Microfluidic devices offer great versatility, high throughput, low analysis time, low cost, and, more importantly, performance that is comparable to standard bench-top instrumentation. Microfluidics is also an excellent platform to introduce students to microfabrication and nanotechnology, bridging chemistry with other fields such as engineering and biology. To spark interest in this emerging technology and to increase the science participation of students from underrepresented minorities, this International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) award will enable four U.S. undergraduate students per year to engage in research on microfluidics devices in São Paulo, Brazil. Participants in the IRES program will work mainly on the design and characterization of novel methods for the quantification of phenolic compounds. These compounds have been associated with a variety of health issues ranging from headaches to cancer, and are one of the research priorities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Student researchers will be mentored by Dr. Emanuel Carrilho of the University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil, and will spend eight weeks in the host researcher?s lab. Research projects will be complemented by the students? interaction with on-campus research groups and departmental activities, as well as a teaching module that includes ethics, safety and presentation skills. A focus on minority recruiting, combined with the involvement of graduate students as mentors, will promote the engagement of underrepresented minorities in this international research opportunity.
This award is co-funded by the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) and the Division of Chemistry (CHE).
