NSF Student Travel Grant for The 25th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming 2019 (DNA 25)

生命运行在一种硬件上，这种硬件由包含分子成分的细胞和由写在分子中的信息和程序编码的软件组成。随着对自然分子程序的理解和进一步为工程和开发活细胞内外的合成系统建立新的分子编程规则的愿景，一年一度的DNA计算和分子编程国际会议已经成为具有不同背景的科学家(例如；计算机科学、物理、化学、生物和数学的专家们聚集在一起展示他们的研究成果并讨论新的想法。分子编程的应用包括开发分子定义的电子和光学材料，在研究生物学的分析技术中集成分子尺度识别和放大电路，以及具有可编程控制药物传递的“智能”治疗方法。该奖项为2019年8月5日至9日在西雅图华盛顿大学举行的第25届DNA计算和分子编程国际会议（DNA25）提供学生旅费支持。通过资助学生的旅行，组织者正在积极鼓励和激励新一代的研究人员参加会议。旅行奖将鼓励学生参加，展示他们的工作，并与该领域的其他专家互动，从而有助于促进下一代分子程序员的发展。参加会议的学生将接触到将在顶级场所发表的工作的早期版本，此外，他们将有机会与正在制作最高质量工作的研究人员互动，并可能与他们合作。组织者计划支持最多20名成功的学生申请者，他们将获得旅行和住宿费用的资助。这些资金的主要目的是向在会议上进行口头或海报演讲的妇女和代表性不足的少数民族，以及无法负担参加本次会议费用的研究生提供援助。该奖项对美国公民和美国院校学生的可用性将包括在会议公告中，征求申请。一个由三名教员组成的委员会将根据上述优先事项决定奖项。这个高度跨学科的会议强调了计算、生物学和纳米技术之间的桥梁，并吸引了计算机科学、数学、化学、分子生物学和纳米技术领域的研究人员。研究范围包括控制分子折叠和自组装以构建纳米结构；用生物分子演示开关、门、器件和电路；分子马达和分子机器人；体外和体内的计算过程；容错与纠错的研究；合成生物学与体外进化；用于分析、仿真和设计的软件工具；广泛应用于工程、物理、化学、生物和医学。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Life operates on a hardware that is composed of cells enclosing molecular components and a software encoded by information and programs written in molecules. With the vision of understanding the natural molecular programs and further establishing novel molecular programming rules for engineering and developing synthetic systems inside or outside of living cells, the annual International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming has been one of the premier interdisciplinary forums where scientists with diverse backgrounds (e.g.; experts in computer science, physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics) come together to present their research and discuss new ideas. The application of molecular programming include development of molecularly-defined electronic and optical materials, the integration of molecular-scale recognition and amplification circuits within analytical techniques for studying biology, and `smart' therapeutics with programmable control over drug delivery. This award provides student travel support for the 25th International Conference on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming (DNA25), held at the University of Washington, Seattle, August 5-9, 2019. By funding travel for students the organizers are actively encouraging and incentivizing a new generation of researchers to attend the conference. The travel awards will help to foster the development of the next generation of molecular programmers, by encouraging students to attend, present their work, and interact with other experts in the field. Students who attend the conference will get exposure to early versions of work that will go on to be published in top venues and, furthermore, they will have the opportunity to interact with, and potentially collaborate with, researchers who are producing work of the highest quality.Oranizers plan to support up to 20 successful student applicants, who will be funded for travel and accommodation expenses. The primary purpose of these funds is to provide assistance to women and underrepresented minorities who are delivering oral or poster presentations at the conference, and to graduate students who are otherwise unable to afford attending this conference. The availability of the awards to US citizens and students at US institutions will be included in conference announcements, soliciting applications. A committee of three faculty will decide on awards based on the above priorities. This highly interdisciplinary conference emphasizes topics that bridge computation, biology, and nanotechnology and attracting researchers in the fields of computer science, mathematics, chemistry, molecular biology, and nanotechnology. The scope includes control of molecular folding and self-assembly to construct nanostructures; demonstration of switches, gates, devices, and circuits with biomolecules; molecular motors and molecular robotics; computational processes in vitro and in vivo; studies of fault-tolerance and error correction; synthetic biology and in vitro evolution; software tools for analysis, simulation, and design; a range of applications in engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine.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.