IRES Track II. Engage Globally: Tropical Plants Metabolomics Advanced Studies Institute in Kenya

This IRES track II Award to Bowie State University, Bowie, in collaboration with Morgan State University in Baltimore MD, will support ten graduate students for three weeks annually during winter/ summers of 2021- 2023 for a series of Advanced Studies Institutes. Training is primarily conducted at Nairobi University with collaborating organizations in Kenya in the area of Plant Bioactive compounds.

This project trains global scientists and develops a student’s identity as a scientist by providing global training exposure to minority graduate students. The project has the following objectives: (1) Educating student researchers for a global world; (2) Developing a student’s identity as scientists; and (3) Developing student teamwork, leadership, problem solving and presentation skills.

The students will be mentored and trained in research methodology and techniques and skills in Plant Metabolomics while being involved in real research in Plant Science, thereby advancing discovery and understanding in Natural Products as well as promoting teaching and training of the underrepresented minorities in STEM and broadening participation.

Plant Metabolomics Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) will use metabolomics approaches to study Tropical Plants used in Traditional Medicine system in Kenya, Africa. Metabolomics Technologies is one of the most recent of the ‘-omics’ approaches to emerge that enables the analysis of the metabolite production by plants. Higher plants are ‘treasure houses’ for a repertoire of phytochemicals, particularly secondary metabolites with bioactive molecules which been used to combat several fatal diseases the world over.

Some of Kenyan forests have been defined as biodiversity hotspot of great global importance and yet some of these plants are threatened with extinction. Each ASI will include lectures by US and Kenyan Scientists, a field trip, followed by laboratory analysis of samples. The student team of one US and one Kenyan student will collaborate with their US and Kenyan mentors to develop experimental plans, will perform analysis and then will give joint presentations at the end of the ASI during a closing Symposium.

Each team will co-author a scientific presentation that will be given by the US student at an international conference post-ASI. For more information, contact PI as [email protected].

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.