The Genomics Education Partnership: Successful Integration of Research into Laboratory Classes at a Diverse Group of Undergraduate Institutions

• Published in: CBE life sciences education Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 55 - 69
• Main Authors: Shaffer, Christopher D, Alvarez, Consuelo, Bailey, Cheryl, Barnard, Daron, Bhalla, Satish, Chandrasekaran, Chitra, Chandrasekaran, Vidya, Chung, Hui-Min, Dorer, Douglas R, Du, Chunguang, Eckdahl, Todd T, Poet, Jeff L, Frohlich, Donald, Goodman, Anya L, Gosser, Yuying, Hauser, Charles, Hoopes, Laura L. M, Johnson, Diana, Jones, Christopher J, Kaehler, Marian, Kokan, Nighat, Kopp, Olga R, Kuleck, Gary A, McNeil, Gerard, Moss, Robert, Myka, Jennifer L, Nagengast, Alexis, Morris, Robert, Overvoorde, Paul J, Shoop, Elizabeth, Parrish, Susan, Reed, Kelynne, Regisford, E. Gloria, Revie, Dennis, Rosenwald, Anne G, Saville, Ken, Schroeder, Stephanie, Shaw, Mary, Skuse, Gary, Smith, Christopher, Smith, Mary, Spana, Eric P, Spratt, Mary, Stamm, Joyce, Thompson, Jeff S, Wawersik, Matthew, Wilson, Barbara A, Youngblom, Jim, Leung, Wilson, Buhler, Jeremy, Mardis, Elaine R, Lopatto, David, Elgin, Sarah C. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Cell Biology 2010
• Subjects: Active Learning; Animals; Biology; College Faculty; College Science; Computer Assisted Instruction; Educational Technology; Entomology; Faculty; Genetic Research; Genetics; Genomics - education; Information Technology; Instructional Effectiveness; Laboratories; Missouri; Partnerships in Education; Pretests Posttests; Program Descriptions; Research Opportunities; Research Skills; Science Education; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Student Attitudes; Student Research; Student Surveys; Students - psychology; Teacher Attitudes; Teacher Surveys; Undergraduate Study; Universities; Missouri
• ISSN: 1931-7913; 1931-7913
• DOI: 10.1187/09-11-0087

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of "Drosophila" and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students. (Contains 10 figures and 2 tables.)