Yeast and Oxygen: Incorporating functional genomics research into three advanced laboratory courses

本项目正在开发三门高级实验课程，以吸引本科生对保护真核细胞免受活性氧（ROS）侵害的酶进行原始研究。学生在三个高级实验课程中进行原创性研究项目：细胞生物学、分子生物学和生物化学。这三门课程的活动都集中在蛋氨酸亚砜还原酶（Msrs）上，这是一种修复被活性氧破坏的蛋白质的酶，以出芽酵母酿酒酵母为实验模型。越来越多的证据表明，除了保护细胞免受氧化应激外，Msrs在细胞信号传导、衰老和疾病方面也发挥着重要作用。酿酒葡萄球菌是一个特别适合这个项目的真核生物模型，因为它的培养和基因操作技术很容易适应本科课堂。此外，分子克隆和工程酵母菌株可通过酵母基因组计划。在每门课程中，学生制定假设，设计并进行原始实验，批判性地评估数据，并制定结论，作为进一步实验的基础。每门课程都教授生物化学、分子生物学和细胞生物学的不同技能，并将其应用于学生团队进行的原始研究。结果以口头和书面报告以及学生海报的形式进行交流。从这三门课程中收集的实验结果在几年的时间里提供了关于Msr生理学和生物化学的新信息，这些信息将导致与学生共同撰写的论文提交给科学期刊。针对大量无法参与原创性研究的本科生，将基础研究方法引入高年级实验室教育的报告发表在大学科学教育期刊上。该项目的一个更广泛的影响是发展实验室经验，以吸引大量的本科生进行原创性研究，并为科学知识库做出贡献。

Life Science Biological (61) This project is developing three advanced laboratory courses to engage undergraduate students in original research on enzymes involved in the protection of eukaryotic cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Students perform original research projects in a sequence of three upper division lab courses: cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Activities in all three courses focus on methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs), enzymes that repair proteins damaged by ROS, using the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as the experimental model. Growing evidence suggests that Msrs, in addition to protecting cells against oxidative stress, play important roles in cell signaling, aging and disease. S. cerevisiae is a particularly well-suited eukaryotic model for this project, because techniques for its culture and genetic manipulation are easily adapted to the undergraduate classroom. In addition, molecular clones and engineered yeast strains are available through the yeast genome project. In each course, students formulate hypotheses, design and conduct original experiments, critically evaluate data, and formulate conclusions that serve as the basis for further experimentation. Different skill sets from biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology are taught in each course and applied to original research conducted by teams of students. Results are communicated in oral and written reports and in student poster sessions. Experimental results collected from the three courses over a period of years is providing novel information about Msr physiology and biochemistry that will lead to manuscripts with student co-authors submitted to scientific journals. Reports on the basic-research approach to upper-division lab education for large numbers of undergraduate students who would not otherwise be able to participate in original research will be published in journals focused on college science education. A broader impact of the project is to develop laboratory experiences to engage large numbers of undergraduate students with original research and to contribute to the scientific knowledge base.