Gene and Development Investigated in the Biology Curriculum

生物学专业的学生通常在遗传学和生物化学方面有很好的基础，但许多人无法理解许多基因编码蛋白质产物的概念，这些蛋白质产物调节并受发育事件的调节。为了解决这一不足，我们将在生物学课程中整合一些课程，这将导致一个基于研究的系统，并将遗传学方法用于发育生物学。该系统将依赖于使用斑马鱼作为模式动物系统和马铃薯作为模式植物系统。学生的研究人员将从这些生物体中分离和表征基因，然后这些基因将用于开发本科生练习，这些练习将检查基因表达与不同发育阶段的关联。最初的基因分离实验将在本科分子生物学课程中进行。分离的基因将是随机克隆和靶向特定代谢酶的基因。然后，这些基因将被学生用于动物和植物发育生物学课程，作为演示基因与发育相互作用的教学工具。在生物化学，蛋白质结构和功能，和组织学额外的课程将给学生机会，以检查不同方面的基因和基因产物分离。通过这种方法，我们打算灌输本科生物学专业的科学过程的感觉，让他们的所有权和投入到实验过程中。

Students majoring in biology usually get a good foundation in genetics and biochemistry but many fail to grasp the concept that many genes encode for protein products that regulate and are regulated by developmental events. To address this deficiency we will integrate a number of courses within the biology curriculum that will result in a research based system that win teach a genetic approach to developmental biology. This system will rely on the use of zebra fish as a model animal system and potato as a model plant system. Student's investigators will isolate and characterize genes from these organisms and these genes will then be used to develop undergraduate exercises that will examine the association of gene expression with different stages of development. Initial gene isolation experiments will be conducted in an undergraduate molecular biology course. The genes isolated will be both random clones and genes targeted to specific metabolic enzymes. These genes will then be used by students in animal and plant developmental biology courses as pedagogical tools for demonstrating the interaction of genes and development. Additional courses in biochemistry, protein structure and function, and histology will give students the opportunity to examine different aspects of the genes and gene products isolated. With this approach we intend to instill in undergraduate biology majors a sense of the scientific process by giving them ownership and input into the experimental process.