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

REU 网站：细胞生物工程——从生物材料到干细胞

• 批准号: 1262924
• 负责人: David Shreiber
• 金额: $ 36.13万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-03-01 至 2017-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1262924&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Cellular; Bioengineering; Biomaterials

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.

这个为期三年的REU项目位于新泽西州立大学罗格斯分校，由工程教育和中心部门提供支持。REU每年将招收10名本科生从事细胞生物工程领域的前沿跨学科研究。几个项目属于生物材料领域，它通常具有化学元素（例如，合成，分析和/或物理）和跨学科领域的贡献，如分子生物工程（例如，底物的生物功能化），纳米级和微尺度的材料图案，界面热力学和传输现象。干细胞生物工程主题内的项目可能涉及新技术的开发，以分析干细胞壁龛的特性或干细胞培养的定向操作，以扩大和/或分化。一些项目涉及开发适用于各种细胞系统的技术，这些技术可能直接利用干细胞，也可能不直接利用干细胞，例如微制造设备和新型生物医学光学。项目的具体例子包括：神经细胞表型控制的多模态线索；靶向系统和细胞内递送寡核苷酸；重编程干细胞和三维微环境；移植用肝细胞代谢工程研究以及用于分析亚细胞结构动力学的无标记显微镜。这个REU计划的主要目标是继续为本科生的不同人群提供独特的机会，在细胞生物工程领域进行尖端的跨学科研究。该项目为未被充分代表的学生提供宝贵的培训和经验，包括那些之前研究经验有限的学生，并提供标准化的研究培训和专业发展元素，以加快学习曲线，并将学生接种到活跃的实验室，追求高影响力的研究。与本科生通常进行的传统单学科研究不同，在过去三年中，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。通过一系列旨在激发学生对该领域终身兴趣并促进学生个人职业发展的活动，丰富了学生的研究经验。积极的指导、协作和对学生体验的监控对于实现规划目标至关重要。细胞生物工程训练营向学者们介绍了实验室和成像技术，以促进他们融入他们的研究实验室。令人兴奋的研究项目，在很大程度上依赖于跨学科的合作，介绍学者到广泛的主题接地在细胞生物工程。对创新和企业家精神的新关注，与大量的行业参与，与最近的NSF I-Corps转化研究计划相似，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可以跟踪和监测学者的经验，同时使他们参与专业发展。为作为“近同行”导师的研究生提供指导研讨会，扩大了该计划对本科生参与者以外的影响。