REU Site: Research and Training in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biodesign (B3) for Undergraduates

Cuny City College, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biodesign (B3) REU site award to City College of New York (CCNY), located in New York, NY, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2020-2022. The B3-REU program draws mentors from the Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Biology, and Physics, the Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering and the CUNY School of Medicine. Students will be selected by the program steering committee based on their interest in research and fit in the program. The program will recruit students from: 1) CCNY and the City University of New York (CUNY) system, 2) students from community colleges in the CUNY system, and 3) students from outside CUNY. Student research will be supplemented with workshops and field trips to enable students to develop a science identity that will motivate pursuit of advanced degrees and careers in science. Workshops will train students on keeping a lab notebook, responsible conduct of research, writing a scientific paper or poster and others. To assess the program, the BIO REU common assessment tool will be used. Students will be tracked after the REU for their progress in their pursuit of a STEM career. This REU Site will train students on a variety of contemporary problems in biochemistry and biophysics. Example projects include the structural and functional analysis of macromolecular complexes, DNA repair, organelles, environmental sensing, microbial cytokinesis, membrane biogenesis; affinity of protein side chains and interaction of proteins and peptides with membranes. Students will learn how professional scientists think about problems, formulate hypotheses, design and perform experiments, and analyze data. It is anticipated that at least 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. The broader impact of the program will be measured by the number of students trained, including women and members of under-represented groups, and by contributions to advances in science thru publications and presentaions. Students will learn how research is conducted, and many will present their work at scientific conferences. Students who have been accepted to the program will be asked to respond to an automatic email sent via the NSF reporting system. More information about the program is available by visiting https://www.b3-reu.ccny.cuny.edu, or by contacting the PI (Dr. David Jeruzalmi: dj@ccny.cuny.edu; Twitter: @CCNYB3REU; Instagram: ccny_b3_reu). 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.