PrincetonUniversity
 

photo: Ruth Stevens

Summer lab work gives seniors a jump on theses and careers

by Steven Schultz
For most Princeton molecular biology students, the decision about what to do for the summer before senior year is an easy one. In a tradition that has developed over the last 30 years, the majority spend the summer on campus beginning the independent laboratory research projects that will become their senior theses.

This year, about 30 of the 45 molecular biology seniors have stayed for the summer, conducting research in areas from stem cells to genetics. They are joined by a few sophomores as well as seven students from other schools who also are working in Princeton molecular biology labs.

For those who participate, the experience is not merely an extension of the academic year. It is a chance to become immersed in a project and pursue questions with a focus that is hard to achieve during the academic year.

"It helps you focus and get excited about what you're doing," said Lou Ballezzi, a member of the student committee that coordinates the summer program.

Regardless of whether their summer work gets published, the seniors said it is good to apply the knowledge they have accumulated in three years of coursework. "This is the real thing," said Jennie Milofsky. "It's what we're all building up to."

It has been common for at least some seniors in biology to spend summers in the lab since the 1970s, said Ted Cox, professor of molecular biology. In the early years, students were paid through faculty grants and by organizations like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. While some students are still funded by such sources, many are supported by a large grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which the University first received 12 years ago.

The grant, which was recently renewed for $1.9 million over four years, provides a stipend to any molecular biology student who wants to pursue summer lab work. It also supports other initiatives, including the development of new undergraduate courses and a summer lab experience for high school teachers.

Read the full story here.