Crystallography Research Experiences for Undergraduates

The Chemistry Department at the University of Toledo will be hosting a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) focusing on "Exploring Structures of Molecules and Materials" from June through early August, 2010.

Students will learn to use a variety of structural characterization methods, including crystallographic techniques.

The summer program will start with three days of introductory coursework covering the basics of scattering and diffraction methods, NMR, mass spectrometry, and electron microscopy. Hands-on training using state-of-the-art instruments available in the Arts & Sciences Instrumentation Center at UT will be an integral part of the coursework, allowing the undergraduate researchers to get an appreciation for the applicability of the techniques covered in the theory sessions. The remainder of the first week will be spent on a two day trip to Argonne National Laboratory, where students will have the opportunity to visit the Advanced Photon Source and participate in experiments on several beamlines. This will expose the students to cutting-edge research facilities, and will hopefully instill excitement about crystallography related research. A number of students will gain additional exposure to national facilities through participation in their group’s research projects during their internships.

Participating mentors include: Amanda Bryant-Friedrich (analysis of oxidative damage in DNA using NMR, mass spectrometry and crystallography); Connie Schall, in collaboration with Paul Langan at LANL (fiber diffraction studies of cellulose); Cora Lind in collaboration with Zhongwu Wang at CHESS (powder diffraction studies of negative thermal expansion materials under non-ambient conditions; Don Ronning (study of tuberculosis infection by protein crystallography); John Belizzi (crystallographic analysis of circadian proteins); Leif Hanson (neutron and x-ray scattering techniques to study protein complexes); Max Funk (crystallographic and scattering methods to study lipoxygenases); Terry Bigioni (colloidal nanoparticles); Timothy Mueser, in collaboration with Kandace Williams at the UT School
of Medicine (neutron and x-ray scattering and diffraction methods to analyze DNA replication and repair complexes); and Wendell Griffith (analysis of protein conformation through a combination of x-ray diffraction and mass spectrometry).

To apply, go here

The fellowship includes a stipend, housing, and the visit to Argonne National Laboratory.