REU Site: Cellular Bioengineering -- From Biomaterials to Stem Cells

REU 网站：细胞生物工程——从生物材料到干细胞

• 批准号: 1262924
• 负责人: David Shreiber
• 金额: $ 36.13万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-03-01 至 2017-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1262924&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Cellular; Bioengineering; Biomaterials

This three-year REU site program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is supported by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers. The REU will engage ten undergraduate students each year in cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering. Several projects fall within the Biomaterials realm, which generally features elements of chemistry (e.g., synthetic, analytical, and/or physical) with contributions from interdisciplinary fields such as molecular bioengineering (e.g., biofunctionalization of substrates), nanoscale and microscale patterning of materials, and interfacial thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Projects within the Stem Cell Bioengineering theme may involve the development of new technologies to analyze properties of stem cell niches or the directed manipulation of stem cell cultures for expansion and/or differentiation. A few projects involve development of technologies that are applicable to a variety of cellular systems, and may or may not utilize stem cells directly, such as microfabircated devices and novel biomedical optics. Specific examples of projects include: Multi-modal cues for phenotypic control of neural cells; Targeted systemic and intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides; Reprogrammed Stem Cells and 3-D Microenvironments; Metabolic engineering of liver cells for transplantation; and Label-free microscopy for analysis of subcellular structural dynamics. The primary goal of this REU program is to continue to provide unique opportunities for a diverse population of undergraduate students to perform cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering. The program provides invaluable training and experience to under-represented students, including those with limited prior research exposure, and has standardized elements of research training and professional development to accelerate the learning curve and inoculate the students into active laboratories pursuing high-impact research. Unlike the traditional mono-disciplinary research that undergraduates typically conduct, in the past three years this program has successfully leveraged broad-based training related to 'engineering' research projects, but integrated across life sciences and physical sciences. The research experience is enriched with a range of activities designed to spark a lifelong interest in the field and to foster the students' individual career development. Active mentoring, collaboration, and monitoring of the student experience have been critical to achieving the programmatic goals. The Cellular Bioengineering Boot Camp has introduced Scholars to laboratory and imaging skills that facilitate their integration into their research labs. Exciting research projects that rely heavily on interdisciplinary collaboration introduce the Scholars to a broad array of topics grounded in Cellular Bioengineering. A new focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with substantial industry involvement, parallels the recent NSF I-Corps initiative for translational research to capitalize on the potential for new technology that emanates from the research and provide an even broader impact of the program. Weekly seminars and discussion groups allow tracking and monitoring of the Scholars' experiences while concurrently engaging them in professional development. Incorporation of a mentoring workshop for the graduate students who serve as 'near-peer' mentors expands the impact of the program beyond the undergraduate participants.

在罗格斯（Rutgers）的这项为期三年的REU网站计划，新泽西州立大学得到了工程教育和中心部的支持。 REU每年将与十个本科生一起参与蜂窝生物工程领域的尖端，跨学科研究。几个项目都属于生物材料领域，这些项目通常具有化学元素（例如合成，分析和/或物理），并具有跨学科领域的贡献，例如分子生物工程（例如，基底材料的生物功能化），纳米级和材料材料和材料的材料和跨层型热力学和交通运输现象。干细胞生物工程主题中的项目可能涉及开发新技术，以分析干细胞壁ches的特性或对干细胞培养物的定向操纵以扩展和/或分化。一些项目涉及适用于各种细胞系统的技术的开发，并且可能直接利用干细胞，例如微型设备和新型的生物医学光学器件。项目的具体示例包括：用于神经细胞表型控制的多模式线索；寡核苷酸的靶向全身和细胞内递送；重编程的干细胞和3-D微环境；肝细胞的代谢工程进行移植；和无标签显微镜，用于分析亚细胞结构动力学。 该REU计划的主要目标是继续为各种本科生提供独特的机会，以在蜂窝生物工程领域进行尖端的跨学科研究。该计划为人数不足的学生提供了宝贵的培训和经验，其中包括那些先前研究曝光率有限的学生，并且具有标准化的研究培训和专业发展的要素，以加速学习曲线并将学生接种到积极的实验室中，从而从事高影响力研究。与本科生通常进行的传统单学科研究不同，在过去的三年中，该计划成功地利用了与“工程”研究项目相关的广泛培训，但在生命科学和物理科学之间进行了整合。研究经验丰富了一系列活动，旨在激发该领域的终生兴趣并促进学生的个人职业发展。积极的指导，协作和监视学生体验对于实现程序目标至关重要。蜂窝工程训练营已将学者引入实验室和成像技能，以促进其整合到研究实验室中。在很大程度上依赖跨学科合作的令人兴奋的研究项目将学者介绍了以蜂窝生物工程为基础的广泛主题。新的重点是创新和企业家精神，具有实质性的行业参与，与最近的NSF I-Corps转化研究计划相似，以利用从研究中散发出的新技术的潜力，并为该计划提供了更广泛的影响。每周的研讨会和讨论小组允许跟踪和监视学者的经历，同时让他们参与专业发展。为“近点”导师的研究生纳入指导研讨会，将计划的影响扩大到本科参与者之外。