IRES: U.S.-Poland Student Research Experience to Study Plant Species Interactions in the Unique Ecosystem of the Bialowieza Forest

这个美国-波兰国际学生研究经验（IRES）项目为美国学生创造了一个独特的为期三年的机会，让他们在国外获得天然产物生物学和化学领域的早期职业研究经验。通过实地和实验室研究相结合的计划，该IRES提供了一个难得的机会，以prusue发现新物种，新的化学多样性，并深入了解欧洲保存最完好的中世纪森林之一，波兰的比亚洛维萨森林中的环境相互作用和生物协同作用。美国和波兰导师在生态学，林业，生物学，化学，植物科学和真菌学方面的专业知识的参与将确保这个跨学科项目的科学成功。通过专注于选择植物和真菌的生物学和生物化学特征，美国-波兰团队希望更好地了解新型植物和真菌的生物多样性。将特别注意研究在这种自然环境中发现的各种天然化合物的代谢物和生态作用。 从教育的角度来看，这个为期三年的IRES应该为美国学生参与者提供独特的环境环境，沿着有机会与着名的欧洲科学家并肩工作，因为他们获得了宝贵的早期职业研究经验。IRES项目每年支持四名美国学生（两名本科生和两名研究生）参加为期三年的课程。美国学生参与者花六个星期在国外的比亚洛维萨森林地区与他们的美国和波兰导师和波兰学生一起工作互补，主题相关的研究项目。行前培训包括技术和文化准备。 PI和密西西比大学的工作人员继续进行旅行后的后续工作，提供科学指导和职业建议。对于borader的影响，基于比亚洛维萨森林的生态，生物多样性和化学多样性的研究的新见解，预计将有助于完善未来的战略，管理和保护这种稀有的生物资源。将通过网站、演讲、讲习班和学术出版物传播成果。总体而言，该IRES项目的合作活动预计将加强所有相关机构的STEM教育，加强国际合作，并促进新的跨学科研究合作的发展，将生物学和天然产物化学联系起来。

This U.S.-Polish International Research Experience for Students (IRES) project creates a unique three-year opportunity for U.S. students to acquire early career research experience abroad in the fields of biology and chemistry of natural products. Through a combined program of field and laboratory research this IRES provides a rare opportunity to prusue discovery of new species, new chemical diversity, and insights into environmental interaction and biological synergy in one of the best preserved medieval forests in Europe, the Bialowieza Forest of Poland. The engagement of U.S. and Polish mentors with expertise in ecology, forestry, biology, chemistry, plant sciences, and mycology will assure the scientific success of this interdisciplinary project. By focussing on biological and biochemical characterization of select plants and fungi, the US-Polish team expects go gain a better understanding of novel plant and fungi biodiversity. Special attention will be devoted to study of the metabolites and ecological roles of diverse natural chemical compounds found in such natural settings. From an educational perspective, this three-year IRES should provide exceptional access to a unique environmental setting for U.S. student participants along with the opportunity to work side by side with renowned European scientists as they gain valuable early career research experience. The IRES project supports the participation of four U.S. students annually (two undergraduate and two graduate) for the three-year duration. U.S. student participants spend six weeks abroad in the area of the Bialowieza Forest working together with their U.S. and Polish mentors and Polish students on complementary, thematically-linked research projects. Pre-trip training includes both technical and cultural preparation. Post-travel follow-up by the PI and University of Mississippi staff continues with scientific mentoring and career advise. For borader impact, new insights based on the study of the ecology, biodiversity, and chemical diversity of Bialowieza Forest are expected to contribute to refining future strategies for management and conservation of such rare biological resources. Results will be disseminated through websites, presentations, workshops, and scholarly publications. Overall, the cooperative activities of this IRES project are expected to enhance STEM education at all institutions involved, strengthen international partnering, and facilitate the development of a new interdisciplinary research collaboration that bridges biology and natural products chemistry.