CUREs Labs
Course-Embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs)
At Jax State, we believe in providing hands-on, authentic research experiences for our undergraduate students. Unlike larger universities where students often follow predefined lab instructions, our biology majors engage in five real-world research projects as part of their required coursework. These Course-Embedded Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) help students develop critical thinking and scientific skills, making them stand out when applying for jobs or pursuing graduate and professional programs. We prepare students to think and work like true scientists through immersive, real science.Biology CUREs
Introductory Biology Lab I BY103-JS Brew:
The JS Brew lab’s primary focus is the isolation of novel yeast strains from collected environmental samples. Students then characterize their yeast isolates via morphological, biochemical, and genetic analyzes. Once isolated and identified, yeast isolates are used for experimental brewing purposes. Throughout this lab course, students learn how to apply concepts of microscopy, aseptic techniques, use of selective media, and basic genetic analyses to help them characterize and define their own novel yeast isolates.
Introductory Biology Lab I BY103-Small World Initiative (SWI):
JSU is part of an innovative crowdsourcing antibiotic discovery effort that includes “over 330 undergraduate institutions and high schools across 45 US states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 15 countries (http://www.smallworldinitiative.org/about).” As part of SWI, students from around the world isolate bacteria from soil in their local environments that could produce novel antibiotics, as over two-thirds of antibiotics originate from soil bacteria or fungi. Through a series of student-driven experiments, students collect soil samples, isolate diverse bacteria, test their bacteria against clinically-relevant microorganisms, and characterize those showing inhibitory activity. SWI’s approach also provides a platform to crowdsource antibiotic discovery by utilizing the power of the broader scientific community to address the global challenge superbugs in a climate of diminishing effective antibiotics.
Introductory Biology Lab I BY104-Alabamazon:
The 104 CURE is called "Alabamazon" to highlight the significance of our state as a hotspot of biodiversity. As our state has been termed the Amazon of North America, this name is quite appropriate. In this class students learn a standard method called geometric morphometrics to differentiate species. For example, Alabama has the highest diversity of crayfishes in N. America, and these species are difficult to tell apart using traditional identification keys; therefore, these animals are a great model system for the course. As biologists in training, 104 CURE students observe physical differences in organisms such as turtles, snails, or crayfish, develop hypotheses to explain these observations; design experiments to test hypotheses; collect, analyze, and interpret organismal data; summarize findings in a paper, and finally, present findings to their peers.
Genetics BY322:
Students explore human disease utilizing the C. elegans nematode model using a combination of bioinformatics and 'wet lab' tools. They analyze the conservation of a gene and structure-function analysis of disease-associated variants of unknown clinical significance. Each student selects a human disease of interest and works through a series of bioinformatics tools to identify a disease-associated gene with a C. elegans ortholog and disease-associated variants. Students take identified conserved variants into 'wet lab' sessions to design and test a PCR-based assay to serve as a downstream genotyping assay for CRISPR-Cas9 experiments. Each student’s research project will include molecular genetics, evolutionary genetics, comparative genomics, and/or bioinformatics components. Students will communicate their findings through iterative project reports and a final research group poster presentation.
Ecology BY332 Options:
- The CURE lab is designed to focus on a relevant and central research question in ecology— How is biodiversity adapting to climate change? An Alabama native prairie was reconstructed on campus and open-top chambers (OTC) are used to simulate climate change-induced warming. The students independently develop their research questions and hypotheses focused on the response of various aspects of plant traits, vegetation community structure, and composition to climate change. Students design their methods based on independent literature reviews. The course also involves training in basic statistics for hypotheses testing using contemporary statistical tools like R, R Studio, and ImageJ.
- The Ecology CURE is designed to have students conduct studies based on the central theme of ecology: how organisms interact with each other and the environment around them. Alabama is a hotspot of freshwater biodiversity, and thus many of our local and common species are woefully understudied. Jacksonville affords an excellent opportunity to study these in both natural and anthropogenically altered systems. In this lab, students study the ecology of an urban freshwater stream representing a simple food web. Students gain experience in field work and data collection in ecology through collaborative sampling. Ultimately students exercise the scientific method to study the ecology of freshwater snails and turtles. With this approach, students worked in groups to form unique questions and hypotheses within the framework of scientific literature, develop and implement experiments, analyze and synthesize results, and communicate the learning process through written and oral presentations.
Cell Biology BY373:
The cell biology CURE lab utilizes isolated human cancer cells as a model system through which students learn fundamental aspects of normal and abnormal cellular behavior. Students learn to grow human cancer cells in the lab and design their own experiments to collect data that may lead to novel improved therapies for aggressive pediatric cancers with low five-year survival rates. Currently, students are investigating the effects of compounds from the cannabis plant or novel histone deacetylase inhibitors on cellular proliferation, migration, invasion, and anchorage independent growth—hallmarks of cancer cells—on cancers such as Ewing’s sarcoma, rhabomyosarcoma, and CIC-DUX4 sarcoma. Students learn basic tissue culture skills and common cellular assays such as MTT cell viability, Boyden chamber migration and invasion, and growth in low attachment (GILA).
Molecular Biology BY450:
Students in BY450 are generally given a choice between two-three primary research topics. For example, students may choose to focus on the identification of novel venom-associated genes in timber rattlesnake venom glands or the development and optimization of eDNA methodology for the identification and potential enumeration of aquatic species of interest. With both project examples, students learn to apply concepts in nucleic acid isolation, electrophoresis, PCR, gene cloning, and qPCR to help answer their research questions pertaining to these topics.