The Genomics Education Partnership: Successful Integration of Research into Laboratory Classes at a Diverse Group of Undergraduate Institutions

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students

Undergraduate research. Genomics Education Partnership

The Genomics Education Partnership offers an inclusive model for undergraduate research experiences incorporated into the academic year science curriculum, with students pooling their work to contribute to international data bases

A Central Support System Can Facilitate Implementation and Sustainability of a Classroom-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

There have been numerous calls to engage students in science as science is done. A survey of 90-plus faculty members explores barriers and incentives when developing a research-based genomics course. The results indicate that a central core supporting a national experiment can help overcome local obstacles

Templated Synthesis of End-Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons through Living Ring-Opening Alkyne Metathesis Polymerization.

Atomically precise bottom-up synthesized graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising candidates for next-generation electronic materials. The incorporation of these highly tunable semiconductors into complex device architectures requires the development of synthetic tools that provide control over the absolute length, the sequence, and the end groups of GNRs. Here, we report the living chain-growth synthesis of chevron-type GNRs (cGNRs) templated by a poly-(arylene ethynylene) precursor prepared through ring-opening alkyne metathesis polymerization (ROAMP). The strained triple bonds of a macrocyclic monomer serve both as the site of polymerization and the reaction center for an annulation reaction that laterally extends the conjugated backbone to give cGNRs with predetermined lengths and end groups. The structural control provided by a living polymer-templated synthesis of GNRs paves the way for their future integration into hierarchical assemblies, sequence-defined heterojunctions, and well-defined single-GNR transistors via block copolymer templates

Templated Synthesis of End-Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons through Living Ring-Opening Alkyne Metathesis Polymerization.

Atomically precise bottom-up synthesized graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising candidates for next-generation electronic materials. The incorporation of these highly tunable semiconductors into complex device architectures requires the development of synthetic tools that provide control over the absolute length, the sequence, and the end groups of GNRs. Here, we report the living chain-growth synthesis of chevron-type GNRs (cGNRs) templated by a poly-(arylene ethynylene) precursor prepared through ring-opening alkyne metathesis polymerization (ROAMP). The strained triple bonds of a macrocyclic monomer serve both as the site of polymerization and the reaction center for an annulation reaction that laterally extends the conjugated backbone to give cGNRs with predetermined lengths and end groups. The structural control provided by a living polymer-templated synthesis of GNRs paves the way for their future integration into hierarchical assemblies, sequence-defined heterojunctions, and well-defined single-GNR transistors via block copolymer templates

Orientational ortho−H2 pair interactions in the microporous framework MOF-5

Infrared spectroscopy is used to observe the orientational fine structure arising from ortho−H2 adsorbed at the primary site of the microporous framework MOF-5. The Q1(1) vibrational transition shows at least two symmetrically spaced fine structure bands on either side of the main band. These grow in relative intensity with increasing H2 concentration indicative of interacting H2 pairs. This interpretation is strongly supported by D2 addition experiments, which cause a large increase in intensity of the fine structure bands with only minimal change in the main band. The spectra are analyzed in terms of H2−H2 electric quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. Consistent with this approach we observe no fine structure bands for the Q1(0) vibrational transition arising from para−H2, which does not possess a quadrupole moment

Hydrogen Uptake on Coordinatively Unsaturated Metal Sites in VSB-5: Strong Binding Affinity Leading to High-Temperature D2/H2 Selectivity

We examine the adsorption of hydrogen and deuterium into the nanoporous nickel phosphate, VSB-5. On the basis of gas sorption analysis, VSB-5 exhibits one of the highest measured H2 heats of adsorption (HOA) for hydrogen (16 kJ/mol) yet reported. This high HOA is consistent with an unusually large red shift in the Q(1) and Q(0) hydrogen vibrational modes as measured with in situ infrared spectroscopy. The HOA for D2 is measured to be 2 kJ/mol higher than that for H2. “Ideal adsorbed solution theory” analysis of H2 and D2 isotherms provides selectivities above 4 for deuterium at 140 K, suggesting that VSB-5 is a promising adsorbent for pressure-swing adsorption-type separations of hydrogen isotopes

Hydrogen Uptake on Coordinatively Unsaturated Metal Sites in VSB-5: Strong Binding Affinity Leading to High-Temperature D₂/H₂ Selectivity

We examine the adsorption of hydrogen and deuterium into the nanoporous nickel phosphate, VSB-5. On the basis of gas sorption analysis, VSB-5 exhibits one of the highest measured H₂ heats of adsorption (HOA) for hydrogen (16 kJ/mol) yet reported. This high HOA is consistent with an unusually large red shift in the Q(1) and Q(0) hydrogen vibrational modes as measured with in situ infrared spectroscopy. The HOA for D₂ is measured to be 2 kJ/mol higher than that for H₂. “Ideal adsorbed solution theory” analysis of H₂ and D₂ isotherms provides selectivities above 4 for deuterium at 140 K, suggesting that VSB-5 is a promising adsorbent for pressure-swing adsorption-type separations of hydrogen isotopes