IRES: U.S.-Poland Student Research Experience to Study Plant Species Interactions in the Unique Ecosystem of the Bialowieza Forest

这一美国-波兰国际学生研究体验(IRES)项目为美国学生创造了一个独特的三年期机会，让他们在国外获得天然产品生物和化学领域的早期职业研究经验。通过实地和实验室研究相结合的计划，IRES提供了一个难得的机会，可以在欧洲保存最完好的中世纪森林之一--波兰的Bialowieza森林--发现新物种、新的化学多样性，并深入了解环境相互作用和生物协同作用。拥有生态、林业、生物、化学、植物科学和真菌学专业知识的美国和波兰导师的参与将确保这一跨学科项目的科学成功。通过专注于精选植物和真菌的生物和生化特征，美国-波兰团队希望GO能够更好地了解新植物和真菌的生物多样性。将特别注意研究在这种自然环境中发现的各种天然化合物的代谢物和生态作用。从教育的角度来看，这个为期三年的IRES应该为美国学生参与者提供进入独特环境的特殊机会，并有机会与著名的欧洲科学家并肩工作，因为他们获得了宝贵的早期职业研究经验。IRES项目每年支持四名美国学生(两名本科生和两名研究生)参加为期三年的课程。美国学生参与者在Bialowieza森林地区花了六周的时间，与他们的美国和波兰导师以及波兰学生一起开展互补的、与主题相关的研究项目。旅行前的培训包括技术准备和文化准备。PI和密西西比大学的工作人员在旅行后继续进行科学指导和职业建议。对于Border Impact，基于对Bialowieza森林的生态、生物多样性和化学多样性的研究的新见解有望有助于完善未来管理和保护这种稀有生物资源的战略。结果将通过网站、演示文稿、研讨会和学术出版物传播。总体而言，IRES项目的合作活动预计将加强所有相关机构的STEM教育，加强国际伙伴关系，并促进建立一种新的跨学科研究合作，将生物学和天然产品化学联系起来。

This U.S.-Polish International Research Experience for Students (IRES) project creates a unique three-year opportunity for U.S. students to acquire early career research experience abroad in the fields of biology and chemistry of natural products. Through a combined program of field and laboratory research this IRES provides a rare opportunity to prusue discovery of new species, new chemical diversity, and insights into environmental interaction and biological synergy in one of the best preserved medieval forests in Europe, the Bialowieza Forest of Poland. The engagement of U.S. and Polish mentors with expertise in ecology, forestry, biology, chemistry, plant sciences, and mycology will assure the scientific success of this interdisciplinary project. By focussing on biological and biochemical characterization of select plants and fungi, the US-Polish team expects go gain a better understanding of novel plant and fungi biodiversity. Special attention will be devoted to study of the metabolites and ecological roles of diverse natural chemical compounds found in such natural settings. From an educational perspective, this three-year IRES should provide exceptional access to a unique environmental setting for U.S. student participants along with the opportunity to work side by side with renowned European scientists as they gain valuable early career research experience. The IRES project supports the participation of four U.S. students annually (two undergraduate and two graduate) for the three-year duration. U.S. student participants spend six weeks abroad in the area of the Bialowieza Forest working together with their U.S. and Polish mentors and Polish students on complementary, thematically-linked research projects. Pre-trip training includes both technical and cultural preparation. Post-travel follow-up by the PI and University of Mississippi staff continues with scientific mentoring and career advise. For borader impact, new insights based on the study of the ecology, biodiversity, and chemical diversity of Bialowieza Forest are expected to contribute to refining future strategies for management and conservation of such rare biological resources. Results will be disseminated through websites, presentations, workshops, and scholarly publications. Overall, the cooperative activities of this IRES project are expected to enhance STEM education at all institutions involved, strengthen international partnering, and facilitate the development of a new interdisciplinary research collaboration that bridges biology and natural products chemistry.