Source: UNIVERSITY OF GUAM UOG STATION submitted to
RIIA: DEVELOPING MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031279
Grant No.
2023-70008-41045
Cumulative Award Amt.
$200,000.00
Proposal No.
2023-05535
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2023
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2026
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[AA-Q]- Resident Instruction Grants for Insular Areas
Project Director
WU, B.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF GUAM UOG STATION
(N/A)
MANGILAO,GU 96913
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Since 2019 when "Being Recognized as a Research University" was set to be the top initiative strategy of the strategic plan of the University of Guam, more and more undergraduate students are requesting research experience before they graduate. More than one and a half year of online learning restricted students' opportunities to experience essential hands-on experimental learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Division of Natural Sciences of the UOG College of Natural and Applied Sciences lacks sufficient laboratory space and funding to support undergraduate research opportunities. To satisfy the increasing demands for undergraduate research experience at UOG, we proposed to develop multidisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduates to engage in research at UOG. Specifically, we proposed 1) to develop a new high-division research course CH490 for undergraduates to gain research experience with course credits at UOG during academic semesters, and 2) to offer paid research internship opportunities for undergraduates to gain research experience with stipends at UOG during summer break. Participating students will work on individual research projects under the close guidance of faculty. The multidisciplinary research will primarily focus on natural product research which involves isolation, purification, and identification of bioactive organic compounds from local plant extracts instructed by the project PD. The biological properties of isolated compounds (such as Antioxidant Capacity (AC), Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and their relationship) will be analyzed by participating students through collaboration among faculty members in agriculture and food sciences. Our target local plants include but are not limited to local Calamansi peels, local mango leaves, and local guava leaves, etc. The students' research activities include conducting a literature survey, formulation of a hypothesis, designing and conducting experimentation, data collection and data analysis, and presentation of results (in oral PPT and /or poster). Each participating student will be required to write a full research project report after completion of their projects. Once we obtain sufficient publishable data, we will prepare a manuscript for publication with student researcher co-authorship.The project will train students to gain advanced knowledge, techniques, and experience which motivate them to pursue study and research in the food, agriculture, natural sources, and human sciences (FANH), and will become part of a competent and qualified workforce to serve FANH in future; the project will promote and strengthen the ability of UOG to carry out research and education in chemistry, food and agriculture sciences; the project will also advance educational equity by increasing participation of underrepresented students at UOG who are unable to participate in mainland REU because they need to take care of their family members or because of other reasons that prevent them from leaving Guam.
Animal Health Component
25%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
75%
Applied
25%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6051099200040%
7012220101030%
2062499106030%
Knowledge Area
206 - Basic Plant Biology; 605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics; 701 - Nutrient Composition of Food;

Subject Of Investigation
2220 - Medicinal crops, non-narcotic; 1099 - Tropical/subtropical fruit, general/other; 2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems); 1010 - Nutrition and metabolism; 2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
To satisfy the increasing demands for undergraduate research experience at the University of Guam, we proposed to develop multidisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduates at UOG. The objectives of the project are:to develop and offer a new high-division research course for undergraduates at UOG during academic semesters,to offer research internship opportunities with stipends for undergraduates at UOG during summer break.Within the project duration, eight participating students will be supported to work on individual research projects under the close guidance of faculty. Two senior undergraduates will be hired and trained to serve as research assistants for this project. The multidisciplinary research will primarily focus on natural product research which involves isolation, purification, and identification of bioactive organic compounds from local plant extracts instructed by the project PD and analysis of biological properties and beneficial and adverse effects of isolated compounds with the participation of other CNAS faculty. Our target local plants include but are not limited to local Calamansi peels, local mango leaves, and local guava leaves, etc. The project will not only train future graduates to gain advanced knowledge, techniques, and experience to ensure a competent and qualified workforce to serve the FANH sciences in future but will promote and strengthen the ability of UOG to carry out research and education in the food and agriculture sciences. The project will also advance student recruitment, retention, and educational equity, in alignment with the goals of the RIIA program.
Project Methods
The proposed Special Project CH490 (4-6 credit hrs.) will be a course for individual students on individual research projects. It will take more than one semester to get the new course approved. In addition, the experimental requirements for this research course will need advanced planning and preparation. Students planning to take this course must inform the instructor at least one semester prior to taking this course. This course CH490 can serve as an upper division elective course for undergraduates Chemistry majors. It can also be taken to fulfill the elective requirement for graduate programs in Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainable Agriculture Food and Natural Resources.(Prerequisites are CH310A, CH311, and consent of instructor.)Students will undertake a project on the selected topic under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs). Participating students will get thorough research training in multidisciplinary research in chemistry, agriculture, and food sciences. The research activities include conducting a literature survey, formulation of a hypothesis, writing of project proposal, designing, and conducting experimentation, data collection and data analysis, and presentation of results. Students will be required to write a full research project report after completion of their projects. Once we obtain sufficient research data, students will present their data (in oral PPT and /or poster) at a seminar or conference, and we will prepare a manuscript for publication with student researcher co-authorship.Management PlanYear 1 & 2Objective 1) develop and offer a new upper-division research course SPECIAL PROJECT CH490 for undergraduates at UOG during academic semesters (4-6 credit hours).A. PD designs project and develops course syllabus for SPECIAL PROJECT CH490 (with co-PDs).B. PD acquires lab materials.C. PD submits UOG paperwork application for the first-time course offering.D. PD Offers course.E. PD and co-PDs meet with students to get them familiar with the lab environment, discuss the syllabus, the proposed project, course objectives, learning outcomes, course grading rubric, and research schedule. lab orientation and do Cleaning of glass wares. Start literature search and design experiment (Week 1)F. Deliver course (students conduct research project). (Week 2~Week 14)Week 2 - Week 3: prepare for wet lab research: collecting local plants which will be milled into fine powder after cleaning, dry and dehydration.Week 4 - Week 10: try different solvent (4~6 solvents) extraction, chromatography isolation and identification of components by TLC, NMR, GCMS, FTIR and HPLC.Week 11 - Week 13 (in collaborators' lab): biotesting: Free Radical Scavenging (DPPH) Assay; Total Phenolic Content (TPC) Assay and othersG. After completion of the research data collection and data analysis, students prepare a paper/research report, PPT for presentation, and revise them based on instructors' evaluation and suggestions until they are approved for final grade. (Week 14-Week 16)H. PD will submit the final grade by the deadline based on the students' weekly wet lab performance, weekly notebook record, weekly research progress report, PPT presentation and the final research report. (Week 17)I. PD will Summarize outcomes of course and do course assessment.J. PD will revise course and update syllabus for the coming year/semester teaching. (Before next course offering)K. Submit UOG paperwork for course approval.Objective (2) offer paid multidisciplinary research internship opportunities for undergraduates at UOG during summer break ($4,000/intern, 8 weeks).A. PD meets with co-PDs to create plan of research projects. PD Meets with the External Evaluator to determine an assessment plan, being aware of what type of evaluation questions are going to be examined during the program.B. PD Acquires research materials.C. PD Submits paperwork to Research Cooperation of UOG for student recruitment.(Note: We will develop a flyer with details of the opportunity and post it on our Instagram account and RCUOG website. Hard copy posters can be posted on boards in Natural science Building (NS) and Agriculture and life Science Building (ALS) of CNAS and elsewhere around campus to develop awareness. The application process : 1.) unofficial transcripts and 2) a statement outlining why the student is interested in the opportunity and their future academic or career plans. A three-person panel will then review the applications and select the recipients.)D. PD with co-PDs conduct an orientation meeting with students to get them familiar with projects, responsibilities, work environment, safety, related policies, and expectations. (Week1, day1)E. Students conduct research projects. PD with co-PDs train students from the beginning, and guide them to perform the research project professionally, efficiently, and safely.F. PD Runs regular group meetings to update the research progress and discuss problems.Week1-Week 6: conducting wet lab research on different solvent extraction (based on different solvent polarity and solubility), isolation by auto chromatography and HPLC, and identification by TLC, GCMS, HPLC, FTIR, NMR and HRMS.Week 6-7: Biotesting research: Free Radical Scavenging (DPPH) Assay; Total Phenolic Content (TPC) Assay and othersWeek 8: After completion of data collection and data analysis, students prepare a research report and PPT for presentation. Revise the report and PPT based on PD and co-PDs' evaluation and suggestions until they are approved by PD and co-PDs.G. Conduct self-evaluation of the project by faculty and feedback from student survey.H. PD Summarizes research outcomes and do assessment.I. PD revises budget and updates progressJ. PD prepare project summary and annual report.Year 2 & 3:L. PD and co-PDs review student research projects and prepare for oral/poster presentation at a seminar or conference.M. PD and co-PDs prepare manuscript for publication.N. PD prepares the project summary and final report.O. The contracted evaluator prepares an assessment report.P. RCUOG prepares a final financial report.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The targeted audiences of the project are primarily undergraduates of UOG who major in chemistry, agriculture and life sciences, and other chemistry related STEM sciences. During the first year (09/01/2023-08/31/2024) of the project, four UOG undergraduates were supported to work on individual multidisciplinary research projects under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs). One Junior undergraduate was hired and trained to serve as RA for the project. One high school senior intern (female) from Harvest Christian Academy in Guam was also supported to join our 2024 summer internship. The participating undergraduates include three female undergraduates and one male undergraduate. In addition, one undergraduate is a first-generation college student. The participating undergraduates came from diverse majors: one majored in Agriculture & life Sciences-Human Nutrition & Food Science, two majored in Chemistry and Biology Dual, and one majored in Integrative Biology. The project not only trained future graduates to gain advanced knowledge, techniques, and experience to ensure a competent and qualified workforce to serve the FANH sciences in future, but will advance student recruitment, retention, and educational equity at UOG.All participants were very satisfied with the research training they received. Changes/Problems:As a tenured professor at UOG, I am currently on sabbatical leave and will stay off-island during my sabbatical leave (Fall 2024 -Spring 2025) to enhance my career goals of my personal growth and professional development. Thus, during my sabbatical leave, we couldn't conduct the wet lab research of the RIIA project at UOG. To avoid significant deviations from the research schedule or goals because of my sabbatical leave (Fall 2024-Spring 2025), I adjusted the timetable of the objectives as follows. The first-round research course CH490, which was originally scheduled in the semester during Fall 2024-Spring 2025, wassuccessfully offered and completed in Spring 2024 semester because PD will be on sabbatical leave during F2024-Spring 2025. We have also successfully offered and completed our first-round summer internship in 2024 summer break. The second-round summer internship, which was originally scheduled in Summer 2025, will be planned to re-schedule in Summer 2026 because PD will be on sabbatical leave during F2024-Spring 2025. It will be better to arrange the second-round summer internship in Summer 2026 rather than Summer 2025 because it will take at least half a year in advance for PD to prepare for the second-round summer internship on campus. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Each participating undergraduate student undertook an individual multidisciplinary research project on the selected topic under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs). They all involved the following research activities: conducting a literature survey, formulation of a hypothesis, writing of project proposal, designing and conducting experimentation, data collection and data analysis, and presentation of results. Each participating undergraduate submitted a full research project report and presented their data (in oral PPT) after completion of their projects. Participating students received thorough research training in multidisciplinary research in chemistry and in biological property tests. Experimental learning training in chemistry included, but were not limited to, refluxing extraction and maceration extraction with different solvent for different time, different filtration methods, centrifuge separation, rotary evaporation, and freeze drying. Biotesting training included TPC Folin-Ciocalteu (FC) assay and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) Free radical Scavenging assay. All participants were very satisfied with the research training they received. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The research results have been presented by students and/or faculty at local, regional, national, or international conferences. The project outputs (products, results, and impact) will be prepared to publish in peer reviewed journals with student co-authorship. The oral presentations were shown as follows: Espulgar G, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Antioxidant & Total Phenolic Properties of Local Medicinal Plant: Phyllanthus amarus (RIIA: 2024 Summer Multidisciplinary Research Internship, May 29, 2024 - July 23, 2024), College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, July 23, 2024. Valerio K C, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Study on the Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Antigonon leptopus Leaf and Flower Extracts. (RIIA: 2024 Summer Multidisciplinary Research Internship, May 29, 2024 - July 23, 2024), College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, July 23, 2024 Hsieh C-C, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Total Phenolic Content& Antioxidant Activity Investigation: Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit) Leaves. (-Special Project CH-490, Spring 2024), College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, May 16, 2024 Simpson J, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Microsorum scolopendria. (-Special Project CH-490, Spring 2024), College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, May 16, 2024 Simpson J, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Contents of Local Microsorum scolopendria Leaf, Rhizome, Stem, and Spore Extracts (-Special Project CH-490 (Spring 2024), RIIA 2024 Summer Multidisciplinary Research (6/3/2024-7/23/2024)), College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, July 23, 2024. Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S, Espulgar G, Valerio K C, Simpson J, Hsieh C-C. Study of Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Contents of Local medicinal plants: Microsorum scolopendria, Artocarpus altilis, Antigonon leptopus and Phyllanthus amarus (490413). 2024 9th International Conference on Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Nanjing, China, Nov. 24-26, 2024. (invited oral) Valerio K C, Wu B*, Yang J, Ferdosh S. Study on the Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Antigonon leptopus Leaf and Flower Extracts. Fall 2024 Chemistry Seminar CH491, College of Natural & Applied Sciences, University of Guam, Guam, Dec.3, 2024. (The asterisk "*" indicates the corresponding author and primary project investigator. Underlined names are UOG undergraduate students involved in the project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?As a tenured professor of the UOG, I am currently on sabbatical leave and will stay off-island during my sabbatical leave (Fall 2024 -Spring 2025) to enhance my career goals of my personal growth and professional development. Thus, during my sabbatical leave, I couldn't supervise trainees to conduct the wet lab research of the RIIA project at UOG, but I will review student research results and prepare for oral/poster presentation at a seminar or conference and prepare manuscripts for publication. Our stated three-year goals have not been fully met yet. During the first year, we have supported four participating students to work on individual multidisciplinary research projects under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs) and one undergraduate was hired and trained to serve as a research assistant for this project. During the remaining time of the project, we still need to train four more undergraduates to work on multidisciplinary research project and hire one more undergraduate RA to assistant the project. Therefore, I together with co-PDs will offer an updated SPECIAL PROJECT CH490 during an academic semester (spring 2026) and will offer paid multidisciplinary research internship opportunities for undergraduates at UOG during summer break ($4,000/intern, 8 weeks, 2026 summer) after I return to Guam from my sabbatical leave. I will update the research course CH490 and 2024 summer internship based on our successful research course CH490 (Spring 2024) and 2024 summer internship. I will also incorporate what I learned about natural product research from my academic visiting during my sabbatical leave. I believe my academic visiting during my sabbatical leave will further enhance the quality of our next research course CH490 and summer internship.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? To satisfy the increasing demands for undergraduate research experience at the University of Guam, we developed multidisciplinary research opportunities for undergraduates at UOG. The following objectives have been accomplished: to develop and offer a new high-division research course for undergraduates at UOG during academic semesters. As proposed, we successively developed and offered a new upper-division research course SPECIAL PROJECT CH490 for undergraduates at UOG in Spring 2024 semester (4 credit hours). Two UOG under graduates were enrolled in the research course CH490 (Spring 2024). to offer research internship opportunities with stipends for undergraduates at UOG during summer break. As proposed, we successively offered paid multidisciplinary research internship opportunities for undergraduates at UOG during summer 2024 ($4,000/intern, 8 weeks). Two UOG undergraduates participated the 2024 summer internship and one UOG undergraduate was hired as an RA to assistant the projects. During the first year (09/01/2023-08/31/2024) of the three-year project (09/01/2023-08/31/2026), four UOG undergraduates were supported to work on individual multidisciplinary research projects under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs) and one Junior undergraduate was hired and trained to serve as RA for the project. We have successively accomplished the first-year objectives, half of the three-year objectives in which eight undergraduates will be supported and two undergraudate RAs will be hired and trained under the RIIA project). Notably, both research course Special Project CH490 (Spring 2024) and 2024 summer research internship offered multidisciplinary research project opportunities for participating UOG undergraduates. Each participating student undertook an individual project on the selected topic under the close guidance of faculty (PD and co-PDs). The four participating UOG undergraduates investigated the Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic Contents (TPC) of four local medicinal plants: Microsorum scolopendria, Artocarpus altilis, Antigonon leptopus and Phyllanthus amarus. The effect of different extraction methods on their antioxidant activity and TPC were also investigated. Participating students received thorough research training in multidisciplinary research in chemistry, agriculture, and food sciences. All participants were very satisfied with the research training they received. The project has increased the number of students who gain knowledge, skills, and research experience in chemistry, agriculture, and food sciences; increased the number of underrepresented minorities/women who will gain research experience in chemistry, agriculture, and life sciences; will increase the number of students' presentation and research reports in chemistry, agriculture, and food sciences; and will increase the number of students who pursue graduate study in chemistry, agriculture, and food sciences and related STEM after graduation. The project has trained future graduates to gain advanced knowledge, techniques, and experience to ensure a competent and qualified workforce to serve the FANH sciences in future, has enhanced educational equity of UOG by increasing the number of under-represented minorities/women participating in research, will strengthen student recruitment and retention programs of UOG by increasing the number and diversity of students who will involve in research, and will broaden faculty research area by multidisciplinary collaboration.

Publications