CURE Examples
Discipline
Core Competencies
CURE Duration
Nature of ResearchResults 1 - 6 of 6 matches
Neurobiology of Alcohol CURE
Elizabeth Crofton, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Excessive alcohol use is highly prevalent in college students. Alcohol causes a multitude of alterations in the brain that can eventually lead to alcohol use disorder, but this shift is not fully understood. Evidence suggests that adolescents are particularly vulnerable to developing substance use disorders. Therefore, research into the neurobiology of alcohol has broad interest inside and outside the college classroom. The goal of this research project is to investigate the effects of chronic alcohol on gene and protein expression in specific regions of the rat brain. Students will critically evaluate existing alcohol research and design a well-controlled study to investigate a feasible and testable question. Students will use rodent brain histology, quantitative PCR analysis, or western blotting to investigate their hypothesis. This work will provide a better understanding of the effects of alcohol and provide students laboratory and research skills.
Core Competencies: Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Analyzing and interpreting data, Planning and carrying out investigations
Nature of Research: Wet Lab/Bench Research, Basic Research
Target Audience: Major
CURE Duration: A full term
Phage Investigations
Sonia Singhal, Johnson C Smith University
Bacteriophages -- viruses that infect bacteria, or "phages" for short -- are the most abundant organism on the planet. We can harness them to fight diseases, restore environmental functions, and search for new genes. However, we only know about a tiny fraction of all the bacteriophages that exist. In this lab-based course, students will participate in hands-on research by isolating and characterizing their own bacteriophages from the environment.
Core Competencies: Analyzing and interpreting data, Planning and carrying out investigations, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Nature of Research: Field Research, Wet Lab/Bench Research
State: North Carolina
Target Audience: Major
CURE Duration: A full term
Assessing antibiotic resistance in E. coli isolates from environmental samples in urban Atlanta
Mauricio Lascano, American Intercontinental University
Core Competencies: Analyzing and interpreting data, Planning and carrying out investigations
Nature of Research: Basic Research, Wet Lab/Bench Research
State: Georgia
Target Audience: Major, Non-major
Invertebrate Biology
Michael Sitvarin, Georgia State University
In this course, students will collaborate with Dr. Michael Sitvarin to understand the behavioral decisions made by various arthropods, with an emphasis on spiders. Questions that could be explored include, "How do individuals choose their mates?", "How do predators find prey to consume?", and "How do prey avoid being eaten by their predators?". Students will gain experience working with arthropods as well as practice with experimental design, data collection and analysis, and scientific communication. This CURE will allow students to carry out the entire scientific process and will prepare them for future careers in STEM fields.
Core Competencies: Analyzing and interpreting data, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Planning and carrying out investigations, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Nature of Research: Basic Research, Wet Lab/Bench Research
State: Georgia
Target Audience: Major, Upper Division
CURE Duration: A full term
La Fermentación: Teaching Cell Biology with Kombucha
Bobbi Johnson, Wenatchee Valley College; Karina Vega-Villa, Wenatchee Valley College
Kombucha is made by introducing a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) into brewed tea. Health benefits of consuming kombucha are often described, but there is limited research supporting most claims. Additionally, there is conflicting information regarding some specific claims. For example, some websites advocate that frequent consumption of kombucha could reduce symptoms of Candida (a pathogenic yeast) while others claim that kombucha may actually contain Candida yeast or otherwise contribute to the growth of yeast in the body due to the sugar and yeast present in the beverage. The purpose of this CURE is to guide students through core concepts related to introductory cell and molecular biology through the lens of kombucha. Students investigate two hypotheses during the CURE: (1) a student-developed hypothesis related to yeast, bacteria, or kombucha and (2) testing if Candida can be identified in samples of kombucha. As part of the CURE, students learn the core concepts of an introductory cell and molecular biology course, develop basic transferable laboratory skills, and build their science-identity through supported application of the scientific process.
Core Competencies: Planning and carrying out investigations, Analyzing and interpreting data, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering), Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
Nature of Research: Basic Research, Wet Lab/Bench Research
Target Audience: Introductory, Major
CURE Duration: A full term
Microbial Community Diversity and Interactions
Rachel Bleich, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Core Competencies: Analyzing and interpreting data, Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering), Planning and carrying out investigations, Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
Nature of Research: Basic Research, Wet Lab/Bench Research
State: North Carolina
Target Audience: Major, Upper Division
CURE Duration: A full term