James Bird of Scranton, Pa., Assists With Summer Research at Wilkes

WILKES-BARRE, PA (08/05/2010)(readMedia)-- James Bird of Scranton, Pa., is assisting chemistry professor Donald Mencer and biology professors William Terzaghi and Kenneth Klemow with their summer research at Wilkes University.

Bird, a sophomore in the biology program at Wilkes, is doing research that involves extracting resveratrol from Japanese knotweed to study its properties and effects. Bird is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Scholar. He is the son of Donald and Barbara Bird.

HHMI is a nonprofit medical research organization that employs hundreds of leading biomedical scientists working at the forefront of their fields. HHMI recognized Wilkes University as one of "the nation's best undergraduate institutions" in awarding a $1 million grant to creatively engage students in biological sciences. A portion of this grant is set aside to fund summer research scholarships for select students.

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