Enhancement of Undergraduate Education in Plant Biology and Molecular Biology

加强植物生物学和分子生物学本科教育

• 批准号: 9650025
• 负责人: Grace Ju
• 金额: $ 2.64万
• 依托单位: Gordon College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-07-15 至 1998-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9650025&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Enhancement; Undergraduate; Education; Plant; Biology

One of the more neglected areas in Biology education is Plant Biology. Agricultural research universities have seen an increasing drop in enrollment, especially in the plant sciences. Yet, the reality is that agricultural research, crop management and improvement, land management, and environmental problems are a growing concern in the world. The contribution of plants to society is ubiquitous. For example, plants have always been a critical component of the pharmaceutical industry. More recently, gasohol has quickly come to be viewed as a realistic source of renewable fuel. However, the lack of education in Plant Biology is sadly evident within Biology curricula in many colleges and universities. The department proposes to elevate the importance of Plant Science education in a Biology curriculum by adding a more hands-on approach to science laboratories using plants as a model system. Plant metabolism studies provide a good laboratory experience for students to observe a process involving organismic, cellular, and molecular aspects. Research projects are being set up that examine the effects of environmental stresses such as heavy metals and salt on plant functions. The effects can be quantified using physiological and biochemical measurements as well as being viewed at the level of gene expression. A model Plant Biology program, using new equipment, can be used to ask questions about important processes involving plant metabolism. This model for investigative research can specifically influence undergraduate Plant Biology education and investigative science education in general. The instrumentation may also enhance other advanced courses and a Biology core course for nonmajors.

在生物学教育中被忽视的领域之一是植物生物学。农业研究型大学的入学人数越来越少，特别是植物科学。然而，现实情况是，农业研究、作物管理和改良、土地管理和环境问题在世界上日益受到关注。植物对社会的贡献无处不在。例如，植物一直是制药行业的重要组成部分。最近，乙醇汽油很快被视为可再生燃料的现实来源。然而，在植物生物学教育的缺乏是可悲的是在许多学院和大学的生物学课程明显。 该部门建议提高植物科学教育在生物学课程中的重要性，增加一个更动手的方法，以科学实验室使用植物作为模型系统。植物代谢研究为学生提供了一个很好的实验室经验，观察涉及器官，细胞和分子方面的过程。目前正在制定研究项目，审查重金属和盐等环境压力对植物功能的影响。可以使用生理和生物化学测量以及在基因表达水平上观察到的效果进行量化。 一个模型植物生物学程序，使用新设备，可以用来询问有关涉及植物代谢的重要过程的问题。这种调查研究模式可以具体影响本科植物生物学教育和一般的调查科学教育。该仪器还可以增强其他高级课程和非专业的生物学核心课程。