BIO 359L: Genomics Research Lab: Bacteriophage as a Model System

This course is being taught in partnership with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Science Education Alliance (HHMI SEA) Phages Program. Students use current computer and laboratory tools of biology to evaluate genetic diversity using bacteriophages as a model system. Knowledge gained in bioinformatics, comparative genomics, and molecular biology lab techniques is applicable to the study of other organisms. As a key component of the course, students work as a research team to analyze the complete genome of a mycobacteriophage isolated by students during the fall semester BIO 100 class. Students submit the fully annotated phage genome sequence to an international DNA database called the GenBank repository. Students also work in pairs on research projects related to phage biology. One student is selected to represent UMFK by presenting the class results at the HHMI SEA symposium in Virginia in June. Students may also present their findings at the UMFK Scholar Symposium. This course is recommended for students interested in biomedical sciences, conservation biology, biological diversity, and graduate programs in the biological sciences. Three credit laboratory.

Prerequisite(s): BIO 100, BIO 220, or permission of instructor.