REU Site: Undergraduate Research Experience in Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics

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This REU Site award to Florida A&M University, located in Tallahassee, FL, will support the training of 8 undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2016-2018. This project is supported by the Divisions of Biological Infrastructure (DBI) and Integrative and Organismal Systems (IOS) within the Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) and the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). The goal is to enhance student learning experience in "Systems Biology" and stimulate student interest in graduate studies and commitment to careers in STEM disciplines. This REU site will provide opportunities for participation in professional events that will allow students to form networks, which is critical to their development as a scientist. The program will introduce the students to Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Research. The interdisciplinary research training focuses on the areas of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioinformatics. Examples of independent projects include 1) determining molecular responses for cross-tolerance mechanism in plants for various abiotic and biotic stresses; 2) elucidating the disease pathways and networks in model organisms via molecular and cellular studies; and 3) using bioinformatics to predict networks and model protein interactions. Recruitment will emphasize students from institutions with limited opportunities for research and those from underrepresented and underserved groups. Application forms are available online, and student selection will be based on interviews by a panel. Selected candidates will be notified before April 30. It is anticipated that a total of 24 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be mentored and trained in the program. Students will engage in cohort building activities and gain insights into potential careers in science. Students will present their research at regional, national, and international conferences and have the opportunity to publish as co-authors in peer-reviewed scientific journals. A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program is completed in order to determine student career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by contacting the PI (Dr. Ramesh Katam at ramesh.katam@famu.edu) or Co-PI (Dr. Virginia Gottschalk at virginia.gottachalk@famu.edu), or visiting the website http://www.famu.edu/index.cfm?REU&Introduction.