Implementing DNA Barcoding for Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

通用产品代码是一种独特的垂直线图案，可以识别特定的消费产品。 以类似的方式，DNA条形码是一种独特的DNA序列模式，可以潜在地识别生物的特定物种。理解和使用DNA条形码需要分子生物学，遗传学，进化，系统学，生态学和生物多样性的思想，所有这些都是传统生物学入门课程的关键概念。越来越多的证据表明，早期接触研究增加了学生在STEM学科的保留，该项目将为大量学生提供基于DNA条形码课程的本科生研究经验（CURES）。该项目将提供一系列暑期讲习班，培训来自全国各地的80名本科教师，使他们能够教学生如何使用DNA条形码来识别不同的生物种群。只要投入相对较少的时间，这些学生就有真实的可能发现新的条形码，并将其发表在基因库上，就像实践科学家所做的那样。通过参与通过时间和空间跟踪物种的项目，学生可以贡献关于植物和动物如何应对环境的新知识。DNA条形码研究需要合作，坚持和提出想法的“软技能”，任何学生都需要在他或她未来的职业生涯中取得成功。学生还将发展分析，操作和整合来自不同来源的数据以及数据可视化方面的专业知识。 这些技能对未来的劳动力尤其重要。 将在微生物组和环境DNA分析中开发先进的元条形码CURE，以向教师和学生介绍下一代测序和数据科学。该项目的目标是向本科教育工作者介绍基本的DNA条形码技术，并帮助他们开发理解和使用DNA元条形码所需的额外专业知识。DNA元条形码体现了现代生物学从单基因分析到大规模并行基因组分析的概念转变。该项目的目标是：1）开发技术，以减少成本和障碍，在课堂上实施DNA条形码和元条形码。2)培训教师的DNA条形码和元条形码技术，数据科学，以及扩展CURE的有效方法，以达到大量的学生。3)为教师提供指导和扩展的协作支持，因为他们实施CURE并将其专业知识扩展到数据科学。4)评估该计划，并提供条形码研究经验对学生自我效能和坚持STEM的影响的统一措施。一项雄心勃勃的评估计划将试图确定CURE的哪些关键要素（参与科学实践，合作，研究相关问题，探索未知答案的问题，以及重复实验）与积极的学生成果最密切相关。该项目将整合三个层次的调查：实地考察，体外生物化学和计算机生物信息学。条形码的生物信息学分析为学生提供了日益复杂的数据科学技能和统计推理。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A universal product code is a unique pattern of vertical lines that can identify specific consumer product. In a comparable way, a DNA barcode is a unique pattern of DNA sequence that can potentially identify specific species of living things. Understanding and using DNA barcoding requires ideas from molecular biology, genetics, evolution, systematics, ecology, and biodiversity, all of which are key concepts in traditional introductory biology courses. Building on the growing evidence that early exposure to research increases retention of students in STEM disciplines, this project will enable DNA barcoding course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) for large numbers of students. This project will provide a series of summer workshops to train 80 undergraduate faculty from around the country, so that they can teach students how to use DNA barcoding to identify a diverse population of organisms. With a relatively small investment of time, these students will have the real possibility of discovering a new barcode and publishing it on GenBank, as practicing scientists do. By participating in projects that track species through time and space, students can contribute new knowledge about how plants and animals are responding to their environment. DNA barcode research requires the "soft skills" of collaborating, persisting, and presenting ideas, which any student would need to succeed in his or her future career. The students will also develop expertise in analysis, manipulation, and integration of data from different sources, as well as visualization of data. These skills are especially relevant for the future workforce. Advanced metabarcoding CUREs will be developed in microbiome and environmental DNA analysis to introduce faculty and students to next generation sequencing and data science. The goals of this project are to introduce undergraduate educators to basic DNA barcoding technology and help them develop the additional expertise needed to understand and use DNA metabarcoding. DNA metabarcoding embodies the conceptual transition of modern biology from single gene to massively parallel genome analysis. The project objectives are to: 1) Develop technology to reduce costs and barriers to classroom implementation of DNA barcoding and metabarcoding. 2) Train faculty in DNA barcoding and metabarcoding technology, data science, and effective methods for scaling CUREs to reach large numbers of students. 3) Provide mentoring and extended collaborative support to faculty as they implement CUREs and extend their expertise to data science. 4) Evaluate the program and provide unified measures of the impact of barcoding research experiences on student self-efficacy and persistence in STEM. An ambitious evaluation program will attempt to determine which of the key elements of CUREs (engaging in scientific practices, collaborating, examining relevant problems, exploring questions with unknown answers, and re-iterating experiments) most closely correlates with positive student outcomes. The project will integrate three levels of investigation: fieldwork, in vitro biochemistry, and in silico bioinformatics. The bioinformatics analysis of barcodes provides students with an increasingly sophisticated repertoire of data science skills and statistical reasoning.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.