This 6-weeks hybrid course that meets four times per week – twice virtually, and twice in-person (lab), introduces students to metagenomics of female and male fruit flies exposed to environmental stressors relevant to pollution and climate change. Such stressors, such as exposure to polluted air consisting of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can induce physiological changes in organisms, altering lifespan, immunity, and metabolism. These alterations that shape environmental responses can span across generations and persist after the stress is removed. Stress-induced gene regulation changes may be temporal / physiologic or heritable / permanent and affected by changes in gut microbiome due to environmental exposures. As females and males have notable variations in their sensitivities to stressors, the sex-specific phenotypic differences will be quantified and compared. Metagenomic whole-body composition, which may influence how individuals and populations cope with environmental stress will be quantified; metagenomic composition of fly bodies will be analyzed for the evidence of how individuals and populations cope with environmental stress.
This course will incorporate multiple research methods, including DNA extraction and quantification, metagenomic sequencing using nanopore technology, and behavioral assays. Students will work in small teams in the lab to discuss theoretical concepts and primary scientific literature, design experiments, perform research, analyze the data, and prepare scientific report. The course will conclude with a formal science seminar during which the students will present their work in person to a selected audience.
Course is available for 4 pre-college units.
Course Delivery: Hybrid (online + in-person)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th–12th grade
Academic Schedule: Mondays through Thursdays
- Mondays and Thursdays (3:00pm – 6:00pm PST): Synchronous online teaching
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays (3:00pm – 6:30pm PST): In-person class meeting at the lab
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute
- San Diego Science Center
- 3030 Bunker Hill Street, Suite 102
- San Diego, CA 92109-5757
- 4-6 hours of work required outside of online lecture
Scholarship Opportunities: TBD
BIODIVERSITY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS – HYBRID
Hybrid 6-week program: July 10th, 2023 – August 17th, 2023
Which genetic differences underline biodiversity? What is genetically shared and what is unique among evolutionary distant animals? How closely related are you to them? In this research-immersion course you will explore and analyze various organisms to better understand and appreciate biodiversity on anatomical, morphological, and genetic levels, tracing back animals’ evolutionary connections. You will apply evolutionary and molecular biology concepts, extract DNA from multiple species (sea urchins, abalone, worms, insects, fish, and yourself …), sequence genes critical for metabolism and adaptation, calculate mutation rates, and infer evolutionary distance between animals. This course is a mix of evolutionary biology, standard and advanced molecular biology / gene sequencing techniques, and bioinformatics analysis. Part of the course complements the ongoing research project (in partnership with National Park Service and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), which utilizes environmental DNA (eDNA) methodology to better understand the adaptive mechanisms and responses to environmental stressors of Southern California endangered black and white abalone population. During the 6-weeks in-person course meeting twice weekly, students will work in small teams in the lab to discuss concepts and primary scientific literature, design experiments, perform research, analyze the data, and prepare a scientific report. The course will conclude with the formal science seminar during which students will present their research in-person to a selected audience.
Course is available for 4 pre-college units.
Course Delivery: Hybrid (online + in-person)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th–12th grade
Academic Schedule: Mondays through Thursdays
- Mondays and Thursdays (3:00pm – 6:00pm PST): Synchronous online teaching
- Tuesdays and Wednesdays (3:00pm – 6:30pm PST): In-person class meeting at the lab
- Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute
- San Diego Science Center
- 3030 Bunker Hill Street, Suite 102
- San Diego, CA 92109-5757
- 4-6 hours of work required outside of online lecture
Scholarship Opportunities: TBD
This course introduces the theory and practical applications of bioinformatics to genes and proteins. The lecture/computer lab format is structured on bioinformatics primary scientific literature and utility of custom data sets emphasizing recent developments and analytical applications in genomics and proteomics. Course topics, supplemented by relevant biostatistical concepts and applications, include genomic and biomolecular bioinformatics resources and databases, advances in sequencing technologies, genome and structural informatics, phylogenetics and transcriptomics. Computational tools (using R programming language) and applications promoting best analytical practices will be emphasized.
Course is available for 4 pre-college units.
Course Delivery: Online
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th–12th grade
Prerequisites: Statistics preferred but not required.
Academic Schedule:
- Mondays and Wednesdays (9:00am – 11:00pm PST)
- Synchronous online teaching
- 4 hours of work required outside of online lecture
This is a 6-weeks synchronous online course, meeting twice weekly for 1h lecture and 2 hours of computer lab. Attendance is mandatory to successfully complete the course. All lecture and lab sessions will be recorded and made available asynchronously for review.
Course Requirements / Eligibility:
There is no textbook for this course. A familiarity with basic biological concepts is essential. No formal programming training or advanced mathematical skills are required. Students must have their own computers to access class material and utilize free bioinformatics software and data resources. All course materials (lectures, computer labs, videos, science manuscript .pdf files and data sets, etc.) will be accessible via Canvas course website. Students will also present a pre-approved bioinformatics topic of their choice during the last week of the course.
Scholarship Opportunities: TBD
