New NSF Grant Awarded to Hendrix Biology Professor Duina – Hendrix College Events and News

CONWAY, Ark. (August13, 2020) Dr. Andrea Duina, a professor of biology and chair of the biochemistry-molecularbiology program at Hendrix College, has received a three-year, $480,000 grantfrom the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will help undergraduatestudents gain new insights into some of the fundamental mechanisms thatregulate how genes are utilized by cells. This grant is the latest in a seriesof NSF grants awarded to Duina for research that increases the scientificcommunitys understanding of life beginning at the cellular level.

Since propergene regulation is essential for most cellular and organismal functions, thesestudies address questions with far-ranging implications, Duina said. For ourstudies, we use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the modelsystem, and given the high degree of functional conservation across all life forms,findings from these studies will shed new light into processes relevant to allorganisms, including humans.

This grant, oneof five received by Duina from the NSF for undergraduate research in his lab at Hendrix,will provide more opportunities for Hendrix students to carry out cutting-edgeresearch.

Students willfurther develop their skills in various aspects of the scientific process,including experimental design and execution, data interpretation andevaluation, science communication to other scientists and to the generalpublic, and critical evaluation of current research literature, Duina said.

In addition tothe grants direct benefit to students who conduct research in Duinaslaboratory, it will have an expanded impact at Hendrix through the elements ofthis project that Duina plans to incorporate into some of the courses he teaches.

This NSF grantalso stands as a testament to Hendrixs strong commitment in promotingstate-of-the art STEM undergraduate research on campus, he said. Hendrix canbe proud of its role in developing well-rounded and well-prepared scientists.

About Hendrix College

A private liberalarts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earnsrecognition as one of the countrys leading liberal arts institutions, and isfeatured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Changethe Way You Think About Colleges.Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrixas a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Tolearn more, visit http://www.hendrix.edu.

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New NSF Grant Awarded to Hendrix Biology Professor Duina - Hendrix College Events and News