Field of Genomics

The field of Genomics is, probably, the fastest growing filed in biomedical and biological research, and one with a significant impact on medical, ethical and overall societal issues. Initially, the field was somewhat circumscribed to studies in genetics and molecular biology, however, as studies and technical capacities have increased, the field has extended into many other areas of research. It is this expansion, together with the implications that originate from the genomic findings, that makes it imperative for every segment of society to be represented among those that work in Genomics.

Increasing Diversity in Genomics for the Next Generation (IDGeNe) Program is the first undergraduate training program focused on Genomic within the University of Puerto Rico system and possibly within the island public and private educational landscape.  

Goal

To increase the diversity of the Genomics Field workforce. 

Purpose

In view of the history and track record of the UPR, the purpose of this grant will succeed in increasing the diversity of the field by increasing the number of Hispanic researchers in the 21st Century Genomics workforce.

Core

Comprehensive research experience for undergraduate students and a series of activities that will reinforce students identity as researchers and prepared them for graduate work.

Major components

  1. A “hands-on” in depth research experience.
  2. A series of activities aimed at developing not only their research potential but also the professional tools needed to succeed in future careers.

What is aiming to?

This program aims to attract students into the Genomics field by providing meaningful, in depth, experiences in areas of research associated with Genomics and by providing a series of academic and professional activities that will prepare a new generation of promising underrepresented students to insert themselves into this growing biomedical field.

Figure: Overview of the general framework for IDGeNe programResearch experience coordinated with Scientific, Professional Development, EthicsLaw-Society Implications (ELSI) and Empowerment-Resilience (ER) activities.

The Department of Biology at UPR-RP is divided among three different buildings: Facundo Buero, Julio GarciaDiaz and Natural Sciences. These buildings house teaching and research facilities for faculty, undergraduate and graduate students.

A. UPR-RP Biology Department Facilities

There are 10 fully equipped laboratories that are used for teaching laboratories. At present (2023) there are 21 active researchers, each with their own laboratory space. In addition, other spaces or facilities are available to investigators. Some of them include:

  • Botanical and Zoological Collections
  • Microscopy Facility 
  • Tissue Culture Facility
  • Animal Research Facility 
  • Sequencing and Genotyping Facility (SGF)

Websites: College of Natural Sciences: https://natsci.uprrp.edu/

Biology Department: https://natsci.uprrp.edu/biology/

  • El Verde Field Station (visit website)
  • Center for Biostatistics and Bioinformatics (CBB) 
  • High-Performance Computing Facility (HPCf) (visit website)

B. Molecular Sciences Research Center (MSRC): This facility is a joint collaboration between the UPR-RP and the UPR-RCM campuses.

  • Neuroimaging and electrophysiology facility
  • Crystallization design
  • Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
  • Surface Analyses

Website: http://cicim.upr.edu/

C. Center for undergraduate interdisciplinary research and learning (CRiiAS)

Website: http://www.criiasupr.org/ 

D. Center for Academic Excellence (CEA) 

Website: https://cea.uprrp.edu/

E. Faculty Research Labs

Our Advisory Committee has an outstanding roster of members in different Genomic research areas. They are a diverse group of established investigators that can provide their own viewpoints on our Program. The members will offer academic and non-academic views from top research institutions on the training in Genomics for URM students. The responsibilities of this committee include:

a) Evaluation of the IDGeNe programmatic performance based on the established milestones and measurable objectives as reported in the annual report.

b) Providing recommendations based on the results reported by the assessment and evaluation plan at the end of every semester.

c) Participation in an annual meeting to discuss the progress of the IDGeNe program d) Evaluating the recruitment and retention performance of the IDGeNe program and providing recommendations when necessary.

The EAC will also play a pivotal role in providing scientific advice, help in the preparation of applications to be submitted by the project scholars. 

University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras (UPR-RP)- is the oldest, largest, and most important Campus of the University of Puerto Rico system – a State-funded, public, co-educational institution. UPR is a member of the Hispanic-American Colleges and Universities (HACU) and, like all other campuses, is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities. It is classified by Carnegie Foundation as a Doctoral University with High Research Activity. 

UPR-RP was established in 1903 as Puerto Rico’s first public institution of higher education. It is the largest campus of the system and offers the most disciplines, featuring the most extensive research and library resources on the island. Located in the metropolitan area of San Juan, UPR-RP is recognized as the top- rated center for higher education in Puerto Rico. The programs offered include Bachelor’s degrees in 74 majors, master’s degrees in 46 areas, PhDs in 14 subjects, and 8 certification and professional degrees. 

Around 90% of the registered undergraduates classify their ethnicity as Latinex, making UPR-RP one of the largest Hispanic Serving Institution in the nation. Most undergraduates are Puerto Ricans born and raised on the Island. In this sense, the institution is ethnically homogeneous and racially diverse. As such, diversity programs are not focused—as would be primarily the case in the U.S.—on race and ethnicity, but rather on socio-economic status. To ensure that it has a diverse student body, the UPR-RP has several important initiatives. The most fundamental one is that UPR-RP is heavily subsidized by the government so that students from all socioeconomic levels can attend. 

A two-year internship

The 2-year long participation in a research lab provides a more realistic view of what a career in the field really means and, on the steps to get there. The program will begin the first week of June. 

Program Activities

The program activities are grouped into four (4) different categories:

  • Scientific activities: short courses, scientific seminars, technical workshops, meetings with faculty and others. These activities are aimed at strengthening the theoretical and research capacity of the students by extending their area of expertise, improving their technical abilities, and facilitating the overall experimental procedures. 
  • Professional development: activities will teach or improve students’ skills that are important in any professional environment, but in this case will be steered around the Genomics field. These activities include scientific writing, oral and poster presentations, networking among others
  • Empowerment and Resilience (ER): activities will focus on social and professional challenges URM groups in STEM face during the student career path.
  • Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI): activities address many of the issues that have arisen as the genomics field has made technical advances. These include the awareness of the implications of genomic studies for human society. Activities of the four different categories will be offered during the first summer immersion and during the academic semesters of the two-year internship.

Summer Research Immersion (First Summer)

The cohort of IDGeNe scholars will participate in Program activities for nine (9) weeks.

The first summer activities are:

  • Bioinfo Basics
  • Carpentries workshops
  • Meet the Mentors
  • Genomics and Society
  • Oral presentations
  • Seminars and short workshops

Mainland Research Experience (Second Summer)

IDGeNe program will sponsor the participation of scholars in research experience in Genomics at one top-mainland institution during their second summer in the program. Students will be exposed to a different research topic in a different environment that serves to expand their knowledge and expertise.

Partnered Institutions that will provide the summer research experience:

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)
  • Harvard University
  • University of Pittsburg
  • University of Wisconsin
  • University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
  • UT Southwestern

Activities during the Academic Year

  • Scientific Research
  • Professional Development activities
  • Empowerment and Resilience activities
  • Ethical, Legal and Social Implications activities
  • Poster and oral presentations
  • Annual Genomics Conference

  • Seminars and short workshops:

    • Scientific seminars
    • Scientific and technical Workshops
    • Recruitment seminars

This 4-semester long research experience exposes students not only to the technical tools and procedures but also to many other activities that are either transitory or not sufficiently explored during a summer period. These include:

  • Weekly journal clubs
  • Near-peer mentoring by more advanced undergraduates, graduate students and/or post-docs
  • A more in depth comprehension and mastering of the research tools and the analyses of results.
  • A long research project also provides the student with the opportunity to propose new experiments or methodologies.

The IDGeNe Program addresses the growing interest in Genomic-related studies among a new generation of students and will serve to attract these students to the field and channel their interest toward future academic and professional opportunities.