Collaborative Research: Development and use of laboratory curriculum targeting student deficiences to establish regional higher learning communities in the biological sciences

（生物科学61）通过这种合作努力，学生在州立大学（加州州立大学，奇科）和邻近的社区学院（布特学院）的学生实验室从事调查使用国家的最先进的技术，以确定未知基因的功能在模式生物，拟南芥。在第一层的努力中，使用在CSU开发的课程，并在两个机构实施，学生创建可测试的假设基因的功能定义其表达模式（从公共领域的微阵列数据的检查预测），并创建荧光蛋白基因融合报告。在第二层的努力，学生使用他们的结构来创建转基因生物和测试他们原来的假设，使用共聚焦成像观察和报告这些基因的亚细胞蛋白质动力学。 从比尤特学院谁转移到CSU的学生，奇科继续他们在比尤特创建的结构上的工作，从他们的社区学院提供连续性，以他们的四年经验。学生成为：作为年轻生物学家社区的一员，他们拥有丰富的研究经验，与他们的专业密切相关，并深深沉浸在发现过程中。智力优势：该项目测试了更新的课程设计在改善学生学习和提高学生保留率方面的潜力大学科学、技术、工程和数学课程。除了研究这种方法的教育价值外，该项目还推进了拟南芥蛋白质功能的基础研究。学生提出并回答这样的问题：一种特定的蛋白质在细胞内的什么位置？在哪个细胞器内？蛋白质表现出什么样的运动？蛋白质的稳定性如何？更广泛的影响：CSU，Chico和Butte学院的第一级实验室每年有300多名学生参与上述最初的基因工程练习，即构建报告基因。芝加哥州立大学的二级实验室每年为另外50名学生提供服务，并完成转基因生物的基因工程。如果成功，这个试点计划将扩大到包括三个额外的社区学院在东北部加州（沙斯塔学院，羽毛河学院，和尤巴学院），其学生通常转移到科罗拉多州立大学，奇科。这些机构服务于加州东北部的9个县。

(Biological Sciences 61) Through this collaborative effort, students in student laboratories at a state college (California State University, Chico) and a neighboring community college (Butte College) are engaged in investigations using state-of-the-art techniques to identify the functions of unknown genes in a model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. In a first tier effort, using coursework developed at CSU and implemented at both institutions, students create testable hypotheses on a gene's function as defined by its expression pattern (predicted from examination of micro array data in the public domain) and create fluorescent protein-gene-fusion-reporters. In a second tier effort students use their constructs to create transgenic organisms and test their original hypotheses using confocal imaging to observe and report on the sub-cellular protein dynamics for these genes. Students from Butte College who transfer to CSU, Chico continue the work on the constructs they created while at Butte, providing continuity from their community college to their four year experience. Students become: part of a community of young biologists with significant research experiences, intimately linked to their major, and deeply immersed in the discovery process.Intellectual merit: The project tests updated curriculum design for its potential to improve student learning and to improve retention of students in university science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. In addition to research on the educational value of this approach, the project advances basic research on protein function in Arabidopsis thaliana. Students ask and address such questions as: Where does a specific protein reside within a cell?; Within which organelle?; What movements does the protein display?; and How stable is the protein?Broader impacts: The first tier laboratories at CSU, Chico and Butte College are engaging over 300 students per year in the initial genetic engineering exercise described above, construction of reporter genes. Second tier laboratories at CSU, Chico serve an additional 50 students per year and complete the genetic engineering with creation of transgenic organisms. If successful this pilot program will be expanded to include three additional Community Colleges in northeastern California (Shasta College, Feather River College, and Yuba College) whose students typically transfer to CSU, Chico. These institutions serve over 9 counties in northeastern California.