REU Site: Exploring the Limits of Life - Understanding Biofilms in Extreme Environments

REU 网站：探索生命的极限 - 了解极端环境中的生物膜

• 批准号: 2050856
• 负责人: Brent Peyton
• 金额: $ 39.71万
• 依托单位: Montana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-04-01 至 2024-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2050856&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Exploring; Limits; Life

Montana State University’s (MSU) centers of excellence, the Thermal Biology Institute (TBI) and the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), in Bozeman, Montana, will implement an REU site to support the training of 10 students each year during the summers of 2021-2023. This REU program will explore the limits of life in extreme environments (e.g., under glaciers and in Yellowstone National Park hot springs) and combine team-orientated learning and guided research, helping students discover new ways to grow, understand, and use extreme biofilms for society’s benefit. The goals of the REU program are to 1) increase participation of underrepresented minority students in innovative science and engineering research; 2) empower more undergraduates to pursue advanced degrees in bioengineering, microbiology, and related disciplines; and 3) strengthen and encourage the persistence of students’ science and engineering identities through novel research and professional development. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from non-research-intensive universities, tribal colleges, community colleges, or from an underrepresented minority will be trained in the program. To achieve the recruitment goals, the core participant team will actively network with faculty at regional universities and colleges, as well as embark on an annual in-person recruitment ‘blitz’ at state tribal colleges and community colleges. Program assessment will leverage the online SALG URSSA evaluation tool and student interviews, with longitudinal tracking surveys used after the program to determine student career paths. This REU program is an experience where participants are paired into teams of two and work collaboratively on an extreme biofilm research project under the guidance of faculty experts. As part of their research, program participants help a) characterize and grow extreme biofilms, b) investigate extreme biofilm functions, or c) explore biofilm growth at extreme pressures/temperatures/pH, assessing their utility in different biotechnologies. As a group, students participate in a field trip and workshop in Yellowstone National Park, a scientific literacy and communication short course, and weekly professional development activities. Several workshops help students learn the fundamentals of how to formulate a research question, design an experiment, and critically evaluate data. Students attend weekly informal lunch gatherings with faculty mentors to discuss project progress, upcoming goals, and share ways of solving problems. Participants communicate findings from their research by presenting a poster at a local summer science and technology meeting, giving a presentation at a research symposium, and completing a writing-to-learn assignment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

位于蒙大拿州博兹曼的蒙大拿州立大学 (MSU) 卓越中心、热生物学研究所 (TBI) 和生物膜工程中心 (CBE) 将建立一个 REU 站点，以支持每年 10 名学生在夏季的培训2021-2023 年，该 REU 项目将探索极端环境（例如冰川下和黄石国家公园温泉）中的生命极限，并结合以团队为导向的学习。 REU 项目的目标是 1) 提高代表性不足的少数族裔学生对创新科学和工程研究的参与度；2) 增强更多本科生的能力。攻读生物工程、微生物学和相关学科的高级学位；3) 通过新颖的研究和专业发展，加强和鼓励学生坚持科学和工程的身份。非研究密集型大学、部落学院、社区学院或来自代表性不足的少数群体将接受该计划的培训，以实现招募目标，参与者核心团队将积极与地区大学和学院的教师建立联系，并开始培训。州立部落学院和社区学院的年度面对面招聘“闪电战”计划评估将利用在线 SALG URSSA 评估工具和学生访谈，并在计划结束后使用纵向跟踪调查来确定学生的职业道路。参与者被分成小组的体验两人在教职专家的指导下合作开展生物极端膜研究项目，作为研究的一部分，项目参与者帮助 a) 表征和生长极端生物膜，b) 研究极端生物膜功能，或 c) 探索极端生物膜生长。压力/温度/pH，评估它们在不同生物技术中的效用，学生以小组形式参加黄石国家公园的实地考察和研讨会、科学素养和交流短期课程以及每周的专业发展活动。如何的基本原理制定研究问题、设计实验并批判性地分析数据。学生每周与导师一起参加非正式午餐聚会，讨论项目进展、即将到来的目标，并通过在会上展示海报评估来分享解决问题的方法。当地夏季科学技术会议，在研究研讨会上发表演讲，并完成写作学习作业。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。