Holt High School junior Kaylyn Bauer and sophomore Alana Chavaux have been chosen to participate in the 2011 STARS program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL).

They will join other talented area teens this summer at UMSL to work on research projects with area scientists. The students will research everything from neural circuits in the brain to computer aided drug design to the development of new catalysts systems based on ruthenium and iron.

The program is sponsored by Saint Louis University, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, Washington University, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.  It pairs students with research mentors from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis University, Solae, Washington University and UMSL.

For six weeks, biologists, chemists, engineers, medical researchers, psychologists and public health experts from five different research institutions will take on student apprentices in laboratory settings and direct students in research projects.

“Through student and mentor-scientist partnerships, participants apply various problem-solving strategies to independent research projects,” said Ken Mares, director of the STARS program. “Students write technical reports and orally present their results in a seminar format on the last day of the program.”

This year’s program, “Experiencing the Scientific Enterprise,” will be held June 6 through July 15 at UMSL. Participants in the program include 79 students from 36 high schools in the St. Louis metro area.