Pathways for New Laboratory Modules in Undergraduate Genetics and Cell Physiology Education: Characterization of Puerto Rican Cassava

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(Biological Sciences 61) In this project students in upper division genetics and cell biology courses are contributing to an ongoing research project on cassava lineage and nutrient components by assessing the genetic diversity within the cassava varieties found in Puerto Rico. The students are using germplasm derived from sites around the island and from specimens in the Corozal Agriculture Experiment station in Puerto Rico and relating these findings to those already reported for African, Asian, South and Central American varieties. Since students in this course live in widely scattered spots on the island, making the students responsible for providing plant tissue from cassavas found close to their homes increases the varieties the course is likely to assay and is giving the students experience in record keeping, in gathering material from the field, and in properly storing freshly gathered materials to minimize deterioration prior to extraction and assay. Students in the Genetics course, are using material extracted from leaves they have gathered, quantifying the DNA and then using polymerase chain reaction based simple sequence repeat markers to assess the diversity of their samples and the relationship of the varieties discovered to those found in Africa, Asia, and South and Central America. Students in the Cell Physiology course are characterizing the structure of root cells of the cassava varieties found in the Corozal station as well as analyzing the protein and starch contents of the roots using a combination of cellular and biochemical techniques. The broader impact of these research-based education activities is the exposure of approximately 700 Hispanic undergraduate students per year to modern molecular and cellular technologies while allowing them to be part of a research project focusing on a food crop that is widely consumed by them. The described research activities are leading to the sustainable management of the cassava Puerto Rican genetic resources while providing undergraduate students hands-on experience in conducting molecular and cellular experiments which provide them the confidence to trust in their abilities to learn, understand and implement techniques in modern science. The major intellectual merit of this project is the introduction of community relevant research-based plant specific laboratory activities into upper division Genetics and Cell Physiology courses. Furthermore, the synergistic nature of the activities (between plant molecular biology and cell biology) serves as a model for the development of collaborative research-base education modules.