Enhancing Instructional Opportunities of Modern Molecular Genetic Techniques in Biology at an Undergraduate Liberal Arts University

分子遗传学工具在学术界和工业界越来越多的领域中得到应用。这个部门，像许多其他部门一样，在传统的细胞生物学方面提供了一个非常好的计划，但一直无法提供解决分子技术的理论或应用的课程。因此，许多生物学专业的学生在没有利用这些重要工具所需的背景的情况下继续研究生学术课程和工业工作场所。生物科学系正在努力纠正这一缺陷，提供两门新的分子生物学课程，其中有强大的实验室组成部分，集中于基本生物学问题的现代分子遗传学方法。 这两门课程都强调实践方法，并适应来自各种生物教育背景的学生。第一门课程在讲座中涉及传统的分子学科，并在实验室中使用项目导向的方法。学生们在小组中工作，使用各种现代分子技术来复制已发表的研究计划。这种方法通过将技术置于适当的背景下来增强教学，提高学生的兴趣，并鼓励团队合作技能。第二门课程让学生接触到生物学许多领域中使用的不同DNA指纹技术的理论和实践。这些练习为学生提供了广泛的分子技术的实际工作知识，并特别熟悉DNA指纹。 完成本课程的学生将准备在从生态学到法医学的生物科学领域追求这种高度实用的技术。这两门课程都旨在加强目前的高级生物学课程，为学生独立的研究项目做好准备，为其他本科院校的类似努力提供榜样，并为K-12教师的推广计划提供基础。

Molecular genetic tools are employed in an ever-increasing variety of fields in both academia and industry. This department, like many others, has offered a very good program in traditional cellular biology, but has been unable to offer courses addressing the theory or application of molecular techniques. Thus, many biology majors proceed to graduate academic programs and industrial workplaces without the background necessary to take advantage of these important tools. The Department of Biological Sciences is working to correct this deficiency by offering two new courses in molecular biology with strong laboratory components concentrating on modern molecular genetic approaches to basic biological questions. Both courses emphasize a hands-on approach and accommodate students from a wide range of biology education backgrounds. The first course deals with traditional molecular subjects in the lecture and makes use of a project-oriented approach in the laboratory. Students work in small groups using a variety of modern molecular techniques to duplicate a published research program. This approach enhances instruction by placing techniques within their appropriate context, increases student interest, and encourages team working skills. The second course exposes students to the theory and practice of the different DNA fingerprinting techniques being used in many areas of biology. These exercises provide students with a practical working knowledge of a wide range of molecular techniques and a particular familiarity with DNA fingerprinting. Students completing this course will be prepared to pursue this highly practical technology in areas of biological science ranging from ecology to forensics. Both courses are intended to enhance current upper-level biology courses, prepare students for independent research projects, serve as models for similar efforts at other undergraduate institutions, and provide the basis for outreach programs to K-12 instructors.