UBM-Undergraduate collaborative group in mathematical biology

米莱夫斯基？伊韦斯 这两个研究者训练了一个由4名本科生组成的长期（2年）合作小组，研究数学生物学中的一系列问题。 其中一位研究者是生物学家，另一位是应用数学家，但两人都与其他学科的研究人员合作。研究者与4名本科生合作，解决了生物学和数学之间至少三个问题的各个方面：（1）为什么周期蝉有长的素数周期？ (2)为什么菠萝、松果（和许多其他植物）显示斐波那契序列的图案？（3）生态系统的功能如何随着物种灭绝而发生变化？ 这三个问题是合作小组的一个令人兴奋的起点，它们被选中既能保持学生的兴趣，又能在合作过程中发挥作用。 尽管生物学的某些领域（特别是生态学）与数学有着悠久的合作历史，但目前这两个领域的理论和技术进步的爆炸性增长已经加大了跨学科工作的赌注。 为了研究生物学和数学之间的联系，需要有更多的科学家在这两个领域都接受过培训，并在如何将这两个领域联系起来方面接受培训。 认识到一个人不能有效地跨越各个领域之间的鸿沟，未来的科学家还必须接受合作工作的培训。 使用协作学习小组为本科生培养跨学科的思维为参与的本科生和调查人员。 它也是培养本科生在学科之间进行研究的一种模式。

Ives, Milewski The two investigators train a long-term (2-year)collaborative group of 4 undergraduates working on a suite ofproblems in mathematical biology. One of the investigators is abiologist, and the other is an applied mathematician, yet bothhave collaborated with researchers from the other discipline.The investigators work collaboratively with 4 undergraduates andaddress aspects of at least three problems at the interface ofbiology and mathematics: (1) Why do periodical cicadas have long,prime-numbered periods? (2) Why do pineapples, pinecones (andmany other plants) display patterns with Fibonnaci sequences?and (3) How does the functioning of ecosystems change as theycollapse via species extinctions? These three questions are anexciting starting point for the collaborative group, and they areselected to both keep the interest of the students and take lifethrough the collaborative process. Although some areas of biology (ecology in particular) haveluminous histories of partnership with mathematics, the currentexplosion of theoretical and technological advances in bothfields has upped the ante for interdisciplinary work. To work atthe interface between biology and mathematics, more scientistsneed to be trained in both fields, and trained in how to connectthe fields. Recognizing that a single person cannot span the gapbetween fields effectively, future scientists must also betrained to work collaboratively. Using collaborative learninggroups for undergraduates fosters interdisciplinary thinking forthe participating undergraduates and the investigators. It alsoserves as a model for training undergraduates to do research atthe interface between disciplines.