Watch Dan Distel’s Darwin Festival Talk!

OGL joins the Earth BioGenome Project!

by Emily Stangel | Feb 18, 2026 | News Briefs

By Emily Stangel, Collection Assistant Co-op and Dan Distel, Director of OGL We are excited to announce that the Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL) has joined the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP)! A global network of more than 60 affiliated organizations and initiatives,...

GLP-1: How a gene from an ugly marine fish changed the way we treat diabetes and obesity

by Julia DiPinto | Nov 18, 2025 | News Briefs

By Julia DiPinto and Dan Distel A specimen of American anglerfish Lophius americanus. (Credit: Mike Beauregard from Nunavut, Canada - pull my finger, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34612997) Sometimes the answers to challenges on land can...

Spooky Scary Skeleton Shrimps!

by Julia DiPinto | Oct 31, 2025 | News Briefs

By Julia DiPinto and Dan Distel Get ready for Halloween by learning about a spooky species that OGL has in our very own biorepository: the skeleton shrimp! These fascinating creatures are also known as “ghost shrimp” because of their ability to hide along...

Energy and Antibiotics from Paper Waste? How Shipworm Bacteria Could be a Solution for Sustainable Energy and Drug Production.

by Julia DiPinto | Sep 24, 2025 | In the lab, News Briefs, Research

By Julia DiPinto and Dan Distel In a new publication, researchers use paper waste to feed Teredinibacter turnerae bacteria strains that in turn produce high-value antibiotics and enzymes, such as Turnercyclamycin and Tartrolon E. (Image credit: Gerton et al. 2025)....

OGL Student Research Yields Better DNA from Frozen Tissue!

by Julia DiPinto | Aug 20, 2025 | In the lab, News Briefs, Research

By Julia DiPinto, Hannah Appiah-Madson, Rosie Poulin, and Dan Distel Scientists generally consider cryopreservation—flash-freezing at extremely low temperatures—the gold standard for preserving DNA in tissues. However, there is an often-overlooked issue: tissues must...

OGL’s New Collaboration Focuses on Sea Star Research and Marine Diversity

by Julia DiPinto | Aug 6, 2025 | In the field, In the lab, News Briefs

By Julia DiPinto and Dan Distel Everyone loves sea stars—but did you know they are keystone predators that help shape and maintain the biodiversity of our coastal ecosystems? That is why Angela Jones, a dedicated PhD candidate, educator, and researcher at the Marine...

New Grant for OGL Accelerates DNA Research at the MSC

by Julia DiPinto | Jun 7, 2025 | In the lab, News Briefs, Research

By Julia DiPinto, Hannah Appiah-Madson, and Dan Distel We all know that researchers use DNA to search for hidden answers in living organisms. To do that, researchers must first ensure that their DNA samples are high quality before use. But how do they do...

The Harm in “Harm”

by Dan Distel | May 23, 2025 | News Briefs

By Dan Distel Protection for endangered species means a great deal to the Ocean Genome Legacy Center—and to the U.S. Congress, if the text of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is any indication. Polls show that more than 80 percent of Americans also support the ESA....

OGL’s latest retirement rescue includes some of Antarctica’s most unique marine life.

by Akancha Singh | Mar 26, 2025 | News Briefs

By Syringa Barenti, Ainsley Derosier, Akancha Singh, Hannah Appiah-Madson, and Dan Distel Antarctica is undergoing some of the most rapid environmental changes on the planet, putting its unique species at risk of endangerment or extinction. To help preserve this...

Ocean Genome Legacy Center and Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue Partner to Protect Marine Mammals

by Dan Distel | Feb 11, 2025 | News Briefs, Uncategorized

By Lauren McDowell, Community Outreach Manager for SSC’s Marine Mammal Rescue; Hannah Appiah-Madson, Collections Manager; and Dan Distel, Director for Ocean Genome Legacy The Ocean Genome Legacy Center (OGL) of Northeastern University and The Seacoast Science Center...

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