April 12: Mote Science Café in Boca Grande to focus on beneficial bacteria
Have you ever wondered if bacteria can actually help you? Well, some can! Certain bacteria can offer health benefits to humans, along with the fish we raise for seafood and environmental restoration.
Meet Mote Marine Laboratory Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr. Andrea Tarnecki and Dr. Jeffrey Humbarger of the Boca Grande Health Clinic as they share their expert knowledge during Mote’s free Science Café, “Itsy-bitsy Allies: Bacterial “Helpers” for Humans and Fish,” from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, at the Johann Fust Community Library in Boca, Grande Florida.
Lite bites will be drinks provided.
Mote Science Cafés are casual, community-based discussions between scientists, community experts and the general public. Guests can ask questions and help the discussion develop in fascinating ways. Topics are designed to help guests discover relationships between everyday things and our marine world.
Although this is a free event, RSVP is required due to space limitations. Register here: https://mote.org/experiences/details/mote-science-cafes
During the Café, Tarnecki will share her research on how probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, can increase aquaculture production of food fish and also fish used in stock enhancement such as snook.
“The goal of my research is not only to improve fish production to feed the growing population, but also to teach people that, despite their negative reputation, bacteria can be good and we can use their beneficial properties to our advantage,” said Tarnecki.
Fellow Café speaker Humbarger joined the staff at the Boca Grande Health Clinic. Humbarger joined the staff at the Clinic in 2011. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Humbarger is originally from Archbold, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Adrian College in Michigan and his MD at the University of Cincinnati. His internal medicine residency training was completed at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA. Humbarger worked at the Community Health Clinic in San Ysidro, California, then in private practice with the Alvarado Medical Group in San Diego. Prior to coming to Boca Grande, Humbarger was at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville from 1996 through summer 2011. He served as a consultant in the Division of Executive and International Medicine within the Department of Internal Medicine. Humbarger serves as the Boca Grande Clinic's Medical Director.
This Mote Science Cafe is sponsored by Gulf Coast Community Foundation.