REU Site: Exploring the Limits of Life - Understanding Biofilms in Extreme Environments

REU 网站：探索生命的极限 - 了解极端环境中的生物膜

• 批准号: 2050856
• 负责人: Brent Peyton
• 金额: $ 39.71万
• 依托单位: Montana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-04-01 至 2024-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2050856&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Exploring; Limits; Life

Montana State University’s (MSU) centers of excellence, the Thermal Biology Institute (TBI) and the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), in Bozeman, Montana, will implement an REU site to support the training of 10 students each year during the summers of 2021-2023. This REU program will explore the limits of life in extreme environments (e.g., under glaciers and in Yellowstone National Park hot springs) and combine team-orientated learning and guided research, helping students discover new ways to grow, understand, and use extreme biofilms for society’s benefit. The goals of the REU program are to 1) increase participation of underrepresented minority students in innovative science and engineering research; 2) empower more undergraduates to pursue advanced degrees in bioengineering, microbiology, and related disciplines; and 3) strengthen and encourage the persistence of students’ science and engineering identities through novel research and professional development. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from non-research-intensive universities, tribal colleges, community colleges, or from an underrepresented minority will be trained in the program. To achieve the recruitment goals, the core participant team will actively network with faculty at regional universities and colleges, as well as embark on an annual in-person recruitment ‘blitz’ at state tribal colleges and community colleges. Program assessment will leverage the online SALG URSSA evaluation tool and student interviews, with longitudinal tracking surveys used after the program to determine student career paths. This REU program is an experience where participants are paired into teams of two and work collaboratively on an extreme biofilm research project under the guidance of faculty experts. As part of their research, program participants help a) characterize and grow extreme biofilms, b) investigate extreme biofilm functions, or c) explore biofilm growth at extreme pressures/temperatures/pH, assessing their utility in different biotechnologies. As a group, students participate in a field trip and workshop in Yellowstone National Park, a scientific literacy and communication short course, and weekly professional development activities. Several workshops help students learn the fundamentals of how to formulate a research question, design an experiment, and critically evaluate data. Students attend weekly informal lunch gatherings with faculty mentors to discuss project progress, upcoming goals, and share ways of solving problems. Participants communicate findings from their research by presenting a poster at a local summer science and technology meeting, giving a presentation at a research symposium, and completing a writing-to-learn assignment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

蒙大拿州立大学（MSU）卓越中心，热生物学研究所（TBI）和蒙大拿州Bozeman的生物膜工程中心（CBE）将实施一个REU站点，以支持2021 - 2023年夏季的每年10名学生的培训。该REU计划将探索极端环境中生活的局限性（例如，在冰川和黄石国家公园温泉中），并将面向团队的学习和指导研究结合在一起，帮助学生发现新的方法来成长，理解和使用极端的生物膜来为社会的利益。 REU计划的目标是1）增加代表性不足的少数族裔学生参与创新科学和工程研究； 2）授权更多的大学生在生物工程，微生物学和相关学科中获得高级学位； 3）通过新颖的研究和专业发展，加强和鼓励学生科学和工程身份的持久性。预计将在该计划中培训总共30名学生，来自非研究密集型大学，部落学院，社区学院，或者来自代表性不足的少数民族的学生。为了实现招聘目标，核心参与者团队将与地区大学和学院的教职员工积​​极建立联系，并在州立部落学院和社区学院开始年度面对面的招聘“闪电战”。计划评估将利用在线SALG URSSA评估工具和学生访谈，并在计划之后使用纵向跟踪调查来确定学生职业道路。该REU计划是一项经验，其中参与者与两个团队配对，并在教师专家的指导下在极端生物膜研究项目上合作。作为研究的一部分，计划参与者有助于a）表征和生长极端的生物膜，b）研究极端的生物膜功能，或c）在极端压力/温度/pH值下探索生物膜生长，评估其在不同生物技术中的效用。作为一个小组，学生参加了黄石国家公园的实地考察和研讨会，科学素养和简短的课程以及每周的专业发展活动。几个研讨会可帮助学生学习如何提出研究问题，设计实验并进行批判性评估数据的基础。学生每周与教师的指导者参加每周非正式的午餐聚会，讨论项目进度，即将到来的目标并分享解决问题的方法。参与者通过在当地的夏季科学和技术会议上介绍海报，在研究研讨会上发表介绍，并完成了一项写入学习任务，从而从他们的研究中传达了发现。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子和更广泛的影响审查审查标准来通过评估来诚实地获得支持。