MRI: Acquisition of an Automated DNA Analysis System for Biology Teaching and Research

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A grant has been awarded to Dr. Sudman at Tarleton State University topurchase an automated DNA analysis system. This instrument package will beused to enhance the teaching and research activities within the Departmentof Biological Sciences, specifically those related to molecular biology andgenetics. The use of this DNA analysis system, combined with theintroduction of DNA and protein analysis components into the laboratoryportions of many of their classes, will greatly enhance the educationalexperiences of all of the students associated with the Biology Department.This modern, technological approach to biology will give Tarleton studentsadvantages on three different levels. Exposure to modern research techniquesand instrumentation will 1) better prepare the students to enter post-baccalaureate educational settings - either traditional academic settings or medical related fields; 2) prepare future K-12 teachers with a basis for explaining and perhaps demonstrating the uses of modern moleculartechniques; and 3) prepare students for entrance into the rapidly changing,high-tech workplace.From an educational standpoint, individuals that will benefit from theacquisition of a DNA analysis system will include undergraduate students,Masters level graduate students, area high school teachers, and researchersboth at Tarleton State University and the Stephenville branch of the TexasA&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Undergraduate studentsenrolled in courses in the Department of Biological Sciences such asHeredity, Molecular Biology, and Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry willutilize the automated DNA analysis system in a variety of laboratorysituations. Students in the graduate course Laboratory Practicum inMolecular Biology will also benefit from the apparatus. From a researchstandpoint, undergraduate and graduate students involved with severalongoing projects will directly utilize the automated DNA analysis system.These research projects include generating data for investigating the pasthistory of various mammal species, DNA variation in an endangered bird(Attwater's prairie chickens), determination of the origin of introducedcrabs in freshwater Texas lakes, introducing foreign genes intobaculoviruses to enhance insect resistance in plants, examining the originof specific "hybrid" plant species (such as peanuts), searching for genesrelated to drought tolerance in plants, and investigations into the geneticdiversity of immune response genes in various species of mammals.The acquisition of this DNA analysis system will have a tremendous impact onthe academic and research community associated with the Department ofBiological Sciences at Tarleton State University. From students seekingteacher certification to those conducting Masters level research, an onsiteinstrument for determining DNA sequences or other genetic differencesbetween or within organisms will provide a vital boost to the biologicalteaching and research fields. The automated DNA analysis system will allowmore than 100 students per year the opportunity to obtain essential trainingwith a state-of-the-art biochemical analysis instrument. Finally, thesystem will provide local access for the research community at theStephenville branch of the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and ExtensionCenter, fostering additional collaborative research activities between thetwo institutions.