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Undergraduate Research Opportunities in Biotechnology

Working in CEMS bioengineering laboratories

In CEMS, Profs Hu, Srienc and Tranquillo's research efforts are entirely devoted to biochemical and biomedical engineering related areas. Their laboratories typically have five to ten positions for undergraduate students to participate in research. Some are in the form of undergraduate assistants at a pay rate determined by the student's status (freshman, sophomore, etc.), some are UROP supported, and others are students enrolled in Directed Studies. Participation in research projects is an excellent way to have a better understanding of life as a graduate student or as a career researcher. It is valuable for students thinking about going to graduate school as well as an excellent way to gain experience in problem-solving and task management. A good performance in the laboratory will certainly strengthen a student's application for admission to graduate school and for employment in a biotechnology/pharmaceutical company. Students interested in seeking opportunities to perform research in a professor's lab should contact the professor directly. In addition to those professors, others with at least part of their research program dealing with biological systems include Profs Frisbie, Ward, Francis, Barocas (BME) and Odett (BME).

Also check out UROP, which has two deadlines for application each year. Interested students should contact the potential sponsoring professor to prepare a research proposal. UROP provides students with a stipend to work in the sponsoring professors' laboratory.

Undergraduate research and study abroad

In addition to the study abroad program described in the Chemical Engineering undergraduate program brochure, it is possible to arrange a short-term research placement as an undergraduate assistant in a foreign institution. Such opportunity requires special arrangements and advanced planning that can be done in conjunction with or independent of study abroad. Because of visa status and employment regulations, students taking such an opportunity will most likely not receive financial compensation.

One possibility is for a student to spend a summer in a foreign host laboratory during their sophomore or junior year. Many of those students will have had laboratory participation experience in CEMS already. A number of departments/laboratories in many countries have maintained close contact with our bioengineering program and are in a position to accept our students. These countries include Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Germany, Spain and Singapore. Students interested in pursuing such experiences are urged to discuss the possibilities with Prof. Hu at least six months in advance.

This is not for everyone, but the experience is extremely enriching and exciting. Sandy Choi (ChE 1998) spent a summer at the Korea Advanced Institure of Science and Technology (see photo at right).