Scintillon Institute thanks the City of San Diego’s Economic Development Department for funding the SURE Program in 2018 – 2019. This generous grant demonstrates the support and commitment the City of San Diego has for growing the economic possibilities of San Diego students across all backgrounds.  STEM education and the immersion job training provided by the SURE program aligns with City goals to generate small business jobs and economic revenue for San Diego, including its large biotechnology community. 

The City of San Diego's  Economic Development Department assists individual businesses and helps strengthen business organizations and improve business districts throughout San Diego.  Encouraging community revitalization and promoting economic opportunity for all segments of the population to retain, attract and maintain the types of businesses that contribute positively to the local economy, the City leverages public incentives and assistance to promote community revitalization, attract new businesses and encourage investment in local businesses.

Scintillon Institute Receives $5,000 Donation from Vertex Pharmaceuticals

La Jolla, California

August 14, 2018 

Scintillon Institute for Biomedical and Bioenergy Research is honored to announce that it has received a $5,000 donation from Vertex Pharmaceuticals in support of the Summer Internship Program (SURE Program).  This donation marks the first corporate partnership for Scintillon, a rapidly growing nonprofit research institute, and will help expand this free program for high school students to create vital resume-building opportunities through faculty mentorship and experience working in professional research labs.

Scintillon Institute is now accepting applications for this summer's SURE program.  

The Summer Internship Program (SURE Program) aims to introduce top high school applicants to basic scientific research and prepare them for college. One goal of this immersive research experience is to encourage and prepare the most talented high school students for successful careers in biomedical research. In addition, the SURE Program aims to create a pipeline of future scientists for the highly competitive and successful biomedical research community in San Diego County.

The very best high school students from San Diego County school districts will be selected and invited to participate in the SURE Program. A Scintillon Institute faculty member will be the student’s scientific mentor and will introduce the student to the program’s curriculum and guide the student through to graduation of the program.

The SURE Program has a specially tailored curriculum that aligns the students’ time constraints with the commitment required by basic research.

Applications are due by 5pm on March 30, 2018.  More details can be found under Summer Program.    

The Summer Internship Program (SURE Program) at Scintillon Institute aims to introduce top high school applicants to basic scientific research and prepare them for college. One goal of this immersive research experience is to encourage and prepare the most talented high school students for successful careers in biomedical research. Led by Program Director Murat H. Digicaylioglu, M.D. Ph.D., the SURE Program aims to create a pipeline of future scientists for the highly competitive and successful biomedical research community in San Diego County.

The very best high school students from San Diego County school districts will be selected and invited to participate in the SURE Program. A Scintillon Institute faculty member will be the student’s scientific mentor and will introduce the student to the program’s curriculum and guide the student through to graduation of the program.

The SURE Program has a specially tailored curriculum that aligns the students’ time constraints with the commitment required by basic research.

The program is divided into three years, each year clearly marked with a milestone as a metric for success. Success will be measured by reaching the defined milestone for each year, which is required to be invited to continue the program. 

Students must provide a complete application packet, consisting of:

• The application form for the SURE Program at Scintillon Institute.
• A personal essay, which must also include the student’s reasons for interest in the SURE program.
• Letters of recommendation from two teachers, one of which must be from a science teacher.
• An official high school transcript.

To be considered for the SURE Program Summer Class of 2020, applications must be received by March 31, 2020.  Selected applicants will be invited for an interview in April.

This year, the SURE program will run from July 14th to August 7th, 2020.  

Students are requested to be present Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.   

Summer Class of 2020 will commence at Scintillon Institute where SURE students can meet the faculty and learn about their research programs. The students will also be provided with a curriculum and milestone for the first year and meet returning second and third year students.

Past SURE program participants have accepted offers to study at Stanford University and University of California, San Diego.  

"I’ve recently decided to attend Stanford University this coming fall to study Human Biology, and I know I couldn’t have done it without all of you. The SURE Program was such an amazing thing to be a part of, and I can’t wait to see how much it’ll grow and improve these next few years." - Hannah P., SURE program participant

"This experience was far beyond anything I’ve ever been part of, and it served as a uniquely impactful supplement to my college applications. Including my experience at Scintillon in a multitude of application essays helped greatly in allowing me to expand on why I want to pursue neuroscience in college and in my future career. I learned more about laboratory research and the intricacies of neuroscience than ever before, and I enthusiastically anticipate returning at the beginning of this summer to continue expanding my mind and exploring my passion!" - Shae G., SURE program participant

SURE Program is funded in full thanks to our

SURE Program STEM Education Partners

Please contact the SURE Program coordinator with any additional questions: [email protected]

01 August 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scintillon team to play key role in center for creating bioluminescent neuroscience tools

San Diego, CA

In a new collaboration, scientists will advance and freely circulate a research technology that makes brain cells able to produce, respond to, and communicate with light.

Nathan Shaner, Ph.D. will lead Scintillon Institute’s contribution to a national center dedicated to developing and disseminating new tools based on bioluminescence. The five-year grant from the National Science Foundation aims to develop tools to give nervous system cells the ability to make and respond to light. Neuroscientists can use these tools to manipulate and observe the circuitry of the brain in a variety of model organisms.

“NeuroNex Technology Hub” is a new collaboration of labs at Brown University, Central Michigan University and the Scintillon Institute. The team will improve upon and combine several unique bioengineering technologies to create new research capabilities, rooted in bioluminescence-the natural ability of cells to make light. They will then make their advances rapidly, easily, and freely available to the global scientific community.  

Shaner joins co-principal investigators Diane Lipscombe, Brown professor of neuroscience and director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science, and Ute Hochgeschwender, professor at CMU, on a team led by Christopher Moore, a professor of neuroscience at Brown. Justine Allen, a Brown neuroscience PhD alumna, will be the center’s administrative director.

Creating a curriculum, which combines elements of biology, chemistry, physics and engineering, to engage and educate high school students will be a key facet of the center’s mission.

“The highly visual nature of this research is a great way to get young people interested in science,” said Shaner. “Being able to see living neurons lighting up as they fire under a microscope can be a transformative experience for them.”

Scintillon Institute congratulates A. Chakraborty and Z. Fullerton, the Grand Prize Winners of Scintillon Institute's STEM Art Contest!

A. Chakraborty's dolphin had our team doing flips at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering EXPO day.

Z. Fullerton's dragonfly created such a buzz at CSUSM's Super STEM Saturday that we just had to recreate it in the Shaner Lab's award winning Fluorescent Proteins.

Check out the gorgeous recreation of Sarrah Romero's original art contest entry from the SD Science & Engineering expo in March.  It's amazing what a little highlighter, fluorescent protein, and science education can create.  Way to go, Sarrah!!!!