ENHANCING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES-EASTERN WYOMING COMMUNITY COLLEGE

University Of Wyoming, Laramie WY

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Funds are used to support the Eastern Wyoming College Undergraduate Research Program. This program provides financial support for equipment, supplies, curriculum development, and travel expenses for Eastern Wyoming College students and faculty who are engaged in scientific research. Curriculum has been developed for a new 1 credit hour course, "Introduction to Scientific Research". This course provides undergraduate students with laboratory experience and a background to further their understanding of scientific writing. In the course students have the opportunity to perform techniques commonly used in molecular biology research such as DNA extraction, PCR, electrophoresis, ligation and transformation, microbial culturing, and plasmid preparation. These students will also be involved in the collection and identification of plants that will be used in the research project. Students may also have the opportunity to publish a gene sequence in Genbank and perform further bioinformatics studies that pertain to this gene. Currently, one undergraduate student is enrolled in this course. Undergraduate students have the opportunity to participate in scientific article discussions as well. The article discussions are be led by faculty and/or students that are participating in the INBRE program. Undergraduates and faculty have also attended the INBRE Videoconference Series presentations. Faculty continues to perform research pertaining to the Artemisia genome using equipment and supplies purchased with INBRE funds. Currently, faculty and undergraduate researchers are performing experiments to develop a highly efficient process to extract genomic DNA from Artemisia. In addition, EWC faculty will be traveling to high schools in the EWC service area to enable some of those students to perform a DNA fingerprinting lab exercise. This will serve as a tool to generate interest in the EWC Undergraduate Research Program.