Development and Implementation of an Investigative Laboratory Component for the Molecular Biology Course at St. Mary's College of Maryland

分子生物学课程的实验部分的框架是：1)教授学生基本的重组DNA方法，2)加强学科的理论基础，以及3)教授发现过程。虽然成功地实现了前两个目标，但目前重复定义明确的实验的实验室活动在实现第三个目标方面是无效的。此外，实验室在信息技术的利用方面也存在不足。为了解决这些问题，我建议重新设计目前的实验室经验，使其包括一个真正的调查项目，我改编自门罗和奈特最初描述的，需要广泛使用信息技术。在本学期的最后八周，学生们将成为正在进行的小型植物物种拟南芥基因组测序的全球努力的一部分。学生将从拟南芥cDNA文库中分离、表征和测序克隆，然后使用genbank DNA数据库来确定其克隆的新颖性。这项实验室活动的关键是自动DNA测序仪，这是本提案的要求。DNA测序仪除了在分子生物学课程的研究项目中发挥重要作用外，我们也希望它能被学生用于独立的研究项目，以及被教师用于开发其他课程的研究实验室。预计上述调查活动将为学生提供学习发现过程的机会，并获得终身学习所需的分析和批判性思维技能。

The laboratory component of the Molecular Biology course is framed to l) teach students basic recombinant DNA methodology, 2) reinforce the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, and 3) teach the discovery process. While successful in achieving the first two goals, the current laboratory activity of repeating well-defined experiments has been ineffective in achieving the third goal. In addition, the laboratory has been deficient in the utilization of information technology. To address these problems I propose to redesign the current laboratory experience so that it include a truly investigative project that I have adapted from that originally described by Monroe and Knight which requires extensive use of information technology. During the last eight weeks of the semester students will in fact become part of the ongoing global effort to sequence the genome of the small plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. Students will isolate, characterize and sequence clones from a cDNA library of Arabidopsis thaliana and will then use Gen Bank DNA databases to determine the novelty of their clones. Vital to implementation of this laboratory activity is an automated DNA sequencer, the request of this proposal. In addition to its importance for the investigative project of the Molecular Biology course, it is expected that the DNA sequencer will also be used by students to carry out independent research projects as well as by faculty to develop investigative laboratories for other courses. It is anticipated that investigative activities such as those described above will provide opportunities for students to learn the discovery process and acquire the analytical and critical thinking skills necessary for lifelong learning.