The 7th World Biomaterials Congress is a science symposium organized by different regional Societies for Biomaterials that meets once every four years. The preparation work began more than two years ago. Over 2000 platform presentations and 600 posters were demonstrated during this five-day conference. Professionals from all over the world and from facets of both industry and academia, ranging from engineers to clinicians, attended this year’s congress held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Center, which is on the Darling harbor in the heart of the city. Experts gave presentations on a wide variety of topics, each pertaining to their disciplines. Scientists and professionals also shared and evaluated each other’s latest research and results. The amount of knowledge circulated in the conference was incredible. Multiple concurrent sessions began each day at 8:00 am and lasted until late into the evenings. At the end of each day, sore feet (from running to different sessions in leather shoes) made me crave my sneakers. I was surprised by how much I learned from the conference. I vividly remember a presentation about the use of PEG-based gel as an in vivo carrier for stem cell implantation. The presenter’s model of the experiment resembled a project I had participated in, and their theory was based on the Cell Biology final exam, which I took the day before I left Tucson. Being able to relate my knowledge in an international conference of such scale had created a mental nexus between my four-year’s of education and actual scientific application.

I was lucky enough to participate as a presenter at the congress. Since I have had previous experience presenting in other scientific conferences, I was not alarmingly nervous. Questions from spectators were not easy, however, the weeks I spent preparing allowed me to give and informed and somewhat confident response. I was surprised to get questions like “How can your results apply to my experience?” It really required me to apply knowledge to different situations. Discussions between the poster viewers and I went beyond the boundary of the poster topic. Additional viewers would occasionally join the conversation and share their experiences. Although I sometimes felt overwhelmed, it made me realize that the meaning behind every scientific meeting, is to bring minds that think alike together to come up with new ideas. The conference had turned into a giant Petri dish, where colonies of ideas met and innovations divide. It was an excellent experience for me to raise my personal awareness and involvement in the scientific community.

Having the chance to travel to the other side of the world, I made sure I experienced the Australian culture appropriately. With a limited budget, Mike, my colleague, and I stayed in a hostel about 15minutes walking distance from the convention center. We stayed there during the conference and planned to stay a few extra days to find out more about Sydney before we went home. We visited most of the tourist spots in the city by the fifth day of our arrival, but were still not satisfied with our Australia adventure. So the morning after the conference, I pulled out a two-dollar Australian coin and proposed to Mike, “if it is heads (Queen Elizabeth), we explore more of Sydney; if we see tails (a platypus), we go to the rainforest in NE Australia.” Within an hour, we found ourselves buying plane tickets to Cairns, a day trip to the rainforest, and dive trips in the Great Barrier Reef. By 5 p.m. that day we were on our way. Although the trip exceeded my budget, I knew if I didn’t go on it, I would regret it for the rest of my life. Cairns is very close to the equator, so the weather is much like other tropical regions in the world. While it was about 20o C in Sydney, I was sweating in my shorts in Cairns. Things could not be better, our trip took us from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the Reef, and it was definitely the trip of my life, so far. The journey was worth every dollar that we spent, and we had a great time experiencing a different side of Australia.

All the above would not be possible without the effort from Carol Bender, Genevieve Kenney, and the Undergraduate Biology Research Program. Of course, thanks to Dr. Judith Ulreich for providing me with the opportunity to present at the 7th World Biomaterials Congress. Finally, I would like to thank Carol and Judy for their patience and tolerance during my undergraduate years. For all the time and energy you have invested in me, thank you.

Wyatt Ho, UBRPer in Dr. Judith Ulreich’s lab, Surgery