December 14, 2007
UNL Undergraduate Students to Help DNA Researchers
LINCOLN, Neb. — University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduate students will gain a unique research experience during spring semester as they become a part of a nationwide effort annotating a microbe's genes.
As part of a junior/senior level Biochemistry Bioinformatics class, students in UNL's Department of Biochemistry will adopt the heat-loving Ammonifex degensii bacteria and assign biological function to its gene sequences. Ammonifex degensii typically are found in the earth's geothermal vents.
The national effort stems from the Joint Genomic Institute, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, to annotate these genes that will become part of an online data base for researchers worldwide to use, said Cheryl Bailey, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry.
"It's a truly wonderful way to innovate science education and serves to both develop faculty members and the students they engage," she said. "Students' work will become a valuable resource to scientific researchers."
If this pilot program works, then other institutions across the country will use this undergraduate course in their curriculum.
Bailey said she'd like to see this project eventually integrated and introduced into students' first-year experience at UNL, and then build on the project in subsequent classes.
"Discovery is what really makes science exciting," Bailey said. "Students will not only gain an understanding of this organism, but will also be able to see and make predictions on how things work."
Students will use the tools and ideas that advance genomics and bioinformatics, areas that are anticipated to grow in importance as more genomic sequence is discovered, she said.
All participants will be evaluated by a survey conducted by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
At UNL, this experience will include a poster session, where students can share their findings with other undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.
For more information about this spring semester class, contact Bailey at (402) 472-3530, cbailey7@unl.edu.
12/14/07-SK
Cheryl Bailey - Ph.D.
Biochemistry
Assistant Professor
(402) 472-3530
Sandi Alswager Karstens IANR News and Photography (402) 472-3030
Department: Biochemistry
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