A research experience for incoming first-year students, who will work on a project directly related to a faculty member's research. Participants will be integrated into the faculty research group and participate in regular group meetings and one-on-one meetings with senior mentors. Students will study relevant prior published work, write a background and proposal paper and a final report in the form of a journal article. Participants will receive appropriate training in safety, and good laboratory practice including how to record experimental results.