Synthetic biology summer research program soon taking applications
Research experience greatly enhances undergraduate education, says Dr. Sue Carson (second from left), with BIT alumni Cara Buchanan and Bessie Bryant and lab manager Melissa Cox.
Photo Courtesty Sue Carson
A Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) grant from the National Science Foundation to faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will fund summer sessions for students to participate in cutting-edge research projects.
The N.C. State University Biotechnology (BIT) Program and the College’s Department of Plant Biology were awarded $199,434 to establish an REU site to provide undergraduates with a summer research experience in the area of synthetic plant biology, along with training in core laboratory skills in molecular biotechnology. The grant was awarded to CALS faculty members Dr. Sue Carson (principal investigator), professor of plant biology and BIT academic coordinator, and Dr. Wendy Boss (co-principal investigator), William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of plant biology.
The program will take place three consecutive summers — 2009, 2010 and 2011 — with a different group of students each summer. “We hope to renew funding after that time,” said Carson.
Undergraduate applications for the Summer 2009 program are due February 20, 2009.
Synthetic biology is “the design and construction of new biological parts, devices and systems, or the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes,” said Carson, citing syntheticbiology.org. “It is a cutting-edge technology that will attract students from a wide variety of interests and disciplines to the field of plant biology.”
Carson noted that N.C. State University has a strong core of plant biologists who are working with two aspects of synthetic plant biology — using recombinant plants as “factories” to generate useful products and developing model systems for studying fundamental biological mechanisms.
“Synthetic Biology research will go beyond traditional biotechnology by challenging the students to identify novel genes from other organisms and to use them to improve plant growth and development,” she said. “Students will benefit from being mentored by project leaders engaged in this exciting field. Mentors were selected for both their scientific expertise and for their supportive mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students.”
Other participating faculty members include Dr. Amy Grunden, microbiology; Dr. Linda Hanley-Bowdoin, biochemistry; Dr. Robert Kelly, BIT director, chemical engineering; Dr. Gary Payne, plant pathology; Imara Perera, plant biology; Dr. Dominique Robertson, plant biology; Dr. Heike Winter Sederoff, plant biology; and DeYu Xie, plant biology.
The nine-week sessions include a week of the Biotechnology Bootcamp lab workshop and orientation and eight weeks dedicated to the students’ research projects in synthetic biology, along with various enrichment and social activities. Activities include a bioinformatics workshop, REU group meetings to discuss research projects, faculty research seminars, a field trip to Research Triangle Park, safety training, a research ethics workshop, a poster presentation workshop, participation in the NCSU summer research and a mentoring workshop on applying to graduate school.
The Biotechnology Bootcamp, a three-day lab intensive training course, will take place in the state-of-the-art Biotechnology Education Facility on the 6th floor of Jordan Hall. The Bioinformatics workshop and weekly participant meetings will also take place in the Biotechnology Education Facility. Students will perform their research projects in selected faculty members’ labs across campus.
A total of 11 students per year will participate for the three consecutive summers: The NSF is funding eight students per year, and “the office of the NCSU vice chancellor has committed additional funds to mentor an additional three students per year,” Carson said.
Targeted student participants include rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors in various majors — including biology, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering, microbiology, and plant biology — who have demonstrated an interest in using molecular tools to solve problems and to understand basic biology.
Particular consideration will be given to underrepresented groups. Students enrolled in colleges and universities other than NCSU will be given priority; however, a small number of NCSU students may be admitted.
“While this is a great opportunity for undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research projects,” said Carson, “it is also a fantastic opportunity for NCSU to bring in the best and brightest undergraduates from around the country and get them excited about the possibility of pursuing graduate studies here. We will be recruiting both locally and nationally and hope to attract a diverse student population.”
Carson said the NCSU program was chosen to receive the grant because of the innovative program components, as well as the quality of the research experiences offered to the student participants.
— Terri Leith
For the application form, go to www.ncsu.edu/biotechnology/ and click on REU or email sue_carson@ncsu.edu.
The N.C. State University Biotechnology (BIT) Program and the College’s Department of Plant Biology were awarded $199,434 to establish an REU site to provide undergraduates with a summer research experience in the area of synthetic plant biology, along with training in core laboratory skills in molecular biotechnology. The grant was awarded to CALS faculty members Dr. Sue Carson (principal investigator), professor of plant biology and BIT academic coordinator, and Dr. Wendy Boss (co-principal investigator), William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of plant biology.
The program will take place three consecutive summers — 2009, 2010 and 2011 — with a different group of students each summer. “We hope to renew funding after that time,” said Carson.
Undergraduate applications for the Summer 2009 program are due February 20, 2009.
Synthetic biology is “the design and construction of new biological parts, devices and systems, or the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes,” said Carson, citing syntheticbiology.org. “It is a cutting-edge technology that will attract students from a wide variety of interests and disciplines to the field of plant biology.”
Carson noted that N.C. State University has a strong core of plant biologists who are working with two aspects of synthetic plant biology — using recombinant plants as “factories” to generate useful products and developing model systems for studying fundamental biological mechanisms.
“Synthetic Biology research will go beyond traditional biotechnology by challenging the students to identify novel genes from other organisms and to use them to improve plant growth and development,” she said. “Students will benefit from being mentored by project leaders engaged in this exciting field. Mentors were selected for both their scientific expertise and for their supportive mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students.”
Other participating faculty members include Dr. Amy Grunden, microbiology; Dr. Linda Hanley-Bowdoin, biochemistry; Dr. Robert Kelly, BIT director, chemical engineering; Dr. Gary Payne, plant pathology; Imara Perera, plant biology; Dr. Dominique Robertson, plant biology; Dr. Heike Winter Sederoff, plant biology; and DeYu Xie, plant biology.
The nine-week sessions include a week of the Biotechnology Bootcamp lab workshop and orientation and eight weeks dedicated to the students’ research projects in synthetic biology, along with various enrichment and social activities. Activities include a bioinformatics workshop, REU group meetings to discuss research projects, faculty research seminars, a field trip to Research Triangle Park, safety training, a research ethics workshop, a poster presentation workshop, participation in the NCSU summer research and a mentoring workshop on applying to graduate school.
The Biotechnology Bootcamp, a three-day lab intensive training course, will take place in the state-of-the-art Biotechnology Education Facility on the 6th floor of Jordan Hall. The Bioinformatics workshop and weekly participant meetings will also take place in the Biotechnology Education Facility. Students will perform their research projects in selected faculty members’ labs across campus.
A total of 11 students per year will participate for the three consecutive summers: The NSF is funding eight students per year, and “the office of the NCSU vice chancellor has committed additional funds to mentor an additional three students per year,” Carson said.
Targeted student participants include rising college sophomores, juniors and seniors in various majors — including biology, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering, microbiology, and plant biology — who have demonstrated an interest in using molecular tools to solve problems and to understand basic biology.
Particular consideration will be given to underrepresented groups. Students enrolled in colleges and universities other than NCSU will be given priority; however, a small number of NCSU students may be admitted.
“While this is a great opportunity for undergraduates to participate in cutting-edge research projects,” said Carson, “it is also a fantastic opportunity for NCSU to bring in the best and brightest undergraduates from around the country and get them excited about the possibility of pursuing graduate studies here. We will be recruiting both locally and nationally and hope to attract a diverse student population.”
Carson said the NCSU program was chosen to receive the grant because of the innovative program components, as well as the quality of the research experiences offered to the student participants.
— Terri Leith
For the application form, go to www.ncsu.edu/biotechnology/ and click on REU or email sue_carson@ncsu.edu.