biology Thesis Final Oral Defense of Christalle Beatriz N. Seno titled:

"Taxonomy of Musotiminae in the Philippines"

Wednesday
04 March 2026
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
CTC 507 or online via Zoom.

Advisers:
Dr. Jhoana M. Garces (Ateneo de Manila University)
Dr. Théo Léger (Museum für Naturkunde)
Panel Members:
Dr. Zomesh A. N. Maini (Ateneo de Manila University) (Reader)
Dr. Jade Aster T. Badon (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Kindly email [email protected] or [email protected] if you wish to join and view the presentation online.

Mangrove ecosystems in the Philippines are iconic habitats that provide numerous biodiversity and economic benefits in coastlines where they do occur, but the dynamics of their recovery can be influenced by numerous factors, such as the activity of organisms that burrow into their trunks. Here Maquirang et al. investigate the role of the wood-boring isopod Sphaeroma terebrans in the decay of mangrove trunks in Aklan, Philippines.

Paper available at: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tropics/advpub/0/advpub_SIMM06/_pdf

The Department of Biology congratulates its alumnus Jeremy Albert A. Gusi (BS Bio '23, Program Awardee) for placing 4th in the September and November 2025 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers!

Happening later today! We invite everyone to the presentations by our graduate students from the AQUA Lab.

The Ateneo Aquatic and Fisheries Resources Laboratory (AQUA Lab) will be holding a research forum entitled Between Native and Invasive: Advances in Aquatic Research and Sustainability on 28 January 2026 (Wednesday), from 5:00–6:30 PM, at Escaler Hall.

This forum will highlight research conducted within AQUA Lab and presented by our MS Biology thesis students, whose work examines the roles of both native and invasive species in aquaculture, sustainability, and applied aquatic research.

The following oral presentations will be delivered:

• Evaluating the Potential of Dillenia philippinensis Rolfe, 1884 as an Aquaculture Feed Immunostimulant, with a Focus on Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879)
Michael Santino K. Candelaria
AQUA Lab Batch Bangus, MS Biology

• The Nutritional and Aquafeed Potential of Marphysa iloiloensis: A Review on the Role of Polychaetes as a Protein Source in Aquaculture
Rochelle A. Jabines
AQUA Lab Batch Bangus, MS Biology

• Decellularized Skin from Invasive Alien Fish Species as a Collagen-Rich Scaffold for Tissue Engineering
James Darren R. Pelaez
AQUA Lab Batch Bangus, MS Biology

The session is open to faculty, researchers, and students interested in fisheries, aquaculture, sustainability, and related fields. We hope you can join us in supporting our graduate students and engaging with current AQUA Lab research.

Thank you. We look forward to seeing you.

The Ateneo Departmenet of Biology contingent composed of faculty, alumni, undergraduate, and graduate students who attended the PSM Cluster 1 Symposium: Strengthening Planetary Resilience Through Food, Health, & Education in Microbiology, held today at the Ateneo de Manila University Leong Hall Auditorium. 🎉