South Middlesex Times

Rutgers University–New Brunswick students will have expanded opportunities to participate in research through a new program being developed by the Office of the Chancellor.

The Platforms for Education and Research Cores (PERC) initiative aims to create a new cadre of student researchers. Jean Baum, a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, led the creation of the program during her term as vice provost for life sciences research and partnerships. She collaborated with the Life Sciences Alliance Provost Strategic Task Force, its Executive Steering Committee, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, led by senior vice provost Denise Hien.

Expected to launch within the next year, the program will involve undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students working under faculty and staff scientists at over three dozen university-managed research core facilities. These facilities house advanced equipment like cryo-electron microscopes and supercomputers that allow detailed exploration of cellular structures and data patterns. Participating students will earn academic credits and certifications in high-technology skills.

“The PERC initiative creates an innovative dimension of research opportunities that will place students squarely at the center of advanced learning environments,” said Rutgers–New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway. “They will emerge academically enriched and certified with skills that will give them an enormous edge when applying for jobs or graduate school.”

The initiative also aims to foster new university-industry collaborations by training and certifying state industry employees at PERCs.

Baum emphasized that PERCs are envisioned as critical components for both innovative research and educational platforms. The goal is to increase research experiences for diverse student populations while promoting community engagement and industry partnerships. This aligns with Rutgers-New Brunswick's 2022 Academic Master Plan goals for national leadership in education, research, and service.

Research core facilities are integral to Rutgers' infrastructure, providing specialized laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment managed by experienced scientists. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research plans to develop the campus-wide PERC program over the next year.

“Next steps for the PERC initiative include creating an advisory committee, cataloging research core capabilities at Rutgers–New Brunswick, building partnerships, and developing courses centered on experiential learning,” said Sheila Borges Rajguru, director for research development in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.

Among these initiatives is a new center set to open in October: The Rutgers CryoEM & Nanoimaging Facility. It will feature a Krios 300 kilovolt cryo-electron microscope from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., managed by a consortium including Cornell University, Rutgers Health, and the Waksman Institute of Microbiology.

Baum noted that this acquisition is crucial for maintaining life sciences research success at Rutgers–New Brunswick as well as essential for student training and workforce development. As a PERC facility, it will position Rutgers as a state leader in training students in Cryo-EM expertise.

“Cryo-EM is a revolutionary imaging technique that determines the 3D structure of proteins,” said Stephen K. Burley, University Professor in Chemistry and Chemical Biology. “Such information is vital to learning how macromolecular machines such as proteins work.”

The development process of PERC is expected to be dynamic.

“We aim to strategize on ensuring students gain exposure to cutting-edge research facilities,” Borges Rajguru added.

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