REU Site: Research experience through collaborative teams in bioprocessing for conversion of waste into products of value

The objective of this project is to create a research experience that integrates undergraduate students in team-based research projects focused on converting biological wastes into products of value. The proposed REU site will provide a summer research experience for nine students per year, training 27 students over a 3-year period. Besides gaining research experience, we aim to impact student growth and development in two major areas: 1) communication of scientific results and 2) effective teamwork practices. In the course of growing as researchers, we also expect to observe positive changes in participant attitudes about research. Preparing future researchers aligns with the NSF mission of promoting the progress of science as well as advancing the field of bioprocess engineering. The objective of this project is to continue an existing REU site that integrates undergraduate students in team-based research projects focused on converting biological wastes into products of value. Solving this problem is an interdisciplinary challenge and we will engage teams of REU fellows and collaborating faculty mentors and graduate students. This team-based REU Site will i) result in a greater number of REU authors on peer-reviewed manuscripts compared to peer sites, ii) improve confidence and knowledge regarding effective team practices among fellows, and iii) increase fellows’ research self-efficacy and sense of identity as a researcher. Interdisciplinary projects will focus on 1) conversion of waste lignin into adhesives and carbon fibers, 2) aquaponics and bioponics for sustainable vegetable production, and 3) conversion of poultry processing wastes into valuable products. We will also support the REU fellows’ professional development through a range of rich learning activities that include hands-on workshops focused on 1) teamwork best practices, 2) research practice, 3) scientific writing and presentation, 4) literature evaluation, and 5) field trips to project-relevant sites. 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.