Collaborative Research: REU Site: Molecular Interactions Virtual REU

该奖项来自化学系（CHE），支持本科生虚拟研究体验（REU）网站，该网站由明尼苏达大学荷梅尔研究所、纽约州立大学科特兰学院和纽约州伊萨卡学院的教师团队领导。该REU网站支持在2022-2024年夏季培训10名学生，为期10周。该计划的目标是为不同群体的学生提供积极，真实的研究经验，在他们的学术生涯早期。这是一个完全在线的REU项目，学生参与指导的独立研究，作为同行在线社区的一部分，分析和预测生物分子结构和功能之间的关系。这种虚拟形式固有的灵活性使该项目广泛地适用于各种各样的学生，包括那些无法访问现场REU项目的学生。这个项目的参与者将在一个支持和灵活的学习环境中学习分子相互作用，探索结构-功能关系，由教师和同伴导师团队指导。为了促进社区和加强沟通技巧，参与者将参加每周的非正式社交活动、专业发展活动和多次指导研究会议。暑期体验在一个在线研究研讨会上达到高潮，学生们向同龄人和研究导师展示他们创作的研究海报。学生的自主研究将有助于进一步了解酶的功能、初级和次级代谢，并为酶工程的结构基础提供训练和见解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a virtual Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site led by a team of faculty from the Hormel Institute at the University of Minnesota, the State University of New York College at Cortland, and Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. This REU site supports the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2022-2024. The objective of this program is to provide a positive, authentic research experience to a diverse group of students, early in their academic careers. This is a fully online, REU program, where students take part in guided independent research, as part of an online community of peers, to analyze and predict the relationship between structure and function in biomolecules. The inherent flexibility of this virtual format makes this program broadly accessible to a wide variety of students, including those who would not otherwise be able to access on-site REU programs. Participants in this program will learn about molecular interactions and explore structure-function relationships in a learning environment that is supportive and flexible, guided by a team of faculty and peer mentors. To foster community and to strengthen communication skills, participants will participate in weekly, informal social events, professional development activities, and multiple, guided research meetings. The summer experience culminates in an online, capstone research symposium where students present a research poster they have created to their peers and research mentors. The independent research conducted by the students will result in advances in understanding of enzyme function, primary and secondary metabolism, and will provide training and insight into the the structural basis for enzyme engineering.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.