REU Site: A Multidisciplinary Research Experience in Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices

肯塔基大学的REU Site奖为期三年，主要集中在工程生物活性界面和设备领域。该项目的总体目标是为本研究领域的初中生和高年级本科生提供一种新颖的多学科研究和教育体验。肯塔基大学在这个领域也有一个国家科学基金会的IGERT项目，因此，REU的学生不仅有机会与REU的教师互动，而且还将通过研究、特别研讨会和其他技术和社会活动与IGERT的毕业生学员互动。该计划的具体目标包括：1)通过参与与工程生物活性界面和设备相关的研究项目，为学生提供真正的跨学科指导和研究培训；2)通过研讨会，实地考察以及与研究生和教师的互动，激发学生对科学和工程博士职业的兴趣；3)通过参与研究，期刊俱乐部，培养学生的独立性和自信心。内部演示和科学会议。工程生物活性界面和设备专注于与生物系统相互作用并促进预期反应的结构的新设计。这些先进的结构有许多应用，从组织工程到传感系统，再到药物输送，这些系统的成功开发不仅取决于通过纳米技术、自组装和混合系统开发新型合成结构的专业知识，还取决于这些界面与生物系统（如细胞和蛋白质）的相互作用。该REU项目将尽早向学生介绍这一令人兴奋的多学科领域，并鼓励他们从事这一领域或类似领域的研究生学习。作为REU项目的一部分，本科生将有机会学习三个跨学科的研究主题，这些主题构成了该领域研究的基础。它们包括：1)新颖的生物活性结构，2)界面上的细胞/蛋白质相互作用，以及3)集成到设备中。学生将从不同的本科学科招收，包括工程、生物、化学和物理。肯塔基大学周围有许多地区学院和大学，在这些地区没有研究生课程。这些机构的招聘将鼓励那些可能不会追求更高学位的学生。此外，我们将在一些没有研究生课程的国家机构招聘。通过在波多黎各大学和塔斯基吉大学等少数族裔机构招聘人员，并在妇女工程师协会和全国黑人工程师协会等少数族裔和妇女组织的全国会议上宣传该方案，将作出特别努力，吸引妇女和少数族裔参加该方案。被录取的学生将与目前从事跨学科合作研究的教师和IGERT研究生密切合作。教师参与者现有的研究合作，包括联合学生监督，拨款资助和出版物。拟议的REU计划建立在这些成功合作的基础上，并将其与其他教育组成部分相结合，如研讨会、讲习班和其他技术和社会活动。学生将接触到跨学科研究的兴奋，并在课程结束时对研究生研究所涉及的内容有很好的了解。

The three year REU Site award at the University of Kentucky is focused in the area of Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices. The overall objective of this project is to provide a novel multidisciplinary research and education experience for rising junior and senior undergraduates in this research area. The University of Kentucky also has a National Science Foundation IGERT program in this area, and therefore, the REU students will not only have the opportunity to interact with REU faculty but will also interact with IGERT graduate trainees through research, special seminars, and other technical and social activities. Specific objectives of the program include the following: 1) providing the students with true interdisciplinary mentoring and research training through their participation in a research project related to Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices, 2) stimulating the students interests in Ph.D. careers in science and engineering through seminars, field trips, and interactions with both graduate students and faculty, and 3) developing the students independence and confidence through participation in research, journal clubs, in house presentations and scientific meetings.Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices focuses on the novel design of architectures that interact with biological systems and promote a desired response. These advanced architectures have numerous applications ranging from tissue engineering, to sensing systems, to drug delivery and successful development of these systems will depend on expertise not only in developing novel synthetic architectures through nanotechnology, self-assembly and hybrid systems but also on the interactions of these interfaces with biological systems such as cells and proteins. This REU program will introduce students early on to this exciting multidisciplinary area and will encourage them to pursue this or similar areas for graduate studies. As part of the REU program, the undergraduate students will have the opportunity to learn about three cross-disciplinary research themes that form the foundation of the research in this area. They include: 1) Novel Bioactive Architectures, 2) Cell/Protein Interactions at Interfaces, and 3) Integration into Devices.Students will be recruited from various undergraduate disciplines including engineering, biology, chemistry and physics. Surrounding the University of Kentucky are numerous regional colleges and universities that have no graduate programs in these areas. Recruitment at these institutions will encourage students that may not otherwise pursue an advanced degree. In addition, we will recruit at a number of national institutions that do not have graduate programs. Special efforts will be made to attract women and minorities to this program by recruiting at minority institutions such as University of Puerto Rico and Tuskegee University and publicizing the program at national meetings of minority and women organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers. Students accepted into the program will work closely with faculty and IGERT graduate students who are currently engaged in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research. The faculty participants have existing research collaborations that include joint student supervision, grant funding and publications. The proposed REU program builds on these successful collaborations and integrates them with other educational components, such as seminars, workshops, and other technical and social activities. The students will be exposed to the excitement of interdisciplinary research and by the end of the program will have an excellent knowledge of what is involved in graduate research.