This award provides funds for equipment to teach an undergraduate laboratory course in plant biotechnology at Arizona State University. The course, Plant Genetic Manipulation Laboratory, is currently being offered only to graduate students. Its present enrollment is closed to undergraduates because of limitations in equipment. Plant Genetic Manipulation Laboratory (BOT 498) is a 2-credit, 1 semester course, which meets twice a week for a total of 6 hours. Students are trained in the isolation and purification of DNA, RNA and proteins from plants. They prepare DNA gels, Southern blots, protein gels and Western blots. They learn recombinant DNA techniques (restriction, ligation, vector construction), bacterial transformation and selection, plant transformation (using Agrobacterium tumefaciens based vectors and electroporation) and are taught basic plant tissue culture techniques. The equipment for this project includes items found in all molecular biology labs sufficient to train 10 to 15 students per lab in teams of 2-3 students. Training in this subject is in demand by students who will benefit from the practical laboratory experience. It will also benefit ASU scientists and faculty who are seeking undergraduates and potential graduate students trained in these areas. This is particularly relevant now at ASU with the expansion and opening of laboratories which are part of the new USDA-DOE-NSF Plant Science Center for the Early Events in Photosynthesis. The grantee is matching this award with non-Federal sources.
