Science is investigative and experiential; the teaching of science should reflect this reality. A successful biology curriculum should have investigative components throughout the program. An essential aspect of the investigative experience is that students be exposed to the tools of the discipline. Nowhere is this more important than in molecular biology, a field that has revolutionized all of biology. This project integrates teaching the theory and techniques of molecular biology throughout the biology curriculum, from the first course in Evolution and Ecology through the capstone, Senior Thesis research project. The new equipment provided through this project is standard and essential to teach molecular biology in the laboratory. The curriculum has been revised to include molecular biology laboratories in existing courses, and two new courses, focused on molecular biology, have been added. Molecular biology also can be integrated into the revised, General Education curriculum of the college, which begins teaching students about science in Level I courses; provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on, investigative laboratory experience in Level II courses; and culminates with an interdisciplinary, capstone course that applies the theory and techniques learned to real-world problems. The Science Honors Program in biology, taught by the tutorial method, also has molecular biology as its central theme. This project serves as a model for how other institutions, especially small, liberal arts colleges, can integrate molecular biology into all levels of their curriculum. The new curriculum and equipment enhances significantly the university's ability to teach biology into the 21st century. *
