DNA Fingerprinting Exercise for the Biology Freshman Laboratory Program

密西西比大学生物系新生实验室计划(FLP)包括针对一年级生物市长(每年超过500名学生)和必须满足理科核心课程要求的非理科学生(每年约1400名学生)的单独实验室序列。该大学约70%的非理科毕业生完成了生物学FLP的基本理科要求。FLP面临着双重挑战，既要让理科专业的学生为生物学方面的高级工作做好准备，又要为非理科专业的学生提供相关的基础知识和适当的智力工具，以解释影响社会问题和日常生活的科学信息。在学生理解遗传变异的分子基础方面，这一挑战比任何地方都更尖锐，也是迎接挑战的努力的结果更重要。DNA指纹和其他DNA分析技术经常用于生物学的许多子领域。分子遗传学对人类健康的重要性以及DNA分析在法医学中的应用受到了大多数学生的广泛赞赏。然而，由于资源的限制，FLP中对DNA结构和功能的覆盖仅限于演示和计算机模拟。在这一保护中，我们将在所有新生实验室实施DNA指纹测试。这项工作将涉及使用基于聚合酶链式反应的技术对三种淡水鱼(两种同类和一种近亲属)进行遗传分析。为练习购买的仪器将由学生在由教师培训的PI和研究生助教的监督下使用。我们期望该计划(1)加强学生对DNA结构和功能的理解(2)提供当代遗传分析的重要工具的实用知识，以及(3)提供对分子遗传信息的局限性和潜在用途的理解。

The University of Mississippi, Department of Biology Freshman Laboratory Program (FLP) includes separate laboratory sequences for first year biology mayors (over 500 students per year) and students not majoring in a science who must meet core curriculum requirements in science (approximately 1400 students per year). Approximately 70% of non-science graduates from the University fulfill their basic science requirement in the biology FLP. The FLP is faced with the dual challenge of preparing science majors for upper level work in biology while providing nonscience majors a basis of relevance and the appropriate intellectual tools for the interpretation of scientific information as it affects social issues and everyday life. Nowhere is this challenge more acute and the outcome of efforts to meet the challenge more important than with respect to student understanding of the molecular basis of genetic variation. DNA fingerprinting and other techniques of DNA analysis are routinely used in many subfields of biology. The importance of molecular genetics to human health and the application of DNA analysis in forensics is widely appreciated by most students. However, because of resource limitations, the coverage of DNA structure and function in the FLP is restricted to demonstrations and computer simulations. In this protect, we will implement DNA fingerprinting exercises into all freshman laboratories. The exercise will involve the genetic analysis of three freshwater fish species (two congeners and one from a closely related genus) using a PCR-based technique. The instruments to be purchased for the exercises will be used by students under supervision of the PI's and Graduate Teaching Assistants trained by faculty. We expect the program to (1) enhance student's understanding of the structure and function of DNA (2) provide a working knowledge of the important tools of contemporary genetic analysis, and (3) provide an understanding of the limitations and potential uses of molecular genetic informatio n.