By STEFANIE HILL

Staff Writer

Three biological sciences majors will present their research projects at a conference in San Francisco, hosted by The Society for In-Vitro Biology.

The society is a tissue culture association to foster exchange of knowledge of in vitro biology of cells, tissues and organs from both plant and animals (including humans).

The three students, Amber Doss, a graduate student of biological sciences; Jorge Roldan, a graduate student of molecular science and nanotechnology, and Lisa White, a graduate student of biological sciences, will leave May 22 for the trip.

Dr. David Mills, director of the School of Biological Sciences and an associate professor of biology, will accompany the students to the conference.

Doss said the conference is similar to the Applied and Natural Sciences Day.

“People get together and discuss their current research either in an oral presentation or a poster presentation,” Doss said.

Doss will participate in the poster presentation. She will discuss her research entitled “Growth and Functionality of Cells Cultured on Self-Assemble Monolayers.”

The K-12 Fellowship Program grant, funded by National Science Foundation, will cover the cost of the trip.

Doss said the conference gives researchers from all over the world the chance to view and discuss each other's work.

“It’s a great opportunity to showcase some of the research going on in the School of Biological Sciences here at Tech,” Doss said.

White and Roldan will both present their research about the Temporomandibular joint, which is the lower jaw joint related to the temporal bone and the mandible. White’s research will concentrate on the effects of Transforming Growth Factor-B on the development of the TMJ. TGF-B are proteins secreted by transformed cells that can stimulate growth of normal cells.

“The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect TGF-ß had on the frequency of apoptosis during stages of maturation of the articular disc in the TMJ,” White said. “The long-term goal [is] to understand the mechanism behind the growth and development of soft tissues associated with complex joints.”

Roldan’s research is to provide appropriate instructions using basic fibroblast growth factor and TGF-B.

White said she is excited about the trip.

“Not only do we get to showcase our research projects, but we also get to learn from other researchers across the country.”