Summer 2004
FEATURES
Geneseo
Students Visit Capitol Hill
Two Geneseo
students took their research on DNA right to Capitol Hill this spring.
Matthew Bernard, of Chenango Forks, N.Y., and Jeffrey Senfield,
of Olean, N.Y., presented a poster titled "Design and Testing of
DNA Codes for DNA-based Computing" during a program sponsored by
the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Bernard and Senfield, who graduated in May, presented their research April
20 to members of Congress, federal agency officials and invited guests
at a reception in the Rayburn House Office Building.
Bernard and Senfield’s research was conducted under the mentorship
of Wendy Pogozelski, associate professor of chemistry, and Anthony
Macula, associate professor of mathematics. The National Science Foundation
and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research funded the students’
research, while the Geneseo Foundation and Student Association funded
their trip.
With a poster presentation format, Bernard and Senfield were able to show
their research results in the form of a printout, with figures and text,
said Pogozelski, who traveled to Washington, D.C. with the students.
"DNA computing is a new field where you use DNA molecules to store
and retrieve information," Pogozelski said.
"It’s really designed for the computationally hard problems,"
she said.
The trip to the Washington included stops to the offices of Congresswoman
Louise Slaughter and Congressman James Walsh to thank them for their support
of undergraduate research and to discuss current issues in science policy.
In addition, Bernard and Senfield met Congressman Amo Houghton, who attended
the poster presentation.
"It was a great opportunity for the students," Pogozelski said.
Bernard will enter the University of Rochester this fall to pursue his
Ph.D. in immunology, while Senfield will pursue his master’s in biochemistry
at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo.
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