About

The IPERT MBLEM project is developing and implementing modular molecular biology-oriented laboratory courses that connect biotechnology skills to cutting-edge technologies to support the professional training of biotechnologists and biomedical researchers. This collaborative effort to ‘teach the teachers’ how to Designate, Design, Develop, Deploy, and Disseminate (5-D) Molecular Biotechnology Laboratory Education Modules (MBLEMs) on state-of-the-art topics supports five partner institutions in updating their courses with MBLEMs. Nature Methods named long-read sequencing “The Method of 2022” for its impact on many projects and applications. The portable Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencer, numerous library preparation tools and kits, and robust cloud-based technologies allow educators to engage students in long-read sequencing and analysis. The IPERT MBLEM project can increase access to Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) by designating this technology as the next critical topic for the 5-D process and educational research on transformative mentoring practices. 

Our two-week Enhanced Summer PORES Workshop is an immersive research experience bringing together ten marginalized students and students with disabilities from the partner institutions to conduct research using ONT sequencing. Instructors will be invited to a workshop to learn mentoring practices and ONT sequencing applications. Together, students and educators will form a supportive community fostering the sharing of know-how and resources to develop much-needed lesson plans for effectively teaching with Nanopore technologies. 

The focus here is to train students and mentors to:

1. Use long-read Oxford Nanopore sequencing techniques;

2. Develop related materials for biomedical research and educational use, and;

3. Improve mentored research experiences to encourage diverse students to productively experiment with new technologies while supporting independence and nurturing creativity.

The expense of implementing these increasingly common sequencing technologies in the educational setting has posed a challenge to incorporating nanopore sequencing in undergraduate and graduate courses. Because methods and tools continue to evolve, limited available teaching resources have been created, piloted, and assessed in courses with students. Further, the initial investment in equipment and reagents has limited access to these technologies, thus hindering their incorporation into courses and research. Thus, mentors have a challenging time supporting the development of now critical researcher skills.

The Enhance Summer Workshop will develop a framework that can be expanded through collaboration with additional partners to encourage nanopore sequencing use by students and instructors. 

A two-week undergraduate immersive mentored research experience focusing on sequencing library preparation and a three-day mentor institute will occur in the summer. Milestone 1 is a presentation after the summer experience. Milestone 2 is student presentations at ABRCMS or other regional and national meetings. Milestones 3 and 4 create a lesson and tutorial, respectively.