Strengthening Continuity of Rural Education in Biotechnology

该学院的生物系正在开发一个生物技术项目，为农村社区学院的学生转入四年制生物技术项目做准备。该项目的主要目标是： 1.制定生物技术转移计划，将生物技术跨学科实验室练习纳入细胞和分子生物学以及微生物学课程，并制定一个新的课程，题为生物技术导论。新的生物技术课程向学生介绍基本的生物技术原理和方法，使用基于探究的跨学科实验室教学。 2.作为连接农村高中、社区学院和四年制大学之间的生物技术课程的管道。 3.有针对性地招募服务不足的农村理科学生从事生物技术职业。 4.通过发展工业和教育之间的伙伴关系和商业联系，与蒙大拿州的生物技术产业建立联系。智力优点：该计划将细胞，分子和生物技术的实验室方法整合在既定的生物学和化学课程中。除了强调跨学科的实验室经验，新的实验室练习利用充分表征的蛋白质及其基因向学生介绍生物技术的基本概念，同时允许他们发展基本的实验室技能。基本的实验室程序，如光谱学，分离大分子，重组DNA技术，免疫化学，哺乳动物和微生物细胞培养正在引入调查为基础的实验室练习。学生们在体验科学发现的兴奋的同时，在协作学习环境中学习生物技术的基本工具。更广泛的影响：该项目主要影响生活在持续经济衰退和失业的农村社区的学生。这个机构所服务的学生包括许多第一代大学生。该课程提供了一条通往生物技术职业生涯的道路，预计该行业将在蒙大拿州和其他西北部各州发展。此外，该计划还为促进生物技术教育和在农村环境中与工业建立联系提供了一个模式。

The biology department at the college is developing a program in biotechnology that prepares students from a rural community college for transfer to four-year biotechnology programs. The primary goals of this project are to: 1. Develop a biotechnology transfer program that incorporates biotechnology cross-disciplinary laboratory exercises in cell and molecular biology and microbiology courses, and develop a new course entitled Introduction to Biotechnology. The new biotechnology course introduces students to fundamental biotechnology principles and methods, using inquiry-based, interdisciplinary laboratory instruction. 2. Serve as a pipeline linking the biotechnology curriculum between rural high schools, the community college, and four-year universities. 3. Target recruitment of underserved rural science students for biotechnology careers. 4. Establish ties to biotechnology industry in Montana by developing partnerships and business connections between industry and education. Intellectual merit: The program is integrating laboratory methods in cellular, molecular, and biotechnology within an established biology and chemistry curriculum. In addition to emphasizing cross-disciplinary laboratory experiences, the new laboratory exercises utilize well-characterized proteins and their genes to introduce students to the basic concepts of biotechnology, while allowing them to develop fundamental laboratory skills. Basic laboratory procedures, such as spectroscopy, isolation of macromolecules, recombinant DNA techniques, immunochemistry, and mammalian and microbial cell culture are being introduced in inquiry-based laboratory exercises. Students are experiencing the excitement of scientific discovery while simultaneously learning the essential tools of biotechnology in a collaborative learning environment.Broader impacts: This project primarily impacts students living in a rural community experiencing continued economic downturn and job losses. The students served by this institution include many first-generation college students. The curriculum provides a path to careers in biotechnology, an industry that is expected to grow in Montana and other northwestern states. Further, the program provides a model for promoting biotechnology education and establishing ties to industry in a rural environment.