Training of Minority Students in Nutrigenomics

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> Nutrigenomics is a rapidly expanding field with applications in all sections of food science. The premise of this proposal is to train minority students and provide them with broad expertise and an integrative approach that translate knowledge and principles of food science and systems biology (-omics). Four specific objectives will be carried out: (1) Recruit and train undergraduate minority students into the field of nutrigenomics and increase their interest in and understanding of this subject. (2) Train and support minority graduate student(s) towards a thesis research in nutrigenomics. (3) Develop three courses in nutrigenomics for undergraduate and graduate students majoring in food science, and other related majors at AAMU. (4) Provide training via workshops, guest lectures, and seminars to high school teachers and faculty on
nutrigenomics. As one of the important principles for NIFA (NIFA should help build capacity of minority-serving institutions while achieving mission), this project will develop a much needed nutrigenomics curriculum to support the food science program at Alabama A&M University. The project will provide well trained and qualified underrepresented minorities who will assume important roles in the nation's agriculture systems, food industries and academia for a diversified global workforce. USDA-CBG Priority Area addressed by the project: Food safety, nutrition and health. It also addresses priority #2: Other Areas in General Food & Agricultural Science, and supports NIFA's Strategic Goal 2; which support recruitment, retention, training, graduation, and placement of the next generation of research scientists, educators, in the food and agricultural sciences.

<p>APPROACH:
<br/>Objective 1: Recruit and train undergraduate minority/African-American students into the field of nutrigenomics and increase their interest in and understanding of this subject. This objective is twofold. First, undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) will be recruited from food, nutrition and biological sciences departments into a summer research program. Our target is to recruit at least 4 students each summer term. The PD and co-PD will collaborate with our colleagues in the Biology and Chemistry departments to assist with the recruitment efforts. Students will work on research that will provide them with tangible experiences in genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. They will also learn how these technologies can be utilized to decipher problems in nutrition biochemistry, food biotechnology, food microbiology, and food toxicology and food
chemistry. The second component of this objective will provide paid research opportunities for 3 third and fourth year undergraduate students during the spring and fall semesters by providing them research positions in FS laboratories to benefit from hands-on research. After the completion of the program students will be required to prepare written and oral reports of experiential learning gained through this exposure. They will have multiple public-speaking opportunities to present their research, including a poster presentation at national or regional conference. We will document presentations via photographs and video recordings.
<br/>Objective 2: To train and support African-American graduate student(s) towards a thesis research in nutrigenomics research. For this objective we will recruit young scientists (M.S. students) and provide them with hands on training that will enhance their
understanding of bioactive components and how they affect human physiology and disease risks. Students will be assigned research projects on the use of nutrigenomics in the application of inflammatory diseases using Metabolomics and Transcriptomics approach in the assessment of bioaccessible dietary polyphenols and their metabolites on chronic inflammatory bowel disease. At the end of their research projects, students will become knowledgeable on the use of laboratory equipments such as real-time PCR system, micro- array based assay system, a flow cytometry, HPLC-LC/MS; MS/MS systems for food bioactive profiling as well metabolic profiling of biological samples, protein and DNA electrophoresis systems, amino acid sequencing system for amino acid detection in biological and bioactive samples.
<br/>Objective 3: To disseminate tangible knowledge generated by contemporary aspects of
Nutrigenomics, develop three courses in nutrigenomics for undergraduate and particularly graduate students majoring in food science, nutritional sciences as well as other related majors at AAMU. We will develop two nutrigenomics courses to be taught during regular school year. Applied nutrigenomics (700 level course) and an Introduction to Nutrigenomics (500 level course). These courses will be offered to graduate and graduating seniors, respectively, in food, nutrition and biological sciences. In Introduction to Nutrigenomics students will learn firsthand Integration of food science, genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology. The course will focus on the cellular and molecular basis of food-related diseases and nutrient-gene interactions. For the more advance Applied Nutrigenomics, students will gain some practical knowledge to apply Nutrigenomics in laboratory settings
(bioinformatics, genomics, microarrays, and proteomics, metabolomics, and system biology) and design food/nutritional strategies for prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes and cancer. A third laboratory research course will be offered to the third or fourth year students form food, nutrition and biological science that have a strong academic background with at least a B+ in the 2nd/3rd year and an interest in research. Basically, students, with guidance from a faculty member, will plan, carry out, and write a final report on an approved, limited research project. The course will prepare individual student with experience in all of the important aspects of the nutritional and food science research.
<br/>Objective 4: Provide training via workshops, guest lectures, and seminars to local high school teachers and faculty on nutrigenomics. Our plans
for this objective include the provision of a summer workshop program that will be conducted annually. This workshop (train the trainer model) will be organized for the high school science teachers from north Alabama area as well as the faculty and staff from AAMU who wish to enrich their professional development, and update their subject matter, its methods and pedagogy. Workshop participants will receive lectures in practical molecular biology techniques which will be designed to better comprehend sequencing, microarray methods, RNA and microRNA analysis and how they interrelate with bioinformatics, metabolomics and emerging DNA technology including personal genomics. Participants will be provided with packages to facilitate their instructions upon their return to their classrooms. These training packages will be delivered in an interactive, didactic, engaging and multi-media manner
(i.e., DVD recordings of their training activities, as well as instructions and demonstrations booklets). The workshop will include talks from invited speakers, visits to research labs, readings and hands-on lab activities. All materials produced and the progress of the project will be stored in the department of Food & Animal Science website as part of an outreach program.</p>