Using Computers and the Internet in a Project-Based Undergraduate Laboratory Course in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Tomorrow's biologists need a firm foundation in the concepts, techniques, and applications of molecular and cell biology, experience in the use of computers and the Internet as research tools, and the problem-solving and communication skills to function within research teams. For these skills to be developed, labs require adequate equipment and computers to fully support investigations that reflect real-world molecular biology studies. This project is designed to use a project-based approach to teach applied molecular biology, build computer literacy in DNA research, and develop students' problem-solving, teamwork, and communications skills. Computing, cell culture, and molecular biology equipment are being obtained for a capstone Molecular Biology and Biotechnology course and its prerequisite courses in Cell Biology and Genetics. The Molecular Biology and Biotechnology course challenges student teams to plan and conduct an integrated project of molecular cloning, expression of recombinant proteins in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and purification of engineered proteins. Baculovirus-infected insect cells provide experience in eukaryotic cell culture and protein expression. Computers promote learning of molecular genetics in several courses through virtual cloning and DNA sequence analysis software and provide on-line access to World Wide Web biocomputing resources, e-mail, and newsgroups. The funded equipment supports the creation of model baculovirus-based molecular cloning, protein expression and purification investigations for undergraduates, and DNA science teaching materials using computers and Internet resources. Course materials and protocols can be published and described on-line in a set of course Web pages.