“Think Globally, find case studies locally”

Searching for interesting and appropriate case studies

Different needs

• Robert and JoAnn Benda – Prince William Sound Community College, Alaska – Math/Science and Developmental Learning

• Amy Rice Doetsch – College of Southern Idaho – Life Sciences

• Arlin Toro – Inter American University – Puerto Rico – Biology, Chem. And Environmental Sciences

• Christian Trefftz – Grand Valley State University, Michigan – Computer Science

Common Thread

• We want to provide our students with materials that will encourage active learning

• It seems reasonable to look for material that has local “flavor”, as this may increase their interest

• Yet, eventually, we want to be able to use material from colleagues in other places, which will give our students the chance to learn about people in other places

Purpose

• To engage students to bioinformatics by a case studies approach

• Problem solving of real cases scenario

• Different topics

Audience

• High school

• Undergraduate

Courses

• General biology

• Microbiology

• Environmental

• Molecular Biology

• Computer Science Algorithms

Examples

Bioluminescent bacteria

• Basic Knowledge– Microbiology techniques– Biology workbench– Genetics

• Lux E

• Courses – Microbiology

Future directions

• Compare with other bioluminescent organisms

• Other ideas

– Sequence of HIV patients in Puerto Rico

– Foodborne pathogens

Other possible projects

• Wild life – Grizzlies– Wolves

• Fossil Data – Characteristics from fossils – Compare to present – MacClaude

Other possible projects

• Brown Trout in West Michiganhttp://www.gvsu.edu/biology/People/FacultyPages/nikitin_alexey.htm

“We are tracing survival and reproduction of the descendants of two hatchery strains in West Michigan rivers by following polymorphic genes …” Alex Nikitin – GVSU professor of Biology