VCU news

By Sathya Achia Abraham

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Alliance has chosen Virginia Commonwealth University to participate in a nationwide genomics research course for freshman students who will have the unique opportunity to engage in hands-on research as part of a national study.

The project, the National Genomics Research Initiative, is a two-part, yearlong research course designed to enable students to contribute to a nationwide research study and to help prepare them for careers in science. This will be the second year of the Science Education Alliance, which launched in 2007 with 12 universities. The alliance is expanding the program to include 12 additional colleges and universities and four associate members, including VCU.

“At VCU, we have a commitment to undergraduate research,” said Gregory Buck, Ph.D., director of VCU Life Sciences’ Center for the Study of Biological Complexity. “Engaging students in scientific research will provide them with a broader perspective and hopefully a new appreciation for science discovery and the process of learning.”

In Fall 2009, approximately 20 freshman students at each institution will be led through a two-semester-long research project investigating bacterial viruses called phage. VCU Life Sciences and the Department of Biology are jointly supporting the implementation of this course at VCU. Course instructors Allison Johnson, Ph.D., an assistant professor and assistant director of the VCU Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, and Anneke Padolina, Ph.D., an instructor in the VCU Department of Biology, will guide students through the process of scientific discovery. This summer, an application process will open to select student participants for fall enrollment. Students will be asked to commit to the two-semester laboratory course.

During the fall term, students will isolate colonies of phage from locally collected soil samples. Given the diversity of phage, each one is almost certain to be unique, so the students have the opportunity to name their newly identified life form. The remainder of the term is dedicated to purifying and characterizing their phage and extracting its DNA.

Between terms, the purified DNA is sent to the Joint Genome Institute-Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where it is sequenced. In the second term, the students receive files containing their phage’s DNA sequence. The students then use bioinformatics tools to analyze and annotate the DNA from their phage. Further, the course will give students experience in laboratory and computational science.

“This course is a unique opportunity for freshmen to learn to do real scientific research, where they will discover something for the first time. These types of experiences have a significant impact on choosing a career in scientific research. This initiative will give students an early experience in scientific research and hopefully inspire a new generation of scientists,” Johnson said.

HHMI created the alliance in 2007 in the hope that it would become a resource for science educators from across the nation. It allows faculty to work together to deliver innovative science education programs and bring the excitement of the doing of science directly to students in a novel, collaborative way. The Institute has committed $4 million over four years to the alliance.

The 12 new participating colleges and universities were chosen from among 33 applicants. HHMI provides research and laboratory materials and a dedicated HHMI staff. VCU joins as an associate member.

The new participants in the National Genome Research Initiative are:

Brigham Young University, Cabrini College, Calvin College, Georgia State University, Lehigh University, North Carolina State University, St. Joseph’s University, the University of Colorado, the University of Montana, the University of North Texas, the University of Puerto Rico, and Western Kentucky University.

In addition to VCU, the associate members are Alabama A&M University, City University of New York and Culver-Stockton College.