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Waldorf biology students to join national genome project
Waldorf College - Thursday, December 11, 2008
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Forest City, Iowa – Biology students at Waldorf College are joining students at 21 other colleges and universities in the United States who have been chosen to conduct research on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. This nation-wide initiative—called the Microbial Genome Annotation Research Program—is being coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI).
In the coming year, students will join with Dr. Kimberly Murphy, assistant professor of biology, to analyze and annotate genomes of various microorganisms. Their research will contribute to a worldwide online genome database that could potentially lead to advancements in pharmaceutical development.
Murphy says this collaborative effort will allow her students to achieve higher levels of research and understanding.
“Working with the JGI project presents a unique and ideal opportunity for students at Waldorf College to gain access to tools and resources normally not available for students at smaller colleges,” said Murphy, who received her Ph.D. in Genetics and Cell Biology from Washington State University.
Waldorf students and those from the other colleges will annotate a lengthy list of genomes that have been sequenced as part of the Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea (GEBA) project and then publish their findings. Since the college’s name is attached to research information, each institution is accountable for the work that is done on specific genomes.
“This project will provide our students with the opportunity to study genomics and genome annotation in a way that will provide them with the type of skill sets necessary to pursue careers in industrial biology, biotechnology and graduate work,” said Murphy.
Murphy added that this effort will benefit the local community by exposing people to the type of cutting-edge research currently taking place at the Department of Energy. These DOE projects enhance the public’s knowledge on energy and the role that genomics plays in addressing the pressing energy issues that face the United States.
“Among our most important goals at the JGI is to engage undergraduates as scientists in DOE mission-relevant research,” said Cheryl Kerfeld, the program’s founder and head of the JGI’s education program.
Waldorf College will likely incorporate genomic analysis into courses ranging from General Biology to Genetics to Biochemistry during the 2009-2010 academic year.
This program began as a successful pilot program at 12 universities, including UCLA, Michigan State University and the University of Nebraska. Now, stated Kerfeld, more colleges and universities are joining the effort with middle schools and high schools possibly becoming part of the program someday.
Waldorf College, located in Forest City, Iowa, is a four-year, liberal arts college that delivers engaging experiences through innovative classroom instruction. The college’s curriculum challenges students to think relationally as they discover new ways to connect their vocational call to serve the world’s needs.
About the Joint Genome Institute
The U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, supported by the DOE Office of Science, unites the expertise of five DOE national laboratories -- Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest -- along with the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology to advance genomics in support of the DOE missions related to clean energy generation and environmental characterization and cleanup. DOE JGI’s Walnut Creek, Calif., Production Genomics Facility provides integrated high-throughput sequencing and computational analysis that enable systems-based scientific approaches to these challenges. Additional information about DOE JGI can be found at: http://www.jgi.doe.gov/.
