REU SITE: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nano Science and Micro Systems Engineering

技术总结新墨西哥大学纳米科学和微系统工程(NSMS REU)本科生研究经验的总体范例是将物理科学、工程和计算建模结合在一起，以解决健康、能源和环境领域的重要挑战。在国家科学基金会材料研究部的支持下，这个REU网站的独特之处在于，本科生可以沉浸在跨学科的研究团队中，目标是将纳米材料的独特特性应用到微观和宏观设备和系统中。有两个技术推动力：(1)生物系统的纳米科学：将纳米材料转化为功能性生物系统并将其设计成功能生物系统的研究。将开发新的药物输送系统，包括作为癌症诊断和治疗的二氧化硅纳米载体，以及设计用于肺部输送的活细菌疫苗。破坏细胞膜结构完整性的新型聚合物将被用于创建抗菌表面，而破坏细胞膜中蛋白质聚集的材料将改善阿尔茨海默病的第一阶段。DNA模板和仿生蛋白酶表面将被开发用于分子组装。活细胞上的单纳米粒子成像将跟踪信号如何从细胞膜传递到细胞核，以响应环境因素。(2)功能纳米材料：用于能源和环境的新型纳米材料的研究。合成平台将被设计成为燃料电池创造分级结构的电催化剂，铂/钯催化剂将在纳米尺度上进行研究，以优化汽车尾气催化剂的效率。热声子的操纵将被用来设计新型的纳米级光子晶体。从单一的共聚物合成有序的体相异质结将允许设计更高效率的有机光伏。纳米材料将被用于设计用于能源和国家安全的纳米涂层，铁电聚合物将被转化为超级电容器等能源设备。新墨西哥大学纳米科学和微系统工程(NSMS REU)本科生的研究经验招收来自不同种族、教育和文化背景的学生。来自社区学院、两年制和四年制院校的本科生在暑假期间与一名教师导师和一名研究生导师一起在美国开展研究项目，为期10周。该项目的目标是通过灌输学生对科学发现和工程及其对健康、能源和环境的更广泛影响的兴奋感，来提高学生对科学和工程职业的兴趣。NSMS REU计划的前提是，为了造福社会，纳米材料的独特性质必须在微观和宏观尺度上集成到有用的设备和系统中。NSM REU的学生致力于研究项目，以开发新的药物输送系统，抗击疾病，设计抗菌材料，开发更好的汽车和燃料电池催化剂，并合成用于太阳能设备和能源应用的新材料。指导学生完成制定和执行研究计划的整个过程。学生了解他们的研究的全球意义及其对社会的影响，并随着项目的进行过渡到独立思考者。对新墨西哥州国家实验室和当地行业的实地考察拓宽了他们对未来科学和工程职业的看法。每周一次的研讨会计划由教师和行业演讲者组成，提供他们的学术课程如何适应旨在解决许多紧迫的社会和环境问题的研究项目的背景。

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe overarching paradigm of the Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering (NSMS REU) site at the University of New Mexico is to bring physical sciences, engineering and computational modeling together to solve important challenges in the areas of health, energy and the environment. With support from the Division of Materials Research at the National Science Foundation, the unique aspect of this REU Site is that undergraduates are immersed in interdisciplinary research teams where the goal is to harness the unique properties of nanoscale materials into micro- and macroscale devices and systems. There are two technical thrusts: (1) Nanoscience of Biosystems: research to transform and engineer nanomaterials into functional biosystems. Novel drug delivery systems will be developed, including silica-based nanocarriers as cancer diagnostics and therapeutics and engineering live bacterial vaccines for pulmonary delivery. Novel polymers that disrupt the structural integrity of cell membranes will be used to create antimicrobial surfaces, and materials that disrupt protein aggregation in cell membranes will ameliorate the first stages of Alzheimer's disease. DNA templates and biomimetic protease surfaces will be developed for molecular assembly. Single nanoparticle imaging on live cells will track how signal transduction occurs from the cell membrane to the nucleus in response to environmental factors. (2) Functional Nanomaterials: research on novel nanomaterials for energy applications and the environment. Synthetic platforms will be designed to create hierarchically structured electrocatalyts for fuel cells, and platinum/palladium catalysts will be studied on the nanoscale to optimize automotive exhaust catalyst efficiency. Manipulation of thermal phonons will be used to design novel nanoscale photonic crystals. Synthesis of ordered bulk heterojunctions from a single copolymer will allow for the design of organic photovoltaics of higher efficiency. Nanostructured materials will be used to design nanocoatings for energy and national security applications, and ferroelectric polymers will be transformed into energy devices like ultracapacitors. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe Research Experience for Undergraduates in Nanoscience and Microsystems Engineering (NSMS REU) site at the University of New Mexico recruits students from diverse ethnic, educational and cultural backgrounds. Undergraduate students from community colleges, 2 year and 4 year institutions though out the US work on research projects with a faculty advisor and a graduate student mentor for 10 weeks in the summer. The goal of the program is to enhance student interest in careers in science and engineering by instilling students with a sense of excitement about scientific discovery and engineering and its broader impact on health, energy and the environment. The NSMS REU program is based on the premise that to benefit society the unique properties of nanoscale materials must be integrated into useful devices and systems on the micro- and macro-scale. NSMS REU students work on research projects to develop new drug delivery systems, combat diseases, design antimicrobial materials, develop better catalysts for cars and fuel cells, and to synthesize new materials for solar devices and energy applications. Students are guided through the process of developing and executing a research plan. Students learn about the global significance of their research and its impact on society, and transition to independent thinkers as the program proceeds. Field trips to National Laboratories and local industries in New Mexico broaden their perspective on future careers in science and engineering. A weekly seminar program featuring faculty and industry speakers provides the context of how their academic curriculum fits into research projects that aim to solve many pressing societal and environmental issues.