REU Site: Cellular Bioengineering -- From Biomaterials to Stem Cells

新泽西州立大学罗格斯分校的这项为期三年的REU现场项目得到了工程教育和中心分部的支持。REU每年将有10名本科生参与细胞生物工程领域的前沿、跨学科研究。有几个项目属于生物材料领域，该领域一般以化学元素(如合成、分析和/或物理)为特色，其贡献来自跨学科领域，如分子生物工程(如底物的生物功能化)、材料的纳米级和微米级图案化以及界面热力学和传输现象。干细胞生物工程主题中的项目可能涉及开发新技术来分析干细胞生态位的特性，或者直接操纵干细胞培养以进行扩增和/或分化。一些项目涉及开发适用于各种细胞系统的技术，并可能直接使用干细胞，也可能不直接使用干细胞，例如微结构设备和新型生物医学光学。项目的具体例子包括：用于神经细胞表型控制的多模式线索；有针对性的全身和细胞内寡核苷酸输送；重新编程的干细胞和三维微环境；用于移植的肝细胞代谢工程；以及用于亚细胞结构动力学分析的无标记显微镜。这个REU项目的主要目标是继续为不同群体的本科生提供独特的机会，在细胞生物工程领域进行尖端的、跨学科的研究。该计划为代表性不足的学生提供宝贵的培训和经验，包括那些先前研究经验有限的学生，并具有研究培训和专业发展的标准化元素，以加快学习曲线，并将学生培养到积极从事高影响力研究的实验室。与本科生通常进行的传统单一学科研究不同，在过去三年里，该项目成功地利用了与工程研究项目相关的广泛培训，但整合了生命科学和物理科学。通过一系列活动丰富了研究经验，旨在激发学生对该领域的终身兴趣，并促进学生的个人职业发展。对学生体验的积极指导、协作和监督对于实现计划目标至关重要。细胞生物工程训练营将学者介绍到实验室和成像技能，以促进他们融入他们的研究实验室。令人兴奋的研究项目，严重依赖于跨学科合作，向学者们介绍了一系列植根于细胞生物工程的广泛主题。对创新和创业的新关注，以及行业的大量参与，与NSF I-Corps最近的翻译研究倡议相呼应，以利用研究产生的新技术的潜力，并为该计划提供更广泛的影响。每周的研讨会和讨论小组允许跟踪和监测学者的经验，同时让他们参与专业发展。加入为研究生开设的导师研讨会，使该项目的影响扩大到本科生以外的参与者。

This three-year REU site program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey is supported by the Division of Engineering Education and Centers. The REU will engage ten undergraduate students each year in cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering. Several projects fall within the Biomaterials realm, which generally features elements of chemistry (e.g., synthetic, analytical, and/or physical) with contributions from interdisciplinary fields such as molecular bioengineering (e.g., biofunctionalization of substrates), nanoscale and microscale patterning of materials, and interfacial thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Projects within the Stem Cell Bioengineering theme may involve the development of new technologies to analyze properties of stem cell niches or the directed manipulation of stem cell cultures for expansion and/or differentiation. A few projects involve development of technologies that are applicable to a variety of cellular systems, and may or may not utilize stem cells directly, such as microfabircated devices and novel biomedical optics. Specific examples of projects include: Multi-modal cues for phenotypic control of neural cells; Targeted systemic and intracellular delivery of oligonucleotides; Reprogrammed Stem Cells and 3-D Microenvironments; Metabolic engineering of liver cells for transplantation; and Label-free microscopy for analysis of subcellular structural dynamics. The primary goal of this REU program is to continue to provide unique opportunities for a diverse population of undergraduate students to perform cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research in the field of Cellular Bioengineering. The program provides invaluable training and experience to under-represented students, including those with limited prior research exposure, and has standardized elements of research training and professional development to accelerate the learning curve and inoculate the students into active laboratories pursuing high-impact research. Unlike the traditional mono-disciplinary research that undergraduates typically conduct, in the past three years this program has successfully leveraged broad-based training related to 'engineering' research projects, but integrated across life sciences and physical sciences. The research experience is enriched with a range of activities designed to spark a lifelong interest in the field and to foster the students' individual career development. Active mentoring, collaboration, and monitoring of the student experience have been critical to achieving the programmatic goals. The Cellular Bioengineering Boot Camp has introduced Scholars to laboratory and imaging skills that facilitate their integration into their research labs. Exciting research projects that rely heavily on interdisciplinary collaboration introduce the Scholars to a broad array of topics grounded in Cellular Bioengineering. A new focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with substantial industry involvement, parallels the recent NSF I-Corps initiative for translational research to capitalize on the potential for new technology that emanates from the research and provide an even broader impact of the program. Weekly seminars and discussion groups allow tracking and monitoring of the Scholars' experiences while concurrently engaging them in professional development. Incorporation of a mentoring workshop for the graduate students who serve as 'near-peer' mentors expands the impact of the program beyond the undergraduate participants.