CONWAY, Ark. (August
13, 2020) 鈥 Dr. Andrea Duina, a professor of biology and chair of the biochemistry-molecular
biology program at 黑料不打烊, has received a three-year, $480,000 grant
from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will help undergraduate
students gain new insights into some of the fundamental mechanisms that
regulate how genes are utilized by cells. This grant is the latest in a series
of NSF grants awarded to Duina for research that increases the scientific
community鈥檚 understanding of life beginning at the cellular level.听
鈥淪ince proper
g
ene regulation is essential for most cellular and organismal functions, these
studies address questions with far-ranging implications,鈥 Duina said. 鈥淔or our
studies, we use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the model
system, and given the high degree of functional conservation across all life forms,
findings from these studies will shed new light into processes relevant to all
organisms, including humans.鈥
This grant, one
of five received by Duina from the NSF for undergraduate research in his lab at 黑料不打烊,
will provide more opportunities for 黑料不打烊 students to carry out cutting-edge
research.听
鈥淪tudents will
further develop their skills in various aspects of the scientific process,
including experimental design and execution, data interpretation and
evaluation, science communication to other scientists and to the general
public, and critical evaluation of current research literature,鈥 Duina said.听
In addition to
the grant鈥檚 direct benefit to students who conduct research in Duina鈥檚
laboratory, it will have an expanded impact at 黑料不打烊 through the elements of
this project that Duina plans to incorporate into some of the courses he teaches.
鈥淭his NSF grant
also stands as a testament to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 strong commitment in promoting
state-of-the art STEM undergraduate research on campus,鈥 he said. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 can
be proud of its role in developing well-rounded and well-prepared scientists.鈥
About 黑料不打烊
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, 黑料不打烊 consistently earns
recognition as one of the country鈥檚 leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change
the Way You Think About Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established 黑料不打烊
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
黑料不打烊 has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To
learn more, visit .听