EBICS REU Students Experience Research on Biological Machines

Morgan Elliot
EBICS REU participant Morgan Elliott at work in the Kong Lab.

August 29, 2013

Not too long ago, the five undergrad students who spent the summer in Illinois labs could only have encountered biological machines in one place—straight out of Sci-Fi. But as part of EBICS' (Emergent Behavior of Integrated Cellular Systems) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program, these students got to conduct research in ground-breaking new areas like biological machines and biomedical engineering.

As part of the National Science Foundation's REU program, the undergrads participated in a 10-week research experience in the labs of Illinois researchers who are part of EBICS. Also an NSF-funded program, EBICS is dedicated to creating a new scientific discipline for building living, multi-cellular machines to solve real-world problems, such as in health.

In addition to experiencing unique, cutting-edge research, the participants report that participating in the REU helped answer some of the following crucial questions regarding their future educational and career choices: "Do I want to go to graduate school?" "If so, where should I go to school?" "Do I want to do research?"

Did the REU experience change REU participants' minds about going to graduate school? Ayesha Tillman, I-STEM Research Associate, who is helping to evaluate EBICS' REU program, doesn't think so, because she believes some were already considering grad school. "I think it helps inform their decision," she qualifies.

Morgan Elliot displays some of her work in the lab.
Elliot displays some of the work she did studying myogenisis of muscle tissue.

Such is the case for rising junior Morgan Elliott, who worked in the lab of Illinois researcher Hyunjoon Kong. Mentored by Eleni Antoniadou, Elliott conducted research involving the study of myogenesis (the formation of muscle tissue) through electrical stimulation.

Elliott, who is studying Biomedical Engineering at Saint Louis University, plans to get a Ph.D., then work in biomedical engineering in either academia or industry.

Why biomedical engineering? After volunteering in a children's hospital and seeing young children who've been in car accidents, Elliott wants to design tools that would help youngsters like them to rehabilitate. Thus, she decided on a career in the research and development of prosthetics.

How did Elliott end up at Illinois this summer, and is she considering Illinois for her Ph.D.? Elliott reports that her professor made a list of REU programs she should consider, and Illinois' EBICS REU was on it. As far as doing her Ph.D. here, "Of course I'm looking into U of I," she admits, "because it's a top engineering school..."

Madeline Tolish
REU participant Madeline Tolish at work in Rashid Bashir's lab.

Another EBICS REU participant, rising junior Madeline Tolish, who is studying biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, indicates that the REU experience helped with her decision-making. Torn between grad school and industry, she still hasn't decided: "I'm not really sure," but says, "This is definitely teaching me a lot, helping me with decisions."

Part of Rashid Bashir's research group, Tolish got to work with Bio-bots—3D biological machines. Of her experience with the EBICS REU, Tolish reports: "I've probably learned more in the past seven weeks than I have in two years in the classroom. Previously, I've done a little work in labs at Vanderbilt, but nothing even close to this extent."

As a result of her REU experience, Tolish is most likely going into research: "It's definitely helping me learn more about research and grad school to help me make a decision of what I want to do after I graduate. And that's making me realize I do like research a lot. It's definitely helping push me in that direction."

Is Tolish also considering Illinois? "Definitely," she reports. "I'm from the Chicago area. My dad went here; my brother went here. So I've loved this campus and been an Illini fan since I could walk. So I definitely would consider coming here. It's a great school."

According to I-STEM evaluator Tillman, in addition to helping students with their decision making, she believes participating in the REU program increases students' chances of being accepted by graduate schools. "It may not enhance their desire or their willingness to go," she qualifies, "but I think it gives them a better chance of going, because they have this research experience that they can put on their resume."

Clockwise from the left: Madeline Tolish during the final poster presentation for the EBICS REU students.
Clockwise from the left: Tolish's mentor, grad student Caroline Cvetkovic, Madeline Tolish, and grad student Ritu Raman pose in front of the poster Tolish made for the final poster presentation.

Regarding the effectiveness of EBICS' REU program this summer, Tillman reports that one really positive aspect was the graduate student mentors, who were really involved. One of Tolish's mentors, grad student Ritu Raman, indicated that Tolish worked hard and was able to contribute to the research:

"I was very impressed with Madeline's dedication and work ethic. She treated research like a full time job—which it is—and her hard work really payed off. Within just a few weeks, she was able to get a handle on a very complex research initiative and work on a project that added a brand new dimension to our research in biological machines."

In fact, Raman so enjoyed her experience as a mentor, that she hopes to do it again in the future. "I am very pleased with the EBICS REU program, in general, and think it did a great job matching motivated students with interesting research projects. I'm looking forward to being an REU mentor again in the coming years and hope to keep interacting with undergraduate students like Madeline!"

Another of Tolish's mentors, grad student Caroline Cvetkovic, indicates that being a REU mentor, while positive, was also a growing experience for her:

Morgan Elliot explains her research during the EBICS final poster presentation.
Morgan Elliott explains her research during the EBICS final poster presentation.

"It's been a challenge for me personally, but I think it's been really beneficial, because I've been learning a lot about how to approach something from a very systematic perspective. Because in research, very rarely is everything linear. Ideally, you would start from step one, and go from two, three, four, five…It's been difficult for both of us. She's learning a lot, obviously. The project she's doing, I've never done before, so we're both kind of learning as we go.

Tillman recognizes that adding undergrads to their lab mix short-term can be a negative for researchers:

"It can be a challenge," acknowledges Tillman, "because it can be disruptive to the lab to have an undergraduate come in. You have to teach them, and you have a graduate student spending time, and there's not necessarily a lot of productivity from the REU student."

Tillman says that researchers who take REU students should be commended, indicating that they are focusing not on short-term benefits, but on the long-term benefits for their field: "I think ahead of time they know, 'This may not directly help me in any way.' It's more like, 'I'm taking these because I feel like this is important to expose students to this type of work.'"

Story by Elizabeth Innes I-STEM Communications Specialist and Sneha Shruti, I-STEM Journalism Intern. Photos by Sneha Shruti, I-STEM Journalism Intern.
More: EBICS, Summer Research, Undergrad, REU, REU: EBICS, 2013

For additional I-STEM articles about 2013 REU participants at Illinois, see:

Madeline Tolish (left) and her mentor, grad student Caroline Cvetkovic (right)
Left to right: Madeline Tolish and her mentor, grad student Caroline Cvetkovic at work in the lab of Illinois researcher Rashid Bashir.





SOLIDarity EXperiences (SOLIDEX) through the Eyes of Children

What do children aged 11-13 in two countries think about solidarity?
Full Story

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company

Students launch ASL STEM Vocabulary App Company
Full Story

Innovation, Inspiration on display at the Undergraduate Research Symposium

Undergraduate Research Week took place April 23-29, 2023, and culminated Thursday, April 27, 2023
Full Story

What would you like to see – 3D printers? Magnets? Solar-powered racing cars? Robobrawl?

March 28, 2023
EOH occurs Friday, March 31, and Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Full Story

Tour of Illinois’ Materials Research Lab through I-MRSEC sparks Franklin students’ interest in Materials Science

March 1, 2023
Students from the Champaign middle school had a tour of the Material Research Laboratory (MRL) in early February.
Full Story

Nobel Project’s End-of-Year Zoom Bash Recaps Learning

February 1, 2022
The STEM Illinois Nobel Project held a special, end-of-the-year Zoom event celebrating its participating students’ achievements.
Full Story

It’s not magic, it’s physics

January 26, 2022
In Franklin STEAM Academy, Musical Magnetism program makes STEM fun, approachable.
Full Story

Program prepares STEM educators to teach all students

November 30, 2021
This summer, a group of educators gathered to learn about engaging STEM activities they can do with their students.
Full Story

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program

November 11, 2021
Undergrads get a taste of research through I-MRSEC’s REU program.
Full Story

Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp

November 1, 2021
Goldstein’s Renaissance Engineering Summer Camp Incorporates Art, Design, Mechatronics, and Mentoring
Full Story

TechTogether Chicago to Redefine the Hacker Stereotype

July 10, 2021
New workshops that can help inspire students to pursue careers in technology..
Full Story

Aerospace Engineering Launches Virtual Summer Camps to Pique Students’ Interest in Aero.

July 2, 2021
Design an aircraft then watch it soar after launching it with a huge rubber band. Build a Mars lander to safely transport a real egg, then test the contraption by dropping it from a second story window.
Full Story

Undergrads Experience Materials Science Research Courtesy of the I-MRSEC REU

June 16, 2021
Ten undergraduate students are spending the summer of 2021 discovering what research is like.
Full Story

MatSE Afterschool Academy

MatSE Afterschool Academy

June 14, 2021
MatSE Afterschool Academy to Introduce Students to Materials Science and Beyond.
Full Story

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest

June 14, 2021
Taylor Tucker Embraces Multidisciplinary Interest While Researching Task Collaboration.
Full Story

Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS

What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like?

May 25, 2021
NSBE’s Michaela Horn Exposes Franklin Middle Schoolers to Science, CS, and What Studying Engineering at Illinois is Like.
Full Story

Jenny Saves a Convertible.

Children’s-Book-Writing Duo/

May 19, 2021
Convertibles and Thunderstorms—Children’s-Book-Writing Duo on Their Way Thanks to Illinois Training and Encouragement from Mentors.
Full Story

Improve Learning in Engineering

Improve Learning in Engineering

May 17, 2021
Liebenberg Espouses Mini-Projects to Engage Students Emotionally, Improve Learning in Engineering.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

BIOE435 Capstone Projects

May 12, 2021
BIOE435 Capstone Projects - BIOE Seniors Use Knowledge/Skills to Problem Solve.
Full Story

Elani and Gonzalo shine a UV light on a rose that has absorbed a solution that has made it fluorescent.

Illinois Scientists Shine a (UV) Light on Fluorescence

May 7, 2021
What is fluorescence? What causes it?
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

HackIllinois 2021 “Rekindled Connections” With The Tech Community

May 5, 2021
Annual student hackathon HackIllinois with the aim of developing projects on current problems facing society.
Full Story

A Shane Mayer-Gawlik image of the Bridger Aurora, part of his Night Skies photography collection exhibited at the Art-Science Festival.

The Art-Science Festival

April 26, 2021
Illinois Art-Science Festival: Illuminating the Universe...from the Quantum World to the Cosmos.
Full Story

Joshua Whitely makes an adjustment to the 3D Bioprinter during the demo.

Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World

April 22, 2021
Ready. Set. Go! Illinois Engineering Seniors Prepared to Change the World.
Full Story

HML 2021 Virtual Health

HML 2021 Virtual Health

April 19, 2021
Make-a-Thon Gives Citizen Scientists a Shot at Making Their Health-Related Innovations a Reality.
Full Story

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

April 7, 2021
I-MRSEC’s Music Video for EOH ’21 Plugs Graphene, 2D Materials
Full Story

Health Make-a-Thon Orientation

HML 2021 Health Orientation

March 30, 2021
HML 2021 Health Make-a-Thon Orientation Prepares Finalists for Competition.
Full Story

Andrea Perry shows Franklin students how to take apart the magnetic drawing board they received in their kit

Musical Magnetism

March 25, 2021
Musical Magnetism: Encouraging Franklin Middle Schoolers to Express Science Via the Arts.
Full Story

Carmen Paquette street performing.

Love of Science

March 9, 2021
Paquette Conveys Her Love of Science, Dance to Franklin STEAM Students Via Musical Magnetism.
Full Stroy

An Engineering Exploration participant exhibits the tower they built as part of the engineering challenge related to Civil Engineering

Engineering Exploration

March 2, 2021
SWE’s Engineering Exploration Outreach Lives Up to Its Name.

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

ChiS&E’s Family STEM Day

February 23, 2021
Helps Chicago Youngsters Progress Along the STEM Pipeline Toward Engineering.

Kathny Walsh

Kathy Walsh

February 17, 2021
On Her First Foray into STEAM, Kathy Walsh Acquaints Franklin Students with Microscopy, Haiku.

ChiS&E student

ChiS&E CPS Students

January 19, 2021
Illinois Undergrads Encourage ChiS&E CPS Students Toward Possible Careers in Engineering.

I-MRSEC’s Music Video

CISTEME365 Provides Year-Round PD/Community

January 4, 2021
to Illinois Teachers in Support of Informal STEM Education Efforts to Underserved Students.