Fall 2011 - the Department of Biology - Syracuse University

Biology 123 students dissecting fetal pigs in the “Druger Laboratory” named in honor of Marvin Druger.Lewis, and Ph.D. candidate Nicole Jacobs-McDaniels (profiledin the last issue of BIO@SU), who designed these exercises tocomplement the 123/124 curriculum. Students observe zebrafish embryos in various stages of development and comparedifferences between the emerging structures in “wild type” fishversus those with a particular mutation. Using techniques likegel electrophoresis with DNA samples from the fish, studentsalso “see” the genetics responsible for the observed phenotypes.Through these types of experiences, not only do our studentslearn about foundational concepts of biology, but they alsolearn about current techniques and build skills that will helpequip them to engage in independent research with our facultymembers.Aside from the content of the course, the new laboratoriesand enhanced teaching space and facilities have made it possibleto make additions and changes to how the course is taught. Forone, TAs are much more connected to what’s going on in thelabs. Whereas TAs once checked-out audio-tutorial CDs or tapesto students who may have been assigned to any of the otherTAs for recitation, our TAs now circulate among the studentteams actively engaging them throughout the period. Also,now even the teaching assistants have assistants. Upper-levelundergraduates who have been successful in the introductorycourses are invited to enroll in Biology 360 as biology laboratoryassistants. These budding biologists serve as peer mentors forour freshmen, and they are a tremendous help to the TAs––answering questions from their mentees, maintaining stocksolutions and other supplies, serving as another set of safetymindedeyes, and getting a great review of general biology inthe process. Historically, graduate TAs had been assigned torecitation periods at various times in the week, separate from thetape labs and hands-on laboratory work. The recitation sessionhas now been incorporated into the lab block. This provides agreat deal of flexibility as TAs can run recitations before, during,or after the laboratory according to the nature of the week’sprocedures.Another way we have been introducing undergraduates toresearch in the life sciences is through new iterations of Biology200: Selected Topics. As in the past, teaching assistants offersections of this course with topics of particular interest to them.Recent TA-led titles include pathophysiology, medical ecology,and biotechnology and bioethics. In addition, a new title underthe BIO 200 banner, Introduction to Biology Research atSyracuse, is offered as a way to introduce promising freshmento the ongoing investigations of our faculty in the life sciences.Students who have successfully completed Biology 121 and whoare interested in careers as scientists are invited to enroll inthis course in which they read and produce written responsesto our faculty members’ primary research articles, are treatedto technical presentations from those faculty members and/orpostdocs and graduate students, engage in related discussion,and compose reviews of the literature around a topic of scientificinquiry. One of the main goals of the course is to steer talentedundergraduates toward opportunities in research that arealigned with their interests and goals and which will be mutuallybeneficial to the student and their faculty research professor.Qualified students desiring to do so are subsequently beingplaced in research laboratories at Syracuse, SUNY College ofEnvironmental Science and Forestry, or SUNY Upstate MedicalUniversity as a result of their experiences in the new Biology200. This placement then allows students to develop a thesisas part of the Honors Program and/or the biology degree withdistinction.These changes in the introductory biology courses havebeen exciting, but we have faced, and continue to face, somereal challenges. For example, Professor Druger’s 121/123 coursewas extremely cost effective. In one small lab room with onlyone demonstration bench, he was able, remarkably, to deliverhis course to hundreds of students with very little expense. Inour new facilities, which are excellent, we now have 4 spaciouslaboratories housing 24 student benches, each stocked weeklywith the necessary materials. This is much more expensive, and28 THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY