Education of algae biofuels and phylogenetic trees for undergraduate students in a laboratory setting

Abstract

As alternative fuel research continues it is important to educate students as to be an active part of the scientific community. By integrating a new and interesting research area, such as algae biofuels, with a basic concept it is possible to have more student involvement and interaction. Here we use interactive worksheets combining basic knowledge of algae, DNA, and our basic concept: phylogenetic trees. The worksheets are supported by laboratory experiments where the students extract algal DNA, amplify a specific region, obtain the sequence and then build a phylogenetic tree with their obtained sequence and other sequences provided to identify the algal species. The laboratory module is being implemented at three different universities in Nebraska: Creighton University, University of Nebraska‐Kearney, and University of Nebraska‐Lincoln. The laboratory module is set up to cover multiple skills and education requirements so that it may fit in to a multitude of classes. Currently it is being implemented in a microbiology lab course, biochemistry lab course, and cellular biology lab course. This research is funded by: NSF EPSCoR‐ 1004–094