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

通过这种合作，州立大学（加州州立大学奇科分校）和邻近社区学院（巴特学院）学生实验室的学生们利用最先进的技术进行调查，以确定模式生物拟南芥中未知基因的功能。在第一阶段的努力中，使用科罗拉多州立大学开发并在两所大学实施的课程作业，学生们根据基因的表达模式（通过对公共领域微阵列数据的检查预测）对基因的功能进行可测试的假设，并创建荧光蛋白-基因融合报告。在第二层的努力中，学生使用他们的结构来创建转基因生物，并使用共聚焦成像来观察和报告这些基因的亚细胞蛋白质动力学来测试他们的原始假设。从巴特学院转学到科罗拉多州立大学奇科分校的学生继续他们在巴特创建的结构的工作，提供了从社区学院到他们四年经验的连续性。学生们成为年轻生物学家社区的一员，他们有着重要的研究经验，与他们的专业密切相关，并深深沉浸在发现的过程中。智力价值：该项目测试了更新后的课程设计是否有可能改善学生的学习，并提高学生在大学科学、技术、工程和数学课程中的保留率。除了研究该方法的教育价值外，该项目还推进拟南芥蛋白功能的基础研究。学生们提出并解决这样的问题：特定的蛋白质在细胞内的什么地方？在哪个细胞器内？这种蛋白质表现出什么样的运动？蛋白质有多稳定？更广泛的影响：科罗拉多州立大学、奇科和巴特学院的第一梯队实验室每年吸引300多名学生参与上述初步基因工程练习，即构建报告基因。科罗拉多州立大学奇科分校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，这个试点项目将扩展到加州东北部的另外三所社区学院（沙斯塔学院、羽毛河学院和尤巴学院），这些学院的学生通常会转学到奇科科罗拉多州立大学。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.