NSF Award
1358222
This IRES award will provide research experiences to undergraduate students from Western Kentucky University (WKU) in South Korea at Pusan National University and Changwon National University. The WKU students will work on projects in biochemistry and analytical chemistry with the PI or Co-PI and respective South Korean collaborators. The PI, Professor Moon-Soo Kim from WKU, and Professor Haesik Yang from Pusan National University will collaborate on the use of sequence-specific Zinc Finger Proteins (ZFPs) and Transcriptional Activator-Like Effectors (TALEs) for the detection of pathogens. They seek improvements in detection sensitivity for this technique by using electrochemical detection with redox cycling. The development of a point-of-care diagnostic for pathogen detection is expected from this project. The Co-Pi, Professor Eric Conte from WKU, and Professor Yong-Ill Lee from Changwon National University will collaborate on the use of Magnetic Zirconia particles for the separation of chiral racemic drug mixtures. The separation of chiral racemic mixtures is a challenge in biomedicine where typically only one enantiomer will have biological activity. Magnetic zirconia particles show promise for separating a number of important racemic mixtures and subsequent isolation of the biologically important chiral molecule. Separating and isolating the pharmaceutically active chiral substance is important for studying a drug?s metabolic route.<br/><br/>A strengthened joint collaboration, involving WKU undergraduate students, will result between the WKU investigators from a predominately undergraduate institution and Korean collaborators at two internationally recognized Ph.D. granting institutions (Pusan and Changwon National Universities). In addition, this experience is designed to expose students to education within a different cultural milieu. They will gain an appreciation for higher education in a country other than their own and gain research experience in an international environment. Also, a greater cultural appreciation will result. WKU students will work in the laboratory of the PI or Co-PI during the academic year and visit their host Korean University during the summertime. Qualified underrepresented students from WKU will be given priority for this overseas visit, including students from nearby Appalachian counties. These students will be least likely to have the means to visit a foreign land and in general lack exposure to diverse cultures.
