Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research for Undergraduates

项目描述（申请者提供）：本专业主要培养物理、计算机、数学、工程等专业的本科生从事生物化学研究。学生将被安排在隶属于亚利桑那大学生物化学跨学科项目的活跃NIH资助教师的研究实验室中。每位学生将接受其所在实验室的教师的个别指导。该项目将包括为期12周的暑期研究经历，并辅以每周一次的专业发展研讨会。为促进学生之间的学者知识共同体，获资助的10名学生将被列入由本科生物学研究计划（UBRP）赞助的补充活动，如研讨会，实地考察和社交活动。因为参与的教师赞助商将被要求支付学生工资的一半，学生将被鼓励在整个学年继续他们的研究。学生们将在UBRP年度会议上以海报的形式展示他们的实验结果。为了鼓励学生进入科学和工程领域，该项目包括由参与的本科生向大学预科学生进行推广。本科生将学习如何使用CAD软件和3D快速原型打印机来制作小分子、酶和核酸的模型。这些模型将用于本科生的课堂访问，以解释物理科学如何影响生物科学。我们将针对少数民族入学率高的学校。该项目的长期目标是培养一批具有定量科学、物理科学和工程技能的科学家骨干，他们可以研究生物化学问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This program is designed to introduce undergraduate students majoring in physics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering to research in biological chemistry. Students will be placed in research laboratories of faculty with active NIH grants who are affiliated with the University of Arizona Interdisciplinary Program in Biological Chemistry. Each student will receive individual mentoring from the faculty member in whose lab s/he works. The program will consist of a twelve week summer research experience supplemented with a weekly professional development seminar. To foster an intellectual community of scholars among the students, the ten students supported by this grant will be included in the supplemental activities sponsored by the Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) such as seminars, field trips and social events. Because participating faculty sponsors will be required to pay for half of the students' wages, students will be encouraged to continue their research through the academic year. Students will present their experimental results in poster form at the annual UBRP conference. To encourage students to enter the science and engineering pipeline, the project includes outreach by participating undergraduates to precollege students. The undergraduates will learn how to use CAD software and a 3D Rapid Prototyping Printer to produce models of small molecules, enzymes, and nucleic acids. These models will be used during classroom visits by undergraduates to explain how the physical sciences impact the biological sciences. We will target schools with high minority enrollments. The long term goal of the project is to develop a cadre of scientists with skills in quantative and physical sciences and engineering who can work on problems in biological chemistry.