9605063 Johnson This is an REU Site in the field of Molecular Genetics. Participants will be recruited from high-quality institutions that focus primarily on undergraduate education. The students will undertake an intense 10-week summer research program that introduces them to a research problem, trains them in the experimental approaches that are used to attack the problem, stimulates them to develop independence, and enhances their ability to communicate scientific information to others. The research projects in which the students will participate will focus on the use of molecular-biological approaches to solve problems in genetics, cell and developmental biology. Particular emphasis will be placed on the students' independent planning of experiments, interpretation of experimental data and presentation of their observations to other students and faculty. The REU students will participate in the weekly meetings of each research group as well as the weekly REU seminar series to share their experiences and broaden their exposure to different research areas. At the end of the summer, the students will write a summary of their experimental results and present their results to the entire department in a poster format. The REU experience is designed to expose the students to an intense yet rewarding research experience and to encourage them to pursue a career in biological research.
