The University of Nebraska REU Site will provide a research program for undergraduates during the summers of 2009-2011. Ten students will be selected to participate in a 10-week research experience in redox biology under the guidance of experienced faculty mentors. Redox biology includes oxidation-reduction linked biological reactions, redox signaling and regulation, and cellular defense mechanisms that minimize oxidative damage/stress. The summer program will enable students to explore fundamental redox processes related to biotechnology and the environment. The goal of the training program is to involve undergraduate students in broad-based research and significantly impact their career decisions. REU participants will conduct individual research projects under the guidance of a faculty mentor in the Redox Biology Center. The mentors offer a breadth of multidisciplinary approaches and share a common goal of understanding critical redox-active processes. Students will receive experimental training in a variety of areas including molecular biology, microbiology, biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, and protein crystallography, and will utilize state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. In addition, students will attend journal club meetings, career development seminars, lunch discussion groups, and social activities. The program will conclude with students presenting their research findings at a poster session. Participant selection will be based on academic achievements, research interests, and career goals. Students at smaller institutions with limited research opportunities and those from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. REU participants receive a stipend, full room and board, and travel assistance. More information can be found at www.unl.edu/RedoxBiologyCenter/summer.shtml, or by contacting Dr. Donald Becker at dbecker3@unl.edu or 402-472-9652.
REU SITE: Training in Redox Biology The goal of this training program, which is located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), was two-fold: 1) to teach science by involving undergraduate students in broad-based research and 2) to significantly impact student career decisions. The objectives of this program were to: 1) provide ten undergraduate students per year summer research experiences in the laboratories of faculty affiliated with the University of Nebraska Redox Biology Center; 2) introduce participating students to the diverse career paths available for researchers in molecular biosciences; and 3) provide a series of professional development activities to help participating students prepare for graduate research. Participants worked closely with mentors during the 10-wk program and slowly realized more independence as they developed their skills and knowledge base. Daily and informal feedback from the mentor and the faculty sponsor to the student was a critical activity in the training and development of each participant. Students also participated in the journal clubs and laboratory meetings of their research groups. As part of the training process, students submitted a paper describing their research findings and also presented their research at a poster fair at the end of the 10 weeks. Every participant also received laboratory safety training (3-hr class) on the second day of the program. Faculty sponsors presented weekly research seminars to expose participants to the wide variety of research in the Redox Biology Center. These seminars highlighted the application of basic research to a variety of fields related to biotechnology, the environment, and agriculture. It also helped students understand how a career in biochemical research would enable them to address problems in an array of biological processes in prokaryotes, fungi, plants and animals. In addition to the weekly research seminars, informal lunch group discussions were held every other week. Three of these sessions focused on learning about different graduate school programs available in molecular biosciences, what graduate school life is about, and various careers available in science. In addition to learning about career opportunities, students also enriched their professional development through various activities over the 10-week program. First, REU students participated in a two-part session on scientific ethics (as informal lunch sessions) that included defining scientific misconduct, plagiarism, ownership of knowledge and graduate education, responsible authorship, record keeping, and data ownership. After this introductory session, the REU participants were divided into groups of 3-4 students to discuss particular case studies to illustrate examples of whether reproducibility should be the benchmark for all research, image handling, sharing unpublished data, sharing reagents, and informed consent. The lunch sessions closed by discussing what leads to misconduct and the mechanisms that can be used to minimize misconduct in basic and clinical research. Overall, the students were actively engaged and enjoyed exploring the case studies. They are now better equipped to maintain high standards in their research practices. Second, the Office of Graduate School provided evening sessions on preparing for the GRE and a professional networking activity that was highly valued by the summer participants. In summary, this REU training program in redox biology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is having a nation-wide impact on science education as it successfully trains undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds to pursue graduate education and careers in science.
