REU Site: Chemical Research Addressing Biological Problems

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In this project funded by the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation, Professors John K. Snyder and Linda H. Doerrer of Boston University (BU) are developing a strong, healthy pipeline of young researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields, which is critical to our national well-being. The REU site at Boston University hosts ten students each summer for a ten-week, state-of-the-art research program in the chemical sciences as applied to the general areas of human health and quality of life. The focus is on providing research opportunities for students from four-year colleges, and especially, community colleges with little or no research opportunities. This REU program provides a full immersion laboratory experience that not only helps to train undergraduates in the research culture, but also stimulates young scientists to pursue research careers in STEM fields. Bringing this research opportunity to under-represented groups is a major emphasis.The focus of the REU program at Boston University is in the chemical sciences, with research projects addressing problems in biology at the molecular level. Participants work in newly renovated laboratories. They have access to the synthetic, analytical and computational resources of BU's leading research centers. The projects available to the participants cover the wide range of endeavors within the chemical sciences, including the design and synthesis of new nanomaterials for diagnostics and drug delivery, investigation of protein-protein interactions, design and synthesis of new drug candidates, spectroscopic detection and identification of human pathogens, computational modeling of protein aggregation, and many others. REU students choose from among 24 groups in BU's Departments of Chemistry, Biology, or Biomedical Engineering where they experience the breadth of chemistry-related research and are motivated to pursue careers in science.