A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation and Sustainability of a Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

Abstract

There have been numerous calls to engage students in science as science is done. A survey of 90-plus faculty members explores barriers and incentives when developing a research-based genomics course. The results indicate that a central core supporting a national experiment can help overcome local obstacles.

Implementation of a Collaborative Series of Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences Spanning Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, and Neurobiology

“…A wide variety of CUREs have been developed and assessed; these range from large multi-institutional CUREs to single-section, single-institution CUREs (Hatfull et al ., 2006; Wu, 2013; Buonaccorsi et al ., 2014; Jordan et al ., 2014; Lopatto et al ., 2014; Brownell et al ., 2015; Corwin et al ., 2015; Russell et al ., 2015; Shapiro et al ., 2015). The target demographics for CUREs also vary across the undergraduate spectrum from introductory major and nonmajors courses to upper-level multisemester courses (Nadelson et al ., 2010; Brownell et al ., 2015; Rowe et al ., 2015).…”

“…The target demographics for CUREs also vary across the undergraduate spectrum from introductory major and nonmajors courses to upper-level multisemester courses (Nadelson et al ., 2010; Brownell et al ., 2015; Rowe et al ., 2015). High-profile CUREs, including the Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) and the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), have been highly successful at linking together introductory laboratory experiments across multiple institutions with common experimental procedures and producing significant scientific and student benefit outcomes (Shaffer et al ., 2010; Jordan et al ., 2014; Lopatto et al ., 2014). …”

CRISPR-Cas Technology In and Out of the Classroom

“…4,13,33 However, peripheral interactions with research (in the form of collaborations or contributions) can still provide undergraduate students with a meaningful and flexible way to work as researchers without requiring the planning and implementation of an entire CURE. Scientific collaborations and undergraduate participation in science communication projects can provide another mechanism for students to contribute to both the scientific and lay communities.…”

Teaching Genetics: Past, Present, and Future

“…One effective way to meet this need is through Classroom Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), also called discovery-based lab courses, in which groups of students engage in authentic research on an unsolved problem (e.g., Hatfull et al 2006;Lopatto et al 2014). In the future, it may be that all genetics students will be required to take at least one such course during their undergraduate career.…”