IGERT: Interdisciplinary Research Training in Cellular Engineering

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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.