Notable Quotes
The 4300 DNA Analysis System has been a wonderful
addition to our undergraduate curriculum. It
has stimulated the creation of new courses (Bioinformatics,
Advanced Techniques), and has enhanced several
existing courses (Genetics, Microbiology). It
has also stimulated very significant student
interest in research courses and as a result
increased student interest in pursuing graduate
programs outside of the usual professional schools.
Often undergraduates at smaller schools do not
have access to “the latest and greatest” in
terms of equipment available for their use. Your
program has enabled our students to have this
rare ability to combine both new technology with
small classes. One of my genetics students told
me that he actually teased a friend from a large
state university that he had access to a DNA
sequence in his undergraduate class while his
friend had no opportunity to use this new technology.
--Brian Odom, Wingate University
We are indebted for the generous support that
you have provided. We have noted this opportunity
with great enthusiasm, because it coincided with
the recent growth of our young Department. In
particular, we are experiencing an increase in
student demand for hands-on instruction and training
in genomics, population genetics, molecular evolution,
and ecological and medical genetics.
--Hans Michael Kohn, William Marsh Rice University
When first receiving the LI-COR DNA analysis
system, we were very excited about using it in
our courses and in student research projects;
but to our surprise it has impacted the school/department
much more than anticipated. Since receiving the
LI-COR DNA analysis system, we have utilized
it for student laboratory exercises in biochemistry
and molecular biology, class tours (when there
is no lab component to the course, such as Genetics),
student research projects, as an additional piece
of molecular biology equipment for new student
recruitment, and as a hiring incentive for our
new faculty member, who does systematics work.
But what was unexpected, is that this piece of
equipment has helped launch our research into
new directions by providing a means for acquiring
preliminary data, which in turn, will make us
more competitive when applying for additional
grant funds. Ultimately, new grant money will
be used to acquire complementary equipment, such
as the Odyssey, to further enhance our curriculum.
Currently I am writing a USDA grant on my maize
project which depends upon sequencing and cDNA
AFLP data. Without the LI-COR DNA analyzer this
would not have been possible. Thus the GEMF grant
has served as a seed-type grant, initiating a
cascade of outcomes, such as new directions in
our research, preliminary data for future grants
and new opportunities for undergraduate student
involvement in research endeavors.
…
A surprising arena for the impact of the LI-COR
equipment was with regard to student recruitment.
Recently, our admissions office visited our facilities
to inventory/learn about the equipment we have
available for student use. Their goal was to be
able to better describe the biology curriculum
to prospective students. One of the unique qualities
of a small school is that we work directly with
our students in the lab so they have many opportunities
for hands-on experience with most of the equipment.
The admissions team agreed that the promise of
using instrumentation such as our electron microscope,
NMR, flow cytometer and LI-COR sequencer, would
be an attractive selling point for the science
department and would be incorporated into their
recruitment plans. Better recruitment means higher
enrollment, more revenue, higher quality students;
thus the means for a higher quality curriculum.
--Stacey Darling Novak, University of La Verne
Our Biology program has benefited from the acquisition
of the 4300L DNA Analysis System in several ways.
First, it is the most modern piece of equipment
that our department has purchased in several
years. With advances in Molecular Biology being
discovered at an alarming rate, our department
failed to enhance our equipment to provide modern
exercises for our students. Our students gained
basic laboratory skills, but not at the level
that makes them successful researchers. With
the acquisition of the 4300L DNA Analysis System,
we leaped from standard techniques to extraordinary
advancements!
Next, it provided our students with modern technology
that is not available to most students in Primary
Undergraduate Universities (PUI). The Biology Department
at High Point University is not funded by external
granting agencies (NIH, NSF, etc.), so our only
source of income is from our regular yearly budget.
That does not allow for extravagant purchases that
are outside the normal running of teaching laboratories.
The acquisition of the 4300L DNA Analysis System
allows our students to be set apart from other
students with similar backgrounds, and will make
them more attractive to perspective employers.
It will also give them the expertise of advanced
molecular biology equipment that will enhance their
acceptance into professional schools.
Lastly, the acquisition of the 4300L DNA Analysis
System will provide an opportunity for the Biology
Department to partner with School of Education
at High Point University to develop workshops in
Molecular Biology techniques for local high school
science teachers. We currently have a working relationship
with High Point Central High School, interacting
with both teachers and students. We hope to establish
additional collaborations with other schools in
Guilford County, North Carolina (our county of
residence). Since molecular biology has been dramatically
portrayed in the entertainment industry, teens
and college students find it exciting to study.
If we help high school science teachers to maintain
this excitement, we will be providing an exceptional
learning environment for our teachers that will
flow into their classrooms, as well.
--Dinene Crater, High Point University
One unforeseen benefit of having the DNA Analyzer
is that it has helped us recruit science students.
As prospective students tour the science facility
we always make a point of showing them the various
instruments we have and we discuss with them
the various research projects of UMF faculty
and students. These students are impressed that
we are carrying out DNA sequencing projects.
The Natural Science Department has a history
of producing graduates with a strong ecology
background, and we tend to attract students with
these interests, but with the sequencer we are
now attracting more students with interest in
molecular biology.
…
As mentioned before, the DNA Analyzer has made
it possible for students to carry out projects
with a sequencing component. This has greatly enhanced
our curriculum as a department, but specifically
the curricula of the Genetics and Microbiology
courses. By including DNA sequencing in the projects
the students have an opportunity to experience
sequencing firsthand rather than simply reading
about it in a textbook. It has also provided valuable
experience for those students pursuing summer internships
or employment after graduation.
--Jean Doty, Univ of Maine at Farmington
The following comments were selected from the
first year the sequencing project was implemented
and demonstrate how much it meant to them.
“I loved doing these projects so completely;
I’ll remember more and be able to do more
in the future because of it”
“[This project] has given me confidence
in using lab techniques and working in a lab. Being
that I didn’t have a lot of lab experience,
you have made a class that could be overwhelming
into a learning focused class that is applicable
in the sense of doing research”
“I enjoyed this class, it helped me understand
more of what I’m doing in my lab!”
“This is the first lab course where I’ve
actually wanted to be here. It is also the first
one that we actually got to think in!”
“I really like the way this class operates.
It gives us a chance to really see how experiments
really come together”
The class was very helpful in learning modern
molecular techniques. It will be a good asset in
graduate school. I learned more about eukaryotic
genetics (esp. mitochondria of cheek cells) than
I had in my other classes. Plus, it was nice to
have hands on techniques.”
“Especially enjoyed mito. DNA sequencing”
--Sue Brown, Kansas State University
Benefits to the Biology program include (1)
tangible progress in updating our courses and
research to allow modern molecular sequencing
techniques to be taught and to be used in student
research projects, (2) the less tangible instilling
of interest and excitement among students, who
now have the opportunity to see and use electron
microscopes, DNA sequencer, and other sophisticated,
cutting edge equipment, and (3) the foundational
aspect of having this basic instrumentation to
use as a foundation to leverage opportunities
for acquiring the remaining technology needed
to fully bring our program into the 21st century.
--Jim Daly and Joanne Tillotson, Purchase College
SUNY
In summary, our students have benefited tremendously
from access to LI-COR’s 4300L DNA Analysis
System. Acquisition of the DNA analyzer has allowed
us to completely transform the laboratory component
of BIOL 252 Molecular Cell Biology from unrelated
weekly activities to a semester-long research
project, and to add identification of bacterial
species to a bioremediation module within BIOL
304 Microbial Ecology. Students in these courses
and those involved in independent research projects
have had the opportunity to use and become proficient
with advanced technology, and have honed critical
thinking and problem solving skills. Their participation
in real research endeavors has taught them teamwork,
time management, and most of all... patience.
They have expressed a sense of accomplishment
and an appreciation for the opportunity to learn
while doing. We look forward to continued success
in incorporating the DNA analyzer in additional
class projects.
-- Jean Cardinale, Alfred Univ
As mentioned, the acquisition of such technologies
has greatly enhanced the attraction of LCSC to
potential faculty. With two faculty searches
occurring last year, we have hired exceptional
faculty members, both commenting on how impressed
they were with our instrumentation. In addition,
one of these faculty members, our new Botanist,
has several years of training in molecular biology
tools and DNA sequencing. Her research includes
the identification and monitoring of grass species,
with a particular interest in grasses of the
inland northwest. Monitoring of equipment utilization
has occurred through a log book as well as end-of-term
student course evaluations. These evaluations
have been extremely positive. Students have commented
on how fortunate they feel they are to be able
to work, hands-on, with this type of equipment
at a four-year undergraduate college and that
they feel the instrumentation in their laboratory
courses is up to speed with what they will see
in graduate work. Instructors have noticed students
are more involved and interested in laboratory
experiments when the students are working with
modern equipment (particularly that which is
seen on evening news reports and prime time television).
Continued use of this, and related, instrumentation
will only expand as more students and faculty
become a part of the LCSC family. It is anticipated
that three new line-item faculty positions will
come available in the next few years, with at
least two of these in areas closely related to
molecular biology. We have experienced a significant
amount of growth in Biology and Chemistry majors
and, with the expansion of the Nursing and Allied
Health programs, more students will gain exposure
to these tools. This provides motivation to expand
the use of these tools into these expanding programs
(i.e. Nursing). With the ease of inclusion of
these tools in our courses, thus far, there are
few obstacles prohibiting the use of DNA sequencing
in further laboratory courses.
-- Jacob Hornby, Lewis-Clark State College
Villa Julie College is known for its distinctive
approach to undergraduate education that emphasizes
career planning and preparation in the context
of a liberal arts education. The incorporation
of “real world” skills and technologies
and the inclusion of opportunities to learn beyond
the classroom, such as in research experiences,
are important hallmarks of a Villa Julie education.
The addition of the sequencing system to our
department is enabling us to incorporate cutting
edge technology into many levels of our instruction
in a variety of programs. Our students are being
exposed to and gaining hands-on experience with
technology they are likely to encounter in their
capstone research experiences and in the workforce,
improving their training and making them better
able to contribute to an on-going research project
or product development. In a practical sense,
improvement of our instrumentation also contributes
to the ability of the department to recruit and
retain high quality students and faculty to our
programs. The acquisition of this state-of-the-art
equipment is one aspect of many changes at the
divisional and college level that are helping
to foster a climate of innovation in research
and teaching. We now have a greater ability to
conduct research at the forefront of a variety
of scientific fields, and our faculty are increasingly
engaged in incorporating innovative teaching
strategies and activities into the curriculum.
As a result, more of our current students and
faculty are becoming involved in research activities,
and more prospective students are showing interest
in our programs.
--Meredith Durmowicz, Villa Julie College
The 4300 DNA Analysis System from LI-COR has
been used extensively in the undergraduate curriculum
at CW Post. It is a versatile and user-friendly
piece of equipment. Its most significant impact
has been in the area of undergraduate research
and laboratory experience. It is also being used
as part of the curriculum in the molecular biology
and genetics courses. Finally, the availability
of the equipment has stimulated a dynamic productive
environment in the molecular research laboratory
facility on campus and is beginning to contribute
to a collaborative environment among the campuses
of Long Island University.
….
All undergraduates from the molecular biology
classes, genetics class and independent research
classes are learning multiple molecular biology
skills that reinforce the concepts they are covering
in lecture. In addition to gaining an understanding
of how molecular techniques contribute to various
fields in biology, students are practicing basic
laboratory skills. Some of these skills include
general chemistry skills including how to calculate
molarities and concentrations of solutions. Students
learn to pipette accurately small quantities of
reagents, follow proper laboratory safety guidelines,
work together in small groups, use time efficiently,
interpret results, use controls and standards,
pour acrylamide gels, and carefully use the LI-COR
equipment and reagents with respect for their value.
Students are impressed with the technology and
inspired to undertake further independent research
projects. Having tangible experience with DNA sequencing
using the LI-COR equipment has given many students
an in depth understanding of DNA technology. Because
students have been able to go through all steps
of the DNA analysis using the LI-COR equipment,
DNA science is no longer just an abstract idea
from a textbook. Proper use of this technology,
regardless of its specific application, has enhanced
their knowledge of cell and medical biology, genomics,
proteomics, evolution, bioinformatics, statistics,
computer software and databases. This experience
has enabled students to critically evaluate the
technology, recognize it for what it is, and realize
its difficulty and limitations as well as give
them the technical skills needed for their careers.
This technology has advanced the dynamic and exciting
research and learning environment for both faculty
and students of LIU.
-- Dr. Glynis Pereyra, Long Island University
Overall, the 4300L DNA Analysis System has significantly
strengthened our biology department in just the
last three semesters. By incorporating it into
my molecular biology course, not only do students
get hands on experience with this technique (something
they enjoyed), but it also allows me to finally
tie all the various experiments throughout the
semester into a larger picture that more accurately
reflects the process of scientific research and
discovery. Furthermore, I already have one student
who will be using the 4300L as part of his independent
project and if his work is successful, it will
set the stage for the development of a course
in Bioinformatics that will combine the wet bench
work of molecular biology and the analytic work
of the bioinformatics.
-- Michael Bumbulis, Baldwin-Wallace College
The 4300 DNA Analysis System has been a huge
success at Darton College! Not only have students
benefited, but the instrument has fostered more
collaboration among faculty members. As a trained
researcher, I am convinced that this recent collaborative
attitude is invaluable, especially as Darton
continues to improve its academic programs.
--Morris Blaylock, Darton College
The Biology Department at SUNY Fredonia emphasizes
close student-faculty interactions in teaching
and collaborative research. We have worked to
set up our teaching laboratories so that students
gain meaningful learning experiences. The GEMF
grant that allowed us to acquire the Genetic
Analyzer provides students with the opportunity
to use state of the art technologies in teaching
laboratories and research projects. The educational
mission of the department has been supported
through this grant.
…
In summary, the LI-COR 4300 DNA Analysis System
has had a very positive impact on the education
of Biology majors at SUNY Fredonia. Students have
been exposed to state of the art technology. In
the past, students were given demonstrations on
DNA sequencing and performed microsatellite analysis
using silver-stained gels. The LI-COR DNA Analyzer
has been incorporated as a key component of the
curriculum in the Genetics Laboratory and Recombinant
Gene Technology courses. We have incorporated the
experiments using the Genetic Analyzer into other
exercises in these classes. Thus the students are
learning about the applications of the Genetic
Analyzer technology in a larger context. They are
not simply just using the Genetic Analyzer in a
stand-alone experiment, but are seeing its use
in the context of other experiments and applications.
As our students move from Fredonia to graduate
study and employment, the experiences of using
the LI-COR DNA Analyzer will benefit them.
We have incorporated the Genetic Analyzer in open
house tours given to prospective Fredonia students.
They are very impressed to have the opportunity
to perform DNA sequencing and forensic DNA typing
in college. It helps to show the prospective students
our commitment to providing meaningful learning
experiences and the university’s commitment
to obtaining state of the art equipment for teaching
and scholarship.
The Genetic Analyzer has also had a very positive
impact on student research projects. These students
get to use the Genetic Analyzer independently and
become very skilled in pouring and running gels
and analyzing data. We have been successful in
obtaining grants to support research using the
Genetic Analyzer and will continue to use it in
research projects. The department has submitted
a grant to the National Science Foundation on a
Research Experience for Undergraduates proposal.
This grant included projects that will involve
the Genetic Analyzer. The GEMF grant has truly
helped obtain additional funding for research in
the department and much of this research support
has been used on Fredonia students.
The GEMF grant has greatly benefited the educational
mission of the Biology Department at SUNY Fredonia.
--Ted Lee, SUNY Fredonia
During open houses and recruiting events, the
LI-COR 4300L DNA Analysis System is always mentioned
as one of the cutting edge technologies that
Benedictine University has for both teaching
and research. Both prospective students
and parents appreciate that we introduce students
to the current technologies available, making
them better prepared for science careers and
post baccalaureate education.
--Donald Taylor, Benedictine
University |
The Benefits of Using
a LI-COR System for Undergraduate Training
“The acquisition of the 4300 DNA Analyzer
has been a tremendous asset to the Bryn Mawr
College Undergraduate Research Program. First,
(students) are able to gain technical experience
with DNA sequencing methodology and equipment.
“Second, every student who has used the
equipment has acquired high quality data that I
expect to be published in peer-reviewed journals.
The students who conducted the work will be co-authors
on publications that result from their research
projects.
“In addition, the acquisition of data has
afforded the students to disseminate their data
to the scientific community. Students who have
used the DNA Analysis System have presented their
data at the 38th Annual Meeting of the Society
for the Study of Reproduction (July 2005) and at
several undergraduate research symposia.
“The 4300 DNA Analyzer has been successfully
used by undergraduate students both in the classroom
and for independent research projects. The acquisition
of this piece of equipment has improved the classroom
laboratory experience by exposing students directly
to cutting edge technology and methodology
that they will utilize in their future endeavors.
“In addition, undergraduate students have
had the opportunity to collect data for their independent
research projects and gain technical confidence
and expertise in DNA sequencing methodology. I
look forward to continuing to use the 4300 DNA
Analyzer in both my classroom and my research laboratory
for many years to come.”
Tamara L. Davis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Biology Bryn Mawr College
“The benefits of the LI-COR 4300 DNA
Analyzer to our educational program have been
numerous including degree program enhancement,
curriculum and study plan enrichment, diversified
learning experiences, and research program
advancement.
“Providing students
with state-of-the-art instrumentation during
their collegiate career is being noticed. Degree
programs containing courses using the LI-COR
system are gaining welcome attention from students
due to the increased possibilities and opportunities
available to them compared to other programs. This
increased interest is exciting considering we
just obtained our LI-COR system a short while
ago.”
Yinghua Huang
USDA-ARS Plant Science Laboratory
Oklahoma State University
“Having the DNA analyzer available has
allowed us to incorporate modern biotechnology
into (our) courses, and provided an opportunity
for our students to get hands on experience with
a number of the techniques that are basic to
modern biology, which are widely used in research,
medicine and industry. This capability
has expanded our ability to prepare our students
for advanced training and/or entering the work
force. The availability of the LI-COR DNA Analyzer
has also opened up research opportunities for
both faculty and students at NEIU.”
Dr. Mary Kimble
Northeastern Illinois University
“The 4300 was received in June 2004
and this instrument has greatly enhanced the
quality of genomics education for biology majors
and provided an important hands-on laboratory
opportunity for our undergraduate students.”
Michael A. Palladino, Ph.D.
Monmouth University
|
Examples
of Undergraduate Research Facilities