Media Advisory: About 100 high schoolers to showcase DNA research May 21 at UB

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Nearly 100 students from high schools in Western and Central New York will convene Wednesday at University at Buffalo to present findings from their year-long metagenomics research projects.

Students work with UB throughout the school year to collect, isolate, and analyze bacterial DNA found in waterways around the state. At the event, students will highlight and share their research methods and findings with project stakeholders.

Participating area schools include Allegheny-Limestone, West Valley, West Seneca West, Buffalo Public Schools’ Frederick Law Olmsted, Randolph Academy, Ellicottville BOCES, Sherman, Gananda, Corning-Painted Post, and Iroquois.

This project is funded by an National Institutes of Health SEPA (Science Education Partnership Award) to Steve Koury, PhD, research associate professor in the Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences in the Jacobs School.

Sandra Small, UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnership’s senior manager of science education and workforce development, is a co-investigator on the grant. Throughout the year, Small mentored participants and helped them structure their research.

What: SEPA Capstone Day.

When: 9:45 a.m-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 21.

Where: Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 955 Main St., Buffalo, N.Y.

On-site contact: Sandra Small, PhD, senior manager of science education and workforce development, UB Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, 585-749-5158.