Development of a Model System for Teaching Genetics

生物科学（61）智力优势：威斯康星州快速植物（粮食计划署），一个快速循环（RC）线的芜菁（成熟种子可以收获种子发芽后36天），广泛用于小学，中学和本科教育。 它们已成为教授植物生理学、营养学和生态学以及在有限程度上教授遗传学的模式生物。它们已被用来帮助学生发展定量技能，以及获得一些生物过程的更深入的了解，并已确定由本科研究理事会作为十个实验系统之一，非常适合本科教育。然而，WFP在遗传学教学中的应用是有限的，因为只有少数几个适度有趣的质量性状可用，定义了一些质量性状（矮小身材，黄绿色叶片和增加花青素沉积），但只有两个数量性状（植物高度和丰富的叶和茎毛）。WFP不能自我繁殖，因此需要将兄弟姐妹杂交以创造隐性性状分离的群体。缺乏自育性严重限制了进行大规模诱变以鉴定感兴趣的突变体的能力。我们已经培育了一个自交亲和系，现在正在进行大规模的诱变，并确定有趣的突变体。我们已经开始绘制这些突变体的图谱，并正在开发练习，教师和学生可以在这些练习中为创建基于表型标记的遗传图谱做出贡献。与此同时，我们正在开发一个基于分子（多态性）标记的物理图谱。这使学生能够进行实验，传达联系的概念和遗传和物理距离之间的关系。本科生参与突变株系和相关教育模块的开发。 此外，新品系的存在为本科生研究项目提供了一个宝贵的工具。更广泛的影响：通过粮食计划署现有的外联方案（网络、印刷品和讲习班），正在有效地传播有关这一新遗传资源的信息。 粮食计划署的种子正由十字花科植物遗传学合作社和一个强大的教育市场经销商（卡罗莱纳生物公司，美国北卡罗来纳州）重新分配。 许多本科教师和K-12教师都以WFP为实验室和课堂练习的基础。 他们现在可以在他们的资源中添加遗传可塑性品系。这个项目得到了生物科学理事会植物基因组研究计划的部分资助。

Biological Sciences (61)Intellectual Merit: Wisconsin Fast Plants (WFP), a rapid-cycling (RC) line of Brassica rapa (mature seeds can be harvested 36 days after seed germination), is widely used for primary, secondary and undergraduate education. They have become the model organism for teaching plant physiology, nutrition and ecology and, to a limited extent, genetics. They have been used to help students develop quantitative skills as well as gain a deeper understanding of a number of biological processes and have been identified by the Council on Undergraduate Research as one of ten experimental systems ideally suited for undergraduate education. However, the use of WFP for teaching genetics is limited as there are only handful of modestly interesting qualitative traits available, a few qualitative traits defined (dwarf-stature, yellow-green leaves, and increased anthocyanin deposition) but only two quantitative traits (plant height and abundance of leaf and stem hairs). WFP are not self fertile and thus siblings need to be crossed to create populations that segregate for recessive traits. The lack of self fertility severely limits the ability to perform large-scale mutagenesis to identify interesting mutants. We have bred a self-compatible line and now are performing large-scale mutagenesis and identifying interesting mutants. We have begun to map these mutants and are also developing exercises in which teachers and their students can contribute to the creation of a genetic map based on phenotypic markers. In parallel, we are developing a physical map based on molecular(polymorphic) markers. This permits students to perform experiments that convey the concepts of linkage and the relationship between genetic and physical distance. Undergraduate students are involved in the development of both the mutant lines and the related educational modules. In addition the existence of the new lines provides a valuable tool for undergraduate research projects.Broader Impacts: Dissemination of information about this new genetic resource is being effectively achieved through the existing WFP outreach program (web, print and workshops). The WFP seeds are being redistributed by the Crucifer Genetics Cooperative and by a strong educational market distributor (Carolina Biological, North Carolina, USA). Many undergraduate faculty and K-12 teachers base laboratory and classroom exercises on WFP. They will now be able to add genetically malleable lines to their resources.This project is being partially supported by funds from the Plant Genome Research Program of the Directorate for Biological Sciences.