To transform undergraduate biology education, faculty need to provide opportunities for students to engage in the process of science. The rise of research approaches using next-generation (NextGen) sequencing has been impressive, but incorporation of such approaches into the undergraduate curriculum remains a major challenge. In this paper, we report proceedings of a National Science Foundation–funded workshop held July 11–14, 2011, at Juniata College. The purpose of the workshop was to develop a regional research coordination network for undergraduate biology education (RCN/UBE). The network is collaborating with a genome-sequencing core facility located at Pennsylvania State University (University Park) to enable undergraduate students and faculty at small colleges to access state-of-the-art sequencing technology. We aim to create a database of references, protocols, and raw data related to NextGen sequencing, and to find innovative ways to reduce costs related to sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. It was agreed that our regional network for NextGen sequencing could operate more effectively if it were partnered with the Genome Consortium for Active Teaching (GCAT) as a new arm of that consortium, entitled GCAT-SEEK(quence). This step would also permit the approach to be replicated elsewhere.

Genomics and bioinformatics are dynamic fields well-suited for capturing the imagination of undergraduates in both research laboratories and classrooms. Currently, raw nucleotide sequence is being provided, as part of several genomics research initiatives, for undergraduate research and teaching. These initiatives could be easily extended and much more effective if the source of the sequenced material and the subsequent focus of the data analysis were aligned with the research interests of individual faculty at undergraduate institutions. By judicious use of surplus capacity in existing nucleotide sequencing cores, raw sequence data could be generated to support ongoing research efforts involving undergraduates. This would allow these students to participate actively in discovery research, with a goal of making novel contributions to their field through original research while nurturing the next generation of talented research scientists.

Genomics and bioinformatics are dynamic fields well-suited for capturing the imagination of undergraduates in both research laboratories and classrooms. Currently, raw nucleotide sequence is being provided, as part of several genomics research initiatives, for undergraduate research and teaching. These initiatives could be easily extended and much more effective if the source of the sequenced material and the subsequent focus of the data analysis were aligned with the research interests of individual faculty at undergraduate institutions. By judicious use of surplus capacity in existing nucleotide sequencing cores, raw sequence data could be generated to support ongoing research efforts involving undergraduates. This would allow these students to participate actively in discovery research, with a goal of making novel contributions to their field through original research while nurturing the next generation of talented research scientists.