Molecular Science Reserch Building

Summer Outreach Activity
June 22, 2021
This year, a group of students from secondary and elementary schools participated in the virtual outreach activity “Verano virtual” hosted by the Molecular Science Research Center. Dr. Dina Bracho (NIEF imaging specialist) organized the workshop “Fluorescencia en la vida diaria”. This workshop allowed the student to learn about the fluorescence phenomenon by doing hands-on laboratory experiments under the parent’s supervision. The student enjoyed extracting the chlorophyll from spinach and visualizing the fluorescence of chlorophyll and olive oil using a black-light.

MSRC Open House

October 25, 2019
NIEF staff participated in the Molecular Sciences Research Center Open House during the Bioweek of 2019. In this annual outreach event, students from different schools and community had the opportunity to interact with scientists. Public gets to participate in scientific demonstrations and talks while complete the tour throughout the MSRC facilities including NIEF.

Innovative State-of-the-Art Biomedical Research Facility at UPR

Dr. Otero-Cruz, NIEF manager, published an informative article in a local and specialized newspaper about the goodnesses of having a scientific facility such as the Neuroimaging and Electrophysiology Facility (NIEF) at the University of Puerto Rico. This article is part of a series of articles dedicated to Puerto Rico Bioscience Week 2018.

September 27, 2018
Innovative, State-of-the-Art Biomedical Research Facility at UPR
By José D. Otero-Cruz
Caribbean Business. Thursday, September 27, 2018. Special Feature: Bioscience Week 2018. Page 22.

Dr. David Otero, NIEF manager, delivered a pitch in the Blitz Talks section at the UPR Molecular Sciences Research Center. He presented NIEF’s facilities and services that are available to undergraduate and graduate students.

NIEF staff participated in the UPR Molecular Sciences Research Center’s Open House. In this annual outreach event, high school students and community had the opportunity to interact with scientists, participate in scientific demonstrations and talks, and take tours throughout MSRC facilities, including ours in the NIEF.

Dr. Amelia Merced, a biologist and microscopist and our collaborator at UPR-Institute of Neurobiology, participated as a science mentor on the PBS Kids show SciGirls that aims to engage girls in science, technology, engineering, and math learning and careers.

NIEF staff work with high school students that participate in the ACS Project SEED summer research program, providing them working experience in confocal microscopy and electrophysiology techniques.

NIEF staff

NIEF is an integral part of some academic courses such as (BIOL 6999) Special Topics in Modern Biology course of the Graduate Biology Program at the UPR-Río Piedras. In these courses, NIEF staff provides working experience to students in confocal microscopy applications.