Biology research experiences for undergrads offered for summer

Thanks to new funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), starting in Summer 2011 Brandeis will offer the new Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in cell and molecular visualization. This new grant, organized by principal investigator Susan T. Lovett, will provide funding for 10 undergraduates to spend 10 weeks at Brandeis this summer to work on independent research projects in close collaboration with faculty mentors.

Lovett’s area of research concerns how the bacterial chromosome alters its structure in response to the environment.  

NSF REU programs place special emphasis on providing research opportunities for underrepresented groups in science, and for students whose colleges or universities cannot provide cutting-edge research facilities. The new program will join Brandeis’s existing MRSEC REU and other summer research activities in providing a lively atmosphere for young researchers.

This competitive program will provide stipends of $5,000 for each student, plus housing and meal allowances. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, have completed their sophomore or junior year of study and be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate college or university. Further information, including an application form, is available on the biology website.

“Students will have an opportunity to interact with scientists with diverse interests at different stages in their careers,” says Lovett. “The program also includes professional development activities that aim to prepare students for the next step of their own careers.”

The theme of the program is cellular and molecular visualization, with a focus on diverse areas such as biopolymers, chromosome dynamics, cytoskeleton assemblies and neuronal activity.