CRISPR-Cas Technology In and Out of the Classroom

Abstract

Student-centered practices, including student-focused research opportunities, enhance biology education and comprehension. One way to support student interest is through research opportunities in faculty laboratories. However, alternatives to traditional research apprenticeships are important for the inclusion of more undergraduate students in CRISPR-Cas-based research. Student interest in CRISPR-Cas technologies serves as a timely focal point for deepening undergraduate student engagement in biology courses. In this article, we describe some of the ongoing efforts to bring CRISPR-Cas technology out of the classroom and into the teaching laboratory. IntroductionThe most effective biology teaching actively engages students in their classrooms and coursework through group-work, activities, and discussion, which all access higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills.

An undergraduate laboratory experience using CRISPR‐cas9 technology to deactivate green fluorescent protein expression in Escherichia coli

“…To address these misconceptions in the basic understanding of molecular dogma, strategies have been suggested, such as nontechnical concept mapping . An additional experiment could be added, which is to replicate Doudna's initial experiment in vitro . This would enable students to visualize that their designed sgRNA against GFP could cut the GFP sequence with cas9 in vitro .…”

“…The elegance of this technique is that following endonuclease cleavage, the cell's endogenous repair machinery will take over, allowing the researcher to manipulate the nucleotide sequence to their desired outcome, including gene inactivation or alteration of nucleotide sequence. The ease by which CRISPR‐cas9 mediated gene edits are made, combined with basic molecular biology dogma entrenched in its use, positions CRISPR‐cas9 as an attractive choice to frame an undergraduate lab experience around .…”

Integrating CRISPR-Cas9 Technology into Undergraduate Courses: Perspectives from a National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop for Undergraduate Faculty, June 2018

“…A PubMed search reveals that of the approximately 9,000 publications referencing CRISPR in the database, 88% have been published since January 2015. This fact illustrates the rapid growth of the field (for reviews on CRISPR-Cas9 basics, see [3] and [9]). The workshop organizers introduced a CRISPR-Cas9 workflow (Fig.…”

Enabling the Rise of a CRISPR World

“…Importantly, the aforementioned universal access to all academics and nonprofit organizations will help equalize scientific opportunities and enable teachers at all levels to include CRISPR-related tools and applications in classrooms, 13 thus enabling the education of graduates and other young scientists in real time.…”