A Workshop on Undergraduate Education in Emerging Technologies at The 15th International Meeting on DNA Computing

University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR

Investigators

Abstract

Nanotechnology may be a foundation for the economy of the future. A potential way for new materials and devices to be constructed at the nanoscale is to use DNA molecules to assemble them. DNA, the primary genetic component of our cells, has a convenient, template-matching property that allows two DNA molecules to bind, and thus, assemble whatever components with which they are associated. Moreover, this template-matching reaction with DNA can be programmed to build complicated structures from the bottom-up. The 15th International Meeting on DNA Computing is a forum that brings together researchers from Computer Science, Mathematics, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, and Physics to discuss the molecular scale manipulation of matter through computational paradigms using DNA and other biological material. Thus, it is helping to establish the scientific foundations of a potentially important technology for the future. The population of Arkansas has one of the lowest percentages of people with undergraduate or graduate degrees in the United States. In order to compete in the future economy, Arkansas students, particularly, undergraduates, need to participate in research and study of emerging technologies, like DNA Computing and Bionanotechnology. In addition, work in these emerging technologies is highly interdisciplinary, which is not the norm for traditional undergraduate education. A workshop at the 15th International Meeting on DNA Computing will bring together top researchers in this emerging technology, and teachers and students from Arkansas undergraduate institutions to discuss and foster the involvement of undergraduates in this field. Topics will include undergraduate research, curriculum development, and opportunities for both faculty and students to participate in funded research.