A Laboratory-intensive Course on RNA Interference and Model Organisms

Miller, Joanna A.; Witherow, D. Scott; Carson, S. D.

doi:10.1187/cbe.09-02-0012

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Moreover, 18 of the 20 students from the two combined classes were graduate students who are expected to have a better basic understanding of the importance of these interactions and experience reading and presenting primary literature. This trend mirrors the results observed in the assessment of a previous course taught within the Biotechnology Program [17].…”

Section: Course Outcomessupporting

confidence: 82%

A laboratory‐intensive course on the experimental study of protein–protein interactions

Witherow

Carson

2011

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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The study of protein-protein interactions is important to scientists in a wide range of disciplines. We present here the assessment of a lab-intensive course that teaches students techniques used to identify and further study protein-protein interactions. One of the unique elements of the course is that students perform a yeast two-hybrid screen and identify novel protein-protein interactions in what is essentially the beginning of an independent research project in the context of a class. While students benefit from the research-like experience, data is actively generated that can be further studied in independent research projects. Student learning outcomes were assessed using a questionnaire that was given to students before and after the course. The results indicate that students' conceptual and technical understanding of the methodologies taught in the class increased, and that hands-on experience in the lab was perceived to be the most important component of the course.

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Section: Course Outcomessupporting

confidence: 82%

A laboratory‐intensive course on the experimental study of protein–protein interactions

Witherow

Carson

2011

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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“…The discovery of RNAi resulted in a Nobel Prize and has enabled the insertion of exogenous double-stranded RNA to trigger RNAi and knock down gene expression without altering the DNA sequence (1–3). Similarly, there has been an increasing emphasis in teaching RNAi, including incorporating RNAi into lab courses (4–6). However, there remains a paucity of lecture-based activities to teach about RNAi.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A “Choose-Your-Own” Classroom-Based Activity That Promotes Scientific Inquiry about RNA Interference

Hsu

2019

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

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RNA interference (RNAi), the process that results in the degradation of a target gene’s mRNA, is a fundamental part of eukaryotic gene regulation and is also an important molecular technique that allows for experimental manipulation of gene expression without altering DNA sequences. Despite the importance of RNAi, there have been relatively few lecture-based activities designed to teach about the consequences of this process and counter common misconceptions. I present here an inquiry-based activity that is centered around a “choose your own experiment” design where students generate hypotheses and critically evaluate their ideas by choosing several simulated experiments. The activity presents students with one of the original puzzling observations, the discovery that triggering overexpression of a given gene in a flower resulted in an opposite change in phenotype than expected, and the subsequent discovery that there was a dramatic decrease of that gene’s mRNA, that sparked the discovery of RNAi. Students then propose a molecular mechanism for these results before using a limited budget of funding to simulate their choice of experiments. Simulated results are provided for these experiments, and students must work together to interpret and discuss these results before deciding on the next experiment. I provide a guide for instructors on how to implement this activity, with suggestions on how to vary the activity to fit different class sizes as well as an abbreviated version for instructors who are short on time. Finally, I include an aligned assessment so that instructors may check student learning about the impacts of RNAi.

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“…However, practical considerations, including funding and time constraints often make it difficult to achieve that goal. Accordingly, many examples of laboratory courses that engage groups of students in discovery‐based research related to ongoing faculty research have been reported .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An investigative graduate laboratory course for teaching modern DNA techniques

Lencastre

Torello

Keller

2017

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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This graduate-level DNA methods laboratory course is designed to model a discovery-based research project and engages students in both traditional DNA analysis methods and modern recombinant DNA cloning techniques. In the first part of the course, students clone the Drosophila ortholog of a human disease gene of their choosing using Gateway® cloning. In the second part of the course, students examine the expression of their gene of interest in human cell lines by reverse transcription PCR and learn how to analyze data from quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments. The adaptability of the Gateway® cloning system is ideally suited for students to design and create different types of expression constructs to achieve a particular experimental goal (e.g. protein purification, expression in cell culture, and subcellular localization), and the genes chosen can be aligned to the research interests of the instructor and/or ongoing research in a department. Student evaluations indicate that the course fostered a genuine excitement for research and in depth knowledge of both the techniques performed and the theory behind them. Our long-term goal is to incorporate this DNA methods laboratory as the foundation for an integrated laboratory sequence for the Master of Science degree program in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Quinnipiac University, where students use the reagents and concepts they developed in this course in subsequent laboratory courses, including a protein methods and cell culture laboratory.

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A Laboratory-intensive Course on RNA Interference and Model Organisms

Cited by 10 publications

References 18 publications

A laboratory‐intensive course on the experimental study of protein–protein interactions

A laboratory‐intensive course on the experimental study of protein–protein interactions

A “Choose-Your-Own” Classroom-Based Activity That Promotes Scientific Inquiry about RNA Interference

An investigative graduate laboratory course for teaching modern DNA techniques

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