MANSFIELD, PA – Two Mansfield University biology majors attended and presented research at the 5th Annual Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Undergraduate Research Conference in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) held at Millersville University on Saturday, October 27th. David DeGaramo (senior from Wyalusing, PA, Cell and Molecular Biology) and Catherine Troutman (junior from Klingerstown, PA, Cell and Molecular Biology) presented their original research poster titled “Tumor cell and fibroblast interactions in vitro”. Dr. Kristen Long, from the Department of Biology, accompanied the students.
DeGaramo and Troutman’s project
was developed as a group research project for their Molecular Biology Course,
which was taught by Dr. Long this past spring semester. Students in the course
performed literature searches and devised a project of their choosing. DeGaramo
and Troutman’s project investigated how tumor cells influence fibroblast (cells
found within connective tissues and solid tumors) activity and vice versa. “It
was nice being able to pick our own project. We developed it ourselves, and we
were therefore motivated to invest our time and effort into it. It was much
more engaging than just learning techniques,” Ms. Troutman said. According to
Mr. DeGaramo, “This research project allowed us to apply advanced laboratory
techniques to our own research ideas. It was particularly exciting to unravel
the complexity of solid tumors and reveal the intricate interactions they have
with their environment.”
The Mansfield students were one
of 43 abstracts (16 oral presentations and 27 poster presentations) at the
conference. Of the 14 PASSHE Universities, 11 were in attendance. Disciplines spanned
a wide range and included: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Psychology,
and Sociology. In all, the conference was a great opportunity for our young
scientists to explore active research outside of their specific field of Biology.
Mr. DeGaramo adds, “It was refreshing to listen to, and learn from, other
undergraduate researchers about advancements in their respective field. It was
beneficial to be exposed to different styles of presenting for future reference.”
Ms. Troutman concludes, “It was great to see presentations on projects outside
of just Biology. For example, it was exciting to see the application of
mathematics to biological problems.”