BIORETS: Convergence Research Experiences for Teachers in Synthetic and Systems Biology to Address Challenges in Food, Health, Energy, and Environment

BIORETS：合成和系统生物学教师的融合研究经验，以应对食品、健康、能源和环境方面的挑战

• 批准号: 2341402
• 负责人: Sairam Rudrabhatla
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-02-01 至 2027-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2341402&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BIORETS; Convergence; Research; Experiences; Teachers

This BIORETS Site award to Penn State Harrisburg, located in Middletown, PA, will support the training of eight teachers for seven weeks during the summer. Three cohorts of teachers will be recruited from 2024 to 2026. The Convergence-Research Experience for Teachers (C-RET) will provide research training to secondary science teachers in underserved school districts. Teachers will conduct research in cutting-edge technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, plant tissue culture and transformation, bioinformatics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence based digital platform. Exposing teachers to convergence research empowers them to enhance the existing K-12 STEM curricula with project-based learning activities to engage and retain students in STEM disciplines and create a pipeline for the STEM workforce. These activities can have a transformative impact on society by creating a pathway for minority and underrepresented students to pursue STEM careers to address current challenges in food, health, energy and climate change.The goal of this C-RET site is to utilize the synthetic and systems biology (Syn/SysBio) approaches and tools for their applications in food, health, energy, and the environment (FHEE). The program will (1) immerse teachers in an ongoing, authentic Syn/SysBio-focused convergence research and (2) inspire and support teachers in developing and implementing practice-based curriculum for secondary classrooms. The proposed innovative STEM research experiences focus on basic research to a) enhance the yield, nutritional quality and disease resistance in crops, b) apply gene editing techniques to industrial hemp and other crops using CRISPR/Cas9, c) remediate abandoned mine land soils while capturing greenhouse gases, d) treat drug resistant infections with plant-derived antibiotics and e) utilize machine learning for plant monitoring. Mentors include faculty and staff from Penn State’s Biological Sciences and Engineering departments and the Center for Science and the Schools. Teachers are selected by mentors based on submitted resume and the NSF ETAP application. Priority will be given to teachers who teach in school districts with at least 50% underserved populations. More information about the program is available by contacting the PI (Dr.Sairam Rudrabhatla, [e-mail]) or the co-PI (Dr. Kathy Hill, [e-mail]).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.

位于宾夕法尼亚州米德尔敦的宾州州立大学哈里斯堡分校获得了BIORETS网站奖，该奖项将在夏季为八名教师提供为期七周的培训。2024年至2026年将招聘三批教师。教师融合研究经验（C-RET）将为服务不足的学区的中学科学教师提供研究培训。教师将开展前沿技术研究，如CRISPR/Cas9基因组编辑，植物组织培养和转化，生物信息学，机器学习和基于人工智能的数字平台。让教师接触融合研究使他们能够通过基于项目的学习活动来加强现有的K-12 STEM课程，以吸引和留住STEM学科的学生，并为STEM劳动力创造一个渠道。这些活动可以对社会产生变革性的影响，为少数民族和代表性不足的学生创造一条途径，追求STEM职业生涯，以应对当前在食品，健康，能源和气候变化方面的挑战。这个C-RET网站的目标是利用合成和系统生物学（Syn/SysBio）方法和工具，将其应用于食品，健康，能源和环境（FHEE）。该计划将（1）使教师沉浸在持续的，真实的Syn/SysBio-focused融合研究中，（2）激励和支持教师开发和实施基于实践的中学课程。拟议的创新STEM研究经验侧重于基础研究，以a）提高作物的产量，营养质量和抗病性，B）使用CRISPR/Cas9将基因编辑技术应用于工业大麻和其他作物，c）修复废弃的矿区土壤，同时捕获温室气体，d）用植物衍生抗生素治疗耐药性感染，e）利用机器学习进行植物监测。导师包括来自宾夕法尼亚州立大学生物科学和工程系以及科学中心和学校的教职员工。导师根据提交的简历和NSF ETAP申请选择教师。将优先考虑在至少50%的服务不足人口的学区任教的教师。有关该计划的更多信息，请联系PI（Sairam Rudrabhatla博士，[e-mail]）或co-PI（Kathy Hill博士，[e-mail]）。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得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来支持。