How we started

The Siegel Lab has developed an undergraduate-friendly enzyme design-build-test workflow, which has been the scaffold for a successful training in the lab and has been further developed into a freshman Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) at UC Davis. The central research goal of this workflow and project probes the current predictive limitations of protein modeling software by functionally characterizing single amino acid mutants in a robust model system. 

Expanding To A National Network

Incorporating undergraduate research experiences into laboratory courses vastly increases the reach and accessibility of these opportunities. We are thrilled to be further developing this project through an NSF Research Coordination Network (Award #1827246)

The Design2Data Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (D2D-CURE) network will train and support faculty to broaden research participation and expand high-impact educational practices. The network is designed to make this workflow accessible to a wide array of higher education institutions (community colleges, state schools, liberal arts schools, as well as research universities), as a high-impact module for existing and new biochemistry and bioengineering courses. Collectively and over time students who engage in this project will be generating datasets large enough to begin utilizing machine learning tools to improve protein design algorithms, while learning translatable skills, the process of science, and developing confidence in doing research. This network serves to both train future scientists and to advance the progress of science. The most interesting research outcomes of this project are dependent on large datasets and as such, it is optimal for multi-institutional collaborations. 

We are actively seeking collaborators. Please connect with us!