Incorporating the Students into the Lab

ExperienceAnn Yezerski, Ph.D.

King’s CollegeBiology Department Chair

Using the Students is NOT new

• Physiology• Neuroscience• Microbiology• Genetics– Blood typing– Physical traits– PTC tasting

http://www.sph.umn.edu/epi/history/lab.asp

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/ptc/

Why This Version IS New

• Not measuring well-documented data–Not a demonstration exercise– Potentially collecting usable data– Illustrates the foundations of science• Research is not conducted with a known

result• Experimental design• Sources of error

• Other component of genetics

Basis of Genetics

• Trait = Genes and Environment• Historically measured the trait–Hair characteristics–Handedness– PTC tasting

• Modern genetics techniques allow for the observation of gene versions (genotypes)

SNP’s• Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms– Very small differences in DNA– Detectable with genetic techniques

Traits Used

• Dyslexia– Yezerski, A. (2010) Genotyping SNP’s

associated with dyslexia. in Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching***, 31(1): pp. 225-236.

• PTC tasting– McMahon, K. A. (2008). Supertasters—

Updating the taste test for the A & P laboratory, in Tested Studies for Laboratory Teaching, 29 (1): pp. 398-405.

• Malaria Resistance– Yezerski. Accepted for presentation, ABLE

Annual Conference, 2012

Benefits

• Using techniques actually used in labs

• Results are not known– Students aren’t compelled to “fudge”

the data– Data is more meaningful when you have

to interpret it– Data could reach a publishable level

• Students learn something about themselves

Negatives

• Difficult techniques that do not always produce data– Students have not yet mastered molecular

biology– Learn something about the real nature of

science (okay, that’s a pro)

• Molecular techniques are more expensive• Ethics– DNA collection and storage– “Conditions”