REU Site: Catalysis and Motion

宾夕法尼亚州立大学的教授斯夸尔·布克、蒂凡尼·马修斯和同事们主持了REU网站：催化和运动。该网站由化学部和生物基础设施部的REU网站计划资助。它在夏季为9名本科生提供10周的研究经验。 该计划的动机是认识到早期阶段的实践研究经验对学生的职业生涯产生了持久的影响。参与实践研究鼓励学生追求科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）的高级学位和职业。早期参与研究对于激励本科生应对全球科学挑战也至关重要，例如日益严重的能源危机和环境，清洁水，感染，抗生素耐药性和其他健康危机，以及人口增长的农业和粮食生产。学生在全国范围内招募，重点是来自代表性不足和服务不足群体的学生。每个学生都由一名教师导师监督，课程结构为学生和教师在部门和整个大学的其他研究小组提供了交叉合作的机会。学生每天都在研究项目上工作;参加每周的研究研讨会;参加专业发展研讨会和外联活动;并提供研究报告。与专业的工业化学家的互动，包括现场参观公司和研讨会，给学生的职业信息和灵感。进行形成性和总结性评估，并在学生参与期间和之后跟踪他们的职业生涯。我们的目标是通过为本科生提供强大的教育，指导和研究培训经验，帮助，激励和留住他们从事科学事业。许多领先的全球科学挑战需要更深入地了解生物和化学催化，以及随后或并行的能力，以发展新的和更好的催化剂，以满足对清洁，可再生和可持续能源，食品，清洁空气、药品、医疗诊断工具、消费品和其他必需品。此外，操纵或调节人类细胞内的生物催化剂的能力是目前多种疾病治疗的基础。1）了解高分子催化，重点是了解蛋白质酶，蛋白质金属酶和RNA酶如何催化具有速率增强和高立体选择性和区域选择性的反应; 2）生物过程动力学，重点是了解蛋白质运动或“动力学”如何与酶催化以及酶催化的调节相关，分子发动机，以及各种类型的大分子和小分子在细胞内的运动或"运输"; 3）和化学催化的新见解，涉及各种过程的化学催化剂的合成和表征，包括新燃料源的产生和目标导向的有机合成。

Professors Squire Booker, Tiffany Mathews, and colleagues at Pennsylvania State University host the REU Site: Catalysis and Motion. This site is funded by the REU Site Programs of the Division of Chemistry and Division of Biological Infrastructure. Its provides research experiences for 9 undergraduate students for 10 weeks during the summer months.  The motivation for the program is the recognition that hands-on research experience at an early stage has an enduring impact on students' careers. Participation in hands-on research encourages students to pursue advanced degrees and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Early participation in research is also critical to inspire undergraduate students to take on global scientific challenges such as the growing energy crisis and the environment, clean water, infection, antibiotic resistance and other health crises, and agriculture and food production for an increasing population. Students are recruited nationwide, with a strong emphasis on students from underrepresented and underserved groups. Each student is supervised by a faculty mentor, and the program structure provides opportunities for cross-collaboration with students and faculty in other research groups in the department and across the university. Students work daily on their research projects; attend weekly research seminars; participate in professional development workshops and outreach events; and deliver research presentations. Interactions with professional industrial chemists, including site visits to companies and seminars, give students career information and inspiration. Formative and summative assessment is conducted, and students' careers are tracked during and after their participation. The goal is to help, inspire, and retain undergraduate students in scientific careers by providing them with a strong educational, mentoring, and research training experiences.Many of the leading global scientific challenges require a deeper understanding of both biological and chemical catalysis, and the subsequent or parallel ability to evolve new and better catalysts for an increasing demand for clean, renewable and sustainable energy, food, clean air, pharmaceuticals, diagnostic tools for healthcare, and consumer products and other necessities. Moreover, the ability to manipulate or regulate biological catalysts within human cells is the foundation of current therapeutics for a multitude of diseases. Students are recruited to work in the following areas: 1) Understanding Macromolecular Catalysis, which focuses on understanding how protein enzymes, protein metalloenzymes, and RNA enzymes catalyze reactions with rate enhancements and high stereoselectivities and regioselectivities; 2) Dynamics of Biological Processes, which focuses on understanding how protein movement or "dynamics" relates to enzyme catalysis and the regulation of enzyme catalysis, molecular motors, and the movement or "trafficking" of various types of macromolecules and small molecules within the cell; 3) and New Insights into Chemical Catalysis, which involves the synthesis and characterization of chemical catalysts for a variety of processes, including the generation of new fuel sources and target-oriented organic synthesis.