Development and Implementation of an Investigative Laboratory Component for the Molecular Biology Course at St. Mary's College of Maryland

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The laboratory component of the Molecular Biology course is framed to l) teach students basic recombinant DNA methodology, 2) reinforce the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, and 3) teach the discovery process. While successful in achieving the first two goals, the current laboratory activity of repeating well-defined experiments has been ineffective in achieving the third goal. In addition, the laboratory has been deficient in the utilization of information technology. To address these problems I propose to redesign the current laboratory experience so that it include a truly investigative project that I have adapted from that originally described by Monroe and Knight which requires extensive use of information technology. During the last eight weeks of the semester students will in fact become part of the ongoing global effort to sequence the genome of the small plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. Students will isolate, characterize and sequence clones from a cDNA library of Arabidopsis thaliana and will then use Gen Bank DNA databases to determine the novelty of their clones. Vital to implementation of this laboratory activity is an automated DNA sequencer, the request of this proposal. In addition to its importance for the investigative project of the Molecular Biology course, it is expected that the DNA sequencer will also be used by students to carry out independent research projects as well as by faculty to develop investigative laboratories for other courses. It is anticipated that investigative activities such as those described above will provide opportunities for students to learn the discovery process and acquire the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for lifelong learning.