Proposed Program and Institutional Objectives: 1. To provide summer research experiences through structured activities that result in an increase in understanding and appreciation for biomedical science and biotechnology of minority high school students and through these experiences stimulate an interest in science careers. 2. To increase and expand the knowledge of teachers about the innovations in biomedical science and biotechnology that would result in innovation in classroom instruction and a transfer to students the new knowledge learned. Program Activities: The College proposes to select a minimum of eight minority high school students and one high school teacher each year for which funding is received and assign them to laboratories directed by research scientist (preceptors). Each participant will be held accountable for a research project developed by the preceptor, which may be an independent endeavor or an integrated component of an ongoing project. The program will be a minimum of seven weeks and will not exceed eight weeks in length for which the student is expected to invest 40 hours per week in assigned duties. The range of research in which participants will engage includes laboratories conducting investigations on the genetic development and economic impact of water insects, central nervous system degeneration, bone innervation, microbial dietary supplements for weanling pigs, immunohematology and transfusion medicine, experimental infections and immunohistochemical studies of poultry, epidemiology of food safety and incidence of contamination by pathogens, joint regeneration, and ultrastructural investigations. It is proposed that the inclusion of faculty mentors who have supported the comparable NIH sponsored program over the last 13 will ensure success in providing experiences that meet the program objectives for this application and demonstrate a long-standing institutional commitment. It is for these reasons that the grant application is submitted.
