Mia Williams is one of about 140 current UBRP students conducting research in programs and laboratories across the UA campus.
The Undergraduate Biology Research Program's students and staff will celebrate the program's 20th anniversary with a conference and award ceremony on Jan. 17.
Since its inception, the Undergraduate Biology Research Program has involved more than 1,500 undergraduates in research and graduate school preparatory activities.
In a laboratory where the sound of a low hum from machinery is occasionally broken by stories about classwork, weekend joviality or the graduate school application process, Mia Williams is hunched over, slowly shifting small samples of seedlings from one container to the next.
Williams, a University of Arizona senior in the Undergraduate Biology Research Program, is studying the function of four different genes in a type of flowering plant. She is also cloning some of the genes to study their expression.
"They're like my adopted children," Williams, an Honors College student, said while working. She has much to consider: the amount of nutrients the plants receive, the temperature, the role of genetics, and a host of other factors.
Her project is part of a larger study in the laboratory of Frans Tax, an associate professor in the UA molecular and cellular biology department. Research in the lab is attempting to better understand root growth and plant development to help lead to the growth of stronger and more resilient plants.
For Williams, a researcher in the undergraduate program, this is all part of her daily training, and it's a story that has been shared by the more than 1,500 students who have been involved in the program, known as UBRP.
This month, UBRP – which was one of the nation's first undergraduate biology research programs – is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a major conference and award ceremony.
Jared Ragland, a former UBRPer who earned a bachelor's degrees in biochemistry, anthropology and East Asian studies from the UA in 1996, will serve as the keynote speaker. Ragland is director of intellectual property and innovation for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, a federal agency involved in international trade policies involving copyrights and trademarks, among other issues.
The event will be held Jan. 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Thomas W. Keating Bioresearch Building, 1657 E. Helen St. During the conference, UBRPers will also present their work during poster sessions.
"While UA researchers have always worked with undergraduates, UBRP provided a way of organizing undergraduate research experiences through a centralized office, making it easier for students to find their way into research groups," said Carol Bender, UBRP's director.
"This is a powerful way to teach. We've been able to bring the research resources of the University to bear on undergraduate education," Bender said.
At the moment and all across the University campus, about 140 undergraduates are involved in biologically and biomedically related rojects. The program includes more than 240 faculty sponsors drawn from more than 40 departments at the UA and as well as sites in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
"Serendipitously, we found that putting students in research groups gave them a home base on campus. The University can be an overwhelming place, but if you are part of a research group, they can give you informal guidance and advice; they become people you can turn to," Bender said.
Ben Wilson, a UA senior majoring in mathematics, did not consider himself a wet lab type of person, but was quite interested in biological research. After connecting with UBRP, he landed a spot with a research team that allows him to use his mathematical and computational skills while working on a biologically based study modeling the evolution of the yeast genome.
"I had been looking for research opportunities in general and UBRP made it more accessible to me," said Wilson, an Honors College student who is also studying mechanical engineering.
He is working in a purely computational laboratory gathering data from researchers and building a database of information about yeast. The project involves trying to predict the emergence of new genes in yeast and requires that a tremendous number of highly complex tests be run.
Jasmin Uribe, a mathematics junior, is working on the same project. She is figuring out ways to make the computational models work more efficiently as there are thousands of genetic variants to consider and track.
"Research is something so interesting to me," said Uribe, a UA Honors College student who is also studying computer science. "You can find out things nobody knows."
Uribe plans to spend a portion of this year studying in Hungary and eventually work toward a doctorate in applied mathematics. Wilson plans to submit a paper about his research for publication and he intends to eventually pursue a doctorate degree and work in the field of bioinformatics.
"The research opportunities I've gotten at the undergraduate level have been phenomenal in terms of exposure to what I would like to be doing later in life," Wilson said.
Williams, also a National Hispanic Merit Scholar, shared those sentiments, saying another benefit is the liberties UBRPers are afforded.
"I don't have anyone holding my hand. I am trusted to do the work and I am given the time," said Williams, who is studying molecular and cellular biology. "It's not just replicating someone's work, but really learning the science. It's amazing."
At the same time, there is a strong sense of support and comradery in the laboratory, she added. Williams said it is not only the research but also the connection she has made with others in the laboratory and in UBRP that has made her involvement in the program that much more significant.
"I couldn't live without research," Williams said. "I've really grown to love it."
The Undergraduate Biology Research Program, or UBRP, is an educational program designed to teach students science by involving them in biologically related research.
UBRP, which began in 1988, has since grown to provide a training basis for would-be scientists and health professionals. In 1992, UBRP began an extension program -- Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open!, commonly known as Bravo!, which allows students to work on research projects in other parts of the world that is related to their work at the UA.
Students are paid for their time in the lab where they develop an understanding of scientific method and receive a realistic view of biological research. UBRP students also acquire tools necessary to be successful graduate studies or biomedical research.
The program, like several others on campus that involve undergraduates in research, prepare students for graduate and post-graduate studies in their respective fields and for a world that is increasingly discovery-based.
As part of the program, students choose a faculty mentor and receive grant funds paid through UBRP for their work. . As part of their training, students participate in an ethics retreat and seminars. Many often present their research and experimental findings at local and national scientific conferences, and some have been published.
Since its inception, UBRP has received funding from numerous agencies, including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation – all of which supports undergraduate student research.
Graduates of the program have gone into research, teaching, law, and the medical or other health-related professions. A number of UBRP graduates also serve as heads of companies and agencies.
Carol Bender
Undergraduate Biology Research Project
520-621-9348