REU Site: Catalysis and Motion

宾夕法尼亚州立大学的Squire Booker教授、Tiffany Mathews教授和他的同事主持了REU网站：催化和运动。这个网站是由化学部和生物基础设施部的REU网站项目资助的。它为9名本科生提供夏季期间为期10周的研究体验。该项目的动机是认识到，早期的实践研究经验对学生的职业生涯具有持久的影响。参与实践研究鼓励学生攻读科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的高级学位和职业。及早参与研究对于激励本科生接受全球性科学挑战也至关重要，这些挑战包括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，以及日益增长的人口的农业和食品生产。学生在全国范围内招生，重点是来自代表性不足和服务不足的群体的学生。每个学生都由一名教师导师监督，项目结构提供了与系内和整个大学其他研究小组的学生和教师进行交叉协作的机会。学生每天致力于他们的研究项目；参加每周的研究研讨会；参加专业发展研讨会和外展活动；以及发表研究报告。与专业工业化学家的互动，包括对公司的实地访问和研讨会，为学生提供职业信息和灵感。进行形成性和终结性评估，并跟踪学生在参与期间和之后的职业生涯。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、激励和留住他们在科学职业生涯中。许多领先的全球科学挑战需要对生物和化学催化有更深入的了解，以及随后或平行地进化出新的更好的催化剂的能力，以满足对清洁、可再生和可持续能源、食品、清洁空气、药品、医疗保健诊断工具以及消费产品和其他必需品日益增长的需求。此外，操纵或调节人体细胞内生物催化剂的能力是目前治疗多种疾病的基础。学生将学习以下领域：1)了解大分子催化，重点是了解蛋白质酶、蛋白质金属酶和核糖核酸酶如何通过提高速率、高立体选择性和区域选择性来催化反应；2)生物过程动力学，重点是了解蛋白质运动或“动力学”如何与酶催化和酶催化、分子马达以及各种类型的大分子和小分子在细胞内的运动或“运输”有关；3)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，包括产生新的燃料来源和以目标为目标的有机合成。

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.