scholarly journals Fermentation revival in the classroom: investigating ancient human practices as CUREs for modern diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 367 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K Lyles ◽  
Monika Oli
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Group Presentation ◽  
Student Knowledge ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Lecture Material ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Human Practices ◽  
Survey Responses

ABSTRACT A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) was designed to integrate key microbiological principles and techniques into an authentic research experience in a classroom setting and was implemented in an undergraduate microbiology laboratory course. Students conducted a 6-week study in order to determine the identity and quantity of unique probiotic species from various types of kefir. This course module followed an inquiry-based pedagogical approach in which students use the scientific process to investigate an unknown question with no predetermined outcome. During each lab, relevant microbiological topics and laboratory concepts were presented. Students then performed various laboratory techniques, reinforcing the lecture material with hands-on experience. In addition, students participated in reflection through group presentation of their results, bioinformatic analysis and literature review. Based on data collected from pre- and post-study survey responses, both student knowledge and attitudes towards the topics covered improved due to participation in this CURE. Importantly, this CURE can be implemented at many levels of education, requiring only minimal resources and common laboratory equipment.

scholarly journals Structures of three actinobacteriophage capsids: Roles of symmetry and accessory proteins

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Podgorski ◽  
Joshua Calabrese ◽  
Lauren Alexandrescu ◽  
Deborah Jacobs-Sera ◽  
Welkin Pope ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Capsid Protein ◽  
Major Capsid Protein ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Multiple Drug Resistance ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Multiple Drug ◽  
Accessory Proteins ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Research Experience

AbstractMycobacterium tuberculosis and abscessus are major human pathogens that are part of the Actinobacteria phylum. Increasing multiple drug resistance in these bacteria has led to a renewed interest in using viruses that infect these bacteria for therapy. In order to understand these viruses, a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) program run by SEA-PHAGES at the University of Pittsburgh and HHMI has isolated, sequenced, and annotated over 3000 actinobacteriophages (viruses that infect Actinobacteria). Little work has been done to investigate the structural diversity of these phage, all of which are thought to use a common protein fold, the HK97-fold, in their major capsid protein. Here we describe the structure of three actinobacteriophage capsids isolated by students that infect Mycobacterium smegmatis. The capsid structures were resolved to approximately 6 angstroms, which allowed confirmation that each phage uses the HK97-fold to form their capsid. One phage, Rosebush, has a novel variation of the HK97-fold. Four novel accessory proteins, that form the capsid head along with the major capsid protein, were identified that show limited or no homology to known proteins. The genes that encode the proteins were identified using SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry. Bioinformatic analysis of the accessory proteins suggest they are used in many actinobacteriophage capsids.

scholarly journals A functional genomics screen identifying blood cell development genes in Drosophila by undergraduates participating in a course-based research experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Cory J Evans ◽  
John M Olson ◽  
Bama Charan Mondal ◽  
Pratyush Kandimalla ◽  
Ariano Abbasi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Functional Genomics ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Bioinformatic Analysis ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Fluorescent Reporter ◽  
Stem Retention

Abstract Undergraduate students participating in the UCLA Undergraduate Research Consortium for Functional Genomics (URCFG) have conducted a two-phased screen using RNA interference (RNAi) in combination with fluorescent reporter proteins to identify genes important for hematopoiesis in Drosophila. This screen disrupted the function of approximately 3500 genes and identified 137 candidate genes for which loss of function leads to observable changes in the hematopoietic development. Targeting RNAi to maturing, progenitor, and regulatory cell types identified key subsets that either limit or promote blood cell maturation. Bioinformatic analysis reveals gene enrichment in several previously uncharacterized areas, including RNA processing and export and vesicular trafficking. Lastly, the participation of students in this course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) correlated with increased learning gains across several areas, as well as increased STEM retention, indicating that authentic, student-driven research in the form of a CURE represents an impactful and enriching pedagogical approach.

“Hands-On, Minds-On, and Science-Up”: A Concept-Based Learning Laboratory With a Taste of Research Experience for an Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Course

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Taisiya Sigaeva ◽  
Cyrus J. B. M. Fiori ◽  
Maria J. Pino Alban ◽  
Youssef Beauferris ◽  
Donovan Stagg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Biomedical Engineering ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Laboratory Exercise ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Hands On ◽  
University Of Calgary ◽  
The University

Abstract In this paper, we bridged faculty research expertise with concept-based learning pedagogy to design and implement a unique laboratory experience for biomedical engineering undergraduate students enrolled in the biomechanics of tissues course at the University of Calgary. This laboratory aimed to increase student engagement, facilitate deeper understanding of course content, and provide an opportunity for accelerated undergraduate research through “hands-on,” “minds-on,” and “science-up” learning components, respectively. The laboratory exercise involves testing aortic tissues using a novel miniaturized planar biaxial machine. This type of machine is normally reserved for use in the context of research. The relevance of the proposed laboratory as a teaching tool was assessed using student feedback. Results indicate an overall valuable and positive learning experience for students.

scholarly journals A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience for High-Throughput Reverse Genetic Studies in Arabidopsis Thaliana with CRISPR-Cas9

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Mills ◽  
Venkateswari Jagannatha ◽  
Alejandro Cortez ◽  
Michael Guzman ◽  
James Burnette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Reverse Genetic ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Guide Rnas ◽  
Design Guide ◽  
Model Plant Arabidopsis Thaliana

Gene editing tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 have created unprecedented opportunities for genetic studies in plants and animals. We designed a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to train introductory biology students in the concepts and implementation of gene editing technology as well as develop their soft skills in data management and scientific communication. We present two versions of the course that can be implemented with twice-weekly meetings over a five-week period. In the remote-learning version, students perform homology searches, design guide RNAs and primers, and learn the principles of molecular cloning. This version is appropriate when access to laboratory equipment or in-person instruction is limited, such as closures that have occurred in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the in-person version, students design guide RNAs, clone CRISPR-Cas9 constructs, and perform genetic transformation of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The highly parallel nature of the CURE makes it possible to target dozens to hundreds of genes, depending on the number of course sections available. Applying this approach in a sensitized mutant background enables focused reverse genetic screens for genetic suppressors or enhancers. The course can be readily adapted to other organisms or projects that employ gene editing.

scholarly journals OCEAN EDUCATION • Virtual and Remote—Hands-On Undergraduate Research in Plankton Ecology During the 2020 Pandemic: COVID-19 Can’t Stop This!

Oceanography ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Marrec ◽  
◽  
Andria Miller ◽  
Lucie Maranda ◽  
Susanne Menden-Deuer
Keyword(s):  
Research Training ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Safe Delivery ◽  
Research Fellowship ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Internship Programs ◽  
The University

The pandemic has had innumerable impacts on the oceanographic community, including on summer research internship programs that expose undergraduates to diverse career paths in oceanography while immersed in an active laboratory. For many students, these internships are formative in their career choices. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography (SURFO) at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography is one of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs that proceeded remotely during the summer of 2020. Here, we highlight one project that, although remote, maintained a hands-on research experience focused on quantitative skill building. The pandemic forced the REU advisors to identify key learning goals and ensure their safe delivery, given the circumstances. Although all participants agreed that in-person instruction would have been preferable, we were pleased that we did not let a virus halt essential oceanographic research training.

A Multisemester, Curriculum-Embedded Undergraduate Research Experience (MS-CURE) in the Geosciences: Contextual Factors Influencing Student Motivation for Pursuing Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Allen ◽  
◽  
Stephen C. Kuehn ◽  
Elizabeth C. Creamer ◽  
Janice E. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Student Demographics ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Routine Data Collection ◽  
Broad Interest

This study undertakes an unusual approach to the course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) by engaging students in an ongoing research project that is embedded across two years of required coursework, including four geology courses and a capstone summer field experience. The authors describe the curriculum, note the importance of scaffolding and feedback, and assess out-comes in a rural population of students from an economically depressed area relative to a non-CURE comparison group using a mixed-methods approach. The results show the multisemester CURE students preferred fieldwork, routine data collection, and other hands-on skills consistent with a broad interest in college as workforce preparation. The authors highlight the importance of contextual factors as a motivation for pursuing research, including the nature of the academic discipline and student demographics.

scholarly journals Students Who Demonstrate Strong Talent and Interest in STEM Are Initially Attracted to STEM through Extracurricular Experiences

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy VanMeter-Adams ◽  
Cara L. Frankenfeld ◽  
Jessica Bases ◽  
Virginia Espina ◽  
Lance A. Liotta
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Early Experiences ◽  
Community Based Programs ◽  
Hands On ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Internship Programs ◽  
Survey Responses

What early experiences attract students to pursue an education and career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)? Does hands-on research influence them to persevere and complete a major course of academic study in STEM? We evaluated survey responses from 149 high school and undergraduate students who gained hands-on research experience in the 2007–2013 Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Programs (ASSIP) at George Mason University. Participants demonstrated their strong interest in STEM by volunteering to participate in ASSIP and completing 300 h of summer research. The survey queried extracurricular experiences, classroom factors, and hands-on projects that first cultivated students’ interest in the STEM fields, and separately evaluated experiences that sustained their interest in pursuing a STEM degree. The majority of students (65.5%, p < 0.0001) reported extracurricular encounters, such as the influence of a relative or family member and childhood experiences, as the most significant factors that initially ignited their interest in STEM, while hands-on lab work was stated as sustaining their interest in STEM (92.6%). Based on these findings collected from a cohort of students who demonstrated a strong talent and interest in STEM, community-based programs that create awareness about STEM for both children and their family members may be key components for igniting long-term academic interest in STEM.

LEVERAGING IODP SAMPLES, DATA AND EDUCATION/OUTREACH RESOURCES IN SUPPORT OF A COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (CURE): BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Ryan ◽  
◽  
Antonio Luna ◽  
Chris Vidito ◽  
Rosemary Hickey-Vargas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Education Outreach
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