For the Teachers

Research Experience for Teachers (RET)

We offer a Research Experience for Teachers (RET), which is a six-week program of laboratory research combined with curriculum-development for high school science classes. Teachers are involved in design of experiments, conducting experiments in the PI's laboratory, analysis and interpretation of data. Teachers completing the program present their research findings at the Mississippi Academy of Sciences annual meeting. Additionally, teachers develop teaching materials and laboratory activities for their high school science curriculum.

Specific areas of interest are self-assembling amphipathic proteins secreted by fungi, which are "smart" materials and are able to assemble from aqueous solution onto hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces, form a membrane that binds tightly to the surface, and alter the nature of the surface. Significant biomedical, pharmaceutical, and other applications can be envisioned for these proteins or synthetic materials modeled. Teachers will be involved in developing improved methods for growth, isolation and characterization of these biopolymers. A typical day is developing and completing laboratory experiments with graduate and undergraduate students.

Science Courses for Integration and Enhancing New Curriculum in Education (S.C.I.E.N.C.E.)

Each summer over twenty high school students and five high school teachers from area schools participate in the six week program. Mornings are spent in vocabulary and readings relating science to every day life. In the afternoon students and teachers conduct laboratory experiments, ranging from recycling of plastics to isolation of DNA, conducted by university graduate and undergraduate students from Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Polymer Science Departments.

The teachers that participate develop hands-on activities, scientific experiments, and lecture courses to take back to their high school classrooms. This is accomplished by providing guides for the experiments as well as internet and library resources to follow up.

For more information about either of these programs please contact us.