REU Site: The Biogeography of Biotransformations for Halogenated Organic Compounds, a Comparison of the Tropics, Temperate and Sub-Arctic Environments

这个为期三年的夏季REU计划的目标是让学生参与国际研究工作，比较地理上不同地区的水生和沉积物微生物群落介导历史氯化化合物（如多氯联苯）和一类重要的新兴全球污染物（溴化阻燃剂（BFR））（如多溴联苯醚）生物转化的能力。所有学生将参加为期一周的“科学靴子训练营”，准备进行实验，比较微生物群落及其BFR代谢的地理差异。随后，几名学生将前往中国，研究热带微生物群落，并在华南理工大学（SCUT）和中国科学院广州地球化学研究所（GIG）进行实验。几名学生将在赫尔辛基大学（UH）对亚北极微生物群落进行同样的研究。其他学生将在罗格斯大学用温带气候微生物群落做平行实验。所有学生将再次召开为期一周的会议，比较他们的结果，分享他们的发现，并就生物地理学对水生和沉积物环境中溴化阻燃剂命运的作用得出一系列结论。其总体影响是让学生认识到科学探究的普遍性，而不受国际边界和污染物的全球分布的影响，并确定微生物的多样性及其代谢环境中新的有害有机污染物的生化机制。该项目旨在促进学生的国际交流，以促进跨越全球和文化界限的科学。教育部分将与研究部分协调如下：1）所有学生将在罗格斯大学在计划开始时会面一周，计划，准备和了解项目目标和协调工作; 2）每周与所有参与者举行视频会议; 3）所有学生和他们的国际学生合作伙伴和导师将在项目结束时在罗格斯大学举行学生研讨会，以跟进他们的结果和结论。合作机构将共同支持这些活动，包括支持来自自己机构（华南理工大学和UH）的学生前往罗格斯大学参加学生研讨会。罗格斯大学是最多样化的AAU机构之一，将从美国各地寻求广泛的申请人，通过罗格斯大学的RISE计划特别推广代表性不足的群体，并与个人联系和对本科院校的招聘访问。

The objective of this three year summer REU program is to engage students in an international research effort to compare the ability of aquatic and sediment microbial communities in geographically distinct regions to mediate the biotransformation of historic chlorinated compounds , e.g. PCBs and a important class of emerging global contaminants, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), e.g.PBDE. All students will meet for a one week "scientific boot camp" to prepare to carry out experiments that compare the geographical differences in microbial communities and their metabolism of BFRs. Several students will then travel to China, to examine tropical microbial communities and carry out their experiments at the South China University of Technology (SCUT) and the Chinese National Academy Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG). Several students will do the same with sub-Arctic microbial communities and work at the University of Helsinki (UH). The other students will be doing parallel experiments at Rutgers with temperate climate microbial communities. All students will reconvene for one week to compare their results, share their findings and develop a set of conclusions regarding the role of biogeography on the fate of BFRs in aquatic and sediment environments. The overall impact is to have students recognize the universality of scientific inquiry regardless of international borders and the global distribution of contaminants, as well as to determine the diversity of microorganisms and their biochemical mechanisms for metabolizing new anthropogenically created organic pollutants in the environment.The project aims to promote international exchange of students to foster science across global and cultural boundaries. The educational component will be coordinated with the research component as follows: 1) all students will meet for a week at Rutgers University at the start of the program to plan, prepare and learn about the project objectives and the coordination of efforts; 2) weekly videoconferences will take place with all participants; 3) all students and their international student partners and mentors will meet for a Student Symposium at Rutgers University at the end of the program to follow-up on their results and conclusions. The partner institutions will co-support the activities, including support of students from their own institution (SCUT and UH) to travel and participate in the Student Symposium at Rutgers. Rutgers University is one of the most diverse AAU institutions and a broad range of applicants will be sought from all over the US with special outreach to underrepresented groups through the RISE program at Rutgers and with personal contacts and recruitment visits to undergraduate institutions.