Synthetic Biology – An Open Level 2 Practical Project

May, G. (2015) Synthetic Biology – An Open Level 2 Practical Project. Physiology 2015, Cardiff, UK, 6-8 July 2015.

Abstract

One of the key aims of the new life science curriculum at the University of Dundee is to teach practical skills in a way that simulates real-life research work as closely as possible. To this end, students are exposed to open-ended practical projects from year 1. In semester 2 of level 2, students have to conduct a synthetic biology project as part of a module which is compulsory for all Life Science students. In 2012/13 and 2013/14 240 and 160 students took this module, respectively. The aims and objectives of the project are – To provide students with an opportunity to learn standard techniques in molecular biology – To provide students with an opportunity to plan, conduct, and report on a mini research project – To allow students to revisit a number of basic molecular biology concepts relating to the regulation of gene expression from an experimental point of view Students (in groups of 4) were given the task to design a synthetic biology device, based on standardised iGEM biobricks (1). The concepts of synthetic biology and the idea of the annual iGEM competition (2) were initially introduced in a lecture to the whole class. Two workshop sessions were developed to help students understand the principle of biobricks and the purpose and order of techniques they would encounter during the course of the project. Students had to produce a project plan explaining which biobrick parts they needed, what their device was supposed to do, and how they planned to test it. Students then had one or two 3 hour practical sessions per week for a whole semester to work on the project. This work included isolation of plasmid DNA, digesting the DNA with restriction enzymes, setting up ligation reactions, making E. coli cells competent, transforming ligation mixtures into competent cells, and testing transformants for successful cloning by colony PCR. One of the key challenges was that groups had to plan in advance what they were going to do in their next lab session, and had to fill in and submit order forms to allow technical staff to plan and prepare equipment and reagents for each session. Students also had to learn how to label their reagents appropriately so that they can be found again when required, sometimes weeks after they were initially generated. Practical sessions were mostly supervised by senior demonstrators with occasional help by academic staff. Students were assessed by a written group project report in the style of a FEBS Letters paper (3), an individual abstract, and a poster which was aimed at informed lay people. Posters were displayed in dedicated poster sessions, peer-assessed and graded by staff. The following challenges were identified during the first instalments of the project: protocols needed to be detailed and robust enough so that students can work through them independently. What appears like a clear procedure to an experienced experimentalist can seem entirely cryptic to undergraduate students, which can lead to unnecessary mistakes. Demonstrators needed to be familiar with all techniques and the theoretical background of the project so that they could help students not only technically, but also to make decisions and plan ahead. Logistics in the lab needed to be planned in detail, and technicians needed to know in advance what reagents and equipment were required in a particular session. In the first year, students on the whole were not able to build their planned device, therefore, a large number did not enjoy the project. However, there was also considerable positive feedback. In the second year of the project, several groups succeeded in cloning at least two of their planned biobricks, with two groups managing to build the device that they had initially planned. One consequence of this very challenging project is that these cohorts of students are a lot more confident than previous year groups in practical projects during subsequent years, and we believe that students learn a great deal about molecular biology research, associated techniques, and how to plan a project.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: No
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: May, Dr Gerhard
• Authors: May, G.
• Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education; Q Science > QH Natural history > QH345 Biochemistry
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing

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