This project builds on a previous UBM Group project (0634598). Its overarching goal is to encourage, enable, and support students to do research at the interface of mathematics and biology on such diverse topics as functional site analysis of protein superfamilies, quantitative determination of phytochemical components and dynamics, flavanoid signaling and pathway modeling in Arabadopsis, mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis, and dynamics of cancer progression. It takes advantage of newly established genomics, proteomics and computational core laboratories and, through its support of interdisciplinary teams of mathematics and biology students and faculty, is helping to catalyze North Carolina A&T State University's (NCATSU) initiative to increase interdisciplinary (Math/bio) approaches in their research and curricular efforts.
Intellectual Merit: The project is being coordinated by the Mathematics, Biology, and General Education Departments and is helping to expand the intellectual foundation of both research and education at NCATSU. The cross-cutting applied nature of mathematical modeling and systems biology facilitates students from different disciplines working together and gaining a broader view than single-investigator projects. The modeling intellectual focus and tools span the range from prediction to identification of mechanistic structures. The research themes are specifically structured to complement the individual strengths and circumstances of each research mentor. Math-biology student teams work in tandem on specific projects in order to gain experience with mathematical models of biological applications. They are gaining a deeper understanding of the governing processes at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level through mathematical analysis of the overall dynamical system models and various numerical methods and simulations.
Broader Impact: The project is broadening diversity in biomathematics-related professions; providing mutual reinforcement between research and classroom activity; and providing a collaborative network for learning and teaching at the biomathematics interface. It is serving as a model for building curricular frameworks, coupled with meaningful undergraduate collaborative research experiences that attract and retain minority students on a competitive trajectory for biomathematical graduate study. The Mathematics and Biology Departments together are seeking to expand its success by disseminating information about its outcomes to a broad spectrum of other institutions.
There is an urgent national need to prepare undergraduates for careers in fields at the intersection of the biological and mathematical sciences. Advances in the last decades in biological science and information processing technologies mean that more data and information are available than ever before. High throughput biological sample processing technology, such as that used in next generation sequencing, swiftly delivers great volumes of data which automated processing can rapidly turn into contextually-meaningful results. The mathematical and logical analysis techniques required to construe the results of biological investigations are therefore as important as the biology. Hence, the boundary between biology and mathematics has become increasingly blurred. In particular at North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T), there was a critical need to better coordinate genuine research and classroom experience for undergraduates early in their academic careers. This prompted the launch of the Integrative Biomathematical Learning and Empowerment Network for Diversity (iBLEND). Our fundamental strategy was to inspire underrepresented minorities to pursue research careers by increasing the visibility of research conducted at the interface of mathematics and biology. The iBLEND program was devised to meet three main objectives: to broaden diversity in biomathematics professions, to mutually reinforce the roles of research and academic activities, and to establish a collaborative network for both learning and teaching at the interface between mathematics and biology. To fulfill these objectives, iBLEND has actively sought to attract minority undergraduates to the program, and to retain them through closely managed interdisciplinary mentorship; to ensure high-quality interaction, excellent teaching and interdisciplinary training and high quality research experience; and to foster the values of cooperation, communication and knowledge dissemination among students from both mathematics and biology faculty. We developed and implemented a faculty alliance across academic departments to increase biomathematics research opportunities for underrepresented minorities. At a critical transition point, starting between the freshmen and sophomore year, students build interpretive expertise and deep learning that crosses beyond conventional boundaries between biology, mathematics, computer science, physics and chemistry disciplines. Bench and field lab research complement mathematical and computational analyses to provide deeper understanding of the biological complexity spanning molecular to organismal scales. The strong interdisciplinary research projects and training are built on research strengths of faculty in the Departments of Biology and Mathematics enriched with collaborations with neighboring Research-1 institutions. As an immediate outcome of efforts described, an increasing number of undergraduates have actively engaged in hands- and minds-on research, and many more underrepresented students from our campus are motivated to continue graduate research. Hence, the culture has shifted in that more students anticipate research as a normal part of matriculation and not as a special activity for a select number of students. Since the beginning, iBLEND has mentored over 50 undergraduates. Our students presented over 100 research talks at international, national, and local conferences and received numerous awards for their biomathematics research. Most recently, iBLEND was cited by the National Academy of the Sciences as one of the most outstanding examples of a biomathematics research and training program in the nation. As a tangible outcome, more faculty view mentoring research students as a part of their normal duties and responsibilities that brings prestige to the student, the faculty, and the university. Potential NC A&T students now recognize this university as an institution that prepares students for research careers. All in all, the iBLEND emphasis on biomathematics-related research has shifted the biology and mathematics undergraduate culture, such that students emerge with competitive expertise distinctively prepared for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.
