Below you will find the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences I have incorporated in my General Biology courses. In General Biology I, students are transitioned from an Inquiry-guided project using cowpea weevils to a CURE that tests the efficacy of essential oils as repellents against the agricultural pest. After the completion of the essential oil CURE, students participate in a second research project involving antibiotic resistance gene detection. It provides students with hands-on research experience utilizing equipment and methods associated with biotechnology as well as the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Students in General Biology II spend most of the semester covering the diversity of eukaryotes, their evolutionary relationships and developing their skills constructing phylogenetic trees. To complement those areas, students participate in a DNA Barcoding project that involves the collection of both plant and insect specimens on the DDCC main campus. This is followed by DNA isolation, amplification, and sequencing. Sequences are uploaded into the DNA Subway to identify DNA barcodes. These projects were initiated with funding by the Frontier Set, which is part of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In addition, a CUREnet Development Fellowship also provided funding for the development of the Cowpea Weevil and Essential Oils CURE.
Antibiotic Resistance Gene Detection in Environmental Samples
Use and misuse of antibiotics by humans in the last 60 years has left at least one long-lasting mark on the planet: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria leading to global health crises. Newer infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Additionally, antibiotic movement into natural environments from antibiotic use in livestock can radically alter bacterial communities in rural communities. We will be testing soil samples we collect and test for the presence of ampicillin resistant genes from the micro-community. My current class will start building a small database that will include the results of the antibiotic resistance testing, but also environmental characteristics in which soil samples were collected.
If you would like to know more about this project, click HERE.
DNA Barcoding
DNA Barcoding project occurs in General Biology II. I consider it a better match to the curriculum and topics that are covered in the second course in the general biology course sequence. Students that have taken General Biology I at DDCC have experience with PCR and gel electrophoresis, so this project reinforces those skills, while introducing phylogenetics to the students and allowing them the opportunity to experience how biologists classify organisms. If you would like to know more about this particular project, follow the link: Plant & Insect Species Sampled on DDCC Campus.
Repellent effects of Essential Oils and a Parasitoid Wasp Against Cowpea Weevils
This is a new CURE I have developed for students at DDCC in General Biology I. I am using the Cowpea Weevil (Callosobruchus maculatus) as a model organism for teaching students the process of science, including experimental design and data analysis while providing them with a real research experience. The project has two main foci: 1) Testing essential oils for repellent effects against cowpea weevils. 2) Testing for cuticle chemical cues from the parasitoid wasp Anisopteromalus calandrae as a deterrent.
You can learn more about this project here.
You can learn more about this project here.