MRI: Acquisition of an Automated DNA Analysis System for Biology Teaching and Research

Tarleton State University, Stephenville TX

Investigators

Abstract

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Sudman at Tarleton State University to purchase an automated DNA analysis system. This instrument package will be used to enhance the teaching and research activities within the Department of Biological Sciences, specifically those related to molecular biology and genetics. The use of this DNA analysis system, combined with the introduction of DNA and protein analysis components into the laboratory portions of many of their classes, will greatly enhance the educational experiences of all of the students associated with the Biology Department. This modern, technological approach to biology will give Tarleton students advantages on three different levels. Exposure to modern research techniques and instrumentation will 1) better prepare the students to enter post-baccalaureate educational settings - either traditional academic settings or medical related fields; 2) prepare future K-12 teachers with a basis for explaining and perhaps demonstrating the uses of modern molecular techniques; and 3) prepare students for entrance into the rapidly changing, high-tech workplace. From an educational standpoint, individuals that will benefit from the acquisition of a DNA analysis system will include undergraduate students, Masters level graduate students, area high school teachers, and researchers both at Tarleton State University and the Stephenville branch of the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Undergraduate students enrolled in courses in the Department of Biological Sciences such as Heredity, Molecular Biology, and Laboratory Techniques in Biochemistry will utilize the automated DNA analysis system in a variety of laboratory situations. Students in the graduate course Laboratory Practicum in Molecular Biology will also benefit from the apparatus. From a research standpoint, undergraduate and graduate students involved with several ongoing projects will directly utilize the automated DNA analysis system. These research projects include generating data for investigating the past history of various mammal species, DNA variation in an endangered bird (Attwater's prairie chickens), determination of the origin of introduced crabs in freshwater Texas lakes, introducing foreign genes into baculoviruses to enhance insect resistance in plants, examining the origin of specific "hybrid" plant species (such as peanuts), searching for genes related to drought tolerance in plants, and investigations into the genetic diversity of immune response genes in various species of mammals. The acquisition of this DNA analysis system will have a tremendous impact on the academic and research community associated with the Department of Biological Sciences at Tarleton State University. From students seeking teacher certification to those conducting Masters level research, an onsite instrument for determining DNA sequences or other genetic differences between or within organisms will provide a vital boost to the biological teaching and research fields. The automated DNA analysis system will allow more than 100 students per year the opportunity to obtain essential training with a state-of-the-art biochemical analysis instrument. Finally, the system will provide local access for the research community at the Stephenville branch of the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center, fostering additional collaborative research activities between the two institutions.