Program descriptions

Molecular genetics & proteomics program

This National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) funded program is a ten-week summer program. The program begins with an intensive three-week laboratory course at Itasca Biological Station & Laboratories followed by a workshop in proteomics on the Twin Cities campus. The laboratory course in molecular genetics introduces students to basic techniques used in gene cloning, expression, and analysis and provides the background in molecular approaches used in this high-profile discipline. The proteomics workshop gives students the theoretical background and practical experience in protein analysis and identification. The remaining seven weeks of this program are spent on the Twin Cities campus in a faculty member’s laboratory participating in a research project that uses molecular genetics and proteomics approaches to address important biological questions.

Neuroscience program

The Neuroscience Program this year will feature a full ten weeks of research experience in one of the over 100 neuroscience laboratories here at University of Minnesota, with topics ranging from research in vision, drug abuse or pain to developmental neuroscience or behavior. Although it helps to have taken some chemistry and biology coursework, our students traditionally come from a variety of backgrounds. We plan to provide a brief classroom “Introduction to Neuroscience” to provide all our students with a useful level of background knowledge to supplement the laboratory experience they enjoy. In addition, there will be Neuroscience seminars and presentations scheduled that students will benefit from participating in.

Heart, lung, & blood program

Students in this National Institute of Health (NIH) funded program spend ten weeks in clinical or basic research projects designed to understand the molecular and cellular basis of cardiovascular, pulmonary, or hematologic disorders.

Global change ecology

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site is designed to introduce undergraduate students to research into global change ecology and teach them how to deal with large and/or multiple scales and data sets. Students participating in this program will conduct independent research with a faculty mentor at the University of Minnesota’s Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories (IBSL). Students will have access to continuously downloaded climate and limnological data from Lake Itasca and these data along with other databases will be used to train students to analyze and interpret large data sets. Check our 2008 participant projects.

Microbiology: From atoms to ecosystems

This new National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) program seeks to recruit talented undergraduates from across the country to engage in cutting-edge independent research experiences in Microbiology on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. The ten-week summer program will include a variety of activities, including a 5-day mini-course to refresh basic laboratory skills, workshops and field trips to foster effective scientific communication and explore research career options, and a final University-wide summer research symposium and poster session. The core of the experience will be an independent research project, mentored by one of more than 25 faculty members within the Department of Microbiology who study fundamental problems, ranging from the subatomic analysis of virus structure to the influence of microbial communities on entire ecosystems. The program will prepare students for research careers by linking explicit training in scientific communication with career planning and laboratory opportunities in some of the most exciting areas of contemporary Microbiology. Because the projects take advantage of many levels and modes of inquiry, they can also serve to underpin future research and careers in other natural sciences.

IGERT: Risk analysis for introduced species and genotypes

This NSF-funded research experience is designed to familiarize undergraduates with the ecological risk accompanying introduced species and genotypes. Next to habitat destruction, introduced species that become invasive are the world’s largest contributor to biodiversity loss. The summer undergraduate program prepares students for graduate work and careers that will contribute practical solutions to the many scientific and policy challenges surrounding the management of introduced species and genotypes. Each student is paired with a faculty-mentor to conduct a research project on either introduced species or genetically modified organisms. The program has a strong commitment to diversity.

LSSURP Compensation Package

* round trip airfare ONLY - approximate value

Poster symposia - research by past participants