Summer Undergraduate Research in Chemistry and Biochemistry at Miami University

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This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) and the Division of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Christopher A. Makaroff at Miami University (Ohio) for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support ten students per summer in a ten week program. The research projects focus on collaborative research in interdisciplinary areas of chemistry and biology. Sample projects include: (1) the recently-discovered system that transports fully-folded proteins into the thylakoid lumen; (2) the development of polymeric columns for separations of chemical species; (3) the synthesis of biologically-active natural products; (4) the elucidation of the fate of tannin under in vivo conditions; (5) the synthesis and study of reconfigurable surfaces, responsive to light and/or chemical stimuli; (6) the study of heterocyst differentiation in cyanobacteria; (7) the study of the structure and dynamics of integral membrane proteins with NMR methods; (8) the study of proteins involved in chromosome condensation and sister chromatid cohesion during meiosis and mitosis; (9) the design and development of tools to effectively measure student learning . Besides being exposed to cutting-edge research at a research-active institution, the students participating in this program will participate in site visits, professional development activities, and ethical training. Students targeted for the recruitment to the proposed site will come from schools without significant opportunities for research as well as schools with large populations of students underrepresented in chemistry.Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide practical, hands-on research training to a significant number of students who might not have this opportunity at their home institution. The interdisciplinary projects that the students will work on while at Miami University (Ohio) are excellent examples of the kinds of cross-disciplinary work that is becoming more and more typical of the most fruitful avenues for modern laboratory research. Students participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.