Integration of Undergraduate Laboratory Experience by Use of a Common Experimental Organism: Caenorhabditis elegans

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Biological Sciences (61) This project is integrating the undergraduate laboratory experience by introducing a common experimental organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, into a series of biology courses that span the curriculum. The use of a common organism allows laboratories to be structured such that students use knowledge and techniques learned in lower level courses to address experimental questions in more advanced courses. Instrumentation is being introduced in the labs so that students can take full advantage of this model organism. This approach is being adapted from NSF funded projects involving the use of a cloned gene in several courses (9950647) and integrated experiments with a common theme (9950879), and a course entitled "Worms in Class at NYU" at New York University. The objectives of the project are:1. Students understand the integrated nature of biological science and can apply knowledge from one subdiscipline to questions in a second subdiscipline, 2. Students understand why C. elegans is an appropriate model for the study of behavior, genetics, molecular and cell biology; 3. Students effectively use technology to study behavior, genetics, molecular and cellular biology of C. elegans.This integrated laboratory experience fosters in students the development of intellectual curiosity and problem solving skills essential for the pursuit of a scientific career. It provides classroom research experiences using cutting edge approaches with an experimental organism of proven merit. Students in the program are encouraged to consider choosing the C. elegans system for their independent undergraduate research projects. Additionally, since more than half of the students in the project become biology teachers, we expect these teachers to use C. elegans as an experimental organism in their secondary school laboratories.A web page describing laboratory exercises and project evaluation is posted as a resource for both college faculty and secondary school educators implementing C. elegans based laboratories in their curriculum.