Area: Research

This is primarily an inquiry-based laboratory course in 
molecular genetics, focusing on genetic and genomic analyses of 
the microbiome.

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.

Challenge: Students will demonstrate and describe how systematic 
and in-depth inquiry into a research problem centered on the 
microbiome contributes to the discovery or interpretation of 
knowledge significant in genetics.

The goal in each semester is to produce student-driven 
publishable discoveries in microbiome genetics. The faculty will 
instruct students in the specific laboratory tools, techniques, 
and protocols available to answer student-generated research 
questions and mentor the students in how to analyze and present 
experimental results.

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 genetics of microbiomes.

Develop research hypotheses and devise ways to address questions 
using experimental approaches in the genetics of microbiomes.

Utilize and successfully use the tools of experimentation and 
the methods and techniques of experimental genetics

Perform experiments, collect data, analyze data, learn to 
interpret data, and draw appropriate conclusions from it.

Produce lab report and public presentation of results.

This laboratory class is focused on the genetics of the
microbiome. However, each semester, students will largely define
the specific research questions to be investigated.

We encourage students to work collaboratively and cooperatively
in small groups. Unless explicitly stated in the syllabus or by 
the instructor, all work must be completed by the individual 
student without assistance. It is each student's responsibility 
to be familiar with University policy on academic honesty. Any 
evidence of academic dishonesty will be turned over to the Office 
of the Vice President for Instruction for consideration and 
action.