University of Nebraska Board of Regents Board of Regents Meeting ...

laboratory spaces (575 square feet each). In addition, a sole-use controlled temperature and
timed light room for large caged Drosophila studies (115 square feet) will exist. There will
be a shared insectory for insect incubators (115 square feet), a shared tissue culture room
(total of 115 square feet), a dedicated PCR/qPCR room (115 square feet), a microscopy suite
(115 square feet), an animal facility (1200 sq ft), two equipment rooms with shared
equipment (560 sq ft), and a prep area with autoclaves (590 sq ft). For classroom laboratory
space, there is a dedicated Genetics/Molecular Biology teaching laboratory (1,100 sq ft), a
Cellular Biology/biochemistry laboratory (1, 300 sq ft), and the Microbiology teaching
laboratory (1,100 sq ft). For lecture space, there is a new building being constructed that will
house 5 new classrooms (900 sq ft each), all of which will be smart classrooms. All of the
rooms mentioned will be either new construction or newly renovated. The environment is
conducive to teaching and to support undergraduate students eager to contribute to research
efforts as part of their independent research project.
Instructional equipment and informational resources
No additional instructional equipment and informational resources are required.
Instrumentation and equipment purchased by The Department of Biology, CNSS, and the
BRIN-INBRE program is available to all researchers. These items include an ABI 7500 Real
time PCR thermalcycler, an Eppendorf Nanodrop system, insect incubators, a Laminar flow
hood, a CO2 tissue culture incubator, a fluorescent inverted microscope with DIC optics and
camera, two fluorescent upright microscopes, a microplate reader, an isolated tissue bath
system, microisolator cage systems for rearing rodents, a plant incubator, multiple
conventional thermalcyclers, and other conventional microbiological and molecular
equipment.
Budget Projections
The program can be provided for with our current and anticipated future budgets. There
should be no additional implementation costs associated with: staffing, equipment, or capital
purchases. Everything is currently in place to advance this program. Much of the applicable
infrastructure has been developed over years of successful development of our commitment
to grant supported undergraduate research and long-term planning in faculty recruitment.
4. Evidence of Need and Demand; Enrollment Projections
Need for program—in the institution, the community, the region, the state, or the nation
Over the last 5 years, there has been a steady growth in the number of Biology majors. Until
the summer of 2005, students could declare a straight Biology major or Comprehensive
Biology major with a General, Wildlife, Environmental, Molecular Biology, or
Environmental Health Emphasis. As of the fall of 2005, the emphases of the comprehensive
major were either eliminated or changed. The General and Wildlife emphasis remained, the
Environmental Health Emphasis was reformatted into the current Health Sciences Emphasis,
and the Environmental and Molecular Emphases inactivated per a suggestion during the
Biology Department’s 5-year Academic Program Review (APR). We now regret
inactivating the Molecular Emphasis and believe that it was a shortsighted, knee-jerk reaction
to the 5-year APR. The enrollment trends for the Biology major and Biology comprehensive
5