Funds are requested for the purchase of equipment to establish a foundation of hands-on experience in molecular biology, in a biology majors curriculum that is strongly environmentally-oriented. The specific objectives are to (1) expand laboratory experiments in the introductory series for majors and in the core courses, Genetics and Cell Biology, to build students' understanding of molecular methods; (2) add exercises involving molecular methods to upper division courses that have been traditionally field- oriented, such as Ecology and Plant Systematics; (3) build on molecular foundations in Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry; and (4) provide students with the means to carry out meaningful research projects utilizing tools of molecular biology. Techniques of molecular biology are used in research in all disciplines of biology. Regardless of their areas of specialization, students will benefit from direct experience with such techniques to solve problems in a variety of courses. With access to appropriate equipment, students will learn how to apply molecular approaches to experimentation in diverse disciplines of biology. Our institution demonstrated its commitment to this project by designating special funds in 1995 for instrumentation, primarily for Genetics, Cell Biology, and Molecular Biology (offered for the first time that year). We aim to further integrate molecular biology across the biology curriculum.
