The Biology Department is updating and modernizing its Cell Biology course, particularly the laboratory component, as part of a general shifting of emphasis in the departmental curriculum. This is being accomplished in part by obtaining instrumentation needed to perform experiments in cell function and in DNA structure and function. These areas are important to a modern course in cellular biology. Previously the laboratory portion of the Cell Biology course was organized in a classical manner, with a minimum of experimentation and analysis. With the acquisition of the new equipment, the course uses the accumulation and interpretation of experimental results to illus- trate concepts and material. These instruments also are useful in the Genetics and Biochemistry courses. The equipment includes a refriger- ated centrifuge, microcentrifuge, analytical balance, pH meter, and gel electrophoresis apparatus. With the new equipment, undergraduates perform basic experiments on DNA. These include the mapping of restriction fragments, and analyses of enzyme actions and kinetics. The grantee institution is matching the NSF award with an equal sum obtained from non-Federal sources.
