NEWS

Purdue takes med science back to basics

Meghan Holden
Journal & Courier

Correction/clarification: A previous version of this story incorrectly said the animal skull unit will be held next week. It will be held June 22. The story also stated the program was funded by the National Science Foundation. It is only funded in part by the NSF.

Purdue University graduate students and faculty are bringing their research to the community in hopes of generating interest in the sciences.

Representatives from the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and the College of Veterinary Medicine will be at the West Lafayette Farmers Market in Cumberland Park throughout the summer to showcase how basic science and engineering concepts are used to address problems in human and animal health.

"We got together and thought a farmers market would be a really nice venue to share all the awesome science and engineering approaches at Purdue that we use to address problems in health," said Russell Main, assistant professor of basic medical sciences in the veterinary medicine college and biomedical engineering school.

The program, which is funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation, will have a different focus each week in topics ranging from food safety to biomedical devices, he said.

This week, on Wednesday, the Purdue team will dive into plant, animal and human anatomy by allowing participants to look at plant and animal tissue through microscopes.

Main said the goal with the unit is to show the important role tissues play to serve specific functions and "to understand the complexity and really the beauty of the tissues that you can’t just see on a piece of meat you buy at the market or by looking at your own skin."

At the next event, they'll look at the diversity of animal skulls and what they can teach about the animal's diet and behaviors.

Main's hoping the program gets young people excited about science and will offer all ages a unique learning experience beyond what's taught in typical classrooms.

So far, he said the showcases have received a lot of attention at the farmers market.

"People really seem to be into it," Main said.

The program is scheduled to be at the farmers market every other Wednesday, from June 8 until Aug. 31. The units will be set up for the public from 3:30 p.m. to about 7 p.m.