The University of Nevada, Reno Molecular Biosciences Interdisciplinary Program will host the fourth annual graduate student retreat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 23 in the lobby of the Center for Molecular Medicine. Graduate students will get together and share posters and oral presentations highlighting their upcoming research projects.

John Cushman, foundation professor and graduate program director of the University's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, said, "this year's retreat will showcase more than 80 graduate students within the "molecular biosciences" umbrella and is hosted by students from multiple degree programs including, biology, cellular and molecular biology, cellular and molecular pharmacology, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering.

Michael Dillon, the vice president for the molecular biosciences graduate student and graduate research assistant, is intrigued to see what students show this year.  

"We have an exciting variety of presentations, including discussions of biofuel production, infectious disease, sleep and drug development," Dillon said.  

Although the posters are a major part of the graduate retreat, Dillon said the following talks will be just as interesting: 

• Isolating anaerobic Archaea and Bacteria from terrestrial 'icy worlds' by Paula Matheus
• Neural translin regulates metabolic control of sleep by Kaz Murakami
• Galectin-1 protein therapy for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by Pam Van Ry
• Differentiation between stocked Triploid Rainbow Trout and naturalized diploid individuals in the Truckee River Watershed by Veronica Kirchoff
• Regulation of fat and body growth by SIKs and class II HDACs by Rebecca Hints
• Bioengineering Herbicide Resistant Camelina saliva by James Davis  

The retreat is open to the public and free to all who attend.  

For more information, contact Dillon at michael.nevada@gmail.com.  

The Molecular Biosciences Interdisciplinary Program at the University of Nevada, Reno provides an integrated course of study for students seeking a doctorate or masters of science degree in bimolecular-related research. More than 60 participating faculty members are drawn from nine different departments from across the campus in the Colleges of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, Science and the University of Nevada School of Medicine.