This award from the Division of Chemistry (CHE) supports a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site led by Shelia David and Jared Shaw at the University of California - Davis for three summers, commencing in 2010. The site will support nine students per summer in a ten week program. The research projects focus on chemical research applied to problems in energy and catalysis. Sample projects include: (1) protein engineering and synthetic biology for biofuel production; (2) the study of the electrocatalytic, multielectron reduction of carbon dioxide into liquid fuels; (3) the study of the enzymes involved in Photosystem II; (4) the study of the catalytic mechanisms of biosynthetic enzymes; (5) the study of the repair of damaged DNA by enzymes ; (6) the structural and kinetic study of photosynthetic enzymes; (7) the development of new silicon-based catalysts; (9) the synthesis of novel thermoelectric materials; (10) the optimization of C5 and C6 sugar co-utilization in biofuel synthesis, and (11) the assembly of nanosheet diodes for sunlight to fuel conversion . In addition to conducting research during the summer, the students participating in this program will participate in a number of professional development activities, including industrial site-visits as well as workshops to develop strong communication skills. Students will be recruited from a number of institutions, including a number of schools that are minority-serving. In addition, this REU site will recruit blind and visually-impaired students through a partnership with the National of the Blind.
Young scientists need exposure to modern research methods and tools as part of their training. This REU site aims to provide cutting-edge research training in the chemical sciences to a significant number of students who might not otherwise have this opportunity. The research projects are in areas of chemistry that will have an impact in the areas of energy and sustainability. The diverse student cohort participating in research at this site will be well-prepared for graduate school, and eventual employment as part of the country's technical workforce.
