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）通过这项合作，州立学院（加利福尼亚州立大学，奇科）和邻近社区学院（巴特学院）的学生实验室的学生利用最先进的技术进行研究，以确定模式生物拟南芥中未知基因的功能。在第一层工作中，学生利用科罗拉多州立大学开发并在两个机构实施的课程作业，根据其表达模式（通过公共领域的微阵列数据检查预测）定义基因的功能，创建可测试的假设，并创建荧光蛋白基因融合报告器。在第二层努力中，学生使用他们的构建体来创建转基因生物，并使用共焦成像来测试他们最初的假设，以观察和报告这些基因的亚细胞蛋白质动态。 从巴特学院转学到奇科科罗拉多州立大学的学生继续他们在巴特学院期间创建的结构的工作，为他们的四年经验提供了从社区大学的连续性。学生成为：具有丰富研究经验的年轻生物学家社区的一部分，与他们的专业密切相关，并深深地沉浸在发现过程中。智力价值：该项目测试了更新的课程设计是否有潜力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。学生提出并解决以下问题：特定蛋白质位于细胞内的何处？在哪个细胞器内？蛋白质表现出什么运动？蛋白质的稳定性如何？更广泛的影响：科罗拉多州立大学、奇科和巴特学院的一级实验室每年让 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。科罗拉多州立大学奇科分校的二级实验室每年额外服务 50 名学生，并通过创建转基因生物完成基因工程。如果成功，该试点计划将扩大到包括加利福尼亚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转学到奇科的科罗拉多州立大学。这些机构为加州东北部超过 9 个县提供服务。

(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.