From Nature to Lab to Production - Infusing Cutting Edge Research into Undergraduate Biotechnology Curriculum

生物科学（61）休斯顿大学正在开发一门跨学科课程，将生物加工和纳米生物技术的概念引入“生物技术原理”课程。课程修改包括增加工业和环境生物技术方面的信息。以环境生物技术为共同主题的三个单元被引入这门生物专业课程，并普遍提供。这些模块基于土壤细菌假单胞菌（Pseudomonas dimunita），这种细菌可能携带一种质粒，其中含有一种编码一种降解有机磷农药的酶的基因。学生将学习重组DNA技术的理论和实践，包括生物催化、生物过程控制以及上游和下游加工。课程的高潮是学生为一家生物技术初创公司写一份商业计划书。大约有2000名生物学专业的学生受到这个跨学科本科生物技术项目的影响。智力优势：这个基于项目的课程通过整合生物处理、生物信息学和纳米生物技术，超越了向学生介绍分子生物学的基本技术。通过使用调查和合作学习经验，学生将面临挑战，考虑科学发现与社会之间的相互作用，包括科学方法和伦理的重要性。课程的模块化性质使其非常灵活，使教师能够将其整合到微生物学，环境生物学，生物技术或化学中。它为其他计划提供类似跨学科课程的机构树立了榜样。更广泛的影响：正在通过门户网站和出版实验室手册提供项目模块。这些可以很容易地被其他机构采用，并有可能覆盖大量学生。在不同地点进行传播，在当地通过BioHouston，在区域通过Bio-Link （ATE生物技术中心）会议，在全国通过《微生物学新闻》等相关期刊上的文章。在美国微生物学会会议上关于微生物产品生物加工最佳做法的国家讲习班和肖托夸大学教师发展短期课程上也介绍了有关这些模块的信息。由于休斯顿大学中心校区被归类为少数民族服务机构，多元化的少数民族人口将直接受益于这个项目的成功。

Biological Sciences (61)An interdisciplinary curriculum is being developed that introduces concepts of bioprocessing and nanobiotechnology into a "Principles of Biotechnology" course at the University of Houston. The curriculum modifications consist of adding information on industrial and environmental biotechnology. Three modules linked by a common theme of environmental biotechnology are being introduced into this biology majors course and are being made generally available. The modules are based on the soil bacterium Pseudomonas dimunita, a bacteria with the potential to harbor a plasmid containing a gene coding for an enzyme that degrades organophosphorous pesticides. Students are learning the theory and practice of recombinant DNA technology including biocatalysis, bioprocess control, and upstream and downstream processing. The course culminates in a capstone activity in which the students write a business proposal for a biotech start up firm. Approximately 2000 biology majors are affected by this interdisciplinary undergraduate biotechnology program Intellectual Merit: This project based curricula goes beyond introducing students to the basic techniques of molecular biology by integrating bioprocessing, bioinformatics and nanobiotechnology. Through use of investigative and collaborative learning experiences students are challenged to consider the interplay between scientific discovery and society including the importance of scientific methods and ethics. The modular nature of the curriculum makes it very flexible, enabling faculty to integrate it into microbiology, environmental biology, biotechnology, or chemistry. It is serving as a model for other institutions that plan to offer similar interdisciplinary curriculum. Broader Impact: Project modules are being made available through a web portal and publication of a laboratory manual. These can be easily adapted by other institutions and have the potential to reach a large number of students. Dissemination is being conducted at various venues, locally through BioHouston, regionally through Bio-Link (an ATE biotechnology center) meetings, and nationally through articles in relevant journals such as Microbiology News. Information concerning the modules is also being presented at national workshops on best practices in bioprocessing of microbial products at American Society for Microbiology meetings and Chautauqua short courses for faculty development. Since the University of Houston central campus is classified as a minority serving institution, a diverse minority population will directly benefit from the success of this project.