Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Manu Platt’s career has come full circle. Dr. Platt received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Morehouse College in 2001. While he was an undergraduate he was invited to carry out research at the joint Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues (GTEC), as a part of the GTEC team. This experience changed his career path and he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in biological engineering at Georgia Tech. He completed his doctoral degree at GTEC, an NSF Engineering Research Center, in 2001 and was subsequently employed as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Linda Griffith’s laboratory at MIT’s Biotechnology Process Engineering Center (BPEC), a graduated ERC.

Professor Manu Platt (left) works with Randy Ankeny, formerly a GTEC Research Experiences for Undergraduates student and now a student in the Bioengineering PhD program at Georgia Tech.

In early 2009, Dr. Platt returned to Georgia Tech to join the Biomedical Engineering faculty, where he is affiliated with GTEC. There, he will continue his research and his activities in mentoring the next generation of biomedical engineers.

Dr. Platt is currently investigating methods for improving the growth, differentiation, and survival of adult stem cells using specially treated biological scaffolds. This project is aimed at understanding how extracellular matrix and growth factors combine to generate the signaling network activities that govern mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) behaviors. His experimental technique employs a cue-signal-response paradigm based on modulating the environment of MSCs. Cells are cultured on a polymer containing both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and adsorbed extracellular matrix proteins to improve the differentiation, proliferation, and survival of adult stem cells.

Primary Strategic Outcome Goal:
Undergraduate Education and Undergraduate Student Research
Graduate Education and Graduate Student Research
Postdoctoral Education, including International Postdoctoral Fellowships
Broadening Participation to Improve Workforce Development

Secondary Strategic Outcome Goals:
Engineering Research Centers

In terms of intellectual merit, why is this outcome notable and/or important?
Research at an ERC such as GTEC involves undergraduate and graduate students directly in the research. This approach leads to greater numbers of students becoming enthusiastic about science and engineering and ultimately attaining positions in academic or industrial research. ERC-trained graduates are valued by industry for their understanding of engineered systems, their exposure to industrial drivers as students, their ability to work in teams, their leadership skills, and their greater orientation toward innovation.

In terms of  broader impacts , why is this outcome notable and/or important?
Merit Review Broader Impacts Criterion: Representative Activities, July 2007
Research at an ERC such as GTEC involves both undergraduate and graduate students directly in the research. ERCs also emphasize the involvement of underrepresented minorities and women in their programs through outreach and active recruitment. The combination of these approaches leads to greater numbers of individuals from those groups attaining positions in academic research and industrial practice. By mentoring the next generation of biomedical engineers, Dr. Platt will extend the impact that GTEC had on his life-choices.

Does this highlight represent transformative or potentially transformative research?  If so, please explain why. For more information, see  Report to Congress: Transformative Research at the National Science Foundation, April 16, 2008
No

Does this highlight represent Broadening Participation?  If so, please explain why.
For more information, see  Broadening Participation at the National Science Foundation: A Framework for Action
Yes
Every Engineering Research Center involves the participation of several institutions across the U.S., as well as a diverse faculty and student body. In this case, an African American student at an affiliated HBCU became involved in ERC research as an undergraduate and ultimately became a faculty member at the ERC’s lead institution.


Are there existing or potential societal benefits of this research? It is important for NSF to be able to provide examples of NSF-supported research that have societal benefits, including benefits to the U.S. economy.
For more information, see  Excerpt from Merit Review Broader Impacts Criterion: Representative Activities, July 2007
Yes
The involvement of individuals from underrepresented populations, through outreach efforts such as the REU program, is highly beneficial for the engineering enterprise and for the nation.

ENG/EEC 2009