Molecular Technology Laboratory, An Undergraduate Course To Modernize the Biology Curriculum

生物科学(61)了解分子生物学中使用的方法及其在生物学其他领域中的应用，对获得生物学学位的学生来说至关重要。田野生物学、种群生物学、进化和生物生物学、生理学和细胞生物学都使用分子技术。生物系已经认识到有必要对其课程进行现代化改造，该课程传统上强调田野和生物生物学，但缺乏侧重于分子生物学的教学。最近，生物系聘请了新的教员来填补他们课程中的空白。因此，现在开设了两门致力于分子技术的新课程，一门分子生物学讲座课程和一门分子实验室课程。分子技术实验室课程调整了“解开DNA：实验室的分子生物学”中提出的方法，以适应这个开放式的、基于探究的调查实验室的当前需求。前七周的课程主要是介绍分子技术中的标准方法。课程的其余部分将致力于一个涉及基因克隆的项目。学生们以3人或4人为一组，设计并进行实验来克隆基因，然后证明正确的基因已经被克隆。学期结束时，报告包括书面报告和口头报告。课程的这一部分旨在让学生发展和使用解决问题和批判性思维的技能。除了修订的分子生物学课程外，这个项目还导致在整个课程中注入分子生物学，使学生现在被介绍到基础实验室和分子生物学研究技术，这些技术在一年级和二年级时会在遗传学实验室重新学习，最终在分子生物学课程中学习。因此，在整个课程中引入分子技术，以及开发复杂的专用分子生物学实验室，加强了整个生物学课程，并提高了学生在过渡到研究生院、专业课程或就业时的表现。

Biological Sciences (61) An understanding of the methods used in molecular biology and their application to other areas of biology is critical to the student graduating with a biology degree. Field biology, population biology, evolutionary and organismal biology, physiology and cellular biology all use molecular techniques. The Biology Department has recognized the need to modernize its curriculum, which traditionally has emphasized field and organismal biology, but lacked instruction focusing on molecular biology. Recently the biology department hired new faculty to fill this void in their curriculum. As a result, two new courses dedicated to molecular technology, a molecular biology lecture course and a molecular laboratory course, are now offered. The Molecular Technology Laboratory course adapts the methods presented in "Unraveling DNA: Molecular Biology for the Laboratory" to the current needs of this open-ended, inquiry based investigative laboratory. The first seven weeks of instruction is devoted to the introduction of standard methods in molecular technology. The remainder of the course is devoted to a project involving the cloning of a gene. Working in teams of 3 or 4, students design and carry out experiments to clone the gene, and then demonstrate that the correct gene has been cloned. At the end of the semester, both written and oral reports are presented. This part of the course is designed to engage students to develop and use problem solving and critical thinking skills. In addition to the revised Molecular Biology curriculum, this project has also lead to the infusion of molecular biology across the curriculum such that students are now introduced to the basic laboratory and molecular biological research techniques as Freshmen and Sophomores that are revisited in Genetics laboratory and ultimately in the Molecular Biology course. Consequently, the introduction of molecular techniques across the curriculum and the development of a sophisticated dedicated molecular biology laboratory has strengthen the whole biology curriculum and improved student performance as they transition to graduate school, professional programs or employment.