Research Infrastructure: REU Site: How Robustness and Resilience in Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stressors Shape Biological Processes

This REU Site award to The University of California, located in Berkeley, CA, will support the training of 10 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2025-2027. It is anticipated that a total of 30 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities, will be trained in the program. REU scholars will participate in a mentored, hands-on independent research experience in a University of California laboratory conducting experiments on how stress impacts biological systems. Structured curricular activities will provide preparation for graduate training and/or entering the STEM workforce. This project will contribute to developing the biological sciences workforce while building a community of mentors committed to training the next generation of biological scientists. The program will be assessed using surveys developed by the Student Experience in the Research University Consortium and by tracking participant career outcomes. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The scientific focus of this REU Site is board and centers on how robustness and resilience shape organism responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. REU scholars will join active research groups in the Departments of Integrative Biology, Molecular Cell Biology, Neurosciences, or Plant and Microbial Biology, working on projects that span distinct levels of biological organization using cutting-edge experimental biology approaches. Potential projects include studying evolutionary genetics in fish, neurobiology of social behaviors in voles, brain plasticity, plant pathogenesis, developmental biology in fruit flies exposed to different stressors, cellular stress responses, and physiology of insect seasonality. For professional development, REU scholars will receive training in scientific communication, oral presentation, writing skills, and responsible conduct of research. Scholars will also participate in career development panel discussions and faculty-led research seminars to understand more about the opportunities in the STEM workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.