REU Site: Research Experiences in Plant Science at the Danforth Center

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An REU Site award has been made to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center that will provide research training for twelve undergraduate students for 11 weeks, during the summers of 2012- 2016. The program will allow students to obtain a significant research experience in the area of plant and life sciences. Students will conduct a research project under the guidance of senior scientists at the Danforth Center, an independent non-profit private research institute located in Saint Louis, Missouri . The Danforth Center is dedicated to fundamental research in plant science leading to discoveries for the benefit of human health and nutrition and agricultural sustainability. Students will be exposed to a rich research environment due to the wide range of projects they can work on, including cell biology, molecular biology, structural biology, biochemistry, microbiology, chemistry, computational biology, bioinformatics, developmental biology, genetics, genomics, and plant pathology. Each student will design and conduct a laboratory research project in collaboration with a faculty mentor, present findings in a final symposium, and prepare a written report summarizing the research. The research component is supplemented with additional educational activities including workshops in proteomics, microscopy, and tissue culture and transformation. Weekly meetings feature guest speakers and discussions covering topics that include guidance in written and oral reports, career options, ethics in science, and the impact of, and controversies surrounding, agricultural biotechnology. The program will use the BIO REU common assessment tool to evaluate the program. More information is available at http://www.danforthcenter.org/internship, or by contacting the PI, Dr. Leslie M. Hicks (lhicks@danforthcenter.org, 314-587-1224).