IRES: US-India Collaborative Research in Complex Natural Product Synthesis with Bio, Nano, and Green Applications at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad.

University Of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Whitewater WI

Investigators

Abstract

1065543 Hephzibah Kumpaty This IRES award entitled US-India Collaborative Research in Complex Natural Product Synthesis with Bio, Nano, and Green Applications at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad supports international research experiences for US undergraduate science students from the University of Wisconsin Whitewater (UWW). For each of three years, four students will be sent to the IICT for six weeks to conduct collaborative research with scientist-mentors at India's premier research center for the chemical sciences and technologies. USPI Hephzibah Kumpaty, a synthetic chemist and Dr. Catherine Chan, a biochemist and environmental biologist, will partner with IICT Director L.S. Yadav and several colleagues that are leaders in synthetic chemistry and chemical biology. The PI will conduct a semester-long research training program for the UWW students prior to participation in the international research experience in India. The strength of this IRES project is that UWW students will gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge research in bio, nano, and green applications of chemical syntheses. They will also learn interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approaches to research and education through site visits to Avra Laboratories, the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and Evolva Biotech India, all of which are located in Hyderabad. Additionally, this opportunity will facilitate improved skills in critical thinking, data analysis, intercultural adaptability, global competence, and in presentation and communication. Upon return to the U.S. IRES students will present their research in appropriate journals and at conferences. In the long-term, this unique experience is likely to motivate the IRES students to pursue higher education and to consider careers in scientific research.