REU Site: The Biogeography of Biotransformations for Halogenated Organic Compounds, a Comparison of the Tropics, Temperate and Sub-Arctic Environments

这个为期三年的夏季REU项目的目标是让学生参与一项国际研究工作，比较地理上不同地区的水生和沉积物微生物群落调节历史上的氯化化合物(如多氯联苯)和一类重要的全球新兴污染物--溴化阻燃剂(BFR)--的生物转化的能力。所有学生将举行为期一周的“科学新兵训练营”，以准备开展实验，比较微生物群落的地理差异及其对BFR的新陈代谢。然后，几名学生将前往中国，研究热带微生物群落，并在南方中国理工大学和中国科学院广州地球化学研究所进行他们的实验。几名学生将在亚北极微生物群落方面做同样的工作，并在赫尔辛基大学(UH)工作。其他学生将在罗格斯大学进行温带气候微生物群落的平行实验。所有学生将再次聚会一周，比较他们的结果，分享他们的发现，并就生物地理学在水生和沉积物环境中BFR命运的作用得出一系列结论。总体影响是让学生认识到科学研究的普遍性，不分国界和污染物的全球分布，并确定微生物的多样性及其在环境中代谢新的人类创造的有机污染物的生化机制。该项目旨在促进学生的国际交流，以促进跨越全球和文化边界的科学。教育部分将与研究部分协调如下：1)所有学生在项目开始时将在罗格斯大学举行为期一周的会议，以计划、准备和了解项目目标和努力的协调；2)每周将与所有参与者举行视频会议；3)所有学生及其国际学生伙伴和导师将在项目结束时在罗格斯大学举行学生研讨会，以跟进他们的结果和结论。合作院校将共同支持这些活动，包括支持各自院校(华南理工大学和威斯康星大学)的学生前往罗格斯参加学生研讨会。罗格斯大学是最多元化的AAU院校之一，将通过罗格斯大学的RISE项目特别面向代表不足的群体，并通过个人接触和对本科院校的招聘访问，从美国各地寻找广泛的申请者。

The objective of this three year summer REU program is to engage students in an international research effort to compare the ability of aquatic and sediment microbial communities in geographically distinct regions to mediate the biotransformation of historic chlorinated compounds , e.g. PCBs and a important class of emerging global contaminants, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), e.g.PBDE. All students will meet for a one week "scientific boot camp" to prepare to carry out experiments that compare the geographical differences in microbial communities and their metabolism of BFRs. Several students will then travel to China, to examine tropical microbial communities and carry out their experiments at the South China University of Technology (SCUT) and the Chinese National Academy Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG). Several students will do the same with sub-Arctic microbial communities and work at the University of Helsinki (UH). The other students will be doing parallel experiments at Rutgers with temperate climate microbial communities. All students will reconvene for one week to compare their results, share their findings and develop a set of conclusions regarding the role of biogeography on the fate of BFRs in aquatic and sediment environments. The overall impact is to have students recognize the universality of scientific inquiry regardless of international borders and the global distribution of contaminants, as well as to determine the diversity of microorganisms and their biochemical mechanisms for metabolizing new anthropogenically created organic pollutants in the environment.The project aims to promote international exchange of students to foster science across global and cultural boundaries. The educational component will be coordinated with the research component as follows: 1) all students will meet for a week at Rutgers University at the start of the program to plan, prepare and learn about the project objectives and the coordination of efforts; 2) weekly videoconferences will take place with all participants; 3) all students and their international student partners and mentors will meet for a Student Symposium at Rutgers University at the end of the program to follow-up on their results and conclusions. The partner institutions will co-support the activities, including support of students from their own institution (SCUT and UH) to travel and participate in the Student Symposium at Rutgers. Rutgers University is one of the most diverse AAU institutions and a broad range of applicants will be sought from all over the US with special outreach to underrepresented groups through the RISE program at Rutgers and with personal contacts and recruitment visits to undergraduate institutions.