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

生物科学（61）在分子生物学中使用的方法及其应用到生物学的其他领域的理解是至关重要的生物学位毕业的学生。野外生物学、种群生物学、进化生物学、生理学和细胞生物学都使用分子技术。生物系已经认识到需要现代化的课程，传统上强调领域和有机体生物学，但缺乏对分子生物学的指导。最近，生物系聘请了新的教师来填补他们课程中的这一空白。因此，现在开设了两门专门针对分子技术的新课程，即分子生物学讲座课程和分子实验室课程。分子技术实验室课程适应“解开DNA：实验室分子生物学”中提出的方法，以满足这个开放式，基于调查的实验室的当前需求。教学的前七周致力于介绍分子技术的标准方法。课程的剩余部分将用于一个涉及基因克隆的项目。学生们以3或4人为一组，设计并进行克隆基因的实验，然后证明正确的基因已经被克隆。在学期结束时，将提交书面和口头报告。这部分课程旨在让学生发展和使用解决问题和批判性思维的技能。除了修订后的分子生物学课程，该项目还导致分子生物学在整个课程中的注入，使学生现在被引入到基本的实验室和分子生物学研究技术作为新生和大二学生，在遗传学实验室重新访问，并最终在分子生物学课程。因此，在整个课程中引入分子技术和开发一个复杂的专用分子生物学实验室加强了整个生物学课程，并提高了学生的表现，因为他们过渡到研究生院，专业课程或就业。

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.