Project laboratory in genetics and genomics

在本项目开发的实验课程中，学生将遗传学和基因组学技术结合起来，探索群体内的遗传变异。它是基于2007年推出的一个试点课程。学生们随机分离出影响遗传变异率的大肠杆菌转座子突变，并分析他们分离出的独特突变体，以发现和理解对遗传稳定性至关重要的功能。然后，他们将他们的发现与公共领域的基因组信息资源整合起来，为每个被调查的基因开发一个网页。作为课程的结束语，学生们设计了自己的关于诱变的简单实验，并根据他们初步分析的结果对实验进行了完善。在课前和课后，对学生进行评估，以了解他们对基本细胞和分子过程的掌握程度，以及他们对科学研究的态度和理解。此外，学生评估课程的各个方面的价值，以帮助其未来的完善。这个项目的智力价值在于，它在课程中提供了真正的研究实验室经验，从而导致对遗传学核心概念的理解。这个项目更广泛的影响是，该课程将成为布兰迪斯大学和其他地方跨学科项目实验室未来发展的典范。课程材料（信息、协议、基因组资源、练习、设计、菌株）正在公开提供。基因组分析与容易获得的细菌实验的新整合提供了一个课程范例，可以在不同的学术环境中复制。

Biological Sciences (61)In the laboratory course being developed by this project students combine genetics and genomics techniques to explore genetic variation within populations. It is based on a pilot course introduced in 2007. Students isolate random E. coli transposon mutations affecting rates of genetic variation and analyze the unique mutants they have isolated to discover and understand functions essential to genetic stability. They then integrate their findings with public domain genomic information resources to develop a Web page for each gene investigated. As a finale for the course, students design their own simple experiment regarding mutagenesis and refine the experiment from the results of their preliminary analysis. Students are assessed, before and after the course, for their level of mastery of basic cellular and molecular processes and for their attitudes towards and understanding of scientific research. In addition, students evaluate the value of various aspects of the course, to aid in its future refinements. The intellectual merit of this project is that it provides real research laboratory experience in a course that leads to understanding of core concepts in genetics.The broader impact of this project is that the course serves as a model for future development of interdisciplinary project laboratories at Brandeis University and elsewhere. Course materials (information, protocols, genomic resources, exercises, design, strains) are being made available publicly. The novel integration of genomic analysis with readily accessible experiments with bacteria provides a course paradigm that can be replicated in diverse academic settings.