REU Site: Genomics and Computational Biology

This REU Site award to the University of Georgia (UGA) located in Athens, GA, will support the training of 30 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2027- 2029. It is anticipated that students trained in the program will primarily apply from universities with limited research opportunities. Undergraduate students will gain experience with genomics approaches and computational workflows, providing foundational training in data science skills and biotechnology. Students will learn about career paths in academic science and industry research, resulting in workforce development related to the US bioeconomy. This UGA REU site has been in existence for 22 years and has trained over 200 REU participants who have contributed to fundamental discoveries about telomerase, gene regulation, the biological clock, and the biochemistry of red tides. Students will learn how research is conducted, and all participants will present their work at a final symposium on the UGA campus, and potentially at additional scientific conferences. Assessment of this program will be done through the UGA Center for Teaching and Learning. Students should apply to the REU site using NSF ETAP (Education and Training Application: https://etap.nsf.gov). The training students will receive is aligned with the NSF priorities in AI and Biotechnology. The scientific focus of this program is on genomics, computational biology, systems biology, metabolomics, proteomics, and glycomics. Faculty mentors come from various departments and centers, including Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute of Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Physics and Astronomy, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, Microbiology, Marine Sciences and Communication. Students from schools with limited research opportunities are especially encouraged to apply. In addition to developing a research project over 10 weeks, students participate in bioethics and communication training, research seminars, and workshops hosted by several other interlocking REU sites on the UGA campus. Past research projects on this REU site have included the study of the biological clock, telomerase, marine microbiology, adaptive immunity through CRISPR/CAS systems, novel algorithms for network reconstruction, identification of network motifs, and constructing large scale database tools in systems biology. 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.