Srougi Melissa C, Carson Susan
Biotechnology Program and the Department of Plant Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695.
Biochem Mol Biol Educ. 2013 Nov-Dec;41(6):419-32. doi: 10.1002/bmb.20741.
Intracellular and extracellular communication is conducted through an intricate and interwoven network of signal transduction pathways. The mechanisms for how cells speak with one another are of significant biological importance to both basic and industrial scientists from a number of different disciplines. We have therefore developed and implemented a new laboratory-intensive course that teaches students the theory and techniques used to study cell signaling pathways. Students learn these methodologies as they conduct a hypothesis-driven research project where they elucidate the mechanism of breast cancer cell death caused by a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. While each lab experiment can be conducted independently, the findings build upon one another to form the beginnings of a signaling pathway. In the lecture component of the course, students investigate different signaling pathways and the methods employed to study them. In addition, students actively participate in journal article discussions where they assess the primary scientific literature. We evaluated the course over two semesters and found that in both semesters learning outcomes were met by both undergraduate and graduate students. The evaluation of the course was based on a number of instructor assessments of student work, including lab reports, experimental results, journal article discussions, and a final cumulative exam. Furthermore, students' self-assessments revealed gains in perceived confidence in both conceptual knowledge and technical skills
细胞内和细胞间的通讯是通过一个复杂且相互交织的信号转导途径网络来进行的。细胞如何相互交流的机制，对于来自许多不同学科的基础科学家和工业科学家而言，都具有重大的生物学意义。因此，我们开发并实施了一门新的实验密集型课程，教授学生用于研究细胞信号通路的理论和技术。学生们在进行一个假设驱动的研究项目时学习这些方法，在该项目中他们阐明一种癌症化疗药物导致乳腺癌细胞死亡的机制。虽然每个实验室实验都可以独立进行，但研究结果相互关联，形成了一条信号通路的雏形。在课程的讲座部分，学生们研究不同的信号通路以及用于研究它们的方法。此外，学生们积极参与期刊文章讨论，评估主要的科学文献。我们在两个学期内对该课程进行了评估，发现两个学期的本科生和研究生都达到了学习成果。课程评估基于教师对学生作业的多项评估，包括实验报告、实验结果、期刊文章讨论以及最终的累积考试。此外，学生的自我评估显示，他们在概念知识和技术技能方面的自信心都有所增强。
