A broadly implementable research course in phage discovery and genomics for first-year undergraduate students.
Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been taken by over 4,800 students at 73 institutions. We show here that this alliance-sourced model not only substantially advances the field of phage genomics but also stimulates students' interest in science, positively influences academic achievement, and enhances persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Broad application of this model by integrating other research areas with large numbers of early-career undergraduate students has the potential to be transformative in science education and research training.


OBJECTIVE
Engagement of undergraduate students in scientific research at early stages in their careers presents an opportunity to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and promote continued interests in these areas. Many excellent course-based undergraduate research experiences have been developed, but scaling these to a broader impact with larger numbers of students is challenging. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunting Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program takes advantage of the huge size and diversity of the bacteriophage population to engage students in discovery of new viruses, genome annotation, and comparative genomics, with strong impacts on bacteriophage research, increased persistence in STEM fields, and student self-identification with learning gains, motivation, attitude, and career aspirations.
Tuajuanda C
TC
Jordan
Sandra H
SH
Burnett
Susan
S
Carson
Steven M
SM
Caruso
Kari
K
Clase
Randall J
RJ
DeJong
John J
JJ
Dennehy
Dee R
DR
Denver
David
D
Dunbar
Sarah C R
SC
Elgin
Ann M
AM
Findley
Chris R
CR
Gissendanner
Urszula P
UP
Golebiewska
Nancy
N
Guild
Grant A
GA
Hartzog
Wendy H
WH
Grillo
Gail P
GP
Hollowell
Lee E
LE
Hughes
Allison
A
Johnson
Rodney A
RA
King
Lynn O
LO
Lewis
Wei
W
Li
Frank
F
Rosenzweig
Michael R
MR
Rubin
Margaret S
MS
Saha
James
J
Sandoz
Christopher D
CD
Shaffer
Barbara
B
Taylor
Louise
L
Temple
Edwin
E
Vazquez
Vassie C
VC
Ware
Lucia P
LP
Barker
Kevin W
KW
Bradley
Deborah
D
Jacobs-Sera
Welkin H
WH
Pope
Daniel A
DA
Russell
Steven G
SG
Cresawn
David
D
Lopatto
Cheryl P
CP
Bailey
Graham F
GF
Hatfull
D000328:Adult; D001419:Bacteria / Q000821:virology*; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D023281:Genomics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008829:Microbiology / Q000193:education*; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult