Environmental Signal Transduction: An Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates

该计划为科学专业的本科生提供了一个合作研究的氛围，与西密歇根大学生物科学和化学系的教师导师一起工作。 参与教师和他们的学生专注于基本和应用方法，以跨学科的理解信号转导级联在不同尺度的生物组织从分子到生态系统。 信号转导是研究生物分子或化学试剂在细胞，组织，有机体或系统中引发作用的机制。该计划的重点包括（1）环境信号转导广泛保护伞下的跨学科研究，（2）学生对研究的所有权，（3）研究环境中的道德行为，（4）发展和实施可辩护的科学方法，（5）积极招募代表性不足的群体从事科学事业，（6）在一群合作者中进行同侪激励和导师激励的互动，（7）交流，展示和出版研究成果，（8）后-研究经验跟踪，以鼓励追求科学事业。小组内的互动导致研究生物相关信号的新的和创新的方法，广泛应用于农业、健康和环境。 该计划的研究项目从可能引发疾病免疫反应的细胞内信号级联，到重金属胁迫的生理反应，再到基因工程植物产品对非靶生物的影响。 学生们在实验室和现场环境中接触到广泛的科学方法和现代设备，并鼓励他们充分利用现有设施。学生们从跨学科的角度解决高度集中的问题以及团队努力的结果交流中获得科学收益。 参与的学生也受益于社会和个人从深刻的激励互动在一个深刻的承诺，跨学科的尊重和社会相关性的文化。 在当今竞争激烈的研究环境中，应用来自多个学科的广泛方法，技能，思想和理论的能力对于解决应用和概念问题至关重要。

The program provides a collaborative research atmosphere for undergraduate students in the sciences to work with faculty mentors in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Western Michigan University. Participating faculty and their students focus on basic and applied approaches to interdisciplinary understanding of signal transduction cascades at different scales of biological organization from molecules to ecosystems. Signal transduction is the study of mechanisms by which biological molecules or chemical agents initiate action within cells, tissues, organisms or systems.Emphases within the program include (1) interdisciplinary research under the broad umbrella of environmental signal transduction, (2) student ownership of research, (3) ethical conduct within a research environment, (4) the development and implementation of defensible scientific methods, (5) active recruitment of underrepresented groups to a career in science, (6) peer-motivated and mentor-motivated interactions within a cohort of collaborators, (7) communication, presentation and publication of research results, and (8) post-research experience tracking to encourage the pursuit of a career in science.Interactions within the group lead to new and innovative ways of studying biologically relevant signals that have broad applications in agriculture, health, and the environment. Research projects within the program vary from signal cascades within cells that may trigger immune responses to disease, to physiological responses to heavy metal stress, to the impact of genetically engineered plant products on non-target organisms. Students are exposed to a wide range of scientific methods and modern equipment, in both laboratory and field settings, and they are encouraged to take full advantage of available facilities.Students benefit scientifically from addressing highly focused questions from an interdisciplinary perspective and the communication of results from team efforts. Participating students also benefit socially and personally from deeply motivating interactions within a culture of deep commitment, interdisciplinary respect and societal relevance. In today's highly competitive research environment, the ability to apply a wide range of methods, skills, ideas, and theories from multiple disciplines is vital to the solution of both applied and conceptual problems.