Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB)
Grant Award Details
Grant Type:
Grant Number:
EDUC5-13686
Investigator(s):
Award Value:
$2,909,999
Status:
Active
Progress Reports
Reporting Period:
Year 1
Reporting Period:
Year 2
Reporting Period:
Year 3
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB)
Public Abstract:
The goal of the UC Merced COMPASS: Training Undergraduates in Stem Cell Engineering and Biology (TUSCEB) program is to provide diverse students specialized training such that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to support the industry’s hiring needs for growth of the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine in the State of California. Our rigorous training plan is designed to focus on sets of core skills and depth in the specific skills needed in regenerative medicine and biotechnology. We will train 40 trainees over 5 years. The training program for each student will take just under 2 years to complete and include three academic semesters plus 2 summer sessions. The three academic semesters will require that the trainees enroll in one lecture-based course each semester plus one 1-hour COMPASS meeting per month. These include Developmental Biology, Developmental Biology Lab, Engineering Multicellular Living Systems (e.g. Tissue Engineering) and an optional course from a list of selected courses identified to enrich the students’ training (such as advanced molecular biology lab and data science courses).
The foundational Developmental Biology Lab course is designed as a course-based research experience. In addition, each trainee will be matched with a faculty research mentor for in-depth training in research. The student’s First Summer will focus on full-time undergraduate research at UC Merced in the laboratory of one of our stem cell faculty. The summer program will take advantage of the supplemental training, career development, and networking opportunities provided by our Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center (UROC) which culminates in an end-of-summer research symposium. The First Summer will also include 3 hours per week of a Human Stem Cell Culture Training Module for hands-on training in human stem cell culture. The trainees’ Fall will include continuing research with a UC Merced faculty mentor. During the trainee’s Second Spring, the students will complete their capstone project including an oral defense of their written mini-thesis. The last component of the training program is during the Scholars’ Second Summer in which they will be matched with an Industry Partner hosting an external summer internship.
Ancillary activities include a Patient and Healthcare Engagement Experience, monthly COMPASS meetings for mentoring, career development and networking, and community outreach events ranging from high school visits to participation in a local symposium on campus to raise awareness about stem cell and regenerative medicine in our communities in the Central Valley of California, an area historically underserved in education and health care.
The foundational Developmental Biology Lab course is designed as a course-based research experience. In addition, each trainee will be matched with a faculty research mentor for in-depth training in research. The student’s First Summer will focus on full-time undergraduate research at UC Merced in the laboratory of one of our stem cell faculty. The summer program will take advantage of the supplemental training, career development, and networking opportunities provided by our Undergraduate Research Opportunity Center (UROC) which culminates in an end-of-summer research symposium. The First Summer will also include 3 hours per week of a Human Stem Cell Culture Training Module for hands-on training in human stem cell culture. The trainees’ Fall will include continuing research with a UC Merced faculty mentor. During the trainee’s Second Spring, the students will complete their capstone project including an oral defense of their written mini-thesis. The last component of the training program is during the Scholars’ Second Summer in which they will be matched with an Industry Partner hosting an external summer internship.
Ancillary activities include a Patient and Healthcare Engagement Experience, monthly COMPASS meetings for mentoring, career development and networking, and community outreach events ranging from high school visits to participation in a local symposium on campus to raise awareness about stem cell and regenerative medicine in our communities in the Central Valley of California, an area historically underserved in education and health care.
Statement of Benefit to California:
Our proposed training program will benefit the State of California and its citizens at several levels. This program will create the workforce necessary to support stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine. This, in turn, will be the springboard for improvements in health care, increase in tax revenues, and improvements in education for California residents. Our program is targeted for students at the University of California, Merced, and will benefit the state of California by supporting the state’s newest campus and its premier public research institution of higher education and making creating career opportunities for its diverse populations of citizens. As this program is funded by CIRM, it is highly likely that Californians would be the primary recipients of therapies supported by our trainees. Stem cell research already relies on a number of products and tools manufactured and sold in the state of California. If successful, research will require a scaled-up version of protocols designed for regenerative medicine. This could attract new biotechnology companies in the state, boosting the tax revenue in the state. This in turn, will provide new jobs for California state residents. Establishment of successful stem cell therapeutics in California will encourage institutions of higher education to promote science education to fill the jobs created by stem cell research. This will retain California students in the state that are interested in biomedical research and medical careers. Furthermore, it could attract out-of-state students seeking degrees that will allow them access to careers in stem cell research. It is envisioned that this will trickle down to the K-12 levels and provide funding to promote science education at all levels.
Community outreach events will educate the public on the field of stem cell research, emphasizing the innovations to healthcare, as well as, current challenges in stem cell therapy. These activities contribute to fostering knowledgeable voters that support California’s efforts in stem cell research.
Publications
- Cells (2023): Hedgehog Signaling in Cortical Development. (PubMed: 38201225)
