Ever wonder why it is so difficult to sneak up on a fly?

It is all in the fly's neurotransmitters, said Meredith Anderson, a microbiology senior participating in the Undergraduate Biology Research Program.

Anderson is one of 65 students who presented their research in the program's seventh annual conference Saturday.

The walls of the Life Sciences South Building's top floors were covered with 62 student posters. The students, who have been working since last summer for faculty members, created the posters to display their research.

UBRP is attempting to create a bridge between undergraduate education and research by hiring undergraduates to work directly with faculty.

Undergraduates work year-round for a faculty sponsor and are compensated $6 an hour for their work. Faculty members involved provide half of the money, said Carol Bender, UBRP's Director.

She said this is important because the faculty chose to help undergraduates.

The other half of the money comes from the program, Bender said.

Research is a powerful teaching tool and people need to realize this because the University of Arizona is a research institution, she said.

Undergraduates benefit from the research in their education, Bender added.

Creating the posters gives students an opportunity to get a holistic perspective of what is going on, Anderson said.

Graduate schools want applicants to understand how slow and tedious lab work can be, she added.

Biochemistry sophomore George Stickney said the program is a "great educational experience."

It allows for student interaction and is a good way for them to learn from their peers, said Rebecca Dicken, a molecular and cellular biology senior.

Keynote speaker Dr. Carlos "Kent" Campbell, director of the UA's Prevention Center, challenged students to understand that their work today has relevance down the line.

He told them to take risks, explore science broadly, and have fun.

Students are not the only ones who benefit from the program. The faculty also benefit by having undergraduates to work with. Students bring new questions to the research, Bender said.

Director of research labs Judy Ulreich, who works with five UBRP students, said it is a beneficial relationship. Ulreich said she got involved with the program because she loves teaching and wants to make students excited about research.

Ulreich's 4-year-old son Alex is one person whom she has intrigued by science. Alex especially liked the results of a grade-school poster. The poster displayed a rodent skeleton found in owl pellets.

A collaboration between the UA and fifth-graders from Davis Bilingual Magnet School gave younger students hands-on experience with science, said Cecilia Valenzuela, fifth-grade teacher at the school. This was the third year that the school has been involv ed with the program, she said.

Applications for this year's program are due Feb. 1. Interested students can contact Carol Bender at 621-9348.