The University of Nevada - Las Vegas will offer an REU Site program in partnership with the Desert Research Institute. Undergraduate students will participate in a 10-week summer program involving research in the area of environmental microbiology. Students will collaborate with faculty mentors in developing and carrying out hypothesis-based projects on microorganisms from diverse habitats such as hot springs, the deep terrestrial subsurface, hypersaline lakes, arid soils, and ephemeral water sources. Students may also choose to explore the mechanisms of magnetotaxis, microbial adaptation to stressful and nonhost environments, or the dynamics between primary producers and consumers. All students will receive training in current molecular techniques and the ethics of science, and they will participate in weekly discussions on their project. At the conclusion of the program, students will present their research results at a scientific colloquium. In addition, all students will be encouraged to present their research at a regional or national scientific conference. Students will receive a stipend, housing and meals, and a travel subsidy. First generation college students and members of an underrepresented group are strongly encouraged to apply. More information is available by contacting Kurt Regner at kurt.regner@unlv.edu or 702 895-1071 or by visiting http://sols.unlv.edu/reu_main.html.
