Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences
Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are laboratory courses that allow students to gain technical skills while performing research to answer real-world biological questions with the guidance of instructors, teaching assistants, and their peers. Unlike traditional labs that often replicate previously observed phenomena, CUREs include students in the process of discovery.
MCDB students have a variety of CURE options that can fulfill their major requirements. See each tile below to learn more about the individual courses.
This video was directed and produced by former CURE Teaching Assistant, Alex White. You can follow his work on his YouTube Channel @spectrumofthemind.
MCDB CURE Descriptions
Part of the HHMI Science Education Alliance, this course offers introductory biology students an authentic research experience. Students isolate novel bacteriophage (viruses for bacteria) from the environment and characterize those phage using current research techniques including electron microscopy and DNA analysis.
Students will work in teams to screen small molecule libraries for novel antibiotics or chemotherapeutics using model systems. Topics covered include the basic biology of the model system, genetics, approaches to screening for new therapeutics, statistical analysis of the data, compound verification and lead compound development
Provides laboratory experience using microscopy, bioinformatics, DNA isolation, PCR and gel electrophoresis to study cell biology and gene expression in a model organism. Students will learn research skills such as interpreting data and planning experiments.
Provides bioinformatics experience annotating novel bacteriophage genomes from bacteriophages that were isolated in the Phage Discovery Lab. The course contains the following components: genome annotation, critical review of scientific literature, and proposing and completing an independent research project. Students will predict gene functions using bioinformatics tools and prepare of an annotation file that will be submitted to a public genome database.