IGERT: Systems Biology of Cells in Engineered Environments (SBE2)

这一综合性研究生教育和研究培训(IGERT)奖通过阐明细胞如何与基于对细胞内分子变化的广泛理解而特别设计的环境相互作用，促进了生物技术领域的博士科学家和工程师的独特跨学科培训。训练有素的学生将准备好解决社会面临的广泛问题，从农业和能源到人类健康和医学。智力优势：该计划通过关注生物技术中的两个重要领域来应对这一挑战：细胞在各种环境中的生长行为；以及“系统生物学”--对细胞内暴露在不同环境中时发生的大量分子变化，特别是与基因表达相关的变化进行综合分析。这项工作的一个关键特点是环境将被专门设计。例如，将使用不同的材料来支持特定类型的细胞的生长。通过研究这些受控环境对细胞S基因表达的影响，人们可以开始设计针对特定应用的特定环境的策略：细胞生长作为组织修复的替代，以及设计更好的药物输送方式等。交叉培训工作结合了特拉华大学现有的不同领域的专业知识。更广泛的影响：这个项目解决了与生物技术研究相关的一个关键问题：细胞内的分子变化如何与细胞暴露的环境相关？有许多重要的应用领域，我们的项目将为学生提供学习关键的实验和计算技术的机会，为他们在生命科学行业的职业生涯做好最好的准备。对创新的重视将为学生提供参与行业实习和公共政策、知识产权研讨会以及在世界各地机构进行研究的机会。我们将致力于制定在多个层面扩大少数族裔参与的项目。IGERT是一个覆盖全国科学基金会的项目，旨在应对培养具有跨学科背景、对所选学科的深厚知识以及未来职业需求所需的技术、专业和个人技能的美国博士科学家和工程师的挑战。该项目旨在建立新的研究生教育和培训模式，为超越传统学科界限的合作研究创造一个肥沃的环境，并让学生了解将研究转化为创新以造福社会的过程。

This Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) award facilitates the unique interdisciplinary training of Ph.D. scientists and engineers in the field of biotechnology by elucidating how cells interact with specifically designed environments based on a broad understanding of changes in the molecules within cells. Trained students will be ready to address a wide range of problems facing society, from agriculture and energy to human health and medicine. Intellectual Merit: This program addresses this challenge by focusing on two areas of importance in biotechnology: cells' behaviors based on growth in a variety of environments; and "systems biology" - the integrated analysis of numerous molecular changes, particularly those related to gene expression, that occur within cells when exposed to different environments. A key feature of this work is that the environments will be specifically engineered. For example, different materials will be used to support the growth of a particular type of cell. By studying the impact of these controlled environments on the expression of the cell?s genes, one can begin to design strategies to target specific environments for specific applications: growth of cells as tissue replacement for healing, and design of better ways to deliver medicines, among others. The cross-training effort synergizes diverse areas of expertise available at the University of Delaware. Broader Impacts: This program addresses a critical question related to biotechnology research: how do molecular changes within a cell relate to the environment in which the cell is exposed? There are many important application areas and our program will provide students with an opportunity to learn critical experimental and computational techniques to best prepare them for careers in the life sciences industry. An emphasis on innovation will provide students with an opportunity to engage in industry internships and public policy, intellectual property workshops, as well as research experiences at institutions around the world. We will work to develop programs that broaden minority participation at multiple levels.IGERT is an NSF-wide program intended to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with the interdisciplinary background, deep knowledge in a chosen discipline, and the technical, professional, and personal skills needed for the career demands of the future. The program is intended to establish new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, and to engage students in understanding the processes by which research is translated to innovations for societal benefit.