This page provides a formal overview of the SIMCODES program and why we started the program
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About the SIMCODES Organization
Our overall goal is to provide undergraduate students with new research experiences in the multidisciplinary fields of computational chemistry, biochemistry, and computer science to develop software, simulation, and analysis techniques to predict next generation enzymatic catalysts. Of particular note, the Sustainability Institute for Machine learning and Collaborative Open-source Development of Enzymatic Simulations (SIMCODES) REU program at Iowa State University (ISU) seeks to recruit highly diverse cohorts of very early career undergraduates from underrepresented communities through networking with community colleges, primarily undergraduate serving institutions, and ISU programs.
The cross-disciplinary nature of the project is a strength that will provide students with a unique perspective on the development and use of computational best practices (software engineering and model correctness) with the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in the context of the important biochemical application of determining enzymatic catalytic behavior. Student participants will additionally benefit from experienced mentorship and formal training in interdisciplinary research and professional development. We expect to increase the number of students with diverse backgrounds and limited research exposure who continue into STEM degree programs.