Research Initiation Award: High-resolution electronic spectroscopy of inter/intra-molecular interactions on biologically relevant molecules

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科生计划（HBCU-UP）研究启动奖（RIAs）为HBCU的STEM初级教师提供支持，他们开始建立研究计划，以及职业生涯中期的教师，他们可能在担任行政职务后返回教师队伍，或者需要重新定向和重建研究计划。教师可以在他们的家乡机构，在NSF资助的中心，在研究密集型机构或在国家实验室进行研究。RIA项目预计将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善他或她的家乡机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。在国家科学基金会的支持下，温斯顿-塞勒姆州立大学（WSSU）将对生物分子的结构进行研究，这是理解生物系统过程的关键。该研究是与美国国家标准与技术研究所（NIST）的合作项目。该项目将提高WSSU的研究能力和本科生的教育经验。学生将在WSSU和NIST获得指导，培训和研究经验。预计研究和教育工作将扩大STEM中代表性不足的群体的参与，并支持WSSU加强和扩大代表性不足群体参与的愿景和使命。本研究的主要目的是：1）通过研究色氨酸甲酯分子内光诱导形成的构象偏好，探索几何构型与化学反应动力学之间的直接联系; 2）测量当通过氢键连接到分子（特别是3-吲哚丙酸-H2O的模型系统）时发生在肽键中的原子位移和电子分布的变化; 3）考察了在光存在下，羟吲哚-水可逆互变异构反应中与水形成氢键的影响：4）探讨了与水形成氢键对间甲氧基苯酚分子间动力学的影响;和5）确定控制烷基官能团如连接到N-中的N位点的-CH 3部分的运动的分子内势能表面。甲基咔唑，并辨别这种运动是如何影响时，大会是用光辐射。该项目将加强WSSU的本科生在先进光谱技术方面的准备，因此，将对WSSU及其培养更多具有STEM领域能力和学位的毕业生的承诺产生重大影响。研究将在WSSU和NIST进行。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM junior faculty at HBCUs who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who may have returned to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who needs to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) will conduct research on the structures of biomolecules which are key to understanding processes in biological systems. The research is a collaborative project with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This project will enhance WSSU's research capabilities and the educational experiences of undergraduates. Students will receive mentoring, training and research experiences at WSSU and NIST. The research and educational efforts are expected to expand the participation of groups underrepresented in STEM and support WSSU's vision and mission of strengthening and broadening the participation of underrepresented groups. This goals of the research are to: 1) Explore the direct connection between geometry and chemical reaction dynamics by studying the conformational preferences for photon induced intramolecular formation in Tryptophan methyl ester; 2) Measure the atomic displacements and changes in electronic distributions that occur in a peptide bond when it is linked by hydrogen bonds to a molecule, specifically the model system of 3-indole propionic acid-H2O; 3) Examine the influence of hydrogen bond formation with water in the reversible tautomerization reaction involving oxindole-H2O in the presence of light; 4) Probe the influence of hydrogen bond formation with water on the inter-molecular dynamics of m-methoxyphenol; and 5) Determine the intramolecular potential energy surface that governs the motion of an alkyl functional group such as -CH3 moiety attached to the N site in N-methylcarbazole and discern how this motion is affected when the assembly is radiated with light. The project will strengthen WSSU's undergraduate students' preparation in advanced spectroscopy technology, and thus, will have a significant impact on WSSU and its commitment to producing more graduates with competencies and degrees in STEM fields. Research will be conducted at WSSU and NIST.