Functional Genomics of

Root Hair Infection


Special Educational Features of the Project:

As a major focus of our outreach program, we plan to adapt a “high energy physics” model to support training in functional genomics at primarily undergraduate institutions. Physicists plan experiments and analyze data but may not actually be present when their experiment is performed. We intend to develop an undergraduate curriculum whereby students plan DNA microarray experiments, which are then performed at the Univ. of Illinois. The students will subsequently analyze these data to complete their research project. Incorporation of this resource into the undergraduate curriculum should create wonderful opportunities to discuss metabolism, systems biology, genetics, statistics and a plethora of other important topics.

In order to develop the curriculum and establish the program, we will initiate this effort in collaboration with Dr. Michael Torres, Professor, Warren Wilson College. In our proposed curriculum, students, working in teams, will plan their experiments during the last semester of their junior year. We will develop a workbook containing the essential background material, suggested experimental plans and worksheet for development of experiments. Representative students from these groups will then be given the opportunity to work over the summer. At the Univ. of Missouri and Danforth Center these students will also participate in the normal LSUROP programs. The data generated over the summer will be available to students at Warren Wilson via our website. All students can then use this information in their curriculum and to complete the research project.

We intend to test run this curriculum initially with Warren Wilson College then expand its coverage to other undergraduate institutions. We will host a one week workshop starting in the second summer of the program in which we bring faculty (~4) from undergraduate institutions (including HBCUs) to learn about the program and obtain basic training in the methods. This workshop will serve as a recruitment tool to identify future collaborators. We believe that this is an innovative way to extend modern functional genomics research to undergraduate students who would not normally have direct access to these resources.

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