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

生物科学(61)正在开发一个跨学科的课程，将生物加工和纳米生物技术的概念引入休斯顿大学的“生物技术原理”课程。课程修改包括增加有关工业和环境生物技术的信息。由环境生物技术这一共同主题连接的三个模块将被引入这门生物专业课程，并将普遍提供。这些模块是基于土壤细菌Dimunita假单胞菌的，这种细菌可能含有一种含有编码一种降解有机磷农药的酶的基因的质粒。学生学习重组DNA技术的理论和实践，包括生物催化、生物过程控制和上下游加工。这门课程的高潮是学生们为一家生物科技初创公司写一份商业计划书。大约有2000名生物专业的学生受到这个跨学科本科生物技术项目智力价值的影响：这个基于项目的课程不仅仅是通过整合生物加工、生物信息学和纳米生物技术向学生介绍分子生物学的基本技术。通过使用调查和协作学习经验，学生被要求思考科学发现和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提供了榜样。更广泛的影响：正在通过一个门户网站和出版一份实验室手册提供项目模块。这些课程可以很容易地被其他机构改编，并有可能接触到大量学生。正在不同地点进行传播，在当地通过BioHouston，在区域上通过Bio-Link(ATE生物技术中心)会议，在全国范围内通过相关期刊上的文章，如《微生物学新闻》。还在美国微生物学会会议上举行的关于微生物产品生物加工最佳做法的国家讲习班和针对教师发展的Chautauqua短期课程上介绍了有关这些单元的信息。由于休斯顿大学中心校区被归类为少数族裔服务机构，多元化的少数族裔人口将直接受益于该项目的成功。

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.