National Partnership
Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society is proud to announce its national partnership with Be The Match®, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). Be The Match is a global leader in cell therapy and manages the world's most diverse registry of committed adults willing to donate to a stranger in need. For people with life-threatening blood cancers - like leukemia and lymphoma - or other blood disorders like sickle cell, a cure exists. Over the past 35 years, Be The Match has facilitated more than 125,000 stem cell, bone marrow, and cord blood transplants.
​
Through chapter campus registry drives and members requesting a free swab kit to join the Be The Match Registry®, our TriBeta members and friends will help to grow and diversify the registry and increase the odds of providing a second chance at life for a patient in need. With TriBeta’s mission of extending boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research and Be The Match’s mission of saving lives through cellular therapy,
TOGETHER, we will save lives.
​​
Get Your Chapter Involved
Be The Match staff, along with the TriBeta National Office, will be hosting two webinars in September and October to share more details on our partnership and ways TriBeta chapters can join the life-saving movement.
These will be held over Zoom and will be 30-minutes. Each will also include time for Q&A.
​
Wed, Sept 13, 2023; 2:00 – 2:30 pm CT
​
​
​
​
Wed, Oct 4, 2023; 2:00 – 2:30 pm CT
​
​
​
​
Unable to make one of these webinars? Or want to get started sooner? Complete this short form to schedule an individual session with a Be The Match engagement specialist.
The Psi Zeta chapter at Truman State University held a Be The Match on campus Swab Drive in April 2023 and had 70 people swabbed to join the registry.
Free Online Course:
The Science Behind Matching Patients and Donors
Many may think that matching is based on having a similar blood type; however, it is actually based on human leukocyte antigens (HLA). HLA are proteins—or markers—on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses HLA to see which cells belong in your body and which do not.
An exclusive and complimentary online course has been released by Be The Match/NMDP for those interested in learning more about the process of matching patients and donors. It takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
​​Follow these steps to access the free online course:
​
-
Click the link: HLA for the Rest of Us: An Introduction to HLA and Matching for Non-Science Folks
-
Enter “TriBeta” before your first name in the “First Name” field. e.g. “TriBeta John”
-
Take the course and encourage your classmates, peers, and friends to take the course as well.
Class Lecture Series
Faculty members:
Would you like a Be The Match representative to provide a 30-45 minute presentation to your biology classes, or other science classes? Let’s connect!
We have staff located across the country, volunteers, and community teams in select areas, Be The Match campus chapters (officially recognized student organizations) located on 30 campuses that also have a TriBeta chapter, and 8 interns at HBCU’s where TriBeta is present.
Complete this short form to connect with a Be The Match staff member.
Request a Free Swab Kit
There are two types of blood stem cell donation.
Both are safe, free and confidential.
Closing the Disparity Gap
Currently not all patients have an equal chance of finding a match. Patients are more likely to match with a donor of their own ethnic background. By adding more people ages 18-35 to the registry, we increase the odds of every patient finding their life-saving blood stem cell donor.
You can help by educating yourself and your peers on the need for more potential donors and the two types of donation. After education, you can join the registry and encourage your peers to do so as well.
Other Ways to Support the Mission
For individuals who are unable to join the Be The Match Registry®, there are lots of other ways to get involved. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on volunteers for a variety of activities – from swab kit labeling and legislative & advocacy efforts, to fundraisers & ‘swab your circle’ kits for family and friends. Visit http://bethematch.org/tribeta to learn more about other opportunities available.