The Summer Science Program (SSP) : Research in Biochemistry Recently Updated

The Summer Science Program (SSP) is a nationally regarded, non-profit educational program which focuses on bringing together talented, motivated juniors (rising seniors by the summer of participation) from around the globe for real-world STEM research experiences. We provide financial aid and meet 100% of participant need, including travel costs, room and board, and stipends to cover program basics for high-need students.

The SSP Biochemistry program demands hypothesis-building based on integration of existing information, critical analysis and interpretation of novel experimental results, and application of those results. Each team of 3 (within a campus cohort of 36) combines bench experiments and computer tools to characterize a member of an enzyme family that is implicated in crop infection by fungal pathogens – one which has never been modeled by anyone before. They then submit their enzyme model to a database available to other scientists and design a molecule that might safely protect crops from that specific fungus, by binding to the enzyme and inhibiting its activity. 

Outside of research and lecture hours, participants attend guest lectures from world-renowned scientists and professionals, attend nightly dinners with their 2-3 PhD-level faculty, engage in exciting activities with their cohort, and go off-site for intellectual and recreational field trips.

After the last day, the community does not end, it disperses and broadens. Participants become part of a lifelong alumni community of over 2,500 alumni in wide variety of career pathways and research areas in and out of science.