Genome Hunters (Salty Chips)
Robert Furrow, University of California-Davis

A CURE Project for STEM Education at HBCU - Surface Pattern Design for Chemical Mechanical Polishing Pad
ZHICHAO LI, North Carolina A & T State University
Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is widespread employed in many manufacturing industries such as semiconductor and aerospace. The objective of the present CURE project is to introduce the specific advanced manufacturing process to sophomore and junior students at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. The CURE course will be combined and implemented through the course of ISEN324 (Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture). Students in this CURE course will experience a basic training on how to conduct engineering research and development activities in manufacturing industry, develop skills in engineering design and precision manufacturing, and obtain capabilities in applying STEM knowledge to analyze and resolve engineering problems in real industry through modeling, simulation and optimization research steps.

TRANSFER STUDENT CURE: Multi-organismal genomic analysis of molecular determinants of protein assembly.
Dylan Murray, University of California-Davis

Extraction of Lycopene and other Antioxidants from Tomatoes
Marion Franks, North Carolina A & T State University
This CURE is focused on exposing undergraduate students to the use of chemical instrumentation to observe the composition of antioxidants in natural products. Students will learn how to read scientific literature, develop a hypothesis, plan research, interpret data, and relate the data to ongoing phenomenon.

The Amazing World of Chemicals - Biosynthesis of natural products
Sibongile Mafu, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Students have the opportunity to discover or engineer novel compounds through enzyme discovery or modifications of known enzymes. This includes molecular biology encompassing cloning DNA minipreps and transformations in bacteria or plants and analytical analysis of the "novel" compound. This process allows the student to emulate a process used by many biotech companies that manufacture natural products. More importantly the CURE integrates, applies and develops the techniques they have learnt throughout the BMB curriculum with an emphasis of experimental design, data analysis and critical thinking.

Structural Information-based Protein Engineering Authentic Scientific Inquiry Laboratory
Keiichi Yoshimatsu, Missouri State University
This course plan aims to assists students for acquiring the basic skillsets for rendering 3D structure of proteins, making a working hypothesis on how single amino acid mutation might affect the function of proteins, manipulation of recombinant DNA, and expression/purification/characterization of proteins. The course plan also envisions to motivate undergraduate students and encourage their participation in independent research. The course plan is prepared for upper-level undergraduate biochemistry lab courses. However, it can be adapted to graduate coursework. It is mainly targeted to students in biochemistry, chemistry, biology, or related majors.

Does grazing influence the structure of aquatic and riparian communities?
Tim Armstrong, Adams State University; Megan Dudley, Adams State University; Dan Gibson-Reinemer, Adams State University
This CURE will examine the effects of grazing using a natural experiment in the mountains surrounding the San Luis Valley, Colorado. The eastern Sangre de Cristo Mountains have not been grazed for at least 50 years, and the western San Juan Mountains continue to be grazed. We will test if grazing affects the structure of aquatic and riparian communities as part of a larger interdisciplinary project.

Spatial Distribution of Food Resources in the Phoenix Metro Area.
Elena Ortiz, Phoenix College
The main research question/ driving question is: How are food resources distributed across the urban landscape? Students will explore previous work on food deserts in the Phoenix Metro area, use census data, USDA data, collect and compile data on the local food system, create data visualizations and maps, and determine future data needs. Students will also determine stakeholders and community members that could act on the results of their findings and identify appropriate ways to communicate their research to those audiences.

Mutant Frogs, Hormones, & Genes: Using gene editing to investigate the molecular basis for hormone regulated development
Carla Fresquez, University of California-Davis
Students will investigate a most remarkable example of hormone action in nature: amphibian metamorphosis. They'll observe development of our model, Xenopus laevis, from fertilized egg to swimming tadpole, at which point they can simply add thyroid hormone to induced early metamorphosis. In this iteration of the CURE, students will characterize TALEN induced thyroid hormone receptor mutant lines, including the development of simple and reproducible PCR screening methods for genotyping the large numbers of embryos that result from mating in Xenopus, an advantage of the system if rapid genotyping can be developed. At the conclusion of the CURE, students will appreciate the amphibian life cycle and how the same hormone can cause drastically different cellular, tissue, and organ changes. They will also contribute directly to research on the role of different receptors in mediating those changes, specifically developing rapid PCR screening methods to identify tadpoles with genome editing induced mutations in specific receptor types.

Soil health analysis at the NC A&T Student farm
Arnab Bhowmik, North Carolina A & T State University
Soil health is the capacity of soil to not only be productive but maintain ecological services. The NC A&T student farm is an excellent opportunity for students to have hands-on experience for soil science related experiential learning. This project will allow the students to develop skills to sample, test, analyse and interpret soil properties as a function of different soil mangement strategies