Application of Molecular Techniques to Enrich Environmental Science and Biology Curricula

这个项目的主要目标是培养本科生应用分子技术回答生物和环境科学问题的能力，并扩大学生在这些领域的研究范围。如果我们希望学生在研究生院和工作场所具有竞争力，就需要在本科实验室使用DNA测序、蛋白质聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳、聚合酶链式反应和组织培养等技术。生物学和环境科学系正在将这些分子技术纳入高级生物学和环境科学课程，作为鼓励本科生研究的努力的一部分。学生将广泛的分子技术应用到环境和生物学研究中，并更好地了解核酸和蛋白质的生物功能。该计划的成功与否取决于对学生应用分子技术的知识和能力进行前后测试，以及监督学生的研究项目。课程改革在多大程度上为毕业生为工作和研究生学习做准备也得到了评估。评估结果和学生论文可以在几个科学会议的教育会议上展示，以允许其他大学考虑使用这种方法来改进他们的生物和环境科学实验室。大约240名当地高中理科教师，他们教的7000名高中生，以及125名向上跳跃的学生和他们的导师也可以使用大多数新设备。*

The primary goals of this project are to develop undergraduates' ability in applying molecular techniques to answer questions in the biological and environmental sciences and to expand the scope of student research in these areas. Techniques such as DNA sequencing, protein polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction, and tissue culture need to be used in undergraduate laboratories if we expect students to be competitive in graduate school and in the workplace. The Biology and Environmental Science Departments are incorporating these molecular techniques into upper-level biology and environmental science courses as part of their effort to encourage undergraduate research. Students apply a broad range of molecular techniques to environmental and biology studies and gain better understanding of biological functions of nucleic acids and proteins. Success of the program is determined by conducting pre- and post-tests of students' knowledge and ability to apply molecular techniques and by monitoring student research projects. The degree to which curricula changes prepare graduates for the workplace and graduate study is also assessed. Evaluation results and student papers can be presented at the educational sessions of several scientific meetings to allow other colleges to consider using this approach to improve their biology and environmental science laboratories. Approximately 240 local high school science teachers, the 7,000 high school students that they teach, and 125 Upward Bound students and their instructors can also use most of the new equipment. *