Predoctoral Training Program in Biotechnology

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests continued support for a Predoctoral Training Program in Biotechnology that was first funded in 1990. Twenty nine participating faculty are drawn from six departments and four colleges: Chemistry, (College of Liberal Arts & Sciences); Biochemistry, Microbiology (College of Medicine); Civil & Environmental Engineering, Chemical & Biochemical Engineering (College of Engineering); Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry (College of Pharmacy). This diverse faculty provides trainees with disciplinary backgrounds that lead to the Ph.D. degree in their respective departments. The following required activities provide the interdisciplinary background appropriate for biotechnology-oriented careers: a) at least one course in each of the three core areas of biotechnology (Biocatalysis, Bioreactors & Bioseparations, Molecular Biology & Genetics); b) participation in the interdisciplinary seminar "Perspectives in Biocatalysis"; c) participation in the Biocatalysis Seminar Program; d) take a course entitled "Principles of Scholarly Integrity"; e) serve an internship in an industrial or government laboratory; f) present research in the annual Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing Conference. Support for 8 predoctoral trainees is requested. Trainees enter the program in their second year of graduate school, and may be renewed for up to two years of support. The Training Program is administered by the Program Director (Daniel M. Quinn) and co-Director (Amnon Kohen), with staff assistance from the Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing (CBB) and the advice of the Coordinating Committee. The Coordinating Committee also serves as the Executive Committee of the CBB, thereby insuring close coordination between the Training Program and the state-funded Center. An emphasis of the Training Program is the recruitment and training of a diverse cohort of trainees. This emphasis not only addresses national needs but also provides a more inclusive educational experience for the trainees. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Participating faculty laboratories provide trainees with a wide range of research opportunities in the biomedical sciences. Among these are investigations of environmentally friendly biocatalytic processes for chemical transformations, development of new antibiotics and Alzheimer's disease agents, biosensor development, synthesis and evaluation of new anticancer drugs, and new approaches to gene delivery. Training Program coursework enhances trainee understanding of biomedical and bioengineering sciences, and provides guidance in the ethical conduct of research.