IGERT: Interdisciplinary Research Training in Cellular Engineering

这项综合研究生教育和研究实习生（IGERT）奖项在马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校建立了一个新颖的跨学科培训计划，以解决新兴的细胞工程领域的问题。 工程细胞的形式和功能是生物医学和生物技术行业中许多企业的基础，包括生物修复过程的设计，人工器官/组织的产生，从细胞培养中生产生物制剂，新的和改进的蛋白质药物的设计和靶向药物输送。 学生在12个学位课程之一录取，研究重点是三个相互关联的细胞工程推力领域之一：1）应用系统生物学，2）细胞递送和3）蛋白质工程。 主要特点包括一个新的统一讲座/实验室课程，以培养生命科学家和工程师/物理科学家在细胞工程基础，跨学科研究涉及“超级组”项目，其中学生寻求与相关的培训实验室合作;通过建立马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特细胞工程研究所与行业的互动;每周的研究研讨会与辅导组件;该IGERT的领导层全部为女性，有大量女性教员参加。 代表性不足的学生通过NEAGEP招募，这是一个由UMass-Amherst共同领导的NSF资助的项目，包括十个研究广泛的机构和六个少数民族服务机构，这些机构合作增加获得科学，技术，工程和数学学科博士学位的代表性不足的学生人数。 该IGERT鼓励教师之间在细胞工程方面进行新颖的研究合作，在部门之间创建新的桥接程序，并为学员提供独特的学习机会。 与细胞工程研究所的有目的的对齐使与区域细胞工程公司的实质性互动，显着扩大学生的培训。 IGERT是一个NSF范围内的计划，旨在满足教育美国博士的挑战。具有跨学科背景的科学家和工程师，在所选学科的深厚知识，以及未来职业需求所需的技术，专业和个人技能。该计划旨在通过建立创新的研究生教育和培训新模式，在超越传统学科界限的合作研究的肥沃环境中促进研究生教育的文化变革。

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award establishes a novel interdisciplinary training program at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst to address the emerging field of Cellular Engineering. Engineering cellular form and function is the basis for many ventures in the biomedical and biotechnology industries, including design of bioremediation processes, generation of artificial organs/tissues, production of biologics from cell culture, design of new and improved protein-based pharmaceuticals and targeted drug delivery. Students matriculate in one of 12 degree programs with a research focus in one of three interrelated cellular engineering thrust areas: 1) Applied Systems Biology, 2) Cell Delivery and 3) Protein Engineering. Key features include a novel unifying lecture/laboratory course to train both life scientists and engineers/physical scientists in cellular engineering fundamentals, interdisciplinary research involving "supergroup" projects in which students seek out collaboration with a related training laboratory; interactions with industry through the established UMass-Amherst Institute for Cellular Engineering; weekly research seminars with a mentoring component; and formal professional development activities.This IGERT has all-female leadership and significant numbers of female faculty participants. Underrepresented students are recruited through the NEAGEP, an NSF-funded project co-led by UMass-Amherst and including ten research-extensive and six minority-serving institutions that collaborate to increase the number of underrepresented students who receive doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. This IGERT encourages novel research collaborations in cellular engineering among faculty, creating new bridging programs among departments and providing unique learning opportunities for trainees. Purposeful alignment with the Institute for Cellular Engineering enables substantial interaction with regional cellular engineering companies, significantly broadening student training. IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries.