Paragraph 1. Nanotechnology Research and Engaging the Public

During February 28, 2012 I had the pleasure attend I had the pleasure to attend Dr. Ronald

Redwing conference at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey. Dr. Redwing gave the audience

an introduction to Nanotechnology and it potential uses. He defines Nanotechnology as the

controls of atoms and molecules. In order to give us a little idea of nanoparticles or

nanoorganism he presented to the audience what was called “The scale of things”. His aim is

trying to look what is happening in nature to figure out how we are going to create the

nanomaterials. Later on he described the potential uses of creating these applications, such as

uses in medicine, creating faster and smaller devices, creating self-assembled structure and

many more.

Paragraph 2 Neurotrophic Factor Biodynamic in Animal Models of Disease

On March 13, 2012 we had the pleasure of having Dr. John Spitsbergn as our speaker in

the University of Puerto Rico, Cayey campus. He presented to the audience his research title

“Neurotrophic Factor Biodynamic in Animal Models of Disease”. This research aims to find

what processes are important in the regulation of trophic factor expression and the consequences

of an altered trophic factor expression. For this he studied hypertension responses in rat and

mice. He indtoduce some of the methods used for the study of diseases in rats, such as

hypertension. One of them consist in putting the rat to do exercise by raising little size stairs,

while the other method described was the flip tail test, which consist in placing the tail in hot

water and waiting for the rat to flip it tails. The result showed that the Salt sensitive rats develop

high blood pressure compared to the salt sensitive rats. In conclusion several treatments were

discussed.

Paragraph 3. Polymer Drugs: Novel Biodegradable Drug Delivery Systems

On April 12, 2012 we experience a new view of drug creation, know as Polymer Drug

Delivery. Sr. Rosario a ex-alumni of the UPR Cayey campus deliver this new discoveries. He

started his conference by introducing us to why used controlled drugs and how to they work. A

polymer drug was defined as a long chain of molecules joined together in a repeating fashion to

form a single layer of molecule. Sra. Rosado described how does this drugs work. She explains

that they can be either encapsulated in a polymer or mix with it. Some examples of polymer

drugs were given, such as cardiac stents and polymorphine. These drugs presented several

advantages compared to the normal drugs. The effect of the polymer drug last longer than the

effect produced by the normal drugs. This new drug delivery represents an advance for the

fields of medicine, chemistry and bioengineering, also it helps improve dramatically peoples

live. In conclusion Sra. Rosado exhorts us to pursue our dreams no matter how unbelievable the

sound because this is how this new type of drug creation was accomplished.

Paragraph 4.Neurosteroid Modulation of GABAa Receptor Traficking

On May 3,2012 the rise students attended to the last conference of the semester,

given by Sra. Comenencia. She started the seminar by introducing us to

Neuroscience. Her research title was

“Neurosteroid Modulation of GABAa Receptor Traficking”. She explains how

brain cells communicate through synapses and indicated that this is the way we

learn stuff. Later on she explained what are neurotransmiters and how GABAa

acts as an inhibitor to them. To conclude her conference she talked about her

expirience as a resercher.