Since 2001, the University of Missouri-Columbia has been the lead institution on a series of Higher Education Challenge Grants that aim to enhance undergraduate biotechnology education. These grants have involved collaborations between multiple universities. Our long-term goal is to produce a biotechnology curriculum for all undergraduates - science and non-science majors. This curriculum is adaptable to many educational environments.

Our long-term vision includes multiple steps:

  1. Develop, test and package an experience-based curriculum in biotechnology for non-life science students. (Biotech Education)
    Enhanced Biotechnology Education (USDA CSREES #2001-38411-1082)

  2. Establish a collaborative genome sequencing project. This will provide a research experience for undergraduate life science students to prepare them to be practitioners of genomic- and biotechnology-driven science. (Genomics Education)
    Genomics-based Biotechnology Education (USDA CSREES # 2003-38411-13494)

  3. Design curricula for assembly, annotation, characterization and utilization of genomic data generated as part of step 2. (Bioinformatics Education)
    Sequence and Consequence: A Hands-On Approach to Bioinformatics Research for Undergraduates (USDA CSREES #2005-03297)

  4. Expand our collaborative genome project to include K-12 students. We envision simplifying our experienced-based approaches to provide engaging activities for standards-based learning. (Future proposal)