Identifying New Small Proteins through a Molecular Biology Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience Laboratory Class

• Published in: Biochemistry and molecular biology education Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 574 - 585
• Main Authors: Miranda, Rommel J, Warren, Cheryl, Mcdougal, Kathryn, Kimble, Steven, Sanchez, Joseph, Norman, Leann, Anderson, Virginia, Hemm, Matthew
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley 01.09.2023; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: College Science; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Equal Education; Laboratories; Molecular Biology; Program Development; Proteins; Science education; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Student Research; Teaching Methods; Undergraduate Study; molecular biology; pedagogical approach; course-based undergraduate research experience; authentic research; laboratory class; CURE; small proteins
• ISSN: 1470-8175; 1539-3429
• DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21764

We developed a curriculum for an upper-level molecular biology course-based undergraduate research laboratory class funded by a National Science Foundation CAREER grant that focuses on identifying new small proteins in the bacterium, "Escherichia coli." Our CURE class has been continually offered each semester for the last 10 years, with multiple instructors collaboratively developing and implementing their own pedagogical approach while maintaining the same overall scientific goal and experimental strategy. In this paper, we delineate the experimental strategy for our molecular biology CURE laboratory class, describe a range of pedagogical approaches implemented by multiple instructors, and provide recommendations for teaching the class. The purpose of our paper is to share our experiences both in developing and teaching a molecular biology CURE laboratory class based on small protein identification and in creating a curriculum and support system that allows traditional, non-traditional, and under-represented students to participate in authentic research projects.