Biotechnology Laboratory Series For Undergraduates

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This award provides funds to the Department of Microbiology at the University of Illinois, Urbana to equip a three-semester biotechnology laboratory series for undergraduates who have had an introductory microbiology laboratory and are interested in learning more advanced modern molecular biology and biochemical techniques. The series would be aimed at students who want to work in industry after graduation or who want to do graduate work in biotechnology and applied microbiology. The series would consist of (i) a course in genetics and biochemistry of industrially important microorganisms, primarily actinomycetes and fungi, (ii) a course in genetics and biochemistry of pathogenic bacteria, and (iii) a course in immunochemistry. These one semester courses could be taken alone or as a series in any order. Although the main goal of these laboratory courses is to teach modern molecular techniques, they are also designed to develop problem solving and quantitative skills, and would give students experience in written and oral presentation of data. Courses in all three areas are currently offered in the department but only the immunochemistry course has fully incorporated state-of-the-art modern techniques. The equipment purchased through this award will allow the current industrial microbiology and pathogenic microbiology courses to be updated. The updated courses will break new ground in biotechnology instruction for undergraduates and should thus serve as prototypes for such courses in other colleges and universities. The grantee is matching this award with non-Federal sources.