Yeast and Oxygen: Incorporating functional genomics research into three advanced laboratory courses

生命科学生物学(61)这个项目正在开发三门高级实验室课程，让本科生从事与保护真核细胞免受活性氧物种(ROS)伤害有关的酶的原创性研究。学生完成三门高级实验室课程的原创性研究项目：细胞生物学、分子生物学和生物化学。这三门课程的活动都集中在蛋氨酸亚砜还原酶(MSR)上，这是一种修复被ROS破坏的蛋白质的酶，使用萌芽酵母酿酒酵母作为实验模型。越来越多的证据表明，MSR除了保护细胞免受氧化应激外，在细胞信号、衰老和疾病方面发挥着重要作用。酿酒酵母是一个特别适合这个项目的真核模型，因为它的培养和基因操作技术很容易适应本科生的课堂。此外，通过酵母基因组计划还可以获得分子克隆和工程酵母菌株。在每门课程中，学生制定假设，设计和进行原创实验，批判性地评估数据，并得出结论，作为进一步实验的基础。每门课程都教授生物化学、分子生物学和细胞生物学的不同技能，并将其应用于由学生团队进行的原创研究。结果以口头和书面报告以及学生海报会议的形式传达。多年来从这三门课程收集的实验结果提供了关于MSR生理学和生物化学的新信息，这些信息将导致与学生合著者的手稿提交给科学期刊。为大量无法参与原创研究的本科生提供的关于高级实验室教育基础研究方法的报告将发表在专注于大学科学教育的期刊上。该项目的一个更广泛的影响是发展实验室经验，让大量本科生参与原创研究，并为科学知识库做出贡献。

Life Science Biological (61) This project is developing three advanced laboratory courses to engage undergraduate students in original research on enzymes involved in the protection of eukaryotic cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS). Students perform original research projects in a sequence of three upper division lab courses: cell biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Activities in all three courses focus on methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs), enzymes that repair proteins damaged by ROS, using the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as the experimental model. Growing evidence suggests that Msrs, in addition to protecting cells against oxidative stress, play important roles in cell signaling, aging and disease. S. cerevisiae is a particularly well-suited eukaryotic model for this project, because techniques for its culture and genetic manipulation are easily adapted to the undergraduate classroom. In addition, molecular clones and engineered yeast strains are available through the yeast genome project. In each course, students formulate hypotheses, design and conduct original experiments, critically evaluate data, and formulate conclusions that serve as the basis for further experimentation. Different skill sets from biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology are taught in each course and applied to original research conducted by teams of students. Results are communicated in oral and written reports and in student poster sessions. Experimental results collected from the three courses over a period of years is providing novel information about Msr physiology and biochemistry that will lead to manuscripts with student co-authors submitted to scientific journals. Reports on the basic-research approach to upper-division lab education for large numbers of undergraduate students who would not otherwise be able to participate in original research will be published in journals focused on college science education. A broader impact of the project is to develop laboratory experiences to engage large numbers of undergraduate students with original research and to contribute to the scientific knowledge base.