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Delaware Governor's Bioscience Fellowship Provides Undergraduate Students with Hands-on Summer Research Opportunities and More
[October 05, 2015]

Delaware Governor's Bioscience Fellowship Provides Undergraduate Students with Hands-on Summer Research Opportunities and More


Joshua Barton has always been fascinated by science. He is currently a Junior Honors student majoring in Biological Sciences, Neuroscience and Medical Scholars (BALS) at University of Delaware. Additionally, Joshua has early acceptance to the MD/PhD program at Jefferson Medical College where he intends to further his studies and become a medical doctor.

As one of three recipients of the 2015 Delaware Governor's Bioscience Fellowship (DGBF), Joshua had the unique opportunity this summer to do eye research specifically related to understanding how congenital cataracts happen.

Awarded annually, the Governor's bioscience fellowships support Delaware high school graduates who attend Delaware State University, the University of Delaware or Delaware Technical Community College by funding their research projects. Joshua and his fellow awardees were nominated by their professors to gain hands-on experience in their pursuit of a career in biotechnology while doing a summer research project.

DGBF awardee Courtney Shatley is currently a senior enrolled at Delaware Technical and Community College. Her summer project took her away from traditional bench research to studying the means for obtaining relative abundance in environmental samples through bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field of science that combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and to analyze and intepret biological data. Her research could revolutionize environmental sampling protocols.



And this year's Delaware State University DGBF awardee, Andrew Blake is a sophomore with a 4.0 GPA studying Biological Sciences. This past summer his research project involved studying neurological diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson through fruit fly larva. His research project is titled, The Role of Acetylcholine Release in the Control of Locomotor Behavior in Drosophila. Andrew plans to attend medical school following his undergraduate studies.

Created in 2006 to develop local talent for employment at biotechnology companies within the state, the fund thus far has helped more than 27 Delaware college students in their pursuit of a career in the growing field of biotechnology. In addition to the research opportunities, DGBF awardees receive mentoring and are exposed to Delaware bioscience industry leaders through extracurricular programs and events.


"Through the contributions of Delaware companies to the DGBF fund, we're able to develop a workforce that consists of the brightest and best bioscience students in Delaware," explained Vidadi Yusibov, Ph.D., DGBF sponsor and executive director of Fraunhofer (News - Alert) USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology (CMB). "The research experience funded by the fellowships provides these students with hands-on laboratory experience and an opportunity to present the results of their research, thus providing them with excellent preparation for their future careers," Yusibov noted.

"Delaware's biotechnology and life science sector is an important contributor to the state's economy," commented Bob Dayton, president of Delaware BioScience Association. "Having a readily available, well-educated workforce is critical to the growth and competitiveness of Delaware-based bioscience companies."

A luncheon to recognize this year's Delaware Governor's Bioscience Fellows will take place on October 8 at the Hotel du Pont, in Wilmington, Delaware. To register for the luncheon or to learn more about the Delaware Governor's Bioscience Fellowship, visit www.dgbfellowship.org or call Dale Ervin at 302-369-3034.


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