Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics

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The Marine Biotechnology and Bioinformatics project represents a collaboration between San Jose State University, California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB), and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories to incorporate biotechnology and bioinformatics into the teaching and learning of biology at the middle and high school levels. Based on an NSF-funded pilot, the project has expanded to include additional schools and underrepresented communities, new multi-media instructional materials, redesigned professional development, industry involvement and enhanced partnerships. Serving schools at the middle and high school levels, the project involves 60 teachers and 45 students, and will ultimately reach approximately 6,000 students indirectly by project end. Program components include a three-week summer workshop, six follow-up meetings during the school year, teacher mentoring, lesson development and a web-cast career series. During the summer students and teachers conduct marine science research experiments using biotechnology and bioinformatics. Through data generation (biotechnology) and data analysis (bioinformatics), scientific questions related to a specific marine organism will be investigated. Using the vehicle of lesson study, lesson design will occur concurrently with research cycle activities. Middle and high school students join teachers during the final week of the summer session to participate in the lessons developed by teachers. Lesson modification and refinement will continue the final week and during the school year follow-up sessions. Wireless web casts will provide additional teacher support, while monthly web casts for students will feature interactive discussions with bioinformatics and biotechnology experts. Undergraduate and graduate students at the partnering institutions who are studying IT, bioinformatics and biotechnology will serve as teaching assistants and will also provide technical support for the web casts.