Dear Roger, I have regularly supervised MChem final year students in their inorganic chemistry, and in earlier years physics students, two semester , two days, per week protein crystallography projects. A very good and consistent theme involves metal atoms binding to proteins. With quite a few student projects publications result, usually by combining with masters or PhD students results that in turn have built on the undergraduate projects. Increasingly these days, i find, PhD projects are well honed with clear objectives to secure their funding in the first place. Thus flexibility is greatest within undergraduate projects. The role of educator is a delicate balance of combining the challenging research along with the safe territory to definitely secure results; this principle and approach applies to undergraduate, masters and PhD projects, in my view. Best wishes, John
Prof John R Helliwell DSc FInstP CPhys FRSC CChem F Soc Biol. Chair School of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Athena Swan Team. http://www.chemistry.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/athena/index.html On 14 Jan 2014, at 15:25, Roger Rowlett <[email protected]> wrote: > I am co-organizing (with Kraig Wheeler) a session at the 2014 American > Crystallographic Association Meeting in Albuquerque, NM concerned with > engaging undergraduate students in protein crystallography. I would like to > encourage anyone who has involved undergraduate students in protein > crystallography in a research or instructional laboratory setting to submit > an abstract. We are probably looking at 30 minute presentations. The session > description is at the end of this message. > > Our past sessions have been well-populated with folks doing nice protein > crystallography work with undergraduates, and we would love to see some new > faces again this year. Past talks have described (1) integrating protein > crystallography research into the teaching lab, (2) some really innovative > and easy-to-adapt instructional laboratories, (3) how to write competitive > proposals to acquire instrumentation (ALWAYS popular), (4) how to train and > involve undergraduate students efficiently, etc. > > If you have successfully involved undergraduate students in protein > crystallography, acquired crystallography instrumentation, or have invented a > better instructional mousetrap, we want to hear from you! National lab, > research institution, undergraduate institution, liberal arts > college--whatever. This session is dedicated to showcasing some role models > for successful implementation of protein crystallography at the undergraduate > level at all types of institutions. > > Abstract deadline is January 31. If you have any questions, or are > interested/planning on submitting an abstract, please contact me. > > _________________________ > 2.2.1 Engaging Undergraduate Students with X-ray Crystallography > > The next generation of crystallography users is rapidly expanding from post > docs and graduate students to an even younger crowd - undergraduates. Success > with capturing this younger demographic is now well recognized in both formal > training and research experiences. This session is especially appropriate for > faculty wishing to involve undergraduates in protein and/or small molecule > crystallography, including new faculty or those considering academic > positions at undergraduate institutions. Presentations will address issues of > integration of crystallography into the curriculum, engaging undergraduates > in crystallography research, and strategies for faculty professional > development and instrument acquisition. > __________________________ > > Cheers, > > _______________________________________ > Roger S. Rowlett > Gordon & Dorothy Kline Professor > Department of Chemistry > Colgate University > 13 Oak Drive > Hamilton, NY 13346 > > tel: (315)-228-7245 > ofc: (315)-228-7395 > fax: (315)-228-7935 > email: [email protected]
