Implementing DNA Barcoding for Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences

通用产品代码是一种唯一的垂直线图案，可以识别特定的消费产品。以一种类似的方式，DNA条形码是一种独特的DNA序列模式，可以潜在地识别特定物种的生物。理解和使用DNA条形码需要来自分子生物学、遗传学、进化论、系统学、生态学和生物多样性的想法，所有这些都是传统生物学入门课程中的关键概念。基于越来越多的证据表明，早期接触研究有助于留住STEM学科的学生，该项目将使大量学生能够获得基于DNA条形码课程的本科生研究经验(CURE)。该项目将提供一系列暑期研讨会，培训来自全国各地的80名本科生教师，以便他们能够教会学生如何使用DNA条形码来识别不同的有机体种群。在相对较少的时间投入下，这些学生将真正有可能发现一种新的条形码，并将其发布在GenBank上，就像实习科学家所做的那样。通过参与在时间和空间上跟踪物种的项目，学生们可以贡献关于植物和动物如何对环境做出反应的新知识。DNA条形码研究需要合作、坚持和展示想法的“软技能”，这是任何学生在未来的职业生涯中都需要的。学生还将发展不同来源的数据的分析、操作和集成以及数据可视化方面的专业知识。这些技能与未来的劳动力尤其相关。将在微生物组和环境DNA分析方面开发先进的元生物编码疗法，向教职员工和学生介绍下一代测序和数据科学。这个项目的目标是向本科生教育工作者介绍基本的DNA条形码技术，并帮助他们发展理解和使用DNA元条形码所需的额外专业知识。DNA元编码体现了现代生物学从单基因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，以降低课堂实施DNA条形码和元编码的成本和障碍。2)培训教师，掌握DNA条形码和元条形码技术、数据科学，以及将治疗扩展到大量学生的有效方法。3)在教师实施CURE并将他们的专业知识扩展到数据科学时，为他们提供指导和扩展的协作支持。4)对项目进行评估，并提供条形码研究经验对STEM学生自我效能感和持久性影响的统一测量。一项雄心勃勃的评估计划将试图确定治疗的哪些关键要素(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)与积极的学生结果最密切相关。该项目将整合三个层次的研究：田野工作、体外生物化学和硅生物信息学。条形码的生物信息学分析为学生提供了越来越复杂的数据科学技能和统计推理能力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.