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Research Enhances Teaching
Research Enhances Teaching
The majority of the classes taught in Biology and Chemistry have associated labs for students to gain hands-on experience within those disciplines. With teaching labs located directly across the hall from the research labs, faculty have an exciting opportunity to blur the lines between the two. Sharing ideas, equipment, and techniques between the classroom lab and the research lab helps students reinforce material and connect to the process of science.
Some examples of connections between the Hamilton Research Lab and courses at Illinois College are provided below.
Courses Taught at Illinois College:
Courses Taught at Illinois College:
BI 107 - Human Biology
BI 110 - Biological Investigation with lab
BI 215 - Medical Terminology
BI 306 - Developmental Biology with lab
BI 315 - Anatomy and Physiology I with lab
BI 316 - Anatomy and Physiology II with lab
BI 342 - Parasitology
BI 401 - Research and Analysis I
BI 402 - Research and Analysis II
BI 404 - Research Capstone
BI 465/466 - Independent Research in Biology
BI 110 - Biological Investigation
BI 110 - Biological Investigation
Catalog Description
Catalog Description
This course is an introduction to the nature of biological inquiry. Major concepts of biological science and modes of experimentation are introduced through an exploration of a variety of topics selected by the instructor. This course is designed for first- and second-year students interested in pursuing a major or minor in biology or biochemistry, and is required for all subsequent biology course.
Connection to Research
Connection to Research
On the second day of class with Dr. Hamilton, students begin their journey in biology by thinking about the principles of regeneration and starting regeneration experiments using planarian flatworms. As the semester develops, students will look for wild planarians at Lake Jacksonville, and they will design, execute, analyze, and report on their own experiments using this model system.
A planarian that has been cut in half can regenerate lost tissue, including a new head!
BI 110 students collect local planarians from Lake Jacksonville.
Students spend the semester developing and executing an experiment using these flatworms.
BI 306 - Developmental Biology
BI 306 - Developmental Biology
Catalog Description
Catalog Description
Consideration of the concepts of development in biological systems; developmental processes, events of embryogenesis, and mechanisms of development in animal systems.
Connection to Research
Connection to Research
Students learn about molecular mechanisms of tissue differentiation during embryogenesis and advanced principles of regenerative systems. This course features a corresponding lab section where students get hands on experience with a variety of model systems and learn how to apply classical and modern techniques used in the field to answer scientific questions. These ideas and techniques reinforce and advance the independent research that students conduct in the Hamilton Lab.
Sectioning tissue for microscopic examination.
Histological section of neural tissue of the central nervous system (green). Cell nuclei are shown in blue.
Students observe fluorescently labeled nerves during development.
Fluorescently labeled skeletal muscles (red) inserting into the eye (outlined with dashes).
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