Pathways over Time: A Research Project for the Introductory Biology Laboratory

随时间变化的途径：入门生物学实验室的研究项目

• 批准号: 1140428
• 负责人: Clare O'Connor
• 金额: $ 17.51万
• 依托单位: Boston College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-06-01 至 2015-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1140428&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Pathways; over; Time; Research; Project

This project is developing a multi-section introductory laboratory class that incorporates an authentic research project with a focus on comparative genomics. The course, BI204 - Investigations in Molecular Cell Biology, is teaching students the core concepts and competencies of scientific literacy, as articulated in the recent NSF/AAAS sponsored report, Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action. The research project involves groups of students studying the functional conservation of a metabolic pathway involved in methionine synthesis using complementation in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to test the functional conservation of the genes in evolutionarily divergent species. During the course of the project, students are using the primary scientific literature, databases, and online bioinformatics tools, while becoming familiar with the basic techniques used in molecular cell biology and microbial genetics. A variety of curriculuar materials are being developed during the project and made available to the community over the Internet. Materials include a student handbook and an instructor's handbook. The student handbook is being updated on an annual basis, and previous versions archived to the eScholarship@BC repository for digital preservation. The instructor's handbook is expected to be important in sustaining the project at Boston College and in transferring the project to other institutions. The project also includes the design and implementation of a data-sharing site that students use to post and discuss their experimental results throughout the semester. The data-sharing site is being designed using a platform that utilizes open source code, so that the design can be shared with other educators. This project also includes a graduate teaching assistant training program that stresses active learning, attention to diversity, and the importance of assessment in instruction.This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts toward Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education

这个项目正在开发一个多部分的介绍性实验室课程，其中包括一个真实的研究项目，重点是比较基因组学。该课程，BI 204-分子细胞生物学研究，是教学生科学素养的核心概念和能力，在最近的NSF/AAAS赞助的报告，本科生物学教育的愿景和变化：行动呼吁中阐述。该研究项目涉及一组学生，他们研究在芽殖酵母酿酒酵母中使用互补作用参与甲硫氨酸合成的代谢途径的功能保护，以测试进化上不同物种的基因功能保护。在该项目的过程中，学生正在使用主要的科学文献，数据库和在线生物信息学工具，同时熟悉分子细胞生物学和微生物遗传学中使用的基本技术。在该项目期间，正在编制各种各样的宣传材料，并通过因特网提供给社区。教材包括学生手册和教师手册。学生手册每年更新一次，以前的版本存档到eScholarship@BC存储库进行数字保存。预计教员手册将对维持波士顿学院的项目和将该项目转移到其他机构具有重要意义。该项目还包括一个数据共享网站的设计和实施，学生可以在整个学期中发布和讨论他们的实验结果。数据共享网站正在使用一个利用开放源代码的平台进行设计，以便与其他教育工作者共享设计。该项目还包括一个研究生助教培训计划，强调主动学习，关注多样性和教学评估的重要性，该项目由生物基础设施处生物科学理事会和本科教育处教育和人力资源理事会共同资助，作为本科生物教育愿景和变革的一部分