SGER: The Emerging Role of Bioinformatics in Plant Biology

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of this project is to develop a prototype educational module for introducing advanced high school and beginning college or university students, as well as their instructors, to the rapidly growing importance of informatics in biology. The immediate objective is to test a novel approach for achieving this ultimate goal. The product will be an animated description of how one assembles from messenger RNA (mRNA) a collection of complementary DNA (cDNA) clones, each representing a different gene. Even though this exploratory project is designed to eventually form part of a much larger tool, it is also designed to stand alone. A scientific illustrator will use professional animation software with guidance from biologists and informaticians, in order to present the information in an accurate and engaging fashion. Where possible and appropriate, actual video footage will be included, utilizing first- and second-year university students from under-represented groups in an effort to encourage other such students to consider bioinformatics as a career objective. The final product, which will include an audio track, will be distributed in CD and/or DVD format. The justification of support for this project by a Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) is that the training materials to be developed venture into an emerging area, that of bioinformatics training in high schools. Intellectual Merit Many, if not most, biologists inadequately appreciate the rapidly advancing and changing use of informatics in biology. This project therefore is important with respect to communicating the nature and increasing importance of this new approach in biology. Communicating the role of bioinformatics to younger students will attract many of them to this emerging area in biology. To achieve this objective, a team has been assembled consisting of a professional scientific illustrator, two molecular biologists with previous experience in developing similar animations, and three biologists/bioinformaticians actively conducting research in the subject matter to be covered. Broader Impacts This project is dedicated to the creation of a teaching/training resource, aimed at advanced high school and beginning college or university students. Its product will be distributed worldwide, thereby serving a geographically broad area and a diverse audience. The use of younger students from under represented groups in all video segments is intended to encourage other such students to consider bioinformatics as a career option. The level at which this scientific animation is targeted has been selected in order to enhance scientific and technological understanding of this emerging research area among the broadest possible audience. The entire focus of this project is on issues relating to its broader impacts.