Starting with this issue, each month we will include “press releases” prepared by UBRP students on the work they did during the summer of 2003. In addition to providing students the opportunity to practice communicating about science to the public, we hope that this series will enable the UBRP community to be more aware of the wide range of projects in which UBRP students and their faculty sponsors are involved.

Our series starts with pieces by Tyler French and James Deer (next page).

From the Burd Lab

For the past couple of years, I’ve been working with other students (undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral) and professional lab technicians on a very interesting study about the developmental plasticity of cells from adult tissue.

The research raises ethical concerns. The therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells is undeniable. In a perfect world, these cells would be available without ethical tribulations and would be genetically matched for each individual. To get around these concerns our lab has been working on a subset of adult cells isolated from bone marrow. These cells are capable of differentiating into many other types of cells and we are interested in identifying the factors that stimulate these cells to become neurons.

During my UBRP experience I’ve realized firsthand how important basic research is to developing future medical technologies. In addition, I’ve learned that the research process and the logical progression of thought that is necessary in basic research can be applied throughout life. Critical thinking, problem solving, and time management are skills that I will carry with me into medical school and a future career in medicine. Using these skills to critically evaluate my time in UBRP, I can surely say it has been a great experience and time well spent!

Tyler French, MCB Senior and UBRPer in Dr. Gail Burd’s laboratory, Molecular & Cellular Biology