IRES Track 1: Plant Science for Global Food Security: Undergraduate Research Experiences at the International Rice Research Institute (Los Baños, Philippines)

为不断增长的世界人口生产足够的粮食，同时应对日益加剧的气候变化和环境退化，是人类面临的一项挑战。我们的全球食品供应链是相互关联的，因此一个地区出现的问题会对其他地区产生影响。下一代美国科学家和思想领袖必须超越国界，寻找并实施有效的解决方案，以应对养活世界人口的挑战。为了帮助解决这一需求，植物科学促进全球粮食安全（PSGFS）计划为学生在未来的职业生涯中面向全球的参与做好准备。PSGFS是IRES的一项研究和培训计划，旨在加强学生与国际合作伙伴进行植物科学研究的知识和能力，为解决全球饥饿问题做出贡献。该项目从普渡大学（Purdue University）和五所合作大学招收本科生，其中四所是少数族裔院校。在三年多的时间里，24名对植物科学和国际参与有学术兴趣的本科STEM学生（每组8人）在夏季在位于菲律宾Los Baños的国际水稻研究所（IRRI）进行为期六周的研究。在他们的研究经历中，学生在顶尖科学家的指导下领导项目评估一组共享的公共遗传材料，掌握实验室和现场技术，并发展科学交流技能。由于IRRI是来自世界各地数百名长期和短期研究人员的家园，PSGFS的参与者有令人兴奋的机会与不同文化和培训背景的学者互动。21世纪的植物农业面临着诸多挑战。因此，作物育种者面临着在这些动态约束下开发新品种的问题。虽然已知世界主要作物物种的野生和杂草近缘的基因库中含有有益的等位基因变异，但由于使用野生亲本杂交的杂草特征，它们很少被利用。在PSGFS中，学生们评估了一个新发布的水稻遗传资源：由三个野生近缘种与历史上重要的品种IR64杂交而成的三个染色体片段代换系群体。通过与IR64的多次回交，这些品系已经消除了大多数不受欢迎的野生性状，并等待系统的植物表型以获得潜在的益处。在团队环境中，学生们在各种STEM学科的研究技术上进行交叉训练，如植物遗传学、病理学、生理学和昆虫学。这24名学生将在三年的时间里一起收集这些宝贵的新遗传资源的第一个全面和公开的数据集。通过参与该项目，学生(1)通过结构化的研究经验中的实际技术培训，为水稻遗传改良的科学研究做出贡献；(2)通过与国际研究人员的互动，了解植物科学在全球粮食安全背景下所起的作用；(3)与国际水稻研究所的科学家和其他研究人员建立关系，扩大参与和加强植物科学研究网络。学生将了解国际研究是如何进行的，国际研究网络是如何运作的，以及他们面前的各种全球机会。他们将在各自的大学社区中分享他们的研究经验，并将他们的热情灌输给更广泛的人，从而在他们的社会和学术网络中提高同龄人和其他人的好奇心。PSGFS通过帮助将下一代美国科学家定位为全球研究界的领导者，为社会提供了利益。该项目由国际学生研究经验项目（IRES）和生物基础设施部共同资助。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。

Producing sufficient food for a burgeoning world population while coping with increased climatic variability and environmental degradation is a challenge for humankind. Our global food supply chains are inter-connected, whereby problems that arise in one region have repercussions in others. The next generation of U.S. scientists and thought leaders must reach beyond national borders to find and implement effective solutions to meet the challenge of feeding the world. To help address this need, Plant Science for Global Food Security (PSGFS) initiative prepares students for globally-oriented engagements in their future careers. PSGFS is an IRES research and training program that aims to strengthen the knowledge and abilities of students to conduct plant science research with international partners that contributes to resolving global hunger. The program recruits undergraduates from Purdue University and five partner universities, of which four are minority-serving institutions. Over three years, 24 undergraduate STEM students (8 per cohort) with academic interest in the plant sciences and international engagement spend six weeks conducting research over the summer at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) based in Los Baños, Philippines. During their research experience, students lead projects to evaluate a shared set of publicly-available genetic materials, master lab- and field-based techniques, and develop scientific communication skills under the mentorship of top scientists. As IRRI is home to hundreds of long-term and short-term researchers from all around the world, PSGFS participants have exciting opportunities to interact with scholars of diverse cultural and training backgrounds. Plant-based agriculture of the 21st century faces a multitude of challenges. Accordingly, crop breeders are faced with developing new varieties within these dynamic constraints. While the gene pools of wild and weedy relatives of the world’s major crop species are known to harbor beneficial allelic variation, they are rarely tapped due to the weedy characteristics that accompany crosses using wild parents. In PSGFS, students evaluate a newly released genetic resource in rice: three populations of Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines developed from crosses between three wild relatives and IR64, a historically important cultivar. These lines have already eliminated most of the undesirable wild traits through many generations of backcrosses with IR64 and await systematic plant phenotyping for their potential benefits. Working in a team setting, students are cross-trained in research techniques of various STEM disciplines, such as plant genetics, pathology, physiology and entomology. Together, the 24 students over three years will assemble the first comprehensive and publicly-available dataset on these valuable new genetic resources. Through participation in this program, students (1) contribute towards scientific research for the genetic improvement of rice through hands-on technical training in a structured research experience; (2) understand the role plant science plays in the context of global food security through interactions with international researchers; and (3) establish relationships with scientists and other researchers at IRRI that extend into participation and strengthening of plant science research networks. Students will gain an appreciation of how international research is conducted, how international research networks function and the kinds of global opportunities they have before them. They will share their research experiences in their respective university communities and instill their enthusiasm to a broad range of people, thereby raising the curiosity of their peers and others in their social and academic networks. PSGFS provides benefits to society by helping to position the next generation of U.S. scientists as leaders in the global research community. This project is jointly funded by the International Research Experiences for Students program (IRES) and the Division of Biological Infrastructure.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.