Teaching: Curriculum Samples

Biology 407/507: Special Microbiology/Biotechnology Courses for Science Educators and undergraduates (majors and non-majors)

Course Evolution Statement:

In addition to regular course offerings, I have - as stated - been afforded the unique privilege of designing and offering a substantial array of paid/free or low-cost credit specialty courses and workshops (407/507 or 425/525) for educators and undergraduates because of external funding in microbial diversity and biotechnology. With the exception of the 2002 temporary course offerings (which were supported by my grant from the Waksman Foundation, provided in my previous file), all of the following were supported directly by my current/ongoing NSF/MO grant. All courses offered 2004-present were approved as credit overlay courses, specifically run at reduced cost because of release time salary provided by NSF/MO grant. Courses with the GERMS designation stand for Geochemistry and Ecology of Red Mat Systems, the name of my 5-year longitudinal study in Yellowstone. GERMS courses involve field research in Yellowstone, completed by summer participants (undergraduates or educators) and providing paid/free credit and travel costs. Finally, all of these research-based curricula have, in some way, been presented or published nationally. Although 10-hour weekend workshops during the academic year have been rewarding and fairly successful, I decided in January 2006 - with input from NSF - to re-focus the final year of my release time efforts solely on research, effectively terminating this program.

Course Materials Evolution Statement

Materials for all these courses were developed by me and provided to students in the form of electronic lecture notes, Powerpoints (including images, which the teachers appreciate), and lab curricula. As should be evident, virtually all activities developed represent a direct adaptation of existing research-based curricula from Molecular Biology (Biology 475), Computational Biology (Biology 301), and/or General Microbiology (Biology 331). In addition to the following table summary of grant-supported specialty courses I have offered since 2002, I have provided some additional course materials (listed below); specific examples of GERMS activities and student portfolio projects are in the Research and Scholarship/Field Research section of this file. Student assessment was based on the completion of electronic portfolio templates (provided in Word on lab computers during class) that integrated both digital images (both macroscopic and microscopic) and verbal explanations. Specific discussion questions included both detailed data analysis explanations as well as broad summary essay questions about the utility, application, and relevance of these methods to secondary science laboratory experiences and science mastery expectations.

Provided Curricula Samples

2005 Phototroph Handout I (includes syllabus) and Handout II

2005 Phototroph Lecture Powerpoint I and Powerpoint II

2005 Electronic Portfolio Template I and Template II (includes discussion questions for assessment)

Term/Course/Impact	Description
Spring 2002 5 credits, 8 hours/week 425/525: Microbes and Biotechnology Materials reported in previous file. 1 teacher, 12 undergraduates	Students will examine the important and positive roles of microorganisms in biotechnology, including food, antibiotics, bioremediation, and genetic engineering. The laboratory will enable students to learn methods in microbiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Specific activities will involve inquiry- and research-based projects about antibiotics, food microbiology, the industrial production of bacterial proteins, DNA isolation and analysis, and on-line databases.
July 2002 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Isolation, PCR 5 teachers, 2 undergraduates	Students will experience methods for isolating, selectively amplifying, and cloning DNA.   They will learn about bacterial diversity and biotechnology, emphasizing the role of hot spring bacteria in developing PCR, one of the most important methods used in medical genetic testing and forensic science.
July 2002 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Fingerprinting and Applications 7 teachers, 2 undergraduates	Students will experience methods for isolating and analyzing a library of DNA clones using DNA fingerprinting methods.   They will learn about bacterial diversity and biotechnology, emphasizing the role of bacteria in producing restriction enzymes, important tools for cloning and DNA fingerprinting.
July 2002 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Sequencing and Databases 4 teachers, 2 undergraduates	Students will experience methods for determining the precise A, T, G, C order of DNA sequence.   They will submit their original sequence data to on-line programs that will enable them to rapidly compare and identify the DNA information, learning about bacterial diversity and computer resources available for analyzing DNA information and cataloging diversity.
January 2004 1 credit, 10 hours 507: River Microbiology 4 teachers	Students will perform fieldwork, assess water chemistry, and use microbiology methods to enumerate, isolate and identify bacteria from local river habitats – both “bad” fecal coliforms and "good” organisms likely involved in bioremediation.
April 2004 1 credit, 10 hours 507: Biotechnology 7 teachers	Students will learn about cloning, extract DNA, fingerprint DNA, and perform DNA sequence analysis while participating in original research on our project to understand and identify new red hot spring bacteria from Yellowstone National Park.
June/July 2004 3 credits, 7 days/field plus 30 hours lab 407: GERMS Program 6 undergraduates	Students will visit Yellowstone National Park and collect hot spring samples using digital and dissection tools and chemical test kits. After the trip, participants will spend two weeks isolating pigments, using microscopy to examine samples, and performing several levels of DNA analyses (including isolation, PCR, sequencing, population genetics).
October 2004 1 credit, 10 hours 507: Soil Bacteria, Antibiotics 4 teachers	Students will learn about soil microbial diversity. Students will use semi-selective media to plate for target soil bacteria, assessing for antibiotic-producers and decomposers that secrete industrially-important enzymes (e.g. amylase). Students will test soil bacteria for anti-microbial properties.
February 2005 1 credit, 10 hours 507: Gram Positive Bacteria 3 teachers	Students will learn about Gram Positive Bacteria, emphasizing those found naturally on the body and those used in food microbiology. Students will perform immunological identification tests, learn about strategies for enumerating bacteria, and view slides of important Gram Positive pathogens.
May 2005 1 credit, 10 hours 507: Phototrophic Microbes 6 teachers	Students will learn about photosynthetic microbes, emphasizing those that live naturally in local rivers and Yellowstone hot springs. Students will prepare enrichment bottles and Winogradsky columns from local river mud, assessing for ancient non-oxygen-evolving photosynthetic bacteria. Students will extract pigments and measure pigment absorbance. Finally, students will view photosynthetic microbes using a variety of microscopic techniques.
July 2005 2 credits, 7 days/field plus 12 hours lab 507: GERMS Program 4 teachers	Students will visit Yellowstone National Park and collect hot spring samples using digital and dissection tools and chemical test kits. After the trip, participants will spend two days isolating pigments and using microscopy to examine samples.
July 2005 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Isolation, PCR 3 teachers, 3 undergraduates	Students will learn about and experience methods for isolating, selectively amplifying, and cloning DNA while involved in an ongoing research project, the goal of which is to identify new hot spring bacteria.   They will learn about bacterial diversity and biotechnology, emphasizing the role of hot spring bacteria in developing "PCR," one of the most important methods used in medical genetic testing and forensic science.
July 2005 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Fingerprinting 3 teachers, 3 undergraduates	Students will learn about and experience methods for isolating and analyzing a library of DNA clones using DNA fingerprinting methods while involved in an ongoing research project, the goal of which is to identify new hot spring bacteria.   They will learn about the role of bacteria in producing restriction enzymes, important tools for cloning and DNA fingerprinting.
July 2005 1 credit, 10 hours 407/507: DNA Sequencing 3 teachers, 2 undergraduates	Students will learn about and experience methods for determining the precise A, T, G, C order of DNA sequence.   They will submit their original sequence data to on-line programs that will enable them to rapidly compare and identify the DNA information.
September 2005 2 credits, 7 days/field plus 12 hours lab 407: GERMS Program 4 undergraduates	Students will visit Yellowstone National Park and collect hot spring samples using digital and dissection tools and chemical test kits. After the trip, participants will spend two days isolating pigments and using microscopy to examine samples.
July 2006 2 credits, 7 days/field 407/507: GERMS Program 3 undergraduates, 3 teachers	Students will visit Yellowstone National Park and collect hot spring samples using digital and dissection tools and chemical test kits. During the trip, participants will isolate pigments and use microscopy to examine samples.