Characterizing the Aging Process Using Caenorhabditis elegans and Reverse Genetics
Joslyn Mills, Bridgewater State University
Using gene silencing (RNAi) in the nemotode C. elegans, students will identify genetic modifiers of proteins with roles in aging by reverse genetics. Specifically, students will analyze the effect of knocking down genes on the level of aging-related proteins tagged with fluorophores (GFP, RFP, etc.). Each group of students will use function-specific RNAi libraries (transcription factors, kinases, etc) already established in our lab. Furthermore, students will evaluate the effect of genetic modifiers on proteostasis and lifespan. In addition to becoming familiar with C. elegans work and appreciating the use of model organisms, the students will master microscopy, genetic crosses, gene silencing, and molecular and biochemical readout assays such as qPCR and immunoblotting.

U-CARE: Undergraduate Coral Aquarium Research Experience
Matthew Partin, Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
After completing their gateway biology courses (sophomore or junior year) marine biology students at BGSU enroll in a required Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) called BIOL 3700: Introduction to Inland Marine Research. This course teaches advanced aquarium husbandry, along with aquarium sciences, and aquarium research methods. Other skills taught in the class include scientific design, data collection, and analysis. A large portion of the course is dedicated to conducting research with coral fragments housed in the BGSU Marine Lab. Students work in small groups to answer questions concerning the morphology and growth rates of a variety of coral species based on variables such as water flow (pattern or intensity), light (cycle, color, or intensity), or diet (food type, frequency, or amount). Results are uploaded to a public database to address the long-term goal of predictably inducing corals to spawn in aquaria. Data is shared publically with interested stakeholders.All students in the CURE course are assigned a peer research Learning Assistant (rLA) to serve as a mentor. rLAs are undergraduates who have previously performed well in the course and have advanced knowledge of the Marine Lab, coral husbandry, and the research process. Each rLA oversees 1 group of 5 students. Students meet with the rLAs and instructor weekly. The instructor meets with the rLAs for weekly husbandry and pedagogy training, as well as discussing progress and needs in the CURE research projects.

Community Flood Risk Assessment from Rising/Surging Seas Project
Kevin Kupietz, Elizabeth City State University
Globally 634 million people, 10% of the world's population, live in coastal areas less than 10 meters above sea level. According to 2010 census data, 123 million people, 39% of the United States population, live in coastal counties with an estimated increase to this number by 8% in the 2020 census. As natural disasters have been seen to increase in frequency and severity in the past five years coupled with expected sea rises from climate change it is important that anyone involved with the safety and resiliency planning of their organization/community have an understanding of how to scientifically assess risk from flooding in order to mitigate and recover from the effects. This project allows students the ability to develop skills to utilize computer modeling systems and to apply the data to real world communities in examining risk to structures as well as different groups in the community.

Analysis of the effects of protein-protein interactions on signaling through a team-based undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course
Daniela Fera, Swarthmore College
We developed a research-based laboratory course centered on a biological problem involving the B-Raf kinase, specifically the mutant that is commonly found in melanomas. One of the major goals of the project for the students is to generate mutants to determine whether a particular region of the B-Raf protein is critical for the interaction with MEK kinase, a downstream target in the pathway. Students analyze the published B-Raf-MEK crystal structure and choose a mutation to generate in B-Raf or MEK that might alter the dissociation constant (KD) of the complex. They design primers, perform PCR to generate their desired mutant, transform and purify the resulting DNA, express the DNA in E. coli, and purify the protein, all before characterizing it. Characterizing the mutant proteins consist of performing basic pull-downs, western blots, spectroscopic absorbance assays, and biolayer interferometry for binding kinetics. Students also engage in group meeting presentations and journal clubs in which they discuss their work and related primary literature, respectively. Group meeting and journal club discussions provide a forum for students to come up with new ideas to analyze their results, or for future work. Students summarize key results in a final presentation and paper, and develop a research proposal based on their work. Data that students obtain from their mutants provide evidence of the importance of a binding region for B-Raf-MEK complex formation, as well as downstream phosphorylation events. Such data will inform future drug discovery programs, as well as form the foundation for students' work in the course the following year. Because working with mutants can result in unpredictable data and results, students sometimes have to adjust their protocols and repeat experiments. Thus, the CURE format of this course also gives students an opportunity to learn to troubleshoot when things do not work as expected, which helps them learn resiliency in science.

Exploring the Structure-Function Relationship in RNA Biochemistry

Biomass conversion into highly useful chemicals
SAPNA JAIN, Alabama State University
This is CURE based course that aims at bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge in chemistry and its practical applications at solving real-world problems. It gives students an opportunity to construct and synthesize their knowledge and skills by learning to apply theoretical knowledge to practice by the laboratory research. The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the fundamental concepts of chemistry, synthetic methods and techniques. The emphasis will be on novel catalysts synthesis and evaluating their activity towards biomass conversion to liquid fuel and useful chemicals. Students will design synthesize, deduce identities of the biomass conversion products from chemical and spectral clues, and predict reaction products.

Population & Community Ecology
Cascade Sorte, University of California-Irvine
Students in a Population and Community Ecology class participate in coastal marine research focused on understanding factors determining population sizes and community interactions, particularly in the context of species that appear to be shifting their ranges with climate change. Students participate in all aspects of the research from making observations and collecting data in the field to defining questions, stating hypothesis, designing and completing statistical analysis, and interpreting and presenting results. The outcomes are a research proposal, research paper, and poster presentation. All are intended to be at a level appropriate for use as a writing sample or presentation at undergraduate conferences. Results are incorporated into the ongoing research project led by the course instructor and graduate student teaching assistant.

Molecular Parasitology
Swati Agrawal, University of Mary Washington
In Spring 2021, we piloted a mini-CURE where student groups from University of Mary Washington and Georgia State University collaboratively completed research projects as part of a research-intensive course on Molecular Parasitology. The benefits of this approach were immediately obvious as students interacted across institutions, learned from each other's disciplinary expertise while informing their own research with data collected by their collaborators.

An Arabidopsis Mutant Screen CURE for a Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory Course
Jinjie Liu, Michigan State University
This CURE is designed from a crucial component of a chloroplast lipid signaling research project and has been implemented for a cell and molecular biology laboratory course at Michigan State University. The research laboratory generated an engineered plant line producing a lipid-derived plant hormone and mutagenized this line. The research question is "what transporters or receptors are involved in the hormone signaling transduction or perception processes?". Students form research hypotheses based on the research model, design experiments, perform experiments, collect and analyze data, make scientific arguments, and share their findings with the learning community. Specifically, the students culture the mutagenized plant population and select the desired mutant phenotypes, followed by genotyping the mutants and characterizing the mutants by basic biochemical approaches. Mathematics is also integrated into the course design. As the students studied the relevant genetic, molecular and biochemical concepts during this CURE, they use the core idea of information flow and data they generate in the lab to make claims about their mutant plants and support these claims with evidence and reasoning.

Using NSF's NEON Data in an Undergraduate Ecology CURE on the Ecological Impacts of Global Climate Change
Jennifer Kovacs, Agnes Scott College
We live in a time where we can see a very real need for a basic understanding of ecological terminology, concepts, and methodologies to improve public policy and other ecological problem-solving decisions, especially in light of global climate change. Across the field, there is a major push to incorporate computational thinking and an understanding of human social systems throughout the science curriculum. In ecology and other STEMM fields, basic programming and coding skills have become essential and marketable, as has the ability to mine and analyze large data sets.In this semester-long CURE, students individually develop and answer their own ecological research question using a selection of publicly available datasets from the expansive NSF NEON data repository. Generally, at the beginning of the course the instructor selects several data products from a specific geographic region. After gaining familiarity with the NEON project through videos, a NEON data tutorial, and a case study, students also use these curated NEON data products to begin forming their independent research projects. Most students ultimately incorporate other data products either from NEON or other databases into their final research projects. Students use mostly R to download, wrangle, and analyze their data. The instructor assumes no prior knowledge of R or coding at the beginning of the course. Throughout the semester, students complete mini-assignments and tutorials which introduce them to the necessary coding skills to download, clean, analyze, and visualize their chosen data products. Additionally, students are provided with a wide range of free resources, including videos, tutorials, and the free online textbook Passion Driven Statistics to help them master the skills they need to complete their individual research projects. During weekly in-class one-on-one meetings with the instructor, students work to identify, collect, and analyze data that would address an existing hypothesis/ problem in the field of ecology and global climate change. Ultimately, students present their findings to the larger campus community during the annual undergraduate research day at our institution.