NSF Award
0552962
EEC-0552962<br/>Angelika B. Niemz<br/><br/><br/>This REU award for a Site on biotechnology and bioengineering supports 10 undergraduate students each year for three years in a 10- week summer research experience at the Keck Graduate Institute. REU participants will be involved in <br/>cutting-edge research projects in the areas of: (1) Microfluidics and Microfabrication, (2) Nanobiotechnology, (3) Optimization of Recombinant Protein Production, (4) Computational Analysis of Biological Networks, and (5) Systems Biology in Model Organisms. Student activities include a series of scientific seminars by speakers <br/>from industry, academia, and government laboratories and field trips to local biotech companies. The program will provide opportunities for students to practice written and oral communication skills, and to learn about career planning, graduate school options, and the involved application process. The participants will work in a supportive atmosphere and have the ability to meet successful role models. Also, the program will capitalize upon existing collaborative interactions with REU site programs at other institutions in the area, to provide students access to greater resources, expertise, and social networks. Recruiting efforts will specifically target women who wish to pursue a career in the biotechnology sector and students from underrepresented ethnic groups. <br/><br/>Additionally, the program will promote science and engineering education at the middle and high school level, by integrating two teachers each year and a small number of high school student interns into ongoing research and selected REU program activities.
