Home Page for the
Genome Consortium
for Active
Teaching
(GCAT - Chip)
Home Page for the
Genome Consortium
for Active
Teaching
(GCAT - Chip)
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1) Bring Functional Genomic Methods into Undergraduate Curriculum Primarily Through Student Research
2) Use Centralized Chip Reader to Make Microarray Experiments Affordable
3) Create a Clearing House of Information for Teachers to Use when Teaching Genomics
4) Create Large Database of Raw Data and Analyzed Results for Pedagogical Use
5) Develop a Global Network of Teachers Using Functional Genomics in the Undergraduate Curriculum
Everyone using GCAT chips is a faculty member working with undergraduates and trying to bring genomics into the curriculum to help students. We often have to figure out things as we go along. GCAT helps coordinate stuff, but you and your students do all the work. You design the experiments, produce the probes, hybe/wash, process and analyze the data. All GCAT does is scan the chips.
Now GCAT is branching out to other areas of genomics education. We are partnering with Dr. Sarah Elgin at Washington University in St. Louis to sequence genomes as part of real research projects. Working with Dr. Drew Endy at MIT, GCAT members are conducting synthetic biology research and participating in the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. Furthermore, GCAT is helping high school faculty bring genomics into their curricula at an appropriate level. You can learn more about GCAT activites using the links above.
1) Malcolm Campbell collects requests for DNA chips; currently several species are available.
2) GCAT obtains microarrays from academic and commercial suppliers with HHMI funds.
3) Campbell distributes chips to faculty teaching undergraduates.
4) Undergraduates conduct experiments.
5) Chips are sent to GCAT to scan.
6) Campbell FTPs data to students for analysis.
7) Students and faculty complete assessment process.
To become a "GCAT member", you have to agree to these terms:
1) All work must be performed by you and your UNDERGRADUATE students. Sorry, but graduate students are not allowed under any circumstances. The chips we use have been given to us for use by undergraduates only. Graduate students can use real-time PCR or other methods to validate undergraduate results.
2) All data will be public domain.
3) You have to pay for the chips and are responsible for any additional costs associated with making probes, growing cells, and sending me the chips for scanning, etc. The pricing of the chips is modest (no more than $60 for the first of each species per semester to pay for all shipping costs and $20 for each additional chip to pay for scanning and the scanner's service contract). This cost includes ever increasing FedEx delivery of the chips to you and scanning of the chips by GCAT. Neither Malcolm Campbell nor Davidson College keep any of the money for local use.
4) You are willing to help other faculty by answering questions when you are able. These questions usually come from GCAT-L. Here are directions about how to join GCAT-L.
5) You are willing to take a risk and try something very new, knowing that it may not work out the first time.
6) You are willing to participate in the assessment component of GCAT which we are initiating to help improve our use of genomic resources for teaching and to establish data for a future grant proposal to the NSF. This assessment will be coordinated by:
Dr. Scott Tonidandel
Assistant Professor of Biology
Davidson College Psychology Dept.
Email: sctonidandel@davidson.edu
GCAT-Sponsored Microarray Workshops
Synthetic Biology Workshop #2
(June 15 - 18, 2011)June 16, 17, 18, 2011
Missouri Western State University, MO
Synthetic Biology Workshop #1
(July 8 - 10, 2010)HHMI-Funded Workshop on Synthetic Biology
July 8, 9, 10, 2010
Davidson College, NC
Workshop #8
(July 5 - 11, 2009)NSF-Funded Best Practices Workshops!
Two Full DNA Microarray workshopsWeek of July 5 - 11 (Last microarray workhops)
Morehouse College, Atlanta, GAWorkshop #7
(July 13-19, 2008)NSF-Funded Best Practices Workshops!
Two Full DNA Microarray workshopsWeek of July 13 - 19
California State University, FullertonWorkshops #5 and #6
(summer 2007)Workshop #4
(summer 2006)Workshop #3
(summer 2005)Workshop #2
(summer 2004)Workshop #1
(summer 2003)
(student-ready protocols)
Options for GCAT Participation without isolating RNA
Links to non-GCAT Data Sets (partial listing)
Links to Educational Sites (genomics, bioinformatics, journals, companies)
T-shirt Design for GCAT faculty and students (for participants only)
Waksman Foundation for Microbiology to Launch GCAT
NSF RUI: Microarray Scanner for Undergraduate Consortium
Duke Endowment Microarray Printer for Undergraduate Research
Three NSF-Funded Workhosps:
HHMI 2004-2008 Undergraduate Research and Educational Grants to produce yeast DNA microarrays and purchase others.
(funding through Davidson, Grinnell, Pomona and Swarthmore Colleges)
Thermo Scientific Promotes GCAT
December, 2008
http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=8689.php
HHMI 2007 Annual Report cites GCAT as
a Community Builder
November, 2007
Nature Medicine Report on GCAT
October, 2007
NSF Currents Congressional Newsletter
October, 2005
NETWATCH Citation
HTML link to text summary JPEG Version of GCAT citation 13 August, 2004 Science, Vol. 305: 925.
(full NetWatch page in PDF)
Page 86 of the Report
Fall, 2003
North Carolina Genomics and Bioinformatics
Consortium News. December, 2003
Genetic Engineering News. Volume 23 (7): 74. April 2003.
If you have any questions or would like to participate, contact Dr. A. Malcolm Campbell
Dr. A. Malcolm Campbell, Director of GCAT
Biology Department
Davidson College
P. O. Box 7118 (US Mail)
209 Ridge Road (Ground Delivery)
Davidson, NC 28035-7118phone: (704) 894-2692
fax: (704) 894-2512
email: macampbell@davidson.edu
© Copyright 2009 Department of Biology, Davidson College,
Davidson, NC 28035
Send comments, questions, and suggestions to: macampbell@davidson.edu
