Planning: HBCU-UP: OPEN: Collaborative STEM Education, Research, and Workforce Development in Biomanufacturing Through Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Training

历史上的黑人学院和大学本科项目(HBCU-UP)为加强HBCU的STEM本科教育和研究提供了支持。该项目将协调圣奥古斯丁大学(SAU)的规划活动，以重塑STEM，重点放在它靠近北卡罗来纳州研究三角公园和不断增长的生物制造行业。规划工作概述了一项战略，即与邻近的大学和行业附属机构发展新的、创新的和变革性的合作伙伴关系，并整合生物技术和生物信息学培训，为南加州大学的学生进入生物制造劳动力和/或进入STEM研究生课程做准备。这一合作努力将为一所主要研究型大学的生物技术和生物信息学教师提供实习机会，并为南加州大学的学生提供进入生物制造科学培训计划的桥梁。这一战略还包括将生物技术和生物信息学的内容和技能获取整合到南加州大学的实验室课程中。该项目的目标是(1)在遗传学实验室课程和分子细胞生物学实验室课程中整合生物技术和生物信息学培训，以培养生物制造劳动力；(2)通过暑期项目为STEM专业学生提供生物制造科学培训经验；(3)支持STEM教师在生物技术或生物信息学方面的高级培训。在遗传学实验室课程中，STEM专业的学生将接受以CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑和高通量DNA测序为中心的实践培训，分别在分子水平上对生物进行基因工程和表征生物。在分子细胞生物学实验室课程中，STEM专业的学生将接受高通量选择的实践培训，以识别和回收感兴趣的蛋白质并表征蛋白质相互作用。夏季生物制造科学培训计划将为STEM专业的学生提供基于行业的蛋白质表达、回收、表征和生物活性方面的技术和研究技能培训。被支持接受生物技术或生物信息学高级培训的STEM教职员工将被期望将实验室课程和研究的培训结合起来。该项目还将支持专家辅导员为学生提供生物技术、生物信息学和生物制造方面的高级培训。总体而言，该项目的工作假设是，在实验室课程和暑期培训中整合生物技术和生物信息学将使学生实现以下目标：项目所有权、自我效能、掌握技术、克服研究中的挑战、提高沟通能力，以及感受到与更大的科学界的联系。出于评估目的，将通过结构化匿名反馈机制对这些目标的各个方面进行评估。对科学的一个潜在贡献是为生物制造劳动力培养有竞争力的STEM专业，或进入支持生物制造科学的研究领域。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities - Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) provides support to strengthen STEM undergraduate education and research at HBCUs. This project will coordinate planning activities for Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) to reimagine STEM by focusing on its proximity to Research Triangle Park, NC and the growing industry in biomanufacturing. The planning work outlines a strategy for developing new, innovative, and transformative partnerships with neighboring universities and industry affiliates and integrating biotechnology and bioinformatics training to prepare SAU students for the biomanufacturing workforce and/or entry into STEM graduate programs. This partnership effort will provide faculty internship opportunities in biotechnology and bioinformatics at a major research university and a bridge to biomanufacturing sciences training program for students at SAU. This strategy also involves the integration of biotechnology and bioinformatics content and skill acquisition into laboratory courses at SAU.The goals of this project are to (1) integrate biotechnology and bioinformatics training in the genetics laboratory course and molecular cell biology laboratory course for biomanufacturing workforce development, (2) provide STEM majors with a biomanufacturing sciences training experience through a summer program, and (3) support advanced training in biotechnology or bioinformatics for STEM faculty. Within the genetics laboratory course, STEM majors will be exposed to hands-on training centered on CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and high-throughput DNA sequencing to genetically engineer an organism and characterize an organism at the molecular level, respectively. Within the molecular cell biology laboratory course, STEM majors will be exposed to hands-on training in high-throughput selection to identify and recover a protein of interest and characterize protein interactions. The summer biomanufacturing sciences training program will provide STEM majors industry-based technical and research skills training in protein expression, recovery, characterization, and bioactivity. STEM faculty supported to receive advanced training in biotechnology or bioinformatics will be expected to integrate training in laboratory courses and research. The project will also support expert facilitators to provide students with advanced training in biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biomanufacturing. Overall, the working hypothesis of this project is the integration of biotechnology and bioinformatics in laboratory courses and summer training will lead to students accomplishing the following goals: project ownership, self-efficacy, mastery of techniques, overcoming challenges in research, increased communication skills, and feeling a connection to a larger scientific community. For evaluation purposes, aspects of these goals will be assessed through structured anonymous feedback mechanisms. A potential contribution to science is preparing competitive STEM majors for the biomanufacturing workforce or entering fields of study that support biomanufacturing sciences.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.