Instrumentation for an Undergraduate Recombinant DNA Labora-tory.

通过这个项目获得的仪器正在用于启动一门为期两个学期的分子生物学课程，本科生在实验室学习重组DNA方法学。主要仪器包括两个转子的超速离心机、紫外分光光度计、电源、DNA测序仪、细菌生长恒温振荡器、闪烁计数器和两台带硬盘的微型计算机。这些仪器将在初一学生每学期为期10周的一系列实验室练习中使用。这些练习将使学生熟悉细菌、噬菌体和质粒的生长，噬菌体基因到质粒DNA的亚克隆，重组DNA的细菌转化，定点突变，基因组文库的构建，核酸过滤杂交，以及DNA碱基序列分析的介绍。这门课程为学生在大四时积极参与分子生物学的本科研究项目做好准备。教职员工预计，这门课程将激发学生的热情，使更多的学生考虑在分子和细胞生物学领域从事科学研究。

Instrumentation acquired through this project is being used to initiate a two-semester Molecular Biology course in which undergraduates learn recombinant DNA methodology in the laboratory. Major instruments include an ultracentrifuge with two rotors, UV spectrophotometer, power supplies, DNA sequencing apparatus, constant temperature shakers for bacterial growth, a scintillation counter, and two microcomputers with hard disks. The instruments will be used in a series of 10-week laboratory exercises each semester for students in the Junior year. These exercises will acquaint students with the growth of bacteria, bacteriophages and plasmids, the subcloning of phage genes into plasmid DNA, bacterial transformation with recombinant DNA, site-specific mutagenesis, the construction of a genomic library, nucleic acid filter hybridization, and an introduction to DNA base sequence analysis. The course prepares students for active involvement in undergraduate research projects in Molecular Biology in their Senior year. The faculty anticipates that this course will create such enthusiasm that an increased number of students will consider scientific research careers in the fields of molecular and cellular biology.