REU Site: Interactive Biomaterials

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NON-TECHNICAL PART: The educational objectives of the Interactive Biomaterials REU Site at Syracuse University are: (1) to train students in leading edge research techniques through independent biomaterials research projects in a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and open laboratory environment, (2) to provide multifaceted mentoring opportunities and network-building experiences that ultimately increase the likelihood that participants will pursue graduate education in their chosen discipline, and (3) to train students to be effective communicators of their research to their peers and the scientific community. These goals will be accomplished through participation in independent, interactive biomaterials research projects in faculty laboratories, one-on-one mentoring from faculty advisors and graduate student mentors, an innovative career mentoring program, interactive laboratory tours with REU student-led demonstrations, student research presentations, team building activities, and social events. This site aims to engage undergraduate students in meaningful and stimulating research and educational and social experiences as a means of increasing their enthusiasm and preparation for future graduate level study and careers in biomaterials science and engineering. A partnership with the Hampton Roads HBCU Cluster will help to broaden the participation of students from institutions with limited research opportunities, women, and underrepresented minorities in meaningful undergraduate research. A signature element of the REU site is a career mentoring initiative, focused on both industrial and academic career paths at the PhD level, which emphasizes the importance and benefits of graduate education in STEM disciplines. The best practices of this REU site will be broadly disseminated via the web and educational publications, with an aim to produce models for replication at future REU sites.TECHNICAL PART: The research projects available to students in the REU site will advance fundamental scientific knowledge in areas that include shape memory polymers, stimulus-responsive polymers, drug delivery, control of bacterial biofilms, cell-biomaterial interactions, electrochemistry of metallic biomaterials, tissue engineering, and molecular modeling of interactive biomaterials. These hypothesis-driven, multidisciplinary research projects draw upon the collective expertise of the faculty of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, and, in many cases, foster collaborative research across faculty laboratories, academic departments, and institutions. The site team is highly qualified to mentor undergraduate students in their laboratories and has a vast array of facilities and equipment at their disposal for training these students in cutting edge research and analytical techniques.