Targeted Infusion Project: Intelligent RNA: Building a Scalable Model for AI Integrated RNA Science Education at Howard University

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), through Targeted Infusion Projects, supports the development, implementation, and study of evidence-based, innovative models and approaches for improving the preparation and success of HBCU undergraduate students so that they may pursue science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs and/or careers. The goal of this project is to advance students’ knowledge of the advances in ribonucleic acid (RNA) and the role they play in transforming medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and manufacturing while increasing the preparation of students for a technically skilled workforce. This project will establish an interdisciplinary undergraduate training experience at Howard University that prepares students to investigate how RNA molecules regulate biological systems. This project plans to expand access to meaningful research experiences for undergraduate biology students through an enhanced RNA curriculum that will leverage training skills in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing. The project has the potential to contribute to undergraduate science education by demonstrating a scalable model for integrating authentic research into a required biology course. The project also has the potential to contribute new data on intelligent RNA while exploring the broader scientific implications of its findings, while also serving as a potential transferable model for institutions seeking to expand participation in research-based science education and the biotechnology workforce. The project aims to accomplish this by designing and implementing an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum integrating RNA transcriptome analysis, RNA-RNA and RNA-protein interaction studies, quantitative biophysics, structural modeling, and reproducible computational workflows. Students will generate and analyze sequencing data, investigate RNA-protein interactions, characterize molecular size, charge, and aggregation, and model RNA and protein structures using authentic biological datasets. Experimental measurements will be integrated with computational predictions so that students can evaluate model confidence, interpret agreement or disagreement across methods, and refine biological hypotheses. Project outcomes will include competency-based training across four instructional domains, micro-certificates, Bioscience Core Skills Institute credentialing activities, structured undergraduate research experiences, and a scalable framework for strengthening RNA science education and workforce preparation at Howard University. The project has the potential to contribute new data on RNA science, support student professional and technical training, and provide a scalable model for institutions seeking to advance training in 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.