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Project Description Development

Tabbetha DobbinsCreated for Louisiana Tech’s NSF-Funded

Research Experiences in Micro/Nano EngineeringProgram

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Hypothesis Heuristics

1. Specify the nature or direction of the relationship(s) of the variables under consideration.

2. Indicate how they will be empirically tested.3. Not value judgments (A is better than B).4. Not trivial; for example, they do not predict a relationship

that is already well-established.5. Do not predict a lack of significant differences or

correlations.

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Handout

You have been given the handout:

Project Formulation.doc

Which contains descriptions of four projects that an REU student might be given. Consider the appropriateness of each description for the student’s level and the timeframe of the REU program.

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Problem Description 1

Alkylating agents represent an abundant class of chemical DNA damaging agent in our environment and they are toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. Since we are continuously exposed to alkylating agents, and since certain alkylating agents are used for cancer chemotherapy, it is important to understand exactly how cells respond when exposed to these agents. We will have our REU student to use Affymetrix oligonucleotide DNA chip analysis to monitor the transcriptional response of the entire S. cerevisiae genome, i.e., all 6,200 genes in response to a number of different alkylating agents.

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Problem Description 1

Good Aspects Includes the “big picture”

Not So Good Aspects 6200 genes is too many. May not be intellectually challenging.

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Project 2

We will have our REU student studying the development of polymers to deliver drugs including the development of effective long-term delivery systems for insulin, interferon, growth hormones and vaccines.

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Project 2

Too many variables

Which drug will be examined

Lacks focus/too vague

No “big picture”

May be too long-term

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Project 3

Our laboratory uses microfabrication tools to study the structure/function relationship of the liver. Our REU students will leave the program having expertise in microfabrication, liver biology, stem cells, biomaterials, polymer chemistry, or tissue engineering.

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Project 3

No hypothesis

Too many areas to gain expertise in

Too vague

Only trains student as a lab tech

May be too mechanical, not creative

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Project 4

Our research laboratory focuses on Biomedical (orthopedics, cancer, cardiovascular) and non-medical (chemistry, physics, materials science, engineering) applications of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS). An REU student working with our group will study layer-by-layer self assembled polystyrene sulfonate polymer distributions within silica aerogels by 1H NMR imaging.

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Project 4

Better than the other 3

Defines a project

More specific

Provides an overview

Techniques and materials are defined

Research question is not clear

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Project Description

We will have our REU student studying the development of polymers to deliver drugs including the development of effective long-term delivery systems for insulin, interferon, growth hormones and vaccines.

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Project Description - Leaders

Our group studies the development of polymers. The REU student will coat insulin with PSS and PAH with the LbL technique and measure the lifetime in PBS as a function of the number of layers.

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Project Description - Climbers

We will have our REU student studying the development of a polymer to deliver insulin and study the efficacy of insulin delivery over 24 hours in vitro.

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Skills and Values

Polymer and drug chemistryInteraction of polymer-drug systemsTime course of drug deliveryAdvantage of in vivo vs in vitro systemsLab notebook developmentEquipment and techniquesHow to approach new pieces of equipmentLab techniques

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How to package the project

One tool can be used for multiple purposes

Being able to operate one tool will make it easier to operate others.