Improvement in Undergraduate Student Comprehension of Molecular Biology

生物与环境科学系正在开发本科分子生物学实验室，以提高本科生对分子生物学的理解。开发实验室所需的设备包括八个学生工作站，包括三个微量移液器和机架，250伏电源，水平海底凝胶盒，水浴和涡旋混合器，一个落地式冷冻低速离心机和转子，一个集成真空离心机/凝胶干燥系统，四个微量离心机，一个振荡水浴，一个振荡平台孵育器，一个37 ℃孵育器，紫外分光光度计、紫外透射仪和照片记录系统，以及微孔板读取器和数据采集/分析软件。该实验室将是一个创新的学习环境，学生将在利用现代技术的练习中获得实践经验。这些经验可以提高学生对分子生物学和科学过程的理解，使学生能够发展解决问题和人际交往能力。该实验室将通过包括最先进的设备和仪器来改进该部门的课程，以教授现代生物学方法并向学生展示分子生物学的概念。该实验室主要用于教授两门课程：生物技术和生物化学实验室技术。该实验室还可以与其他实验室共享设备，以将分子生物学实验室活动添加到各自的课程中，包括生物学原理，遗传学和细胞生物学。该实验室可以帮助该部门准备本科生在健康科学，研究，教学和其他专业的职业生涯。

The Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences is developing the Undergraduate Molecular Biology Laboratory to improve undergraduate comprehension of molecular biology. The equipment needed to develop the lab includes eight student workstations composed of three micropipettors and rack, 250-volt power supply, horizontal submarine gel box, water bath, and vortex mixer and a floor model refrigerated low-speed centrifuge and rotors, an integrated vacuum centrifuge/gel drying system, four microcentrifuges, a shaking water bath, a shaking platform incubator, a 37 C incubator, an ultraviolet spectrophotometer, an ultraviolet transilluminator and photodocumentation system, and a microplate reader and data capture/analysis software. The lab will be an innovative learning environment in which students will gain hands-on experience in exercises that utilize modern technologies. These experiences can improve student comprehension of molecular biology and the process of science and enable students to develop problem-solving and interpersonal skills. The lab will improve the department's curriculum by including state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation to teach modern biological methodologies and demonstrate to students the concepts of molecular biology. This laboratory can be used primarily to teach two courses: Biotechnology and Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry. The laboratory can also share equipment with other laboratories to add molecular biology laboratory activities to their respective courses, including Principles of Biology, Genetics, and Cell Biology. The laboratory can help the department prepare undergraduate students for careers in the health sciences, research, teaching, and other professions.