Course Description
An intensive inquiry-based laboratory course emphasizing a computational approach to understanding genetics and genomics through modeling.
Athena Title
Genetic Modeling Laboratory
Prerequisite
GENE 3200-3200D or GENE 3200H
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Area: Research This is primarily an inquiry-based laboratory course emphasizing computational approaches to understanding genetics and genomics problems. Engagement: This is a 3-credit-hour course with a minimum of 6 hours in the lab per week. Mentorship: Students will have regular meetings with faculty to discuss the progress of their research. The faculty provides guidance and training on tools, techniques, and protocols in the lab. The faculty will help students identify gaps or unanswered questions in a specific area of genomics and mentor them to identify research questions that can be addressed in the context of the course. The faculty will instruct students in the specific computational tools, techniques, and protocols available to answer student-generated research questions and mentor the students in how to analyze and present experimental results. Faculty mentors will provide feedback and evaluation at all steps of the research process, including experimental design, conduct of experiments, analysis of data, interpretation of results, and presentation of results in oral or written form. Challenge: Students will demonstrate and describe how systematic and in-depth inquiry into a bioinformatics, genetics, or genomics research problem contributes to the discovery or interpretation of knowledge significant in genetics. The goal in each semester is to produce student-driven discoveries in computational genetics. Ownership: The faculty will provide appropriate background throughout the course, but a major feature of the course is that the student will be responsible for defining research questions, identifying how data will be collected to test a hypothesis, and interpreting the results. The faculty will help students identify gaps or unanswered questions in a specific area of genetics and mentor them to identify research questions that can be addressed in the context of the course. Research results are presented at the end of the semester to the class. In addition, a written report summarizes the inquiry and identifies both failures and successes in shaping further research questions. Self or Social Awareness: Faculty mentors will provide feedback and evaluation at all steps of the research process, including experimental design, conduct of experiments, analysis of data, interpretation of results, and presentation of results in oral or written form. Expected learning outcomes include: Evaluate gaps in knowledge in bioinformatics, genomics, and genetics. Develop research hypotheses and devise ways to address questions using a variety of experimental and computational approaches in bioinformatics, genomics, and genetics. Use publicly available genetic data, analyze data, learn to interpret data, and draw appropriate conclusions from it. Produce lab report and public presentation of results.
Topical Outline
Each semester, students will define the research questions to be investigated. Current modules focus on systems and networks in genetics, including the qa gene cluster, toggle switches, repressilators, linear models, clocks, NMR, and malaria.
Syllabus