REU Site: Research Experience for Undergraduates in Biosensing - Engineering Molecular or Nanoscale Signal Transducers for High-Performance Bio-Detection

Board Of Regents, Nshe, Obo University Of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV

Investigators

Abstract

The three-year REU Site: Engineering Molecular or Nanoscale Signal Transducers for High-Performance Bio-Detection at the University of Nevada Reno will engage 8 undergraduate students for 10 weeks per year in the frontiers of biosensing. Biosensors are important tools in addressing fundamental challenges related to human well-being (good health, effective agricultural production of food and green energy, and safe natural environments). Research projects will train participants to gain the state-of-the-art scientific/engineering concepts and skills about biosensing through developing biosensors and applying them to human health, agriculture, and the environment. Students will be recruited from underrepresented minority groups, women, and students with disabilities, who traditionally have limited access to undergraduate research facilities. This REU site, integrating research and training, will help grow the workforce for emerging R&D opportunities for students, and prepare them as future leaders to further advance knowledge in biosensing, solving more challenging questions. The three-year REU Site: Engineering Molecular or Nanoscale Signal Transducers for High-Performance Bio-Detection at the University of Nevada Reno will engage 8 undergraduate students for 10 weeks per year in the frontiers of biosensing. Research projects featuring molecular or nanoscale entities (fluorophores, proteins, nanoparticles, nanotubes, 2D nanomaterials, etc.) will be engineered as signal transducers of biosensors. Such signal transducers (due to their specific optical properties or electronics) can significantly enhance biosensor sensitivities, and also enable biosensors for inner-cellular or in vivo detection, wearables development, etc. Since these projects converge new technologies and ideas from widely diverse fields of knowledge undergraduate students will engage in opportunities to learn cutting-edge biosensing technologies integrating knowledge of multiple-disciplines Students will be trained to design and develop biosensors incorporated with molecular or nanoscale signal transducers and characterize the detection performance of biosensors. They will then apply biosensors to address open challenges in human health, agriculture, and the environment. Students are expected to gain significant research experience in the biosensing area and grow the workforce or future leaders for emerging R&D opportunities in biosensing fields. The participating faculty will also gain better professionalism and proficiency in developing the next-generation workforce in STEM fields. The outcomes of this REU site will be disseminated to the public and attract more students to the STEM fields. This project is jointly funded with the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.