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his poster highlights an interdisciplinary initiative between the Departments of Chemistry and Architecture at Syracuse University, aimed at introducing architecture students—as a group with limited nontraditional STEM backgrounds—to bioenabled materials research. Our approach is conceptually aligned with Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), a well-established educational practice integrating research into classroom-based learning. In response to the School of Architecture's shift from traditional final-year theses to directed independent research classes, we established an interdisciplinary mentorship program for eight architecture students. These students embarked on research projects addressing significant environmental challenges: employing microbially induced calcite precipitation to mitigate beach erosion; developing composites from renewable fibers and construction waste; and utilizing SCOBY as shelter solutions for displaced populations. Through this experience, students were introduced to bioenabled materials and sustainable chemistry principles, applying them to real-world architectural challenges. This CURE-inspired framework allowed students to engage in scientific inquiry, learning to search and interpret chemical literature while conducting hands-on experimentation in chemistry laboratories. These interdisciplinary projects culminated in a public exhibition, demonstrating the success of this innovative teaching approach in fostering interdisciplinary learning and introducing bioenabled materials research to a new, diverse group of learners. By bridging chemistry and architecture through this unique collaboration, we provide a model for integrating CUREs into non-STEM curricula, emphasizing sustainability and innovative teaching practices. This initiative highlights the potential of interdisciplinary research experiences to broaden participation in STEM fields while addressing global sustainability challenges. 

Biology exploits biomacromolecular phase separation to form condensates, known as membraneless organelles. Despite significant advancements in deciphering sequence determinants for phase separation, modulating these features in vivo remains challenging. A promising approach inspired by biology is to use post-translational modifications (PTMs)—to modulate the amino acid physicochemistry instead of altering protein sequences—to control the formation and characteristics of condensates. However, despite the identification of more than 300 types of PTMs, the detailed understanding of how they influence the formation and material properties of protein condensates remains incomplete. In this study, we investigated how modification with myristoyl lipid alters the formation and characteristics of the resilin-like polypeptide (RLP) condensates, a prototypical disordered protein with upper critical solution temperature (UCST) phase behaviour. Using turbidimetry, dynamic light scattering, confocal and electron microscopy, we demonstrated that lipidation—in synergy with the sequence of the lipidation site—significantly influences RLPs' thermodynamic propensity for phase separation and their condensate properties. Molecular simulations suggested these effects result from an expanded hydrophobic region created by the interaction between the lipid and lipidation site rather than changes in peptide rigidity. These findings emphasize the role of “sequence context” in modifying the properties of PTMs, suggesting that variations in lipidation sequences could be strategically used to fine-tune the effect of these motifs. Our study advances understanding of lipidation's impact on UCST phase behaviour, relevant to proteins critical in biological processes and diseases, and opens avenues for designing lipidated resilins for biomedical applications like heat-mediated drug elution.