Synthetic Biology Summer Undergraduate Research Experience
About the program
At the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering summer research experience program, students will have the opportunity to work alongside current graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, peers and faculty mentors. Our professional development workshops are geared towards providing hands-on research experiences and experimentation to prepare you for future research careers such as industry, academia, and government. While in the program, you will also participate in multiple research seminars, social activities, plus, earn a summer stipend of $6.5k*.
At the end of the program, all participants will have the opportunity to present their work in the form of a poster at an interdisciplinary research symposium.
*Limited campus housing supplements will be provided for external applicants on a need basis.
Program Duration
Participants must complete all 10 weeks of the program.
Potential and past research topics
- Discovery and engineering of plastic degrading enzymes
- Viral like particles as platforms for vaccine development
- Novel DNA endonucleases as tools for gene therapy
- Microbial strain development for renewable biofuels
Potential faculty mentors
Kevin V. Solomon
Associate Professor
Mark A. Blenner
Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professor
Wilfred Chen
Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering
Aditya M. Kunjapur
Assistant Professor
Eleftherios T. Papoutsakis
Unidel Eugene DuPont Chair Professor
Jesus Beltran
Assistant Professor of Plant and Synthetic Biology
Eligibility
- Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, and/or U.S. national.
- Be an undergraduate. If you have not graduated by the program end date, you are eligible.
- All majors are eligible given your academic and career interest in related subject matter. We prioritize diversity of majors and interests.
- Be available from June 3, 2024 – August 9, 2024.
No prior research experience is required. We look for students with and without experience.
Students from universities without a Ph.D. program in a synthetic biology-related area (such as biology, bioengineering, or chemistry) are especially encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
- CV/Resume
- Transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted)
- One reference
- A 250 word personal statement describing any past research experiences (or why you want to pursue research), why you are interested in synthetic biology, and how this research might impact your future goals
- Basic personal and educational background
Apply by February 28, 2024.