The Industry/University Cooperative Research Center will meet for its semi-annual conference at The University of Memphis today through Saturday.
During the conference, The U of M will unveil its $200,000 state-of-the-art "radical analyzer" which no other university in the region has, according to physics chair M. Shah Jahan.
Smith and Nephew, Wright Medical Technology, Inc., Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Zimmer and The U of M will present the electron resonance spectrometer, which detects low levels of free radicals in biomaterials, to the Department of Physics. The U of M is the only IUCB member that will own an ESR Spectrometer.
IUCB consists of four universities -- The U of M, State University of New York at Buffalo, Alfred University and the University of Miami - that will join government researchers from the National Science Foundation, United States Food and Drug Administration and private industries for the conference.
"It is an honor to have an ESR Spectrometer," Jahan said. "This new high sensitive free radical spectrometer is extremely useful for the investigation of organic and biomaterials."
The first two days of the conference are closed to the public, but the final two days are filled with meetings and workshops.
"The conference will be a good experience," Jahan said. "A lot will be happening."
A presentation of the ESR Spectrometer is scheduled for Friday in the Manning Hall auditorium at 4 p.m. The lecture and demonstration will be given by Bruker Instruments. A reception will follow in the Integrated Microscopy Center in room 111 of the Life Sciences Building from 5 to 7 p.m.
Research posters and IUCB sites will be on display at the reception, Jahan said.
A workshop will be held Saturday at the Fogelman Executive Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Researchers will participate in a day of mutual learning and scientific debate. Special attention will be given to "implants" of irradiated materials in human tissues.
Workshop registration is $50 and students get a discounted rate of $20.
To register, call 678-2034 or e-mail Dr. Jahan at mjahan@memphis.edu.
