(PHOENIX, Ariz., June 6, 2005) - Bulgarian born student, Milen Vitanov proved his love and dedication to the field of Biotechnology during his 2 ½ years at Phoenix College (PC). Not only did he excel in the classroom, but he was also selected as the first PC student to participate in a summer internship with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

As one of the top research centers in the world, Vitanov could not think of a better way to conclude his educational experience with the community college.

"I feel honored to be the first student from PC to participate in such a prestigious internship program," Vitanov said. "I look forward to doing my best and learning as much as possible."

PC faculty adviser, Dr. Anna Marti-Subirana echoed her student's words with additional excitement.

"This is such a great achievement for Vitanov, our Biology Department and the college," said Dr. Marti-Subirana. "I hope this landmark signals the start of many internship opportunities for students majoring in Biology."

On May 16, Vitanov began his internship under the direction of Professor David Duggan. Together, they will examine how DNA sequence variations among human populations relate to susceptibility to disease.

They will specifically focus on some of the more common diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and autoimmunity. With the help of high genomic technologies such as gene expression, profiling and genotyping, the Dr. Duggan's group aims to identify those genes whose expression profile is different between affected and unaffected sets. Overall Vitanov hopes to learn different Biotechnology techniques that can be applied to discovering and understanding the genetic variations that contribute to different diseases.

The Phoenix College Biology Department received funds from Proposition 301 Workforce Development to update and modernize its lab facilities in order to prepare students for basic research laboratory experiences.

"It has been through institutional support, the efforts of faculty and staff in the department, and the dedication of students in advance science courses that achievements like Vitanov's have been made possible," said Dr. Marti-Subirana. "One of the missions of the Biology Department is to provide students with innovative teaching and with exposure to current biological research."

Vitanov not only credited Phoenix College for such a wonderful opportunity, he also recognized individual instructors that have impacted him throughout his educational experience at PC.

"For the 2 ½ years that I have spent at Phoenix College, I have take many classes, and for each one of them I received the best education," he concluded. "Two of the teachers that inspired me most are my Biotechnology instructor Dr. Anna Marti-Subirana and my Chemistry instructor Dr. Ed Ong. With their professionalism in Genetics and Chemistry, they opened a new horizon for me to explore."

Vitanov will attend Arizona State University (ASU) West in the fall to complete his Bachelor of Sciences degree with a concentration in Life Sciences, Cell Biology and Physiology. He aspires to attend medical school and one day become a neurologist.

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