REU Site: Discoveries in Bioimaging

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BROADER SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT:The REU site "Discoveries in Bioimaging" at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) will provide a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research environment in bioimaging to inspire and train undergraduates from under-represented demographics in engineering to encourage their transition to graduate degree programs. Throughout the educational process, visuals are a powerful means to clearly convey complex ideas and to stimulate curiosity and interest. Likewise, investigations in the biological and medical sciences invariably require clear pictures of cells, tissues, and organs to discover mechanisms of life and to detect and understand the complex pathological processes of disease. The unifying link between bioscience, discovery, and bioimaging will be the inspirational centerpiece for the new REU site. Students who take part in this REU program will gain an intimate familiarity with how biological discoveries directly arise from imaging, and gain an advanced skillset in state-of-the-art imaging technologies and interdisciplinary research that they can carry with them to graduate school. They will be exposed to the vast breadth of bioimaging techniques and applications while simultaneously focusing on a specific project at the forefront of biology and medical science. Furthermore by implementing literature-supported mentorship and training strategies, this program will directly address pipeline leaks for the transition of under-represented groups to engineering graduate degree programs. Those who choose to not pursue graduate studies will still be enriched with technical skills, professionalism, and career-readiness. The attributes of our program, both those that are successful, or perhaps ineffective, will be constantly assessed and refined, and findings will be disseminated to the public through publications in educational journals.PROJECT DESCRIPTION:With the support from the NSF Division of Engineering Education and Centers, the REU Site will be dedicated to inspiring and training undergraduates in STEM fields through a summer experience in bioimaging research. The goal is to create a coherent interdisciplinary program centered on the visualization of biology and medical science at all scales in which students develop a network of role models, mentors, and peers to support and encourage their transition to graduate school. Undergraduates finishing their freshman, sophomore, and junior years in a variety of STEM disciplines will be recruited with special efforts directed toward females and under-represented minorities, especially those at minority-serving institutions and small colleges with limited research opportunities. In addition, highly motivated community college students who are en route to 4-year colleges and universities, will be included. Students will begin this 10-week summer program with a 5-day "Bioimaging Bootcamp" to provide foundational knowledge in biology, imaging, and microscopy through lectures, demonstrations, lab activities, and tours, in conjunction with social introductions. Over the next nine weeks, students will engage in intensive research projects in imaging and biological visualization, closely mentored by a faculty member and graduate student, with assistance from an experienced UIUC undergraduate. All research projects, ranging from imaging single molecules using fluorescence microscopy to tracking cell dynamics in the skin of live animals, will have three essential elements: (1) imaging and/or microscopy, (2) an application directed toward biological or medical sciences, and (3) an analytical or computational component. Students will share experiences with their cohort through biweekly social activities, attend research seminars and professional development sessions, and interact with participants in other REUs on campus to expand their network. Summer achievements will culminate in the submission of an abstract to the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Fall Meeting, where they will reconvene in the fall for continued education and career-enriching opportunities.