NSF REU at CBiRC: A Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals
Program Overview
CBiRC’s core mission is to transform the chemical industry by integrating biological and chemical catalysis systems to produce biorenewable chemicals. In the U.S. the production of industrial chemicals is a >$400 billion enterprise that underpins all aspects of society from personal care to building materials. However, this vital industry is intrinsically not sustainable. The sustainability of this industry is ultimately predicated on transitioning from current nonrenewable, petroleum feedstocks, to renewable bio-based feedstocks. CBiRC is currently developing integrated conversion technologies needed to facilitate the transition from nonrenewable petroleum-based feedstocks to renewable bio-based feedstocks. CBiRC is conducting fundamental research to address the underlying technical challenges in the development of new integrated catalytic systems for the conversion of bio-based feedstocks to industrial chemicals.
Iowa State University has superb facilities and a distinguished group of researchers in biorenewable chemicals collaborating with other world-class faculty at CBiRC partner institutions. This REU program provides opportunities for summer research experience in the following areas:
- biocatalysts for pathway engineering
- microbial metabolic engineering
- chemical catalyst design
- life cycle analysis of biorenewable chemicals.
Participants will work on interdisciplinary teams with faculty, graduate students, post-docs, and in some cases industrial partners. They will also engage with students participating in other Iowa State University based REU program in seminars, short courses, research tours, field trips and social events with mentors, graduate students, postdoctoral associates and others involved in the research of biorenewables. Students participating in the CBiRC REU program will be expected to work in a research lab for 40 hours per week for 10 weeks, participate in weekly lab meetings and all other scheduled events. At the end of they will be required to present their research finding both orally and in the form of a poster.
