Unique Down to Our Microbes—Assessment of an Inquiry-Based Metagenomics Activity

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dc.contributor.authorLentz, Thomas B.
dc.contributor.authorOtt, Laura E.
dc.contributor.authorRobertson, Sabrina D.
dc.contributor.authorWindsor, Sarah C.
dc.contributor.authorKelley, Joshua B.
dc.contributor.authorWollenberg, Michael S.
dc.contributor.authorDunn, Robert R.
dc.contributor.authorGoller, Carlos C.
dc.date.accessioned2019-02-18T15:07:24Z
dc.date.available2019-02-18T15:07:24Z
dc.date.issued2017-06
dc.description.abstractMetagenomics is an important method for studying microbial life. However, undergraduate exposure to metagenomics is hindered by associated software, computing demands, and dataset access. In this inquiry-based activity designed for introductory life science majors and nonmajors, students perform an investigation of the bacterial communities inhabiting the human belly button and associated metagenomics data collected through a citizen science project and visualized using an open-access bioinformatics tool. The activity is designed for attainment of the following student learning outcomes: defining terms associated with metagenomics analyses, describing the biological impact of the microbiota on human health, formulating a hypothesis, analyzing and interpreting metagenomics data to compare microbiota, evaluating a specific hypothesis, and synthesizing a conceptual model as to why bacterial populations vary. This activity was implemented in six introductory biology and biotechnology courses across five institutions. Attainment of student learning outcomes was assessed through completion of a quiz and students’ presentations of their findings. In presentations, students demonstrated their ability to develop novel hypotheses and analyze and interpret metagenomic data to evaluate their hypothesis. In quizzes, students demonstrated their ability to define key terms and describe the biological impact of the microbiota on human health. Student learning gains assessment also revealed that students perceived gains for all student learning outcomes. Collectively, our assessment demonstrates achievement of the learning outcomes and supports the utility of this inquiry-based activity to engage undergraduates in the scientific process via analyses of metagenomics datasets and associated exploration of a microbial community that lives on the human body.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors would like to thank Neil McCoy and members of the Dunn lab that assisted in providing the Belly Button data. Funding support for development of this activity was provided by the NCSU Biotechnology Program. Funding support for Laura Ott (UMBC) and the UMBC cohort was provided by the STEM BUILD at UMBC initiative through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIH Grants 8TL4GM118989, 8UL1GM118988, and 8RL5GM118987). Funding support for Sarah Council (NCCU) was provided by HHMI grant #52007553.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.asmscience.org/content/journal/jmbe/10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1284;jsessionid=lRzndocaMR2nTR8VbDtVGJeq.x-asm-books-live-01en_US
dc.format.extent8 pagesen_US
dc.genrejournal articlesen_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/m2cr7x-ab9f
dc.identifier.citationThomas B. Lentz, Laura E. Ott, Sabrina D. Robertson, Sarah C. Windsor, Joshua B. Kelley, Michael S. Wollenberg, Robert R. Dunn, Carlos C. Goller, Unique Down to Our Microbes—Assessment of an Inquiry-Based Metagenomics Activity, J. Microbiol. Biol. Educ. June 2017 vol. 18 no. 2, DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1284en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v18i2.1284
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/12809
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherAmerican Society for Microbiologyen_US
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Science Education Research Unit (SERU)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.rightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
dc.subjectmetagenomicsen_US
dc.subjectstudents investigation of bacterial communitiesen_US
dc.subjectdataen_US
dc.subjectdatasetsen_US
dc.subjectbioinformatics toolen_US
dc.subjectlearning outcomesen_US
dc.titleUnique Down to Our Microbes—Assessment of an Inquiry-Based Metagenomics Activityen_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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