Wh Why CURE • Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience 2017-New Report Examines the Impact of Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Students- A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examines the evidence on undergraduate research experiences (UREs) and recommends more well-designed research to gain a deeper understanding of how these experiences affect different students and to examine the aspects of UREs that are most beneficial. • Vision and Change Report 2009 – Undergraduate Biology education-AAAS and NSF • Engage students as active participants, not passive recipients, in all undergraduate biology courses. • Ensure that undergraduate biology courses are active, outcome oriented, inquiry driven, and relevant. • Facilitate student learning within a cooperative context. • Introduce research experiences as an integral component of biology education for all students, regardless of their major.
Wh Why CURE Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience o SURE – and other surveys assessing UG research impact show numerous learning gains and motivation for graduate school. • Undergraduate Research as a High-Impact Student Experience - David Lopatto, professor of psychology, Grinnell College –2010 –AAC&U. o Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Can Make Scientific Research More Inclusive • Gita Bangera and Sara E. Brownell • CBE—Life Sciences Education Vol. 13, 602–606, Winter 2014
CU CURE RE • Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience • Independent undergraduate research experiences can be difficult to implement for large enrollments and/or lack of infrastructure. • Undergraduate research is a very effective learning and training experience* and is a recommended part of undergraduate training by ACS-CPT and Vision and Change report.
Ap Approaches t to CU CURE REs 1. Take existing courses and implement CURE in that context • Labs attached to lecture classes • Independent lab classes • Large Lecture classes • Special topics classes 2. Re-arrange curricular structure to fundamentally seed UR via designed CURE courses
CU CURE RE e examples 300 class • Utah advanced Semester lab organic lab (J. Heemstra): varying conditions for azide- alkyne cycloaddition reactions 300 class CURE lab • Outcome: comprehensive paper Anderton, G. I., Bangerter, A. S., Davis, T. C., Feng, Z., Furtak, A. J., Larsen, J. O., ... Heemstra, J. M. (2015). Accelerating Strain-Promoted Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Using Micellar Catalysis. Bioconjugate Chemistry , 26(8), 1687-1691.
CURE CU RE e examples • Haverford “Topics in Bio- 300 lecture class organic Chemistry” 7 week class (L. Charkoudian) • Outcome: published paper and bioinformatic repository entries 300 CURE class Fuga Li, Y.,Tsai, K., Harvey, C., Ary, B., Berlew, E., Boehman, B., Findley, D., Friant, A., Gardner, C., Gould, M., Ha, J.H., Lilley, B., McKinstry, E., Nawal, S., Parry, R., Rothchild, K., Silbert, S., Tentilucci, M., Thurston, A., Wai, R., Yoon, Y., Medema, M. H., Hillenmeyer, M. E., and Charkoudian, L. K. "Complete Curation and Analysis of Literature Describing the Biosynthesis of Fungal Natural Products.” Fungal Genet. & Biol. , 2016 , 89, 18-28.
CU CURE RE e examples • Chemical Biology, Northeastern • Week 1: pipetting and sterile technique • WT vs knockout strain of E. coli – Students choose agents to test in zone of inhibition assays – Knockout strains with genes of unknown function • yeaB , NUDIX hydrolase • ybfE , metal metabolism? • Sneak in fundamental skills
CU CURE RE e examples • Bioinformatics lab, Chemical Biology, Northeastern • Added in 2015 after discussion with Sir Richard Roberts (COMBREX) • Each lab section gets a “known” characterized protein • Students find similar, uncharacterized proteins and analyze for likely function • Work-study student tabulates results • Longer-term goal: project lab to characterize annotated genes
CURE CU RE examp mples es • Site-directed mutagenesis lab, Chem. Biol., Northeastern Multi-week lab, with critical timing issues: Molecular modeling: predict important residues, design mutants to test predictions Construct variants using site-directed mutagenesis, confirm by DNA sequencing TA purifies protein variants, ideally a purification in which Proteins are related to Purify protein variants several variants can be done (non-critical!) research of TA in parallel Assay wild-type and variants to determine effects of mutation
CU CURE RE examp mples es • Site-directed mutagenesis lab, Northeastern • Started with easy system: Alkaline phosphatase • residues remote from active site • Simple purification • Activity assay is a standard biochem lab experiment, colorimetric assay • Single-stranded DNA binding protein • residues predicted to mediate protein-protein interaction from Molecular Modeling class project • “Simple” purification, many variants in parallel • DNA polymerase kappa, cancer-associated SNPs • Outcomes: CURE survey, other end-of-semester attitude surveys • Lopatto 2008 Science • gains in student confidence in their ability to write about results • that writing about science is helpful for understanding science • large gain in their confidence in using computer modeling
CU CURE RE examp mples es Advanced Organic Physical Haverford “Superlab” Semester lab Semester lab • Biology junior year Inorganic • Chemistry junior year Semester lab Semester lab • Biochemistry interdisc. Module (semester) Advanced Organic Physical • Outcomes: Inorganic • Training for senior independent research • Breadth of research experiences Superlab Superlab • Semi-regular publications with juniors
Bi Biochemi emistr try y - JM JMU • New Biophysical Chemistry Major has two labs. - • Fall Laboratory Purify protein and characterize kinetics Spring Laboratory – Structurally Characterize protein and perform student designed experiments. • Teaching Protein Purification and Characterization Techniques -A Student-Initiated, Project-Oriented Biochemistry Laboratory Course - 1250 JournalofChemicalEducation Vol.85 No.9 - September2008 • Laboratory is constantly evolving with number of students – 6 (1998) - 30 (2017) Goals of the Course: Chemistry 366 is designed to provide students with experience utilizing • modern biochemical techniques to purify and characterize proteins. Students will be expected to use the primary literature to identify, plan, and execute a protein purification plan. This laboratory is designed to enhance problem-solving abilities while learning basic biochemical techniques. Experimental design plans, a laboratory final, laboratory reports and participation will contribute to the student's final grade.
Te Tentative Schedule of Events: Week # Week of Scheduled Activities 1 Jan 9 Introduction to the laboratory. Project explanation. Brief lecture on protein purification and characterization. Search for papers on protein purification project. Meeting with project partners for discussion and selection of project. List of needed materials to be prepared for ordering due beginning of next lab period. 2 Jan 16 Each Group hand in the project’s specific aims, list of materials and an outline of the procedure to be followed. Biochemical calculations, pipetting exercise, making buffers. 3 Jan 23 Independent projects 4 Jan 30 Independent projects 5 Feb 6 Independent projects 6 Feb 13 Independent projects 7 Feb 20 Independent projects 8 Feb 27 Independent projects (Hand-in Rough Draft of Paper) 9 Mar 6 Spring Break 10 Mar 13 Independent projects 11 Mar 20 Independent projects 12 Mar 27 Independent projects 13 Apr 3 Independent projects 14 Apr 10 Independent projects & FULL draft and copies of project paper due. 15 Apr 17 Oral presentations - Peer review of papers due – 2 copies 16 Apr 24 Final project paper due
Ph Philosophical al differ eren ences es • Conventional courses: • CURE courses: • Content • Context • Skills • Process [skills in context] • Exams • Reports, results, and self- evaluation • Individual assessment • Group and individual • Exams assessment • Reports • Reports based on shared data • Training for the next • Training for real problems course
Imp Imple leme mentatio tion ch challe allenges • Fitting into prescribed curricular “holes” • Make new holes? • Re-fitting of personnel into new roles • Lab instructors • TAs • Course instructors/Pis • Does not require extra personnel, just strong buy-in • Follow-through and external presentation of results • Redeployment to research group personnel and/or continuing UGs
Ev Everybody wins (?) • Undergraduates • More dynamic and effective learning environment • PI/faculty • Teaching credit for research • Mobilization of large numbers to research area • Opportunity to seed a new research area with preliminary data • Identify promising students for research group • Lab personnel and TAs • Greater investment and engagement in program • Synergy with ongoing research • New professional development opportunities
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