Elizabeth’s BioBlog

During the BioMinds Research Day, we had the opportunity to spend some time with leaders in the biotechnology industry, mentors from other universities and also students that had shared similar experiences. During the poster session I had the opportunity to visit and evaluate 2 posters from fellow students from other BioMinds campuses.

The first poster was presented by P. Silen Rivera and was titled: Prevalence of CYP2C19 Gene Polymorphisms in the Puerto Rican Newborn Population. The research was based on finding the prevalence of this gene, which affects the metabolism of certain drugs in the body, across several localizations in Puerto Rico. The samples in each town were collected randomly but representative of the town’s population. A broader and future goal of studies like this is to provide the base for personalized medicine where the person’s medical records can state that the abscence of certain genes can affect their ability to metebolize the prescribed medication. The poster had all of the necessary components and was well presented.

The second poster was presented by Beatriz Perez and was titled: “Soil Mite Fauna in Coastal Forests in Puerto Rico. The purpose of this study was to find the different species of soil mites and their localization in coastal forests. They discovered that the abundance and distribution of certain species in an alloted area varied over time. The presenter emphasized that soil mites differ greatly from so called “bed mites” and that they do not directly affect the human population. The poster had all of the necessary components and was also well presented.

I was not able to visit the third poster because it was not at the assigned spot and if it was moved to another spot, I wasn’t able to find it. The title was Development of a Nucleic Acid Biosensor for the Electrochemical Detection of Salmonella, presented by J. Ortiz.  

Overall the experience of presenting my poster and of reading about other student’s research was a great end to my time as a BioMinds student.