(521.11) The CRISPR in the Classroom Network: A Support System for Instructors to Bring Gene Editing Technology to the Undergraduate Classroom

Poster Board Number: A471

Jay Pieczynski (Rollins College), Michael Wolyniak (Hampden-Sydney College), Donna Pattison (University of Houston), Tiffany Hoage (University of Wisconsin-Stout), Dawn Carter (Rochester Institute of Technology), Sara Olson (Pomona College), Maria Santisteban (University of North Carolina at Pembroke), Nicholas Ruppel (Randolph-Macon College), Anil Challa (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

CRISPR-Cas9 based gene manipulation technology represents a once-in-a-generation advance in molecular biology that has become a mainstream technique in research. However, as is often the case with a new technology, most undergraduate instructors do not have the training or support to bring CRISPR-Cas9 technology into their curricula.  To remedy this, we have established a “CRISPR in the Classroom” network  of undergraduate instructors prepared to disseminate CRISPR-Cas9 curricular and laboratory modules to undergraduates (NSF RCN-UBE #2120417).  The main objective of this network is to facilitate a series of workshops and mentoring activities designed to provide instructors, postdocs, and graduate students the skills, support, and confidence needed to introduce and implement CRISPR-Cas9-based modules in undergraduate classrooms.  These workshops a provide flexible, easily adapted curriculum and mentoring to instructors as well as start-up kits to overcome the hurdles associated with learning and testing new curriculum in class. By doing this, we hope to develop both a national support system for biology educators of two-year and four-year undergraduate degree granting institutions dedicated to spreading effective curricular modules for the classroom and laboratory activities centered on experiential-based work with CRISPR-Cas9 as well as an online repository of proven CRISPR-Cas9-based modules across a variety of model systems for instructors with “ready-to-use” curricular elements to adapt for their own specific pedagogical needs using the NSF-supported QUBES platform.  Assessment data from a previous online workshop as well as two NSF-sponsored previous in-person workshops (Awards #1823595 and 1916486) taken several weeks after their completion suggest that the majority of workshop participants develop the skills and confidence necessary to make concrete plans to implement CRISPR-Cas9 modules into their classes within one year of the workshop.  The CRISPR in the Classroom Network represents a dynamic community of practice dedicated to providing undergraduate life science instructors with the tools and support needed to introduce this technology into their curricula.

Support or Funding Information

NSF RCN-UBE #2120417