Ceratopteris - A Simple Model System for Teaching and Research

水蕨属植物具有许多独特的特征，使其成为实验研究应用的有用系统。作为这个模型系统的发展的一个分支，我们已经认识到其潜在的有用性，为教育目的，在探究为基础的学生教学和研究设置。水蕨属具有快速和易于操纵的生命周期，以及与同孢蕨类植物特别相关的其他特征，使其成为其他广泛使用的开花植物系统的独特和互补。培养和操作大量的植物在小盘子里的能力，可视化卵子受精的运动精子，结合简单的遗传学和广泛的有趣的突变系的可用性，使其成为一个有吸引力的，廉价的和引人注目的生物体用于本科教育。初步努力开发和传播教学和植物材料已经取得了明显的成功，我们建议大规模开发和推广这一系统在本科层次。我们将设计实验室模块，将学生探究为基础的和独立的研究方法，以教学生物学的几个基本方面。将开发包含单个和多个突变等位基因的特定菌株，以增加可用基因型的数量。为了配合书面材料，我们将制作生命周期和各种操纵技术的特定方面的视频记录。所有这些材料，除计划的商业发行外，将通过出版物和在国家和区域科学和教育会议上介绍的方式传播。

The plant Ceratopteris has a number of unique features that have made it a useful system for experimental research applications. As an offshoot of the development of this model system, we have recognized its potential usefulness for educational purposes in inquiry-based student teaching and research settings. Ceratopteris has a rapid and easily manipulated life cycle as well as other features specifically associated with homosporous ferns that make it unique and complementary to other widely used flowering plant systems. The ability to culture and manipulate large numbers of plants in small dishes, to visualize fertilization of eggs by motile sperm, combined with the simple genetics and availability of a wide range of interesting mutant lines make it an attractive, inexpensive and compelling organism to use for undergraduate education. Initial efforts to develop and disseminate teaching and plant materials have met with demonstrable success and we propose large scale development and promotion of this system at the undergraduate level. We will design laboratory modules that incorporate student inquiry-based and independent research approaches to teaching several basic aspects of biology. Specific strains will be developed incorporating single and multiple mutant alleles to enhance the number of available genotypes. To accompany the written materials we will produce video recordings of specific aspects of the life cycle and of various manipulation techniques. All of these materials, in addition to planned commercial distribution, will be disseminated by means of publications and presentations at national and regional scientific and educational meetings.