REU Site: Engineering Across Cell Types

REU 网站：跨细胞类型的工程

• 批准号: 1263235
• 负责人: Susan Roberts
• 金额: $ 35.84万
• 依托单位: University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 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: 2013-05-01 至 2017-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1263235&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Engineering; Across; Cell

Supported by the National Science Foundation Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC), this three-year REU Site program at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst will enable 9 undergraduate students to conduct research in cellular engineering, an exciting new frontier of engineering and applied biology. Nature has remarkable capabilities to engineer new processes, make products and transform materials from one form to another. Cellular organisms display such a wide range of features that essentially any trait can be engineered into an appropriate host. Nearly four decades ago, molecular biology enabled a quantum leap for medicine with the production of human insulin in bacteria. Scientists and engineers are now on the cusp of being able to engineer organisms to pump out fuel using plant matter as a feedstock, clean up toxic pollutants from soil, water and air, produce large quantities of anticancer drugs, and even transform human cells into useful tissues. In the past decade, novel tools have been developed and discoveries made across cell types (e.g., bacteria, yeast, mammalian, plant) to facilitate cellular engineering; however, there has been limited crosstalk amongst the varied scientific communities, highlighting the relevance of this REU Program: Engineering Across Cell Types (EnACT): Exploring the Scientific and Physical Interfaces Amongst Cells. Traditional research and curricula at the engineering/life sciences interface do not typically include discussion of the similarities and differences amongst cell types, and therefore students are not provided with a complete perspective on the tools available for engineering cells. For example, most undergraduate courses in biochemistry and bioengineering emphasize microbial systems because of their widespread study and use. However, many recent advances are in higher eukaryotes, which are considerably more complicated due to differences in cell biology such as compartmentalization, organelle-specific gene expression and redundancy of pathways. REU students will get a chance to work with researchers using different cell systems (e.g., bacteria, yeast, animal, and plant) to illustrate adaptation and application of both research approaches and fundamental knowledge across cell types. Faculty research areas include protein engineering, metabolic engineering, tissue engineering, drug delivery, and systems biology.Understanding cellular function across cell types and manipulating cells/tissues to perform in a particular manner is the basis for many ventures in the biomedical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Participants will engage in cellular engineering research that addresses grand challenges in pharmaceutical sciences, medical technology, bioenergy and the environment. Specific objectives of the EnACT (Engineering Across Cell Types) REU are to: (1) encourage and inspire students to pursue graduate studies in cellular engineering; (2) create a diverse pool of student researchers by focusing on recruitment of underrepresented populations, including deaf and hard-of-hearing students, students at non-research intensive universities, and students in earlier stages of their academic careers; (3) train students to transition from dependent to independent researchers through collaborative research and near-peer mentoring activities; (4) enable students to communicate effectively across disciplines; and (5) provide students with strategies for professional success. In addition to interdisciplinary research projects, REU participants will be involved in Research Supergroups involving students and faculty from two research laboratories, a Professional Seminar; a Pathways to Research Impact Seminar, and a student poster session. Recruitment efforts will target undergraduates at all stages majoring in chemical engineering, bioengineering, chemistry, biology, and biochemistry. The PI will collaborate with the NSF-sponsored, UMA-led Northeast AGEP and LSAMP alliances to enhance the recruitment of underrepresented minority students, Springfield Technical Community College to recruit students enrolled in associate degree programs, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to recruit deaf and hearing-impaired students. The EnACT REU will engage students in cross-disciplinary research at the interface of engineering/physical sciences and life sciences and encourage them to pursue advanced degrees and careers in bioengineering and related fields, creating a technologically advanced, forward thinking, interdisciplinary minded workforce.

在国家科学基金会教育与中心（EEC）的支持下，马萨诸塞大学的三年REU站点计划将使9名本科生能够在蜂窝工程方面进行研究，这是激动人心的工程和应用生物学的令人兴奋的新领域。大自然具有设计新工艺，制造产品并将材料从一种形式转变为另一种形式的功能。蜂窝生物显示出如此广泛的特征，可以将任何特征都可以设计成适当的宿主。大约四十年前，分子生物学实现了细菌中人类胰岛素的产生的量子飞跃。科学家和工程师现在正处于能够用植物物质作为原料的燃料来泵出燃料，清理土壤，水和空气中的有毒污染物，产生大量抗癌药物，甚至将人类细胞转化为有用的组织。在过去的十年中，已经开发出新的工具，并发现了细胞类型（例如细菌，酵母，哺乳动物，植物）的发现，以促进细胞工程；但是，在各种科学界之间的串扰有限，突出了该REU计划的相关性：跨细胞类型的工程（制定）：探索细胞之间的科学和物理界面。工程/生命科学界面的传统研究和课程通常不包括对细胞类型之间的相似性和差异的讨论，因此，没有为学生提供可用于工程单元的工具的完整视角。例如，由于其广泛的研究和使用，大多数生物化学和生物工程学的本科课程都强调了微生物系统。但是，最近的许多进步是在较高的真核生物中，由于细胞生物学的差异，例如分隔，细胞器特异性基因表达和途径的冗余性，它们更为复杂。 REU学生将有机会使用不同的细胞系统（例如细菌，酵母，动物和植物）与研究人员合作，以说明研究方法的适应和应用，以及跨细胞类型的基本知识。教师研究领域包括蛋白质工程，代谢工程，组织工程，药物输送和系统生物学。理解细胞类型的细胞功能以及以特定方式进行细胞/组织的细胞功能是生物医学，生物技术和制药行业中许多企业的基础。参与者将参与细胞工程研究，以解决药物科学，医学技术，生物能源和环境的巨大挑战。 REU的制定（跨细胞类型工程）的特定目标是：（1）鼓励和激发学生从事细胞工程研究的研究生学习； （2）通过专注于招募代表性不足的人群，包括聋哑学生和听力障碍的学生，非研究强化大学的学生以及在学术职业的早期阶段的学生来创建各种各样的学生研究人员； （3）培训学生通过合作研究和近乎共同的指导活动从依赖到独立研究人员过渡； （4）使学生能够跨学科有效沟通； （5）为学生提供专业成功的策略。除了跨学科研究项目外，REU参与者还将参与来自两个研究实验室的学生和教职员工的研究超小组，这是一个专业的研讨会；研究影响研讨会的途径和学生海报会议。招聘工作将针对化学工程，生物工程，化学，生物学和生物化学的各个阶段的本科生。 PI将与NSF赞助的UMA领导的Northeast Agep和LSAMP联盟合作，以增强招募人数不足的少数民族学生，Springfield技术社区学院，以招募招聘副学士学位的学生以及国家聋人技术研究所招募聋哑学生。 ENACT REU将在工程/物理科学和生命科学的界面上吸引学生进行跨学科研究，并鼓励他们从事生物工程和相关领域的高级学位和职业，从而创建一个技术先进的，前瞻性的，跨学科的思维锻炼者。