Role of the undergraduate student research assistant in the new millennium

In this study, we analyze the contribution of the undergraduate student who participates in the process of generating scientific data and developing a research project using Brazilian research as an example. Historically, undergraduate students have performed the critical role of research assistants in developing countries. This aspect has been underappreciated as a means of generating scientific data in Brazilian research facilities. Brazilian educational institutions are facing major age-related generational changes among the science faculty within the next 5-10 yr. A lack of adequate support for graduate students leads to a concern that undergraduates will not be interested in choosing research assistant programs and, subsequently, academic research careers. To remedy this situation it is important to focus on ways to encourage new research careers and enhance university-industry collaborations.     

Training the next generation of protein scientists

Carl Brändén made significant contributions in areas of protein X‐ray crystallography and science education. As the 2011 recipient of the Protein Society award honoring Carl's contributions, I had the opportunity to reflect on the undergraduate educational activities that have been practiced in my own laboratory over the past 24 years at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, an institution that emphasizes both research and undergraduate education. A system has been developed that attempts to minimize the tension that can exist between conflicting graduate research and undergraduate mentoring goals. The outcomes, as measured not only by subsequent activities of the participating undergraduates, but also by the activities of the graduate students and postdocs that worked with the undergraduates, indicate a general overall benefit for all participants, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities who are traditionally poorly retained in the sciences. Greater participation of undergraduates in research activities of active scientists who often focus primarily on graduate and postdoctoral training could have a positive impact on the leaky undergraduate science pipeline.     

Broadening the voice of science: Promoting scientific communication in the undergraduate classroom

Effective and accurate communication of scientific findings is essential. Unfortunately, scientists are not always well trained in how to best communicate their results with other scientists nor do all appreciate the importance of speaking with the public. Here, we provide an example of how the development of oral communication skills can be integrated with research experiences at the undergraduate level. We describe our experiences developing, running, and evaluating a course for undergraduates that complemented their existing undergraduate research experiences with instruction on the nature of science and intensive training on the development of science communication skills. Students delivered science talks, research monologues, and poster presentations about the ecological and evolutionary research in which they were involved. We evaluated the effectiveness of our approach using the CURE survey and a focus group. As expected, undergraduates reported strong benefits to communication skills and confidence. We provide guidance for college researchers, instructors, and administrators interested in motivating and equipping the next generation of scientists to be excellent science communicators.     

Careers in Virology: Teaching at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution

A faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution requires working with undergraduates in both the classroom and the research lab. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are interested in such a career should understand that faculty at these institutions need to teach broadly and devise research questions that can be addressed safely and with limited resources compared to a research I university. Aspects of, and ways to prepare for, this career will be reviewed herein.     

Inquiry-based undergraduate teaching in the life sciences at large research universities: a perspective on the Boyer Commission Report

The 1998 Boyer Commission Report advocated improvement of undergraduate education at large research universities through large-scale participation of undergraduates in the universities' research mission. At a recent conference sponsored by the Reinvention Center, which is dedicated to furthering the goals of the Boyer Commission, participants discussed progress toward these goals and recommendations for future action. A breakout group representing the life sciences concluded that independent research experience for every undergraduate may not be feasible or desirable but that transformation of lecture courses to more inquiry-based and interactive formats can effectively further the Commission's goals.     

不同培养基对PGPR实验效果的影响

通过对我院生物工程专业本科生的2项PGPR实验,对不同培养基对实验效果的影响进行了初步研究。实验证明,采用不同的培养基,对实验效率和实验效果影响很大;科学合理的选择培养基,能够提高实验结果的准确性和可靠性,可以大幅度地缩短实验时间,提高实验效率,通过本实验的进行达到了引导学生开阔思路,科学合理地设计试验方案,提高综合实验能力的目的。     

微生物学课程创新实践教学模式探索

为激发本科生对微生物学的学习兴趣、训练实验技能、拓展创新思维、促进素质教育,我们探索了"课堂讲授—实验课程—课题研究"三位一体、"理论—技能—创新实践"同步训练的微生物学教学模式,首次将研究生引入本科生素质教育中,并在教学方法、手段、考核等方面进行了改革试验,实践证明这一教学模式对主动掌握理论知识、激发创新精神、提高学生素质都有积极的推动作用。     

Integrating research and education at research-extensive universities with research-intensive communities

Although the Boyer Commission (1998) lamented the lack of research opportunities for all undergraduates at research-extensive universities, it did not provide a feasible solution consistent with the mandate for faculty to maintain sustainable physiology research programs. The costs associated with one-on-one mentoring, and the lack of a sufficient number of faculty members to give intensive attention to undergraduate researchers, make one-on-one mentoring impractical. We therefore developed and implemented the "research-intensive community" model with the aim of aligning diverse goals of participants while simultaneously optimizing research productivity. The fundamental organizational unit is a team consisting of one graduate student and three undergraduates from different majors, supervised by a faculty member. Undergraduate workshops, Graduate Leadership Forums, and computer-mediated communication provide an infrastructure to optimize programmatic efficiency and sustain a multilevel, interdisciplinary community of scholars dedicated to research. While the model radically increases the number of undergraduates that can be supported by a single faculty member, the inherent resilience and scalability of the resulting complex adaptive system enables a research-intensive community program to evolve and grow.     

Anticipation of Personal Genomics Data Enhances Interest and Learning Environment in Genomics and Molecular Biology Undergraduate Courses

An important discussion at colleges is centered on determining more effective models for teaching undergraduates. As personalized genomics has become more common, we hypothesized it could be a valuable tool to make science education more hands on, personal, and engaging for college undergraduates. We hypothesized that providing students with personal genome testing kits would enhance the learning experience of students in two undergraduate courses at Brigham Young University: Advanced Molecular Biology and Genomics. These courses have an emphasis on personal genomics the last two weeks of the semester. Students taking these courses were given the option to receive personal genomics kits in 2014, whereas in 2015 they were not. Students sent their personal genomics samples in on their own and received the data after the course ended. We surveyed students in these courses before and after the two-week emphasis on personal genomics to collect data on whether anticipation of obtaining their own personal genomic data impacted undergraduate student learning. We also tested to see if specific personal genomic assignments improved the learning experience by analyzing the data from the undergraduate students who completed both the pre- and post-course surveys. Anticipation of personal genomic data significantly enhanced student interest and the learning environment based on the time students spent researching personal genomic material and their self-reported attitudes compared to those who did not anticipate getting their own data. Personal genomics homework assignments significantly enhanced the undergraduate student interest and learning based on the same criteria and a personal genomics quiz. We found that for the undergraduate students in both molecular biology and genomics courses, incorporation of personal genomic testing can be an effective educational tool in undergraduate science education.     

An inexpensive gel electrophoresis-based polymerase chain reaction method for quantifying mRNA levels

In order to engage their students in a core methodology of the new genomics era, an ever-increasing number of faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions are gaining access to microarray technology. Their students are conducting successful microarray experiments designed to address a variety of interesting questions. A next step in these teaching and research laboratory projects is often validation of the microarray data for individual selected genes. In the research community, this usually involves the use of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technology that requires instrumentation and reagents that are prohibitively expensive for most undergraduate institutions. The results of a survey of faculty teaching undergraduates in classroom and research settings indicate a clear need for an alternative approach. We sought to develop an inexpensive and student-friendly gel electrophoresis-based PCR method for quantifying messenger RNA (mRNA) levels using undergraduate researchers as models for students in teaching and research laboratories. We compared the results for three selected genes measured by microarray analysis, real-time PCR, and the gel electrophoresis-based method. The data support the use of the gel electrophoresis-based method as an inexpensive, convenient, yet reliable alternative for quantifying mRNA levels in undergraduate laboratories.     

医学院校培养本科生科研创新能力的认识与思考

科研能力是科学素质的核心,是运用已有的知识和科学方法去探索新的知识和方法,解决新的问题,并在这个过程中形成创新思维的能力。科学技术的创新是医学事业发展的阶梯,科技引领着医学探究生命的本质,通过对各种疾病的根源、机制、发生、后果进行研究,找到预防和治疗疾病的最佳途径,为人类解除疾病带来的痛苦。医学科技创新使医学得到快速发展的同时,为社会培养了高水平、高素质的医学人才。然而,我国的高等教育体制普遍注重教育方法的革新,而忽视学生综合素质和创新能力的培养。特别是医学高等院校,本科生的教育教学工作没有重视与科研相结合。随着高等教育体制改革的不断深入与现代科学技术的迅速发展,本科生的科研创新能力亟待进一步提高。本科生科研能力的培养已经成为当前高等教育改革的一个重要目标。本文针对医学院校本科生培养创新能力的重要性和必要性进行探讨,为医学教育的发展提供参考的资料。     

Making developmental biology relevant to undergraduates in an era of economic rationalism in Australia

This report describes the road map we followed at our university to accommodate three main factors: financial pressure within the university system; desire to enhance the learning experience of undergraduates; and motivation to increase the prominence of the discipline of developmental biology in our university. We engineered a novel, multi-year undergraduate developmental biology program which was "student-oriented," ensuring that students were continually exposed to the underlying principles and philosophy of this discipline throughout their undergraduate career. Among its key features are introductory lectures in core courses in the first year, which emphasize the relevance of developmental biology to tissue engineering, reproductive medicine, therapeutic approaches in medicine, agriculture and aquaculture. State-of-the-art animated computer graphics and images of high visual impact are also used. In addition, students are streamed into the developmental biology track in the second year, using courses like human embryology and courses shared with cell biology, which include practicals based on modern experimental approaches. Finally, fully dedicated third-year courses in developmental biology are undertaken in conjunction with stand-alone practical courses where students experiencefirst-hand work in a research laboratory. Our philosophy is a "cradle-to-grave" approach to the education of undergraduates so as to prepare highly motivated, enthusiastic and well-educated developmental biologists for entry into graduate programs and ultimately post-doctoral research.     

Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE): first findings

In this study, I examined the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates from 41 institutions participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Over 83% of 1,135 participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A group of 51 students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career plans. Ethnic groups did not significantly differ in reported levels of benefits or plans to continue with postgraduate education.     

《分子生物学》研究性教学初探

当前高等学校教学改革的一个重要特点在于倡导进行研究性教学,研究性教学成为现代教学理念的构成要素,它是对传统的传递式——被动接受式的教育理念的革新。这种教学模式有利于培养学生研究能力,提升教学的有效性。从理论教学、问题情境教学、实验教学、科研成果的引入等4个方面阐述在《分子生物学》教学中如何运用研究性教学模式,贯穿研究性教学理念,有效培养学生的研究能力。     

某高校甲型H1N1流感确诊病例流行病学分布特征分析

目的：通过了解某高校甲型H1N1流感病例的流行病学分布特征,为预防和控制流感在高校的蔓延提供依据。方法：以某高校2009年11月6日至2009年11月24日发病并确诊的74例甲型H1N1流感病例为研究对象,分析并比较病例的年龄、性别、学历层次、年级、专业、发病时间和临床症状。结果：74例甲型H1N1流感确诊病例均为学生,罹患率为1．63％,其中男性占94．6％,女性占5．4％;病例平均年龄为20．5岁±2．2岁;94．6％的病例为本科生;本科生罹患率（4．03％）显著高于研究生（0．14％）;2006级见习期本科生罹患率（11．05％）显著高于其他年级学生;疫情的流行全距为19天,发病高峰为2009年11月13日至2009年11月18日;病例以发热、咳嗽、乏力、头疼等临床症状为主。结论：该高校甲型H1N1流感确诊病例多为22岁以下的男性学生。本研究提示加强见习学生的监测和管理、设立隔离宿舍、接种疫苗等有针对性的措施能够有效控制流感疫情在高校蔓延。     

某高校甲型H1N1 流感确诊病例流行病学分布特征分析

目的：通过了解某高校甲型H1N1 流感病例的流行病学分布特征,为预防和控制流感在高校的蔓延提供依据。方法：以某高 校2009 年11 月6 日至2009 年11 月24 日发病并确诊的74 例甲型H1N1 流感病例为研究对象,分析并比较病例的年龄、性别、 学历层次、年级、专业、发病时间和临床症状。结果：74 例甲型H1N1 流感确诊病例均为学生,罹患率为1.63 %,其中男性占94.6 %,女性占5.4 %;病例平均年龄为20.5 岁± 2.2 岁;94.6 %的病例为本科生;本科生罹患率（4.03%）显著高于研究生（0.14%）;2006 级见习期本科生罹患率（11.05 %）显著高于其他年级学生;疫情的流行全距为19 天,发病高峰为2009 年11 月13 日至2009 年 11 月18 日;病例以发热、咳嗽、乏力、头疼等临床症状为主。结论：该高校甲型H1N1 流感确诊病例多为22岁以下的男性学生。本 研究提示加强见习学生的监测和管理、设立隔离宿舍、接种疫苗等有针对性的措施能够有效控制流感疫情在高校蔓延。     

Integrating recent advances in neuroscience into undergraduate neuroscience and physiology courses

Neuroscience has enjoyed tremendous growth over the past 20 years, including a substantial increase in the number of neuroscience departments, programs, and courses at the undergraduate level. To meet the need of new neuroscience courses, there has also been growth in the number of introductory neuroscience textbooks designed for undergraduates. However, textbooks typically trail current knowledge by five to ten years, especially in neuroscience where our understanding is increasing rapidly. Consequently, it is often important to supplement neuroscience and physiology textbooks with information about recent findings in neuroscience. To design supplementary educational material, it is essential first to identify the educational objectives of the program and the characteristics of the learners, which can differ dramatically between undergraduate and graduate or professional students. Four principles that may serve the selection and design of supplementary material for undergraduate neuroscience and physiology courses are that (1) material must be interesting to the undergraduates, (2) material should reinforce previously learned concepts, (3) students must be adequately prepared, and (4) the teacher and student must have sufficient appropriate resources.     

Isolation and culture of bovine oviductal epithelial cells for use in the anatomy and physiology laboratory and undergraduate research

This article presents methods for the isolation and culture of epithelial cells from the bovine oviduct for use in both research and the teaching laboratory and provides examples of ways that an oviductal cell culture can be incorporated into an undergraduate research program. Cow reproductive tracts are readily available from area butchers, and the procedure for isolation of the epithelium is simple and inexpensive. The cells can be observed immediately after isolation or can be cultured for up to 72 h under simple conditions for observation over several days. For experimental use, epithelial cells are cultured in standard cell culture medium, where they continue to divide and actively secrete substances into the medium. The ease with which the tissue can be collected and cells isolated makes the oviductal epithelium ideal for use in both the teaching laboratory and research projects in which undergraduates serve as investigators.     

食品工程类专业微生物学教学改革与实践

《微生物学》是食品科学类专业重要的专业基础课,课程组结合学校粮油食品学科传统特色专业,对食品微生物学教学内容、多媒体课件运用及实验教学等进行了改革。结果显示,改革后的课程教学组织方式有利于加强学生对理论知识的理解和应用,有利于提高学生的动手能力、创新能力和科学思维能力。     

Perceptions of animal experimentation: a longitudinal survey with veterinary students in Araçatuba,São Paulo,Brazil

Animal experimentation is a controversial topic, especially among the general public and the scientific community. Thirty-eight undergraduate students attending the College of Veterinary Medicine – São Paulo State University in the municipality of Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, were followed up between 2008 and 2011 and were asked to complete an annual questionnaire focused on different aspects of animal experimentation, including the animal species involved, the objectives of the research, ethics, animal welfare and euthanasia. Most students agreed that animal testing is not morally incorrect, and the dynamics of students’ attitudes were notable: undergraduates tended to change their opinion over time, with junior students opposing animal experimentation more than seniors do, indicating that the more scientific knowledge the students acquire, the more favourable to animal experimentation they become. Nevertheless, they agreed that research must consider the basic principles of animal welfare.