Undergraduate course centered on animal cell culture (618.31)

Abstract

Integration of biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) concepts and principles into the curriculum of a laboratory‐based capstone course is an integral component of our experiential undergraduate program. This course enables students to develop deeper understandings through meaningful and exciting laboratory experiments. As part of our recently updated undergraduate biochemistry degree program, we describe a newly developed capstone course consisting of a unified series of laboratory experiments focused on animal cell culture. This course, Tissue Culture (CHE470), includes lectures on BMB aspects of culture media and additives, as well as cellular structure, metabolism and transformation. Laboratory exercises include sub‐culturing, cryopreservation, cell growth kinetics and quantitation techniques, transfection, and biochemical assays. The experimental modules are (1) electroporation transfection, (2) clonal selection, isolation and expansion, (3) induction of gene expression, (4) genomic DNA isolation and PCR screening, and (5) quantitation of gene expression. Course grades are derived from in‐class exams, a BMB peer‐review journal style report, an oral presentation, and laboratory performance. Student outcomes are measured by anonymous student feedback from an online survey using a numeric rating scale (5 = strongly agree; 1 = strongly disagree). Students reported as a result of taking this course they “know more about this subject” (mean = 4.86, dev. = 0.38), their “skills in this area have improved” (mean = 5.00, dev. = 0.00), their “appreciation of this subject increased” (mean = 4.71, dev. = 0.76), and that “learning objectives of the course were met” (mean = 4.86, dev. = 0.38). Survey data strongly suggests students found this course very engaging, informative and beneficial.