Over the past six years, the Biology Department at the College of Charleston has strengthened the quality of instruction in the area of Cellular and Molecular Biology. This initiative has included the procurement of modern equipment, the hiring of new faculty, and an expansion of course offerings. Consistent with this ongoing effort to modernize our Cell and Molecular Biology curriculum, this proposal focuses on a request for microscopic and tissue culture equipment which would be used to enhance the quality of laboratory instruction at the whole cell level. This equipment will be used in several new or restructured courses including Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Plant Physiology. The incubators and sterile transfer hoods requested in this proposal, make possible the culture of a wide variety of plant and animal cells and tissues. The light microscopic, video, and image analysis equipment will be used to investigate cell proliferation, migration, and adhesion, as well as to perform chromosomal analysis, and tumor induction studies on cultured cells and tissues. The laboratories incorporating these techniques are research-oriented, and are designed to help students develop critical thinking and data analysis skills, as well as to give students hands on experience with research quality equipment.
