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

技术概述新墨西哥大学纳米科学和微系统工程本科生研究经验（NSMS REU）站点的总体范式是将物理科学，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。在美国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，本科生沉浸在跨学科的研究团队中，其目标是利用纳米材料的独特性质进入微观和宏观尺度的设备和系统。有两个技术重点：(1)生物系统纳米科学：研究转化和工程纳米材料到功能性生物系统。将开发新的药物递送系统，包括作为癌症诊断和治疗手段的硅基纳米载体，以及用于肺递送的工程活细菌疫苗。破坏细胞膜结构完整性的新型聚合物将用于制造抗菌表面，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。在活细胞上的单纳米颗粒成像将跟踪信号转导如何在环境因素的影响下从细胞膜到细胞核发生。(2)功能纳米材料：用于能源和环境的新型纳米材料的研究。研究人员将设计合成平台，为燃料电池制造分层结构的电催化剂，并在纳米尺度上研究铂/钯催化剂，以优化汽车尾气催化剂的效率。热声子的操纵将用于设计新型纳米级光子晶体。从单一共聚物合成有序体异质结将允许设计更高效率的有机光伏。纳米结构材料将用于设计用于能源和国家安全应用的纳米涂层，铁电聚合物将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本科生研究经验（NSMS REU）网站招收来自不同种族、教育和文化背景的学生。来自美国各地社区学院、两年制和四年制院校的本科生在夏季与一名指导教师和一名研究生导师一起进行为期10周的研究项目。该计划的目标是通过向学生灌输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，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集成到微观和宏观尺度上的有用设备和系统中。NSMS REU的学生从事研究项目，开发新的药物输送系统，对抗疾病，设计抗菌材料，为汽车和燃料电池开发更好的催化剂，以及合成用于太阳能设备和能源应用的新材料。指导学生制定和执行研究计划的过程。学生将了解他们研究的全球意义及其对社会的影响，并随着课程的进行向独立思考者过渡。到新墨西哥州国家实验室和当地工业的实地考察拓宽了他们在科学和工程领域未来职业的视野。每周一次的研讨会计划，由教师和行业演讲者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.