Monthly Archives: April 2017

Space Station Crew Returns to Earth Safely on Soyuz Capsule – Space.com

Posted: April 13, 2017 at 11:26 pm

Three space fliers have safely touched down on Earth after almost six months aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko all arrived at the station togetherfor Expedition 49/50 mission in October 2016, and they reached solid ground this morning (April 10) at 7:20 a.m. EDT (1120 GMT) in Kazakhstan. They spent 173 days in space during their flight.

"It was a textbook touchdown," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during live NASA TV commentary after the landing. "The Soyuz was pulled by its main parachute onto its side, but the crew was quickly extracted and are in good shape."

Those monitoring the launch at Mission Control, and on NASA TV, had "some of the most spectacular video we've ever seen" of the capsule's journey down and landing on the cloudless steppe, Navias said about 14 minutes of footage, from just after the chutes deployed to touchdown.

Kimbrough transferred command of the space station to NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson yesterday (April 9) before the trio left, making her the first woman tocommand the space station twice. (She was also the space station's first female commander, in 2008.)

The Russian Soyuz capsule carrying the International Space Station's Expedition 50 crew lands safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on April 10, 2017. The capsule returned NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko to Earth after 173 days in space.

After closing the hatch to the Russian Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft near 1 a.m. EDT (0500 GMT) this morning, the three undocked from the station about 3 hours later. Next, the spacecraft fired its main engine for 4.5 minutes starting at 6:28 a.m. EDT (1028 GMT) to slow down by 420 feet (128 meters) per second and finally leave orbit to return to Earth in all, a much shorter journey than their two-day trip up to the station on that spacecraft last year. (The Soyuz can reach the station in as quickly as 6 hours, but on recent launches the arriving crewmembers have been testing features of the upgraded MS-02 spacecraft, and so took the longer route.)

Ryzhikov, who has now completed his first-ever space mission, commanded the Soyuz. Expedition 49/50 marked the second space missions for both Kimbrough and Ryzhikov. The three space travelers shared their ride home with science samples and other cargo along with personal items, according to NASA's space station blog.

Still on board, Whitson, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy won't be alone for long: NASA's Jack Fischer and Russia's Fyodor Yurchikhin are set to launch April 20 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The two were monitoring this landing from the Cosmodrome, Navias said during the broadcast.

A Soyuz space capsule hangs beneath its parachute while returning Expedition 50 crewmembers Shane Kimbrough of NASA and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko to Earth in Kazakhstan on April 10, 2017. The landing ended a 173-day mission for the crew.

Kimbrough recently performed two spacewalks one with Pesquet and one with Whitson to prepare the space station to install a second International Docking Adaptor, which will one day let commercial vehicles dock with the space station. Right now, only the Soyuz can bring humans to the station and dock.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough (left) and Russian cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov (center) and Andrey Borisenko (right) are seen seated shortly after landing their Soyuz spacecraft on the steppes of Kazakhstan on April 10, 2017. The trio spent 173 days in space during their Expedition 50 mission.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her@SarahExplains.Follow us@Spacedotcom,FacebookandGoogle+. Original article onSpace.com.

See the article here:
Space Station Crew Returns to Earth Safely on Soyuz Capsule - Space.com

Posted in Space Station | Comments Off on Space Station Crew Returns to Earth Safely on Soyuz Capsule – Space.com

St Nicolas CE Junior School pupils win International Space Station competition – Newbury Weekly News Group

Posted: at 11:26 pm

PUPILS at St Nicolas CE Junior School were over the moon after winning a competition to have their idea for an experiment run on the International Space Station.

The group of 11 children, dubbed The Kepler Kids, suggested using the stations computers to measure the magnetic force of Earth while in orbit after entering the European Astro PI Challenge.

The idea was shortlisted for the international competition meaning the seven- to 11-year-olds were then asked to write the computer code for the experiment, with the help of a programme provided by boffins at the ESA (European Space Agency).

And, after again impressing the ESA with the written code, their experiment was selected to run on the ISS along with four others from UK schools.

Deputy headteacher at St Nicolas CE Junior School, Kath Burns, said The Kepler Kids (named after the Kepler Space Observatory itself named after 17th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler) had worked exceptionally hard for the competition.

She said: The judges felt that our Mission 2 idea was one of the most original ideas they had seen, and we were congratulated on our amazing work.

It involved using the magnetometer, attached to the Pi, to measure the magnetic force of Earth, while orbiting Earth.

The children have coded the experiment which will run or fly on the International Space Station, by May 15 an achievement that many scientists can only dream of.

Its a unique and amazing prize.

The ESA received 180 entries from across the UK alone. Hopefully, this is the beginning of further achievements for our future top scientists.

The code will be run on the ISS before May 15, under the supervision of ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

The data collected will then be beamed back to the group to analyse at school.

Follow this link:
St Nicolas CE Junior School pupils win International Space Station competition - Newbury Weekly News Group

Posted in Space Station | Comments Off on St Nicolas CE Junior School pupils win International Space Station competition – Newbury Weekly News Group

UAE to Send Astronauts to International Space Station, Launch National Space Programme – SpaceWatch Middle East (press release) (subscription) (blog)

Posted: at 11:26 pm

H.H. Sheikh Mohamed in Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander (centre left) and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai (centre right), at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai. Photograph courtesy of the Dubai Media Office.

Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander, launched on April 12, 2017, the UAE National Space Programme and approved the programmes strategy. The programme, which will be executed by young Emirati cadres, was announced on Wednesday during a visit by Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).

Crown Prince of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also attended the tour that also included the launch of a satellite manufacturing complex as part of the MBRSC. The move is part of the UAEs ambitious space programme as it aims to reach Mars in 2021 and build the first human settlement on the Red Planet in 2117.

The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) is set to launch the Hope spacecraft in July 2020 on a seven-month journey to the Red Planet. The UAE National Space Programme also includes a new programme to prepare Emiratis astronauts. Our national space programme is a solid platform to prepare Emirati cadres specialized in aerospace sciences, and qualify future generations that are able to contribute to humanitys knowledge, Mohammed bin Rashid said. We plan to send the first Emirati astronaut to space over the next few years, and starting from today, we are preparing the first Emirati and Arab astronaut to join scientists at the International Space Station.

Sheikh Mohammed said that the UAE space programme is a message to the Arab world that our sons are able to compete on the global level. Our objective is to show the world that we are able to contribute to humanity through quality knowledge and scientific discoveries, he said.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said that the UAE is making a new national leading achievement every day on all levels thanks to the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid. We are very proud of Emirati youth playing a pivotal role in shaping an ambitious future for their own country and pursuing higher educations in the field of science and knowledge, he said.

Present during the tour were Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Mohammed Ahmad Al Bowardi, along with senior government officials.

Original published at: https://spacewatchme.com/2017/04/uae-send-astronauts-international-space-station-launch-national-space-programme/

Go here to see the original:
UAE to Send Astronauts to International Space Station, Launch National Space Programme - SpaceWatch Middle East (press release) (subscription) (blog)

Posted in Space Station | Comments Off on UAE to Send Astronauts to International Space Station, Launch National Space Programme – SpaceWatch Middle East (press release) (subscription) (blog)

UAE launches space program to boost colonization of Mars by 2021 – RT

Posted: at 11:26 pm

The UAE has launched an ambitious space program aimed at sending a probe to Mars by 2021 and settling the Red Planet by 2117. The kingdoms rulers see the hi-tech venture as a sign of hope and inspiration for the entire Arab world.

Until recently, only a handful of leading world powers funded and promoted space exploration programs, including the US, Russia, China, Japan and the EU. Other nations, especially those in the Middle East, have long been excluded from global scientific mainstream, but now the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has joined the race.

READ MORE: Well settle Mars by 2117: UAE enters race to put humans on Red Planet (PHOTOS)

On Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, prime minister of the UAE and emir of Dubai, and Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, inaugurated the national space program at the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), local media reported.

Part of the ambitious, far-fetched program is the construction of a first-of-its-kind scientific city that would imitate the atmosphere and other conditions on Mars, including zero gravity, according to Khaleej Times. The new facility is also to include a museum of Mars and specialized laboratories.

The national space program should give boost to the UAEs Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) an ambitious project aimed at making the kingdom the first Arab country to reach Mars by 2021. In February of this year, the UAEs prime minister said that the EMM is also studying the possibility building the first inhabitable human settlement on Mars within the next 100 years, settling the Red Planet by 2117.

Aside from the long-term projects, the UAEs space program will train astronauts from the Emirates and the Arab world for prospective Mars missions.

Our national Space program constitutes a solid ground to create Emirati human resources specialized in space science, and aims to rehabilitate a generation that will be able to add to human knowledge, Sheikh al-Maktoum said at the opening ceremony

He added that the UAE will send its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) within the next few years, becoming the fastest and more capable country to face such a challenge.

The countrys scientists are already working on the Mars Hope, an indigenous spacecraft orbiter which is to study the Red Planets atmosphere and climate. The mission, expected to be launched in the summer of 2020 and reach Mars in seven to nine months, will study how the lower and upper layers of the atmosphere interact with each other, according to the official website.

Major scientific powerhouses are also planning space missions that should reach Mars by 2020. ExoMars, a joint Russia-EU astrobiology project, includes landing a rover on the Martian surface to search for signs of past and present life on the planet. NASAs Mars 2020 is intended to assess its past habitability, as well as seek for accessible geological materials, while the 2020 Chinese Mars mission will demonstrate Beijings technological capacity.

SpaceX, led by exuberant Elon Musk, also wants to send its Dragon 2 capsule to the Red Planet by 2020 to blaze the way for Musks mind-boggling plans to colonize Mars. Musk, an avid entrepreneur and innovator, believes that settling the Red Planet is the best way for the humankind to survive if an asteroid, global warming, or a super volcano destroys civilization.

It is yet unclear if the UAE, an oil-rich but tiny country, can catch up. Some officials have indicated that the space program is more of political than scientific importance.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid al-Maktoum mentioned on several occasions that this mission is not about reaching Mars, the Mars missions project manager, Omran Sharaf, told Gulf News.

Its beyond that Its about taking the whole [Arab] region and making them [Arabs] active in generating knowledge, he said.

Read more:
UAE launches space program to boost colonization of Mars by 2021 - RT

Posted in Mars Colonization | Comments Off on UAE launches space program to boost colonization of Mars by 2021 – RT

NASA Find Ingredients For Life On Two Ocean Worlds Beyond Earth – Daily Caller

Posted: at 11:25 pm

5591857

The Cassini space probe detected hydrogen coming from Saturns moon, Enceladus, which suggests alien life could develop there, according to NASA.

NASA said Enceladus has almost all of the ingredients needed to support life as we know it on Earth, but admitted they found no living organisms. Hydrogen is an excellent source of chemical energy that supports life near deep sea hydrothermal vents on Earth. Scientists think this kind of chemical reaction could have been the origin of life on Earth.

NASA also announcedsimilar activity may be occurring on Jupiters moon, Europa. The Hubble Space Telescope spotted plumes on Europa, suggesting powerful thermal sources on the moons surface.

Enceladus and Europa are protected by an ice shell which maintains a liquid water ocean. Both of these moons are fairly similar and arejudged as the two of the most likely places in our solar system to find alien life. Life on Earth may have emerged from similar deep-ocean hydrothermal vents.

Here on Earth there are a number of things that protect life. With this research, we are making a big step forward towards answering the question, Is there life out there?' associate administratorof NASAs Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen said during the NASA press conference announcing the discovery.

Enceladus and Europa probably have watery and salty oceans similar to those of Earths below the ice, likely kept warm by complex gravitational interactions and the planets core.

The search for life beyond Earth has enthralled humans for ages, Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who chairs the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. The NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 directs NASA to continue to search for life and advance the science of astronomy, astrophysics and astrobiology. NASAs effort to search for life on ocean worlds is an important step in these efforts.

The Europa Clipper is a NASA robotic probe intended to launch sometime in the early 2020s. The probewill investigate the icy moons potential for human colonization and alien life.

Geologists announced in September that earthquakes on Earth can produce hydrogen. They concluded that the same kind of Marsquakes could also produce hydrogen on Mars, removing a major barrier to life.The Red Planets atmosphere is rich in oxygen, so an ample supply of hydrogen may indicate that water is more common on Mars than generally believed.

Follow Andrew on Twitter

Send tips to andrew@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [emailprotected].

Continued here:
NASA Find Ingredients For Life On Two Ocean Worlds Beyond Earth - Daily Caller

Posted in Moon Colonization | Comments Off on NASA Find Ingredients For Life On Two Ocean Worlds Beyond Earth – Daily Caller

Shooting for the Stars, with a Moon Base – NDSU The Spectrum

Posted: at 11:25 pm

ANA SOFIA GUERREIRINHO | PHOTO COURTESY The moon, where Elon Musk is planning his temple of doom.

SpaceXshoots for the stars once again. Well, in this case, its actually our very own moon.

Yep, Luna is getting a facelift as Tesla CEO and SpaceX pioneer Elon Musk plans to build a community on the moon. Construction is planned to begin by 2030 with the help of NASA and a plea for government funding.

Musk has already begun preparation for travel to the moon. Late next year, he plans to take two people on a flyaround the moon through a Gatorade promotional campaign.

Tourism plays a large part in the future of human colonization, Musk said Wednesday afternoon.

While efforts will be made to make space exploration more affordable, estimates for the trip to the moon alone are nearing $1.7 million. Which is far less than his proposed attempt to colonize a mysterious city called Detroit, Michigan. Which only costs $29.

Elon Musk has several projects already in the works on Earth, which he hopes will contribute to his lunar paradise. The most important are arguably the solar powered roofs designed by Tesla Solar. Musk already hopes to make them more affordable than tile roofs and may yet use them to power his moon community.

He also is pushing forunderground tunnels to relieve traffic, which may work towards a tunnel system across the moon. His TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) has already dug a test trench in LA and will continue to improve tunneling efficiency.

Hoping to maintain an initial population of 1,200, Musk will be making an effort to select who can and cannot travel to the moon to live and work. Everyone must be screened and trained to live in space. As not to let in the wrong clientele, the idea of a wall was briefly tinkered with.

Unfortunately, the vacuum of space was considered too easy to tunnel through. No, Musk will be creating startup programs with the cooperation of NASA that will mass produce space-worthy candidates. Think of it like an astronaut puppy mill. Again, NASA will beg for funding.

I know the idea of moving to the final frontier may be scary at first, but at least Elon Musk is man enough brave the cold. Not to mention the undeniable tactical advantage of launching solar-powered nuclear missiles from the surface of the moon towards definitely not Russia. Tesla is a nuclear superpower thanks to Moon Emperor Musk.

I think we should all face the future with the same sense of adventure and determination. Also, we need more funding.

Original post:
Shooting for the Stars, with a Moon Base - NDSU The Spectrum

Posted in Moon Colonization | Comments Off on Shooting for the Stars, with a Moon Base – NDSU The Spectrum

Warrior Record Online : New genetic engineering turns people into … – Warrior Record Online

Posted: at 11:25 pm

Satire

Happy National Companion Animal Day!!

Have you ever looked at your animal companion (probably a cat) and thought I would love to be you? Well, now you can! With the Mewgaroo Hoodie from Unihabitat in Japan, you can now literally morph into a half breed of a cat and kangaroo.

Why half kangaroo?

First of all, why not? And second because then you have a little pouch to that hold furry fuzzball of a cat. Unless your cat is a diabolical independent pet that comes to you only for food and when it wants attention.

I cant wait to hold my kitty Joey around literally like a Joey these guys are like my heroes, said obsessed cat owner Nat Bobtail.

The producers have genetically modified the material of the sweater to not only conform your DNA into a Mewgaroo kangacat like some science experiment gone wrong to just hold your cat in a pouch which you could do anyway with your HANDS, but it is also really soft and cozy.

Lets make the world half mutant animals, here I come X-Men! Not so special now are you Wolverine?!?! screamed Mat Sphynx, a guy with no cats whatsoever.

Have fun on your National Companion Animal Day!

The satire is based on the following information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/21/mewgaroo-pet-sweatshirt-very-handsome_n_7354080.html

http://www.museumofanimals.org/#/animal-holidays/4425087

Read the original post:
Warrior Record Online : New genetic engineering turns people into ... - Warrior Record Online

Posted in Genetic Engineering | Comments Off on Warrior Record Online : New genetic engineering turns people into … – Warrior Record Online

SAU team performing neuroscience and genetic research – Magnoliareporter

Posted: at 11:25 pm

Jeremy Brown of Magnolia is part of a group of Southern Arkansas University students formed to pursue neuroscience and genetic research projects in the College of Science and Engineering during the spring 2017 semester.

Brown is a junior pre-health biological science major.

His project has an SAU-supported grant of $1,250 to research possible genetic engineering techniques.

I believe research plays a big part in applying to professional schools, said Brown. It is also very rewarding to apply concepts and ideas I've learned in class.

Under the guidance of Dr. Mikolaj Sulkowski, assistant professor of biology, and Dr. Gisela Sulkowski, pre-health advisor, the research group meets weekly to conduct presentations on student progress and to facilitate communication among the group.

Throughout the rest of the week, however, students maintain a self-driven schedule.

Dr. Mikolaj Sulkowski says this style of work helps prepare students for research opportunities in their future career.

He was responsible for opening the SAU Laboratory of Neurogenetics in 2016 and was granted an SAU faculty research grant to study gene regulation in the brain.

He has experience writing grants to NASA and the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Arkansas INBRE) program aimed at student research opportunities.

Additionally, he has collaborated with National Institute of Health (NIH) researchers in publishing a manuscript to "PLOS Genetics," a peer-reviewed open-access journal.

Southern Arkansas University students and faculty formed to pursue neuroscience and genetic research projects, left to right, Lane Smith, Aniebietabasi Akpan, Dr. Gisela Sulkowski, Dr. Mikolaj Sulkowski, Joseph McDowell, Jeremy Brown, Brishna Hedstrom and Robert Sann. Not pictured, Rebecca Jane Vance (Parnell).

Original post:
SAU team performing neuroscience and genetic research - Magnoliareporter

Posted in Genetic Engineering | Comments Off on SAU team performing neuroscience and genetic research – Magnoliareporter

How 1800 Pakistanis are helping Penn scientists fight disease – Philly.com

Posted: at 11:25 pm

A common way for scientists to learn what a particular gene does is to breed animals with a mutation in that gene, then study what happens.

That is not an option in humans. But a powerful new study, whose leaders included scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, illustrates the next best option: taking what nature gives you.

Upon studying the genomes of more than 10,000 people in Pakistan, the authors said they had identified more than 1,800 knockouts people in whom copies of a gene inherited from both their mother and father were deficient.

Among them were a man, a woman, and their nine children whose mutations resulted in abnormally low levels of triglycerides, likely protecting them against heart disease. This mutation also has been found in the insular Amish community in Lancaster County.

If drug companies could mimic beneficial effects caused by genetic knockouts (not all are beneficial), it could speed up the search for effective treatments, said Danish Saleheen, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Penns Perelman School of Medicine.

Instead of shooting arrows in the dark to find a drug that would be beneficial, we can now make an informed choice about the beneficial and harmful effects of pharmacological inhibition of a wide range of pathways, said Saleheen, one of the lead authors.

The study, published in the journal Nature, was the result of an international collaboration led by Penn, the Center for Non-Communicable Diseases in Pakistan, the Broad Institute, Harvard, and the University of Cambridge in England.

One of the studys two senior authors was Daniel J. Rader, chair of Penns department of genetics.

The mutations identified in the study touch on so much human biology, from breaking down toxins in the lungs to metabolizing glucose, that it will take years to sort out what they all mean. Some of the genetic pathways could inform drug development, while others may simply guide the pursuit of science.

The scientists focused on Pakistan because of its high rate of marriage between first cousins. That means a greater chance that children are born with two identical copies of the same gene.

Geneticists study the Amish for a similar reason. Marriage between cousins is not practiced there, but certain genetic mutations can become concentrated. In Lancaster County, however, the triglyceride-lowering mutation was found in only one copy of the gene, and so levels of the fatty substance were not as low as in the Pakistani family.

In Pakistan, the scientists identified a total of 1,317 genes that were knocked out in at least one person. Some of the knockouts, such as the triglyceride ones, were present in more than one person, leading to the total of more than 1,800 people.

This was not the first study to identify people without functioning copies of a particular gene, but it is the largest to date.

Saleheen, who is from Pakistan, said the results published this week are just the beginning. He and his colleagues plan to test the genomes of 200,000 participants from his native country, potentially identifying up to 8,000 people with knocked-out genes.

Robert M. Plenge, a scientist at the drugmaker Merck & Co., wrote in the same issue of Nature that the effort by Saleheens team is sure to yield results.

Animal studies will still be needed, Plenge wrote, but the study of these human knockouts will change the nature of the scientific investigation of the genetic basis of human disease.

Published: April 13, 2017 10:16 AM EDT

We recently asked you to support our journalism. The response, in a word, is heartening. You have encouraged us in our mission to provide quality news and watchdog journalism. Some of you have even followed through with subscriptions, which is especially gratifying. Our role as an independent, fact-based news organization has never been clearer. And our promise to you is that we will always strive to provide indispensable journalism to our community. Subscriptions are available for home delivery of the print edition and for a digital replica viewable on your mobile device or computer. Subscriptions start as low as 25 per day. We're thankful for your support in every way.

Read the original post:
How 1800 Pakistanis are helping Penn scientists fight disease - Philly.com

Posted in Human Genetics | Comments Off on How 1800 Pakistanis are helping Penn scientists fight disease – Philly.com

DNA expert sues FIU over suspension – Sun Sentinel

Posted: at 11:25 pm

A DNA expert who was suspended last year from his job as a professor at Florida International University is suing the school, accusing administrators of violating his due process rights and costing him at least $19,000 in expert witness fees.

Martin Tracey taught biology at FIU since the 1970s and has testified for more than 20 years on DNA issues. Last spring, after Tracey said he had evidence numerous students were cheating during exams in his Human Genetics course, some of the students filed complaints accusing Tracey of professional misconduct.

The university sided with the students and suspended Tracey for the fall 2016 semester. He was later suspended for the spring 2017 semester and most recently was told to expect to be fired.

According to the lawsuit, Tracey has lost out on $90,000 in wages and another $19,000 in fees he could have charged as an expert witness. The Broward State Attorneys Office had listed Tracey as an expert in 173 pending cases as of last December.

The lawsuit accuses FIU of failing to give Tracey a fair chance to defend himself against the students' accusations.

I was forbidden from being on campus or communicating with any students, Tracey said in an interview Thursday. Even students who wanted to testify for me, I wasnt allowed to ask them.

Tracey said the cheating students were in a computer chat room during an exam, sharing answers with each other. Some students, when confronted, accepted responsibility and a failing grade for the test, Tracey said. Others said they did nothing wrong and filed grievances against Tracey. Tracey said the school didnt give him detailed information about the allegations.

He was ambushed with the evidence against him at a grievance hearing, said his attorney, Jordan Richards.

A spokeswoman for FIU did not have a comment about the lawsuit on Thursday.

rolmeda@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4457, Twitter @SSCourts and @rolmeda

More:
DNA expert sues FIU over suspension - Sun Sentinel

Posted in Human Genetics | Comments Off on DNA expert sues FIU over suspension – Sun Sentinel