List of participants and affiliations:
- Hattie Dambroski, Normandale Community College, Minnesota, Writer, hattie.dambroski@normandale.edu
- Marie Montes-Matias, Union College of Union County, New Jersey, Flex, marie.montes-matias@ucc.edu
- Michael Peglar, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, Resource Specialist, mtpeglar@gmail.com
- Jennifer Schroeder, Young Harris College, Georgia, Team Leader, jcschroeder@yhc.edu
- Cynthia Woosley, Virginia Highlands Community College, Flex, cwoosley@vhcc.edu
This activity targets high school A&P Biology and college Introductory Biology. It can be modified for upper level classes as well. As written it would be appropriate for Introduction to Biology and Environmental Biology.
We have developed an activity that at its core studies the Central Dogma and protein structure.
It compares structural and molecular differences between a Roundup (glyphosate) resistant and a Roundup (glyphosate) sensitive weed, using Arabidopsis as our model organism. The students will figure out which protein is affected, identify DNA and amino acid substitutions between the resistant and sensitive varieties, and predict or vizualize the impact of the change in protein structure. Then the students will suggest an alternative herbicide that uses a different pathway to kill the resistand weed. The following NCBI databases will be used: PubMed, PubChem, nucleotide BLAST, protein-BLAST, and iCn3D.
- Summarize the relationships between transcription, translation, and the universal genetic code
- Utilize successfully NCBI and EXPASY databases and software, including: PubMed, PubChem, nucleotide BLAST, protein-BLAST, and iCn3D
- Analyze DNA and protein sequence information
- Detect a mutation in an unknown sequence by comparing it to wild type sequence
- Predict how a specific DNA mutation can cause a phenotype change
- Understand the general mechanisms of action of herbicides in plants and their potential effects on humans
- Explore the role of selective pressures on evolution of organisms
Student Worksheet_ Genomic Analysis .docx
Student Worksheet_ Genomic Analysis .pdf
EPSPS_cDNAs_Resistant_final.txt
EPSPS_cDNAs_Sensitive_final.txt
The assessments for this will be the protein produced in iCn3D and open ended discussion questions.
There are many different directions you can add on to this activity. For example the effects on pollinators, GMOs such as Roundup ready crops, the ecology of roundup resistant weeds like milkweed, health concerns in humans, model organisms like Arabidopsis, effects in the soil micobiome.
You could also look at other Herbicides like Paraquat, Antifungals like Manzate, Insecticides like DDT, or Endocrine Disruptors like Atrazine.
This project was created as part of the BioEd Summit Curricula-thon, a week-long event focused on collaborative development of data-driven learning experiences. While we encourage you to explore and adapt this project, please be aware that NCBI does not provide ongoing support for it.
For general questions about NCBI software and tools, please visit: NCBI Contact Page