Internships
Message from Peter Daniel, Chair
In the Department of Biology our students have to opportunity of doing either an internship or an independent research project. These opportunities provide the student with a firsthand view of research in the real world. Such experiences provide the student with the opportunity to mesh the theory of science with the practical application of biological processes to real-world problems.
Independent research projects can be done either with faculty in the Biology department or with mentors outside the department, such as researchers at the North Shore-LIJ Health System's Feinstein Institute. Topics of investigation by students cover the broad spectrum of biology. In recent years some of the topics include: "The role of temperature in the sex determination of turtles."; "Prey processing by teleost fishes."; "Sequencing of the dehydrogenase gene in scallops."; "Searching for suppressors of the lim-7(tm674) lethality via RNAi."; Evidence of extracellular signals that govern production of a streptomycete morphogen" ;" An Inquiry into The Economic Impact of Rattus norvegicus on Small Businesses in The Lower East Side of Manhattan." and " Generation of a novel neurotoxin: Implications for Parkinson's Disease. ".
Students work side by side with scientists on important and relevant research questions and their findings can result in publications, co-authored by the student. Being able to cite authorship of papers published in "professional" journals significantly enhances resumes and curriculum vitae In addition, there are opportunities for students to present their research and national and international conferences, thus facilitating networking with other professionals in their field of research. Such exposure provide the student with "real world' experience which is applicable to a wide variety of careers.
Many of the students who have participated in such research opportunities have subsequently graduated and are employed in any one of a number of biotechnology companies on Long Island. Alternatively, many others have gone on to graduate schools and professional schools, such as medical, dental and veterinary programs.