REU Site: Advancing Undergraduate Research Among Minorities in Plant Biology Enrolled in an Urban Community College

该REU网站奖授予位于纽约州纽约的曼哈顿社区学院（BMCC），将在2019-2021年的每个夏季为八名学生提供为期八周的培训。学生的研究重点是天然产物在不同生物组织水平上的生物活性（例如，在不同培养群体中使用的天然植物产品的潜在抗氧化能力，天然提取物对淡水和海洋环境中盐度变化的微生物的影响，调节参与细胞分化的基因，以及对哺乳动物细胞生长的潜在保护作用）。学生将接受包括生物统计学在内的科学方法的各个方面的培训，以及专业发展的研讨会，包括科学交流（口头报告，科学写作），实验室安全，道德/负责任的研究行为和STEM职业。实地考察国际公认的植物园、农业实验站和草药农场将向学生介绍许多天然提取物的来源，重点是植物科学研究和交流机会。该计划的高潮是每个学生准备一份研究论文，并就他们的个人研究进行口头报告。预计总共有24名学生将在该项目中接受培训，这些学生主要来自研究机会有限的社区大学中代表性不足的群体。学生将学习如何进行研究，发展专业技能，并可能在科学会议上展示他们的工作。由于社区学院占所有本科入学人数的一半以上，BMCC REU计划可以作为其他参与STEM研究的两年制机构的全国模式，这些机构寻求鼓励和促进STEM专业向四年制机构的转移。由生物基础设施部资助的所有REU站点计划使用的通用网络评估工具将用于确定培训计划的有效性。课程结束后，将对学生进行跟踪，以确定他们的职业道路。学生将被要求回复通过NSF报告系统自动发送的电子邮件。有关该计划的更多信息，请访问https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/gra/page.jsp?pid=1080&n=REU，或联系PI Adolfina Koroch （akoroch@bmcc.cuny.edu）或联合PI Alexander Gosslau （agosslau@bmcc.cuny.edu）。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

This REU Site award to Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) located in New York, NY, will support the training of eight students for eight weeks during each of the summers of 2019-2021. Student research focuses on bioactivity of natural products at different biological levels of organization (e.g., the potential antioxidant capacity of natural plant products used in different cultural groups, the effects of natural extracts on microorganisms in fresh water and marine environments with changing salinity, in regulating genes involved in differentiation of cells, and in potential protective effects on growth of mammalian cells). Students will receive training in all aspects of the scientific method including biostatistics, and workshops in professional development including scientific communication (oral presentations, scientific writing), lab safety, ethics/responsible conduct of research and STEM careers. Field trips to internationally recognized botanical gardens, an agricultural experiment station and an herb farm will introduce students to sources of many natural extracts, with emphasis on research in plant sciences and networking opportunities. The program culminates with each student preparing a research paper and giving an oral presentation on their individual research. It is anticipated that a total of 24 students primarily from underrepresented groups from community colleges with limited research opportunities will be trained in the program. Students will learn how to conduct research, develop professional skills, and may present their work at scientific conferences. With community colleges accounting for more than half of all undergraduate enrollments, the BMCC REU program may serve as a national model for other two-year institutions involved in STEM research which seek to encourage and facilitate transfer of STEM majors to four-year institutions. A common web-based assessment tool used by all REU Site programs funded by the Division of Biological Infrastructure will be used to determine the effectiveness of the training program. Students will be tracked after the program in order to determine their career paths. Students will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/gra/page.jsp?pid=1080&n=REU, or by contacting the PI Adolfina Koroch (akoroch@bmcc.cuny.edu) or the Co-PI Alexander Gosslau (agosslau@bmcc.cuny.edu).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.