REU Site: The Plasticity of Cells, Organisms, and Communities

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This REU Site award to California State University San Marcos, located in San Marcos, CA, supports the training of 10 students/year for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023-2025. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained to conduct and present independent research. With a strong commitment to supporting underrepresented groups, including veterans, and first-generation college students, the CSUSM NSF REU program contributes to building a diverse and talented population of next generation scientists. The summer experience will increase participation, retention, persistence, and success in the classroom and instill confidence, and encourage innovation and leadership in research. Upon program completion, students are well poised to apply to doctoral/Masters programs and/or positions in the Life Science Industry. A common web-based assessment tool will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training, and students will be tracked after the program to determine career paths. The unifying theme of this hands-on research program is ‘The Plasticity of Cells, Organisms, and Communities’. Students select a research mentor from a diverse team of scientists who are using cutting edge tools and techniques to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how cells, organisms, and communities adapt to stochastic environmental conditions by coordinating growth with morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits to maximize fitness. Research projects range from probing the genetics of phenotype, to investigating simple sequence repeats and genomic fluidity, microbiota and microbiome-mediated plasticity, to physiological adaptations to climate change. The residential program fosters a community of scholars who transition from being students to research scientists and move from learning to discovery. Weekly enrichment activities include seminars, field trips, and workshops highlighting the remarkable plasticity of cells, organisms, and communities. Students work together to write a scientific manuscript, attend graduate school application, and career workshops, and participate in a Poster Showcase to celebrate research accomplishments. For more information about the program visit: https://www.csusm.edu/bioreu/index.html, or contact the PI (Dr. Betsy Read at bread@csusm.edu) or co-PI (Dr. Carols Luna-Lopez at clunalopez@csusm.edu).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.