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1. An inclusive Research and Education Community (iREC) model to facilitate undergraduate science education reform

Author

Denise L. Monti, Julia C. Gill, Tamarah L. Adair, Sandra D. Adams, Yesmi Patricia Ahumada-Santos, Isabel Amaya, Kirk Anders, Justin R. Anderson, Mauricio S. Antunes, Mary Ayuk, Frederick Baliraine, Tonya C. Bates, Andrea R. Beyer, Suparna Bhalla, Tejas Bouklas, Sharon K. Bullock, Kristen A. Butela, Christine Byrum, Steven M. Caruso, Rebecca Chong, Hui-Min Chung, Stephanie B. Conant, Brett Condon, Katie E. Crump, Tom D'Elia, Megan K. Dennis, Linda C. DeVeaux, Lautaro Diacovich, Arturo Diaz, Iain Duffy, Dustin Edwards, Patricia C. Fallest-Strobl, Ann Findley, Matthew R. Fisher, Marie P. Fogarty, Victoria Jane Frost, Maria D. Gainey, Courtney S. Galle, Bryan Gibb, Urszula Golebiewska, Hugo Gramajo, Anna S. Grinath, Jennifer Guerrero, Nancy Guild, Kathryn E. Gunn, Susan Gurney, Lee E. Hughes, Pradeepa Jayachandran, Kristen Johnson, Allison Johnson, Alison E. Kanak, Michelle L. Kanther, Rodney A. King, Kathryn Kohl, Julia Lee-Soety, Lynn O. Lewis, Heather Lindberg, Jaclyn A. Madden, Breonna J. Martin, Matthew D. Mastropaolo, Sean McClory, Evan C. Merkhofer, Julie A. Merkle, Jon Mitchell, María Alejandra Mussi, Fernando Nieto, Jillian Nissen, Imade Yolanda Nsa, Mary G. O'Donnell, R. Deborah Overath, Shallee T. Page, Andrea Panagakis, Jesús Ricardo Parra Unda, Michelle B. Pass, Tiara Perez Morales, Nick T. Peters, Ruth Plymale, Richard Pollenz, Nathan S. Reyna, Claire A. Rinehart, Jessica Rocheleau, John S. Rombold, Ombeline Rossier, Adam D. Rudner, Elizabeth E. Rueschhoff, Christopher D. Shaffer, Mary Ann V. Smith, Amy B. Sprenkle, C. Nicole Sunnen, Michael A. Thomas, Michelle M. Tigges, Deborah Tobiason, Sara Sybesma Tolsma, Julie Torruellas Garcia, Peter Uetz, Edwin Vazquez, Catherine M. Ward, Vassie C. Ware, Jacqueline M. Washington, Matthew J. Waterman, Daniel E. Westholm, Keith A. Wheaton, Simon J. White, Elizabeth C. Williams, Daniel C. Williams, Ellen M. Wisner, William H. Biederman, Steven G. Cresawn, Danielle M. Heller, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Daniel A. Russell, Graham F. Hatfull, David J. Asai, David I. Hanauer, Mark J. Graham, and Viknesh Sivanathan

Subjects
Science Education Alliance, inclusive Research and Education Community, pathway modeling, course-based research experience, STEM faculty development, Education (General), L7-991
Abstract

Over the last two decades, there have been numerous initiatives to improve undergraduate student outcomes in STEM. One model for scalable reform is the inclusive Research Education Community (iREC). In an iREC, STEM faculty from colleges and universities across the nation are supported to adopt and sustainably implement course-based research – a form of science pedagogy that enhances student learning and persistence in science. In this study, we used pathway modeling to develop a qualitative description that explicates the HHMI Science Education Alliance (SEA) iREC as a model for facilitating the successful adoption and continued advancement of new curricular content and pedagogy. In particular, outcomes that faculty realize through their participation in the SEA iREC were identified, organized by time, and functionally linked. The resulting pathway model was then revised and refined based on several rounds of feedback from over 100 faculty members in the SEA iREC who participated in the study. Our results show that in an iREC, STEM faculty organized as a long-standing community of practice leverage one another, outside expertise, and data to adopt, implement, and iteratively advance their pedagogy. The opportunity to collaborate in this manner and, additionally, to be recognized for pedagogical contributions sustainably engages STEM faculty in the advancement of their pedagogy. Here, we present a detailed pathway model of SEA that, together with underpinning features of an iREC identified in this study, offers a framework to facilitate transformations in undergraduate science education.

Published
2024
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2. Models of classroom assessment for course-based research experiences

Author

David I. Hanauer, Tong Zhang, Mark J. Graham, Sandra D. Adams, Yesmi Patricia Ahumada-Santos, Richard M. Alvey, Mauricio S. Antunes, Mary A. Ayuk, María Elena Báez-Flores, Christa T. Bancroft, Tonya C. Bates, Meghan J. Bechman, Elizabeth Behr, Andrea R. Beyer, Rebecca L. Bortz, Dane M. Bowder, Laura A. Briggs, Victoria Brown-Kennerly, Michael A. Buckholt, Sharon K. Bullock, Kristen A. Butela, Christine A. Byrum, Steven M. Caruso, Catherine P. Chia, Rebecca A. Chong, Hui-Min Chung, Kari L. Clase, Sean T. Coleman, D. Parks Collins, Stephanie B. Conant, Brett M. Condon, Pamela L. Connerly, Bernadette J. Connors, Jennifer E. Cook-Easterwood, Katie E. Crump, Tom D’Elia, Megan K. Dennis, Linda C. DeVeaux, Lautaro Diacovich, Iain Duffy, Nicholas P. Edgington, Dustin C. Edwards, Tenny O. G. Egwuatu, Elvira R. Eivazova, Patricia C. Fallest-Strobl, Christy L. Fillman, Ann M. Findley, Emily Fisher, Matthew R. Fisher, Marie P. Fogarty, Amanda C. Freise, Victoria J. Frost, Maria D. Gainey, Amaya M. Garcia Costas, Atenea A. Garza, Hannah E. Gavin, Raffaella Ghittoni, Bryan Gibb, Urszula P. Golebiewska, Anna S. Grinath, Susan M. R. Gurney, Rebekah F. Hare, Steven G. Heninger, John M. Hinz, Lee E. Hughes, Pradeepa Jayachandran, Kristen C. Johnson, Allison A. Johnson, Michelle Kanther, Margaret Kenna, Bridgette L. Kirkpatrick, Karen K. Klyczek, Kathryn P. Kohl, Michael Kuchka, Amber J. LaPeruta, Julia Y. Lee-Soety, Lynn O. Lewis, Heather M. Lindberg, Jaclyn A. Madden, Sergei A. Markov, Matthew D. Mastropaolo, Vinayak Mathur, Sean P. McClory, Evan C. Merkhofer, Julie A. Merkle, Scott F. Michael, Jon C. Mitchell, Sally D. Molloy, Denise L. Monti, María Alejandra Mussi, Holly Nance, Fernando E. Nieto-Fernandez, Jillian C. Nissen, Imade Y. Nsa, Mary G. O’Donnell, Shallee T. Page, Andrea Panagakis, Jesús Ricardo Parra-Unda, Tara A. Pelletier, Tiara G. Perez Morales, Nick T. Peters, Vipaporn Phuntumart, Richard S. Pollenz, Mary L. Preuss, David P. Puthoff, Muideen K. Raifu, Nathan S. Reyna, Claire A. Rinehart, Jessica M. Rocheleau, Ombeline Rossier, Adam D. Rudner, Elizabeth E. Rueschhoff, Amy Ryan, Sanghamitra Saha, Christopher D. Shaffer, Mary Ann V. Smith, Amy B. Sprenkle, Christy L. Strong, C. Nicole Sunnen, Brian P. Tarbox, Louise Temple, Kara R. Thoemke, Michael A. Thomas, Deborah M. Tobiason, Sara S. Tolsma, Julie Torruellas Garcia, Megan S. Valentine, Edwin Vazquez, Robert E. Ward, Catherine M. Ward, Vassie C. Ware, Marcie H. Warner, Jacqueline M. Washington, Daniel E. Westholm, Keith A. Wheaton, Beth M. Wilkes, Elizabeth C. Williams, William H. Biederman, Steven G. Cresawn, Danielle M. Heller, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Graham F. Hatfull, David J. Asai, and Viknesh Sivanathan

Subjects
course-based research experience (CURE), science education, assessment, intergrated research and education community (iREC), grading, Education (General), L7-991
Abstract

Course-based research pedagogy involves positioning students as contributors to authentic research projects as part of an engaging educational experience that promotes their learning and persistence in science. To develop a model for assessing and grading students engaged in this type of learning experience, the assessment aims and practices of a community of experienced course-based research instructors were collected and analyzed. This approach defines four aims of course-based research assessment—(1) Assessing Laboratory Work and Scientific Thinking; (2) Evaluating Mastery of Concepts, Quantitative Thinking and Skills; (3) Appraising Forms of Scientific Communication; and (4) Metacognition of Learning—along with a set of practices for each aim. These aims and practices of assessment were then integrated with previously developed models of course-based research instruction to reveal an assessment program in which instructors provide extensive feedback to support productive student engagement in research while grading those aspects of research that are necessary for the student to succeed. Assessment conducted in this way delicately balances the need to facilitate students’ ongoing research with the requirement of a final grade without undercutting the important aims of a CRE education.

Published
2023
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3. Student Attitudes Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE

Author

David Lopatto, Anne G. Rosenwald, Rebecca C. Burgess, Catherine Silver Key, Melanie Van Stry, Matthew Wawersik, Justin R. DiAngelo, Amy T. Hark, Matthew Skerritt, Anna K. Allen, Consuelo Alvarez, Sara Anderson, Cindy Arrigo, Andrew Arsham, Daron Barnard, James E. J. Bedard, Indrani Bose, John M. Braverman, Martin G. Burg, Paula Croonquist, Chunguang Du, Sondra Dubowsky, Heather Eisler, Matthew A. Escobar, Michael Foulk, Thomas Giarla, Rivka L. Glaser, Anya L. Goodman, Yuying Gosser, Adam Haberman, Charles Hauser, Shan Hays, Carina E. Howell, Jennifer Jemc, Christopher J. Jones, Lisa Kadlec, Jacob D. Kagey, Kimberly L. Keller, Jennifer Kennell, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Melissa Kleinschmit, Nighat P. Kokan, Olga Ruiz Kopp, Meg M. Laakso, Judith Leatherman, Lindsey J. Long, Mollie Manier, Juan C. Martinez-Cruzado, Luis F. Matos, Amie Jo McClellan, Gerard McNeil, Evan Merkhofer, Vida Mingo, Hemlata Mistry, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nathan T. Mortimer, Jennifer Leigh Myka, Alexis Nagengast, Paul Overvoorde, Don Paetkau, Leocadia Paliulis, Susan Parrish, Stephanie Toering Peters, Mary Lai Preuss, James V. Price, Nicholas A. Pullen, Catherine Reinke, Dennis Revie, Srebrenka Robic, Jennifer A. Roecklein-Canfield, Michael R. Rubin, Takrima Sadikot, Jamie Siders Sanford, Maria Santisteban, Kenneth Saville, Stephanie Schroeder, Christopher D. Shaffer, Karim A. Sharif, Diane E. Sklensky, Chiyedza Small, Sheryl Smith, Rebecca Spokony, Aparna Sreenivasan, Joyce Stamm, Rachel Sterne-Marr, Katherine C. Teeter, Justin Thackeray, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Norma Velazquez-Ulloa, Cindy Wolfe, James Youngblom, Brian Yowler, Leming Zhou, Janie Brennan, Jeremy Buhler, Wilson Leung, Sarah C. R. Elgin, and Laura K. Reed

Subjects
active learning, bioinformatics, CUREs, genomics, undergraduate education, Special aspects of education, LC8-6691, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

ABSTRACT The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student’s epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.

Published
2022
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4. Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

Author

David Lopatto, Anne G. Rosenwald, Justin R. DiAngelo, Amy T. Hark, Matthew Skerritt, Matthew Wawersik, Anna K. Allen, Consuelo Alvarez, Sara Anderson, Cindy Arrigo, Andrew Arsham, Daron Barnard, Christopher Bazinet, James E. J. Bedard, Indrani Bose, John M. Braverman, Martin G. Burg, Rebecca C. Burgess, Paula Croonquist, Chunguang Du, Sondra Dubowsky, Heather Eisler, Matthew A. Escobar, Michael Foulk, Emily Furbee, Thomas Giarla, Rivka L. Glaser, Anya L. Goodman, Yuying Gosser, Adam Haberman, Charles Hauser, Shan Hays, Carina E. Howell, Jennifer Jemc, M. Logan Johnson, Christopher J. Jones, Lisa Kadlec, Jacob D. Kagey, Kimberly L. Keller, Jennifer Kennell, S. Catherine Silver Key, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Melissa Kleinschmit, Nighat P. Kokan, Olga Ruiz Kopp, Meg M. Laakso, Judith Leatherman, Lindsey J. Long, Mollie Manier, Juan C. Martinez-Cruzado, Luis F. Matos, Amie Jo McClellan, Gerard McNeil, Evan Merkhofer, Vida Mingo, Hemlata Mistry, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nathan T. Mortimer, Debaditya Mukhopadhyay, Jennifer Leigh Myka, Alexis Nagengast, Paul Overvoorde, Don Paetkau, Leocadia Paliulis, Susan Parrish, Mary Lai Preuss, James V. Price, Nicholas A. Pullen, Catherine Reinke, Dennis Revie, Srebrenka Robic, Jennifer A. Roecklein-Canfield, Michael R. Rubin, Takrima Sadikot, Jamie Siders Sanford, Maria Santisteban, Kenneth Saville, Stephanie Schroeder, Christopher D. Shaffer, Karim A. Sharif, Diane E. Sklensky, Chiyedza Small, Mary Smith, Sheryl Smith, Rebecca Spokony, Aparna Sreenivasan, Joyce Stamm, Rachel Sterne-Marr, Katherine C. Teeter, Justin Thackeray, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Stephanie Toering Peters, Melanie Van Stry, Norma Velazquez-Ulloa, Cindy Wolfe, James Youngblom, Brian Yowler, Leming Zhou, Janie Brennan, Jeremy Buhler, Wilson Leung, Laura K. Reed, and Sarah C. R. Elgin

Subjects
Special aspects of education, LC8-6691, Biology (General), QH301-705.5
Abstract

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering difficulty and working through those challenges to achieve success. This ability is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating such challenges in a teaching setting can be difficult. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students’ learning experience is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success as they come up with defendable gene models. In order to explore our “formative frustration” hypothesis, we gathered data from faculty via a survey, and from students via both a general survey and a set of student focus groups. Upon analyzing these data, we found that all three datasets mentioned frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of “formative frustration” is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

Published
2020
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5. Retrotransposons Are the Major Contributors to the Expansion of the Drosophila ananassae Muller F Element

Author

Wilson Leung, Christopher D. Shaffer, Elizabeth J. Chen, Thomas J. Quisenberry, Kevin Ko, John M. Braverman, Thomas C. Giarla, Nathan T. Mortimer, Laura K. Reed, Sheryl T. Smith, Srebrenka Robic, Shannon R. McCartha, Danielle R. Perry, Lindsay M. Prescod, Zenyth A. Sheppard, Ken J. Saville, Allison McClish, Emily A. Morlock, Victoria R. Sochor, Brittney Stanton, Isaac C. Veysey-White, Dennis Revie, Luis A. Jimenez, Jennifer J. Palomino, Melissa D. Patao, Shane M. Patao, Edward T. Himelblau, Jaclyn D. Campbell, Alexandra L. Hertz, Maddison F. McEvilly, Allison R. Wagner, James Youngblom, Baljit Bedi, Jeffery Bettincourt, Erin Duso, Maiye Her, William Hilton, Samantha House, Masud Karimi, Kevin Kumimoto, Rebekah Lee, Darryl Lopez, George Odisho, Ricky Prasad, Holly Lyn Robbins, Tanveer Sandhu, Tracy Selfridge, Kara Tsukashima, Hani Yosif, Nighat P. Kokan, Latia Britt, Alycia Zoellner, Eric P. Spana, Ben T. Chlebina, Insun Chong, Harrison Friedman, Danny A. Mammo, Chun L. Ng, Vinayak S. Nikam, Nicholas U. Schwartz, Thomas Q. Xu, Martin G. Burg, Spencer M. Batten, Lindsay M. Corbeill, Erica Enoch, Jesse J. Ensign, Mary E. Franks, Breanna Haiker, Judith A. Ingles, Lyndsay D. Kirkland, Joshua M. Lorenz-Guertin, Jordan Matthews, Cody M. Mittig, Nicholaus Monsma, Katherine J. Olson, Guillermo Perez-Aragon, Alen Ramic, Jordan R. Ramirez, Christopher Scheiber, Patrick A. Schneider, Devon E. Schultz, Matthew Simon, Eric Spencer, Adam C. Wernette, Maxine E. Wykle, Elizabeth Zavala-Arellano, Mitchell J. McDonald, Kristine Ostby, Peter Wendland, Justin R. DiAngelo, Alexis M. Ceasrine, Amanda H. Cox, James E.B. Docherty, Robert M. Gingras, Stephanie M. Grieb, Michael J. Pavia, Casey L. Personius, Grzegorz L. Polak, Dale L. Beach, Heaven L. Cerritos, Edward A. Horansky, Karim A. Sharif, Ryan Moran, Susan Parrish, Kirsten Bickford, Jennifer Bland, Juliana Broussard, Kerry Campbell, Katelynn E. Deibel, Richard Forka, Monika C. Lemke, Marlee B. Nelson, Catherine O'Keeffe, S. Mariel Ramey, Luke Schmidt, Paola Villegas, Christopher J. Jones, Stephanie L. Christ, Sami Mamari, Adam S. Rinaldi, Ghazal Stity, Amy T. Hark, Mark Scheuerman, S. Catherine Silver Key, Briana D. McRae, Adam S. Haberman, Sam Asinof, Harriette Carrington, Kelly Drumm, Terrance Embry, Richard McGuire, Drew Miller-Foreman, Stella Rosen, Nadia Safa, Darrin Schultz, Matt Segal, Yakov Shevin, Petros Svoronos, Tam Vuong, Gary Skuse, Don W. Paetkau, Rachael K. Bridgman, Charlotte M. Brown, Alicia R. Carroll, Francesca M. Gifford, Julie Beth Gillespie, Susan E. Herman, Krystal L. Holtcamp, Misha A. Host, Gabrielle Hussey, Danielle M. Kramer, Joan Q. Lawrence, Madeline M. Martin, Ellen N. Niemiec, Ashleigh P. O'Reilly, Olivia A. Pahl, Guadalupe Quintana, Elizabeth A.S. Rettie, Torie L. Richardson, Arianne E. Rodriguez, Mona O. Rodriguez, Laura Schiraldi, Joanna J. Smith, Kelsey F. Sugrue, Lindsey J. Suriano, Kaitlyn E. Takach, Arielle M. Vasquez, Ximena Velez, Elizabeth J. Villafuerte, Laura T. Vives, Victoria R. Zellmer, Jeanette Hauke, Charles R. Hauser, Karolyn Barker, Laurie Cannon, Perouza Parsamian, Samantha Parsons, Zachariah Wichman, Christopher W. Bazinet, Diana E. Johnson, Abubakarr Bangura, Jordan A. Black, Victoria Chevee, Sarah A. Einsteen, Sarah K. Hilton, Max Kollmer, Rahul Nadendla, Joyce Stamm, Antoinette E. Fafara-Thompson, Amber M. Gygi, Emmy E. Ogawa, Matt Van Camp, Zuzana Kocsisova, Judith L. Leatherman, Cassie M. Modahl, Michael R. Rubin, Susana S. Apiz-Saab, Suzette M. Arias-Mejias, Carlos F. Carrion-Ortiz, Patricia N. Claudio-Vazquez, Debbie M. Espada-Green, Marium Feliciano-Camacho, Karina M. Gonzalez-Bonilla, Mariela Taboas-Arroyo, Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco, Raquel Montañez-Gonzalez, Joseph Perez-Otero, Myrielis Rivera-Burgos, Francisco J. Rivera-Rosario, Heather L. Eisler, Jackie Alexander, Samatha K. Begley, Deana Gabbard, Robert J. Allen, Wint Yan Aung, William D. Barshop, Amanda Boozalis, Vanessa P. Chu, Jeremy S. Davis, Ryan N. Duggal, Robert Franklin, Katherine Gavinski, Heran Gebreyesus, Henry Z. Gong, Rachel A. Greenstein, Averill D. Guo, Casey Hanson, Kaitlin E. Homa, Simon C. Hsu, Yi Huang, Lucy Huo, Sarah Jacobs, Sasha Jia, Kyle L. Jung, Sarah Wai-Chee Kong, Matthew R. Kroll, Brandon M. Lee, Paul F. Lee, Kevin M. Levine, Amy S. Li, Chengyu Liu, Max Mian Liu, Adam P. Lousararian, Peter B. Lowery, Allyson P. Mallya, Joseph E. Marcus, Patrick C. Ng, Hien P. Nguyen, Ruchik Patel, Hashini Precht, Suchita Rastogi, Jonathan M. Sarezky, Adam Schefkind, Michael B. Schultz, Delia Shen, Tara Skorupa, Nicholas C. Spies, Gabriel Stancu, Hiu Man Vivian Tsang, Alice L. Turski, Rohit Venkat, Leah E. Waldman, Kaidi Wang, Tracy Wang, Jeffrey W. Wei, Dennis Y. Wu, David D. Xiong, Jack Yu, Karen Zhou, Gerard P. McNeil, Robert W. Fernandez, Patrick Gomez Menzies, Tingting Gu, Jeremy Buhler, Elaine R. Mardis, and Sarah C.R. Elgin

Subjects
Drosophila, genome size, heterochromatin, retrotransposons, Wolbachia, Genetics, QH426-470
Abstract

The discordance between genome size and the complexity of eukaryotes can partly be attributed to differences in repeat density. The Muller F element (∼5.2 Mb) is the smallest chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster, but it is substantially larger (>18.7 Mb) in D. ananassae. To identify the major contributors to the expansion of the F element and to assess their impact, we improved the genome sequence and annotated the genes in a 1.4-Mb region of the D. ananassae F element, and a 1.7-Mb region from the D element for comparison. We find that transposons (particularly LTR and LINE retrotransposons) are major contributors to this expansion (78.6%), while Wolbachia sequences integrated into the D. ananassae genome are minor contributors (0.02%). Both D. melanogaster and D. ananassae F-element genes exhibit distinct characteristics compared to D-element genes (e.g., larger coding spans, larger introns, more coding exons, and lower codon bias), but these differences are exaggerated in D. ananassae. Compared to D. melanogaster, the codon bias observed in D. ananassae F-element genes can primarily be attributed to mutational biases instead of selection. The 5′ ends of F-element genes in both species are enriched in dimethylation of lysine 4 on histone 3 (H3K4me2), while the coding spans are enriched in H3K9me2. Despite differences in repeat density and gene characteristics, D. ananassae F-element genes show a similar range of expression levels compared to genes in euchromatic domains. This study improves our understanding of how transposons can affect genome size and how genes can function within highly repetitive domains.

Published
2017
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6. A Broadly Implementable Research Course in Phage Discovery and Genomics for First-Year Undergraduate Students

Author

Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Sandra H. Burnett, Susan Carson, Steven M. Caruso, Kari Clase, Randall J. DeJong, John J. Dennehy, Dee R. Denver, David Dunbar, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Ann M. Findley, Chris R. Gissendanner, Urszula P. Golebiewska, Nancy Guild, Grant A. Hartzog, Wendy H. Grillo, Gail P. Hollowell, Lee E. Hughes, Allison Johnson, Rodney A. King, Lynn O. Lewis, Wei Li, Frank Rosenzweig, Michael R. Rubin, Margaret S. Saha, James Sandoz, Christopher D. Shaffer, Barbara Taylor, Louise Temple, Edwin Vazquez, Vassie C. Ware, Lucia P. Barker, Kevin W. Bradley, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Welkin H. Pope, Daniel A. Russell, Steven G. Cresawn, David Lopatto, Cheryl P. Bailey, and Graham F. Hatfull

Subjects
Microbiology, QR1-502
Abstract

ABSTRACT 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. IMPORTANCE 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.

Published
2014
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7. Instructional Models for Course-Based Research Experience (CRE) Teaching

Author

David I. Hanauer, Mark J. Graham, Rachel J. Arnold, Mary A. Ayuk, Mitchell F. Balish, Andrea R. Beyer, Kristen A. Butela, Christine A. Byrum, Catherine P. Chia, Hui-Min Chung, Kari L. Clase, Stephanie Conant, Roy J. Coomans, Tom D’Elia, Jason Diaz, Arturo Diaz, Jean A. Doty, Nicholas P. Edgington, Dustin C. Edwards, Elvira Eivazova, Christine B. Emmons, Kayla M. Fast, Emily J. Fisher, Christine L. Fleischacker, Gregory D. Frederick, Amanda C. Freise, Maria D. Gainey, Chris R. Gissendanner, Urszula P. Golebiewska, Nancy A. Guild, Heather L. Hendrickson, Christopher D. Herren, Margaret S. Hopson-Fernandes, Lee E. Hughes, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Allison A. Johnson, Bridgette L. Kirkpatrick, Karen K. Klyczek, Ann P. Koga, Hari Kotturi, Janine LeBlanc-Straceski, Julia Y. Lee-Soety, Justin E. Leonard, Matthew D. Mastropaolo, Evan C. Merkhofer, Scott F. Michael, Jon C. Mitchell, Swarna Mohan, Denise L. Monti, Christos Noutsos, Imade Y. Nsa, Nick T. Peters, Ruth Plymale, Richard S. Pollenz, Megan L. Porter, Claire A. Rinehart, German Rosas-Acosta, Joseph F. Ross, Michael R. Rubin, Anne E. Scherer, Stephanie C. Schroeder, Christopher D. Shaffer, Amy B. Sprenkle, C. Nicole Sunnen, Sarah J. Swerdlow, Deborah Tobiason, Sara S. Tolsma, Philippos K. Tsourkas, Robert E. Ward, Vassie C. Ware, Marcie H. Warner, Jacqueline M. Washington, Kristi M. Westover, Simon J. White, JoAnn L. Whitefleet-Smith, Daniel C. Williams, Michael J. Wolyniak, Jill H. Zeilstra-Ryalls, David J. Asai, Graham F. Hatfull, Viknesh Sivanathan, and Hewlett, James

Subjects
Models, Educational, Teaching, Faculty, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Education, Quality Education, Engineering, Models, Humans, Educational, Students, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Mathematics
Abstract

The course-based research experience (CRE) with its documented educational benefits is increasingly being implemented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. This article reports on a study that was done over a period of 3 years to explicate the instructional processes involved in teaching an undergraduate CRE. One hundred and two instructors from the established and large multi-institutional SEA-PHAGES program were surveyed for their understanding of the aims and practices of CRE teaching. This was followed by large-scale feedback sessions with the cohort of instructors at the annual SEA Faculty Meeting and subsequently with a small focus group of expert CRE instructors. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the survey data were analyzed for the aims of inquiry instruction and pedagogical practices used to achieve these goals. The results characterize CRE inquiry teaching as involving three instructional models: 1) being a scientist and generating data; 2) teaching procedural knowledge; and 3) fostering project ownership. Each of these models is explicated and visualized in terms of the specific pedagogical practices and their relationships. The models present a complex picture of the ways in which CRE instruction is conducted on a daily basis and can inform instructors and institutions new to CRE teaching.

Published
2022

8. Student Attitudes Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE

Author

David Lopatto, Anne G. Rosenwald, Rebecca C. Burgess, Catherine Silver Key, Melanie Van Stry, Matthew Wawersik, Justin R. DiAngelo, Amy T. Hark, Matthew Skerritt, Anna K. Allen, Consuelo Alvarez, Sara Anderson, Cindy Arrigo, Andrew Arsham, Daron Barnard, James E. J. Bedard, Indrani Bose, John M. Braverman, Martin G. Burg, Paula Croonquist, Chunguang Du, Sondra Dubowsky, Heather Eisler, Matthew A. Escobar, Michael Foulk, Thomas Giarla, Rivka L. Glaser, Anya L. Goodman, Yuying Gosser, Adam Haberman, Charles Hauser, Shan Hays, Carina E. Howell, Jennifer Jemc, Christopher J. Jones, Lisa Kadlec, Jacob D. Kagey, Kimberly L. Keller, Jennifer Kennell, Adam J. Kleinschmit, Melissa Kleinschmit, Nighat P. Kokan, Olga Ruiz Kopp, Meg M. Laakso, Judith Leatherman, Lindsey J. Long, Mollie Manier, Juan C. Martinez-Cruzado, Luis F. Matos, Amie Jo McClellan, Gerard McNeil, Evan Merkhofer, Vida Mingo, Hemlata Mistry, Elizabeth Mitchell, Nathan T. Mortimer, Jennifer Leigh Myka, Alexis Nagengast, Paul Overvoorde, Don Paetkau, Leocadia Paliulis, Susan Parrish, Stephanie Toering Peters, Mary Lai Preuss, James V. Price, Nicholas A. Pullen, Catherine Reinke, Dennis Revie, Srebrenka Robic, Jennifer A. Roecklein-Canfield, Michael R. Rubin, Takrima Sadikot, Jamie Siders Sanford, Maria Santisteban, Kenneth Saville, Stephanie Schroeder, Christopher D. Shaffer, Karim A. Sharif, Diane E. Sklensky, Chiyedza Small, Sheryl Smith, Rebecca Spokony, Aparna Sreenivasan, Joyce Stamm, Rachel Sterne-Marr, Katherine C. Teeter, Justin Thackeray, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Norma Velazquez-Ulloa, Cindy Wolfe, James Youngblom, Brian Yowler, Leming Zhou, Janie Brennan, Jeremy Buhler, Wilson Leung, Sarah C. R. Elgin, and Laura K. Reed

Subjects
General Immunology and Microbiology, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Education
Abstract

The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) engages students in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). To better understand the student attributes that support success in this CURE, we asked students about their attitudes using previously published scales that measure epistemic beliefs about work and science, interest in science, and grit. We found, in general, that the attitudes students bring with them into the classroom contribute to two outcome measures, namely, learning as assessed by a pre- and postquiz and perceived self-reported benefits. While the GEP CURE produces positive outcomes overall, the students with more positive attitudes toward science, particularly with respect to epistemic beliefs, showed greater gains. The findings indicate the importance of a student's epistemic beliefs to achieving positive learning outcomes.

Published
2021

9. Genomic diversity of bacteriophages infecting Microbacterium spp

Author

Arturo Diaz, Kirk R. Anders, Travis N. Mavrich, Claire A. Rinehart, Haley G. Aull, Ty H. Stoner, Lawrence Abad, Ashley M. Divens, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Heather Hendrickson, Susan M. R. Gurney, Richard S. Pollenz, Lee E. Hughes, Lawrence S. Blumer, Viknesh Sivanathan, Hari Kotturi, Vassie C. Ware, Evan C. Merkhofer, Tom D’Elia, Jordan Moberg Parker, Dana A. Pape-Zambito, Jamie R. Wallen, Suparna S. Bhalla, Karen K. Klyczek, David Bollivar, J. Alfred Bonilla, Kenneth W. Grant, Roy J. Coomans, JoAnn L. Whitefleet-Smith, Nicholas P. Edgington, Sally D. Molloy, Nathan S. Reyna, Denise L Monti, Richard M Alvey, Kristi M. Westover, Daniel C Williams, Gregory D. Frederick, Helen Wiersma-Koch, Steven G. Cresawn, Sara S. Tolsma, Kristen Butela, Jacqueline Washington, Angela L. McKinney, Marcie H. Warner, Margaret A. Kenna, Joseph Stukey, Philippos K. Tsourkas, Welkin H. Pope, Christopher D. Shaffer, Daniel A. Russell, C. Nicole Sunnen, Maria D. Gainey, Graham F. Hatfull, Kira M. Zack, and Rebecca A. Garlena

Subjects
Genes, Viral, viruses, Genome, Recombineering, Virions, Bacteriophage, Database and Informatics Methods, Capsids, Caudovirales, Bacteriophages, Phylogeny, Genetics, 0303 health sciences, education.field_of_study, Base Composition, Viral Genomics, Multidisciplinary, biology, Genomics, Actinobacteria, Viruses, Medicine, Sequence Analysis, Research Article, Bioinformatics, Science, Microbacterium, Population, Genome, Viral, Microbial Genomics, Viral Structure, Research and Analysis Methods, Microbiology, 03 medical and health sciences, Sequence Motif Analysis, Virology, education, Gene Prediction, Gene, 030304 developmental biology, 030306 microbiology, Organisms, Genetic Variation, Biology and Life Sciences, Computational Biology, Comparative Genomics, biology.organism_classification, Genome Analysis, DNA, Viral, Viral Fusion Proteins
Abstract

The bacteriophage population is vast, dynamic, old, and genetically diverse. The genomics of phages that infect bacterial hosts in the phylum Actinobacteria show them to not only be diverse but also pervasively mosaic, and replete with genes of unknown function. To further explore this broad group of bacteriophages, we describe here the isolation and genomic characterization of 116 phages that infect Microbacterium spp. Most of the phages are lytic, and can be grouped into twelve clusters according to their overall relatedness; seven of the phages are singletons with no close relatives. Genome sizes vary from 17.3 kbp to 97.7 kbp, and their G+C% content ranges from 51.4% to 71.4%, compared to ~67% for their Microbacterium hosts. The phages were isolated on five different Microbacterium species, but typically do not efficiently infect strains beyond the one on which they were isolated. These Microbacterium phages contain many novel features, including very large viral genes (13.5 kbp) and unusual fusions of structural proteins, including a fusion of VIP2 toxin and a MuF-like protein into a single gene. These phages and their genetic components such as integration systems, recombineering tools, and phage-mediated delivery systems, will be useful resources for advancing Microbacterium genetics.

Published
2020

10. Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

Author

John M. Braverman, Kenneth Saville, Mollie K. Manier, Katherine C. Teeter, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Rachel Sterne-Marr, Debaditya Mukhopadhyay, Adam Haberman, M. Logan Johnson, Jacob D. Kagey, Emily Furbee, Matthew A. Escobar, Vida Mingo, Stephanie Schroeder, Srebrenka Robic, Anya Goodman, Catherine Reinke, Yuying Gosser, Meg M. Laakso, Mary A. Smith, Daron C. Barnard, Christopher Bazinet, Nathan T. Mortimer, Mary L. Preuss, Cindy Arrigo, Paul J. Overvoorde, Elizabeth Mitchell, Rebecca C. Burgess, Wilson Leung, Diane Sklensky, Laura K. Reed, Lindsey J. Long, Don W. Paetkau, Melissa Kleinschmit, Judith Leatherman, Olga R. Kopp, Janie Brennan, Joyce Stamm, Chunguang Du, Norma A. Velázquez-Ulloa, Thomas C. Giarla, Gerard P. McNeil, Justin Thackeray, Andrew M. Arsham, Jeremy Buhler, Jennifer A. Kennell, Sara J. Anderson, Leming Zhou, Takrima Sadikot, Alexis Nagengast, Susan Parrish, Heather L. Eisler, Dennis Revie, Leocadia V. Paliulis, Chiyedza Small, Anna K. Allen, Amy T. Hark, James E. J. Bedard, Lisa Kadlec, Jeffery S. Thompson, Paula Croonquist, James V. Price, Stephanie Toering Peters, Evan C. Merkhofer, Melanie Van Stry, Matthew Skerritt, Anne G. Rosenwald, Cindy Wolfe, Nicholas Pullen, Nighat P. Kokan, Sondra Dubowsky, Jamie Siders Sanford, Rebecca Spokony, Luis F. Matos, Christopher D. Shaffer, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Justin R. DiAngelo, Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Maria Soledad Santisteban, Sheryl T. Smith, Juan Carlos Martínez-Cruzado, Indrani Bose, Christopher J. Jones, Adam Kleinschmit, Brian Yowler, Karim A. Sharif, S. Catherine Silver Key, Amie J. McClellan, Matthew Wawersik, Jennifer C. Jemc, Carina E. Howell, Hemlata Mistry, Rivka L. Glaser, Shan Hays, Kimberly L. Keller, Michael R. Rubin, Martin G. Burg, David Lopatto, Charles R. Hauser, James J. Youngblom, Jennifer Leigh Myka, Michael S. Foulk, and Aparna Sreenivasan

Subjects
QH301-705.5, Process (engineering), media_common.quotation_subject, Frustration, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Education, Formative assessment, 03 medical and health sciences, Mathematics education, Biology (General), Set (psychology), lcsh:QH301-705.5, 030304 developmental biology, media_common, lcsh:LC8-6691, 0303 health sciences, LC8-6691, lcsh:Special aspects of education, General Immunology and Microbiology, Research, 4. Education, 05 social sciences, 050301 education, Special aspects of education, Focus group, lcsh:Biology (General), Undergraduate research, General partnership, Working through, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Psychology, 0503 education
Abstract

A hallmark of the research experience is encountering experimental difficulty and working through that challenge to reach success. The ability to overcome scientific challenges is essential to being a successful scientist, but replicating these challenges can be difficult in a teaching setting. The Genomics Education Partnership (GEP) is a consortium of faculty who engage their students in a genomics Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE). Students participate in genome annotation, generating gene models using multiple lines of experimental evidence. Our observations suggested that the students’ learning experience in this research is continuous and recursive, frequently beginning with frustration but eventually leading to success. In order to explore our “formative frustration” hypothesis, we gathered data about this research experience from faculty via a survey, and from students both via a general survey and a small set of focus groups administered at the end of the GEP CURE. All three datasets contained comments mentioning frustration and struggle, as well as learning and better understanding of the scientific process. Bioinformatics projects are particularly well suited to the process of iteration and refinement because iterations can be performed quickly and are inexpensive in both time and money. Based on these findings, we suggest that a dynamic of what we have deemed “formative frustration” is an important aspect for a successful CURE.

Published
2020

11. Retrotransposons Are the Major Contributors to the Expansion of the Drosophila ananassae Muller F Element

Author

Rachael K Bridgman, Rachel A Greenstein, Maxine E Wykle, Insun Chong, Harrison Friedman, Casey Hanson, Kelly Drumm, Tingting Gu, Marium Feliciano-Camacho, Juliana Broussard, Jackie Alexander, Patrick A Schneider, Joyce Stamm, Kevin M. Levine, Jennifer Bland, Zenyth A Sheppard, Marlee B Nelson, Adam S Rinaldi, John M. Braverman, Elizabeth Zavala-Arellano, Nicholas C. Spies, Kara Tsukashima, Monika C Lemke, Ellen N Niemiec, Dale L. Beach, Krystal L Holtcamp, Mitchell J McDonald, Nadia Safa, Karim A. Sharif, Martin G. Burg, Diana L. E. Johnson, Danielle R Perry, Amy S Li, Victoria R Zellmer, Jack Y. Yu, Joan Q Lawrence, Nighat P. Kokan, Raquel Montañez-Gonzalez, Kaitlin E Homa, Perouza Parsamian, Kaitlyn E Takach, Shane M. Patao, Matthew Simon, Adam C Wernette, Chun L Ng, S Mariel Ramey, Gabrielle L. Hussey, Charles R. Hauser, Karolyn Barker, Danielle M Kramer, Alexis M Ceasrine, Mariela Taboas-Arroyo, Rebekah Lee, Alexandra L Hertz, Charlotte M Brown, Gabriel Stancu, Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco, Lindsey J Suriano, Kyle L. Jung, Sami Mamari, Gary R. Skuse, Thomas J Quisenberry, Laura K. Reed, Don W. Paetkau, Victoria Chevee, Kerry Campbell, Adam Haberman, Ghazal Stity, Antoinette E. Fafara-Thompson, Breanna Haiker, Maddison F McEvilly, Isaac C Veysey-White, Robert J Allen, Susana S Apiz-Saab, Madeline M Martin, Edward Himelblau, Laura T Vives, Arielle M Vasquez, Nathan T. Mortimer, Catherine O'Keeffe, Elizabeth J Villafuerte, Shannon R. McCartha, Kirsten Bickford, Max Kollmer, Henry Z Gong, Grzegorz L. Polak, Joanna J Smith, Terrance Embry, Katelynn E Deibel, Matt Van Camp, Devon E Schultz, Sarah Wai-Chee Kong, Leah E Waldman, Suzette M. Arias-Mejias, Yakov Shevin, Richard McGuire, Danny Mammo, Sarah K Hilton, Max Mian Liu, Jaclyn D Campbell, Robert W. Fernandez, Baljit Bedi, Jordan A Black, Christopher Scheiber, Chengyu Liu, Lindsay M Prescod, Lindsay M Corbeill, Patricia N Claudio-Vazquez, Jeremy Buhler, Michael J Pavia, Holly Lyn Robbins, Luis A. Jimenez, Tanveer Sandhu, James J. Youngblom, Jordan E. Matthews, Katherine Gavinski, Rahul Nadendla, Olivia A Pahl, Hien P Nguyen, Sasha Jia, Stephanie M Grieb, Joseph E Marcus, Michael B. Schultz, Amber M. Gygi, Emily A Morlock, Karina M Gonzalez-Bonilla, Paola Villegas, Jeffrey W Wei, Christopher J. Jones, Guadalupe Quintana, Kaidi Wang, Hiu Man Vivian Tsang, Ruchik Patel, Heaven L Cerritos, Thomas C. Giarla, Gerard P. McNeil, Michael R. Rubin, Mary E Franks, Jordan R Ramirez, Maiye Her, Matt Segal, Mark Scheuerman, Emmy E. Ogawa, Darryl Lopez, Robert M. Gingras, Simon Hsu, Amy T. Hark, Zuzana Kocsisova, Dennis Revie, Christopher Bazinet, Kevin Ko, Jeremy S Davis, Deana Gabbard, Amanda Boozalis, Suchita Rastogi, Jeffery Bettincourt, Laura Schiraldi, Edward A Horansky, Amanda H Cox, Susan Parrish, Kristine Ostby, Sarah M. Jacobs, Jesse J Ensign, Kevin Kumimoto, Paul F Lee, Nicholas U. Schwartz, David D. Xiong, Susan E Herman, Allison E. McClish, Averill D Guo, Cody M Mittig, Heran Gebreyesus, Allison R Wagner, Katherine J Olson, Lucy Huo, William D. Barshop, Victoria R Sochor, Francisco J Rivera-Rosario, Samatha K Begley, James E. B. Docherty, Brandon Lee, Eric P. Spana, Abubakarr Bangura, Sarah A Einsteen, Luke Schmidt, Arianne E. Rodriguez, Samantha Parsons, Ryan Duggal, Karen Zhou, George Odisho, Tam Vuong, Erin Duso, Adam P Lousararian, Stephanie L Christ, Christopher D. Shaffer, Myrielis Rivera-Burgos, Sam Asinof, Dennis Y. Wu, Torie L Richardson, Heather L. Eisler, Allyson P Mallya, Brittney Stanton, Elizabeth J. Chen, Laurie Cannon, Briana D McRae, Peter B Lowery, Alicia R Carroll, Judith Leatherman, Guillermo Perez-Aragon, Joshua M Lorenz-Guertin, Delia Shen, Erica Enoch, Peter Wendland, Wilson Leung, Elaine R. Mardis, Adam Schefkind, Thomas Q. Xu, Wint Yan Aung, Darrin T. Schultz, Misha A Host, Hani Yosif, Ashleigh P O'Reilly, Eric Spencer, Melissa D. Patao, Jonathan M Sarezky, Matthew R Kroll, Casey L Personius, Alice Turski, Julie Beth Gillespie, S. Catherine Silver Key, Hashini Precht, Harriette Carrington, Stella Rosen, Yi Huang, Joseph Perez-Otero, Jeanette Hauke, Elizabeth A S Rettie, Petros Svoronos, Nicholaus Monsma, Kelsey F. Sugrue, Latia Britt, Tracy Wang, Patrick Gomez Menzies, Alycia Zoellner, Francesca M Gifford, Carlos F Carrion-Ortiz, Lyndsay D Kirkland, Ryan Moran, Vinayak S. Nikam, Spencer M Batten, Vanessa P Chu, Justin R. DiAngelo, Sheryl T. Smith, Ximena Velez, Tara Skorupa, Alen Ramic, Ricky Prasad, Richard Forka, Ken Saville, Ben Chlebina, Robert Franklin, Drew Miller-Foreman, Judith A Ingles, Rohit Venkat, Jennifer J Palomino, Debbie M Espada-Green, Cassie M Modahl, William A Hilton, Tracy Selfridge, Mona O Rodriguez, Samantha House, Srebrenka Robic, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Patrick Ng, Masud Karimi, and Zachariah Wichman

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Genetics, Euchromatin, biology, Drosophila ananassae, heterochromatin, Retrotransposon, Investigations, QH426-470, biology.organism_classification, Genome, retrotransposons, 03 medical and health sciences, 030104 developmental biology, Codon usage bias, genome size, Drosophila, Drosophila melanogaster, Molecular Biology, Genome size, Gene, Genetics (clinical), Wolbachia
Abstract

The discordance between genome size and the complexity of eukaryotes can partly be attributed to differences in repeat density. The Muller F element (∼5.2 Mb) is the smallest chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster, but it is substantially larger (>18.7 Mb) in D. ananassae. To identify the major contributors to the expansion of the F element and to assess their impact, we improved the genome sequence and annotated the genes in a 1.4-Mb region of the D. ananassae F element, and a 1.7-Mb region from the D element for comparison. We find that transposons (particularly LTR and LINE retrotransposons) are major contributors to this expansion (78.6%), while Wolbachia sequences integrated into the D. ananassae genome are minor contributors (0.02%). Both D. melanogaster and D. ananassae F-element genes exhibit distinct characteristics compared to D-element genes (e.g., larger coding spans, larger introns, more coding exons, and lower codon bias), but these differences are exaggerated in D. ananassae. Compared to D. melanogaster, the codon bias observed in D. ananassae F-element genes can primarily be attributed to mutational biases instead of selection. The 5′ ends of F-element genes in both species are enriched in dimethylation of lysine 4 on histone 3 (H3K4me2), while the coding spans are enriched in H3K9me2. Despite differences in repeat density and gene characteristics, D. ananassae F-element genes show a similar range of expression levels compared to genes in euchromatic domains. This study improves our understanding of how transposons can affect genome size and how genes can function within highly repetitive domains.

Published
2017

12. Complete Genome Sequences of Streptomyces lividans Bacteriophages Satis and JustBecause

Author

Lucia Grandison, Nicole Curnutt, Kathleen Weston-Hafer, Matthew McDermut, Andrew Cao, Brooke M. Felsheim, Kelly Hartigan, Xuejing Xu, John Hudson Alarcon, Saransh Gothi, Kaeli-Skye Spight, Christopher D. Shaffer, and Yongzhen Chen

Subjects
Genetics, 0303 health sciences, biology, Genome Sequences, 030302 biochemistry & molecular biology, Prolate spheroid, biology.organism_classification, Genome, Streptomyces, 03 medical and health sciences, Streptomyces lividans, Immunology and Microbiology (miscellaneous), Molecular Biology, 030304 developmental biology
Abstract

We present here the complete genomes of two Streptomyces bacteriophages, Satis and JustBecause. Both phages were isolated directly from soil samples collected in St. Louis, MO, and present with an unusual prolate head morphology and large genome lengths of over 180 kb.

Published
2019

13. Eight Genome Sequences of Cluster BE1 Phages That Infect

Author

Lee E, Hughes, Christopher D, Shaffer, Vassie C, Ware, Issac, Aguayo, Rahat M, Aziz, Swapan, Bhuiyan, Isaac S, Bindert, Canyon K, Calovich-Benne, Jordyn, Chapman, Richard, Donegan-Quick, Amal, Farooq, Cynthia, Garcia, Lee H, Graham, Baylee Y, Green, Margaret A, Kenna, Emily R, Kneeream, Christian E, Laing, Catherine M, Mageeney, Sandra N, Meridew, Abigail R, Mikolon, Ryann E, Morgan, Subhayu, Nayek, Idowu D, Olugbade, Kim C, Pike, Lauren E, Schlegel, Taylor C, Shishido, Tara, Suresh, Nikita, Suri, Kathleen, Weston Hafer, Rebecca A, Garlena, Daniel A, Russell, Steven G, Cresawn, Welkin H, Pope, Deborah, Jacobs-Sera, and Graham F, Hatfull

Subjects
viruses, Viruses
Abstract

Cluster BE1 Streptomyces bacteriophages belong to the Siphoviridae, with genome sizes over 130 kbp, and they contain direct terminal repeats of approximately 11 kbp. Eight newly isolated closely related cluster BE1 phages contain 43 to 48 tRNAs, one transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), and 216 to 236 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), but few of their genes are shared with other phages, including those infecting Streptomyces species.

Published
2018

14. Eight Genome Sequences of Cluster BE1 Phages That Infect Streptomyces Species

Author

Cynthia Garcia, Amal Farooq, Taylor C. Shishido, Rahat M. Aziz, Subhayu Nayek, Lee E. Hughes, Kathleen Weston Hafer, Catherine M. Mageeney, Canyon K. Calovich-Benne, Lauren E. Schlegel, Rebecca A. Garlena, Ryann E. Morgan, Vassie C. Ware, Christopher D. Shaffer, Isaac S. Bindert, Margaret A. Kenna, Welkin H. Pope, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Graham F. Hatfull, Steven G. Cresawn, Daniel A. Russell, Nikita Suri, Richard Donegan-Quick, Idowu D. Olugbade, Kim C. Pike, Swapan Bhuiyan, Emily R. Kneeream, Jordyn Chapman, Abigail R. Mikolon, Tara Suresh, Lee H. Graham, Sandra N. Meridew, Issac Aguayo, Baylee Y. Green, and Christian Laing

Subjects
0301 basic medicine, Genetics, biology, RNA, Disease cluster, biology.organism_classification, Genome, Streptomyces, Siphoviridae, 03 medical and health sciences, Open reading frame, 030104 developmental biology, ORFS, Molecular Biology, Gene
Abstract

Cluster BE1 Streptomyces bacteriophages belong to the Siphoviridae , with genome sizes over 130 kbp, and they contain direct terminal repeats of approximately 11 kbp. Eight newly isolated closely related cluster BE1 phages contain 43 to 48 tRNAs, one transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), and 216 to 236 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), but few of their genes are shared with other phages, including those infecting Streptomyces species.

Published
2018

15. Drosophila Muller F Elements Maintain a Distinct Set of Genomic Properties Over 40 Million Years of Evolution

Author

Raechel Harnoto, Morgan C. Anderson, Amy Z. Xu, Heather Hedeen, Arnaldo J. Santiago-Sanabria, Brandy L. Hammond, Kenneth Saville, Ross D. Kooienga, Christopher Chesley, Robert W. Morris, Aubree T. Gillis, Brittney Offenbacker, Katherine C. Palozola, Trisha Tomkins, Nicole Yu, Matthew Kwong, Megan E. Aldrup, Jordan E. Kus, Chelsey Friedrichs, Kenneth Stapleton, Carly E. Pelchen, Norma Chamma, Joshua F. Machone, Danielle Kulich, Andre Kennedy, Matt J. Crowley, Daniel Broomfield, Adeola Adebayo, Nicolas Ragland, Shady Messiah, Jonathan Misch, Meghan B. Rooney, Eva N. Rubio-Marrero, Will Sherrill, Joyce Stamm, Rachel R. Leads, Lindsey Shantzer, Alexis J. Scott, Andrew W. Waggoner, Kristen M. Cooper, Adam Haberman, Carmen A. Watchinski, Marcos A. Perez, Lisa Kadlec, Kiara N. Medina-Ortega, Kayla Chapman, Cheryl Bailey, Nicholas Fazzio, Insun Chong, Lasse Schmidt, Darla M. Balthaser, Megan DeShetler, Jien Shim, Anna Rogers, Chris Uitvlugt, Bryan Yarrington, Ruth A. Howe, Andrea Ochoa, Gregory J. Mullen, Young Lu Kim, Olivia L Knowles, Kevin M. Levine, Matthew M. Villerot, Thomas J. Rose, Jonathan E. Smith, Sukhjit Kaur, Roshni Patel, Olivia Plante, Tenzin Choeying, Jennifer R. Ramthun, Tiffany Y. Y. Choi, Michael Rahimi, Guzal Khayrullina, Lauren R. Boudreaux, James E. J. Bedard, Brian A. Dow, Christopher A. Louie, Kenneth S. Smith, Joannee Zumkehr, Marcus Gostelow, Melissa A. Tache, Tiffany Dai, Joan D. Zambrana-Burgos, Lauren R. Meyer, Carter Brown, Adam Brown, Travis Lamb, Carissa Belella, Hannah Gilman, David DuPuis, Ramón E. Rivera-Vicéns, Priyanka Naik, Anna L. Shipman, Jad El-Adaimi, Eric Spencer, Jonathan D. Marra, Melissa D. Patao, Sharon Ibarra, Jiayu Zhang, Ashley Vetor, Bobbi Botsford, Jenifer Winters, Nelson A. Valentín-Feliciano, Lauren M. Robinson, Christopher R. Macchi, Jennifer Hernández-Muñiz, E. Gloria C. Regisford, Jaelyn L. Johnson, Cory M. Dauphin, Tezin A. Walji, Matthew A. Zaborowicz, Stacey Winkler, Shannon M. Lowell, Marly R. McCracken, Andrew Adams, Lindsay A. Spaeder, Matthew W. Wolski, Adrese Kandahari, Fabiola Robles-Juarbe, Bryce A. Turner, Ángel L. Laboy-Corales, David T. Watson, Elaine J. Durchholz, Vanessa Rodriguez, Emily J. Teepe, Alaina C. Conturso, Eric Nyabeta Onsarigo, Tijana Martinov, Rohit Venkat, Charles R. Hauser, Priya Srikanth, Marwan Ibrahem, Karl E. Smith, Jessica M. Tucci, Ethan J. Brock, Aparna Sreenivasan, Jasmine Hales, Brianna K. Barnard, Andrew P. Stein, Jessica G. Thomas, Mallory Perella, Lorraine Rodriguez-Bonilla, Shekerah Primus, Zachary D. Moore, Caitlin M. Ament, Amber N. Hare, Brad Pamnani, Eugenia A. Soliterman, Christina Paluskievicz, Yashira M. Valentín-Feliciano, Alexandra K. Eckardt, Anya Goodman, Joseph W. Noynaert, Ashlee G. Johnson, Tyneshia C. P. Henry, Camille D. Ratliff, Ian O. Chase, Michel A. Conn, Jessica Koehler, Daniela Martiniuc, Allison J. Schepers, Megan B. Vylonis, Chrystel Dol, William Dirkes, Michelle S. Rivera-Llovet, Susana Rodríguez-Santiago, Heather L. Eisler, Mary L. Preuss, Daymon Peterson, Martin G. Burg, Aaditya Khatri, John R. Woytanowski, Holly Schiedermayer, Dara Cohn, Leah E Waldman, William M. Morris, Sharon C. Ehret, Marianna Defendini-Ávila, Jessica Fese, Suzette M. Arias-Mejias, Anna Kammrath, William D. Barshop, Edwin G. Ramírez-Aponte, Luis A. Jimenez, Carolina Marques dos Santos Vieira, Cody D. Kern, Francheska M. Delgado-Peraza, Tiffany Wan, Janice L. Krumm, Osagie Ighile, Eric D. Sassu, Jess M. Darusz, Laura Rodela, Daniel S. Nicolas, Shubha Govind, Mary Miller, Joseph E Marcus, Jason Pollack, Rostislav Castillo, Daniel Coomes, Matthew J. Borr, Diana Pérez-Afanador, Lucas A. Watson, Hannah C. Koaches, Amber Quintana, Faith H. Kung, Cameron B. Harris, Bridget M. Janssen, Cristina Zambrana-Echevarría, Jennifer K. Jones, Ian Dobbe, Benjamin M. Lewis, Lena N. Lupey, Julia A. Hilbrands, Cristina Montero Diez, Jorge L. Santiago-Ortiz, Dustin S. Woyski, Sandy D. Mach, Joseph Perez-Otero, Karim A. Sharif, Carlos Mendoza, John D. Fitzgibbons, Nelson H. Knudsen, Christy MacKinnon, Hayley M. Faber, Kwabea Agbley, Michelle Heslop, Olivia Cyrankowski, Priscilla Rodriguez, Melissa Jones, Jean M. Strelitz, Ryan A. Grove, Rachel A Greenstein, Michael Murillo, Elizabeth Greiner-Sosanko, Ciani Jean Sparks, Darryl McFarland, Franca G. Rossi, Heran Gebreyesus, Chris Kay, Danielle Ladzekpo, Chris Harward, Jordan S. Christie, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Elaine V. Morlock, Geoff Scott, Kelsey Hockenberger, Sepo Musokotwane, Adam Fearnow, Lauren J. Keny, Alaina J. Grantham, Evangelina Reza, Mike Colgan, Melanie K. Regan, Stephanie J. Potocny, Sasha L. Dorsett, Tara Skorupa, Valerie M. Gónzalez-Pérez, Vinayak S. Nikam, Anne C. Meier, Varun Sundaram, Helen B. Rankin, Andrew B. Nylander, Mariela Gines-Rosario, Laurell MacMillian, Jeannette M. Osterloh, Robert H. Allen, Melanie A. Smith, Sarah J. Spencer, Cheri M. Ackerman, Jeffrey L. Poet, Amanda J. Hay, Isaac O. Armistead, Laura K. Reed, Don W. Paetkau, Bib Yang, Enid M. Quintana-Torres, Kathryn L. Golden, Lauren A. DiLorenzo, Alen Ramic, Mark T. LeBlanc, Carl J. Minniti, Robert J. Bailey, Kristen M. Thomsen, Ashley L. Adams, Chad A. Koplinsky, Eliezer O. Perez-Colomba, Nicole A. Howey, Katie A. TerMeer, Stephanie Intriago, Christina N. Kufel, Mary Waters, Bo Liu, Thomas J. Bahr, Ashley R. Miller, Claire Pattison, Morgan R. Light, Amy T. Hark, Jennifer S. Doty, Catherine M. Mageeney, Adam J. Ronk, Nadezhda Fefelova, Andrew R. Armstrong, Maida Chen, Elizabeth Macias, Kim M. Chau, Paul Bilinski, Trevor G. Floyd, Cassidy T. Lee, Jenna C. Tenney, Bob Gardner, Patricia Ortiz-Ortiz, Elizabeth S. Jewell, Gabi Lucas, Brandon Lee, Jenifer N. Jarrell, Jimmy Hsiang-Chun Chang, Lorraine Malkowitz, Ulises Marrero-Llerena, Gabriel Stancu, Matthew R. Unzicker, Andrea P. Burgos-Bula, Michelle L. Miller, Elisandra Rivera, Kate Bagaeva, Jessica W. Polk, Jordan E. Carney, Maureen Corrielus, Jana Nietmann, Jeff Howenstein, Elizabeth Kiernan, Sabya A. Rauf, Brandon M. Katz, Elizabeth C. Nordman, Devon Shallman, Eric M. Clark, Lenin Lopez, Karen J. Kraftmann, Leslie Guadron, Julia Kuhn, Allison R. Schneiter, Satish C. Bhalla, Emily J. Howell, Blair Undem, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Arelys Flores-Vazquez, John Kiley, Cody M. Morrow, Joseline Serrano-González, John Mark Knepper, Christopher Beck, Calise Debow, Anna L. Smith, Angelica Garcia, Shelbi Christgen, Shadie Emiah, Tammy Mazur, Rachel E. VanDyken, Frank R. Soto delValle, Zachary Nichols, William R. Kennedy, Ameer Zidan, Douglas A. Herrick, Thomas Q. Xu, Elizabeth Shoop, Jessica A. Kampmeier, John M. Kerber, Caitlin Pozmanter, Emily L. Hong, Frederic J. Deuschle, Allyson B. Rivard, William Neutzling, Joseph V. Moran, Benjamin K. Johnson, Jacob Jipp, Shannon R. McCartha, Abby Vrable, Z. Goodwin, Suchita Rastogi, Alyssa M. Newman, Lionel Ortiz-Fuentes, Arjun A. Anilkumar, Bryan M. Hennessy, Hui-Min Chung, Katie L. Goeller, Carlos E. Santos-Ramos, Adam Dillman, Christine D. Wilson, Sarah J. Peacock, Andrew J. Kim, Carol I. Morales-Caraballo, Briana Brinkley, Justin Alldredge, Rebecca Krock, Kristen C. Davis, David Dunbar, Joshua L. Manghelli, Erica K. Earl, Katherine Gavinski, Sheryl T. Smith, Portia Mason, Lindsay J. Hoogenboom, Jessen T. Havill, Sonya G. Méndez-Castellanos, Darrin T. Schultz, Katherine J. Faber, Allison O’Rouke, Emily G. Miller, Yara Ashrawi, Curtiss E. Lane, Saryleine Ortiz-DeChoudens, Michael W. Sandusky, Andrew Montgomery, Rita Kabaso, Todd Aronhalt, Jonathan D. Foust, Jorge Ruiz, Eric Helmreich, Todd T. Eckdahl, Charlotte Lea, Kevin Coulson, Kristin M. French, Kate A. Woodard, Brandon J. Burkhart, Kylie McNeil, Curtis R. Edwards, Jimmy Ma, Darcie D. Elder, Tia DiTommaso, Nicholaus Monsma, Sarah A. Jelgerhuis, Stephanie J. Adams, Nichole Rigby, Heather L. Holderness, Charlotte Williams, Megan Donegan, Taylor S. Harding, Javier O. Martinez-Rodriguez, Sandeep Venkataram, Tiffany Wong, Anika Toorie, Jenny L. Rose, Ashley S. Brown, Sarah A. Popelka, Matthew Williams, Julie Bryant, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Sonali Kumar, Joshua Burkhardt, William J. Puetz, Erica L. Alvendia, Richard A. Tumminello, Kesley Parry, Joshua R. Smith, Ashley F. Custer, Carlos E. Ortiz, Yedda Li, April E. Bednarski, Simon Ng, Max Mandelbaum, Arlene J. Hoogewerf, Chelsea A. Walker, Ryan S. Lee, Jeannette Wong, Isabella Theresa Felzer-Kim, Harrison Friedman, Megan Bourland, Luis R. Colón-Cruz, Lucy Liu, Nicole C. Olson, Yi Ren, Adam P Lousararian, José M. Cruz-García, Charlie Manchee, Kyle Zoll, Kristina M. Stemler, Juliana Belén-Rodríguez, Ashley S. Timko, Jane Lopilato, England Raimey, Amy D. Melton, Joshua D. Forsyth, Christopher D. Savell, Himabindu Reddy, Alica B. Allen, Amanda Maffa, Daniel W. Cassidy, Luciann Bracero-Quiñones, Eric Lemmon, Justina R. Bartling, Bradley J. Ogden, Petros Svoronos, Mary Spratt, Lisa Sudmeier, Héctor A. Martell-Martínez, James F. Geary, Bridget J. Sessions, Christopher Campana, Kaitlyn A. Downey, Seth G. Dawson, Daniella Menillo, Casey Hanson, James M. Bellush, Justin A. Gonzales, Roy Song, Karvyn Torchon, Betsy Hoover, Michael Closser, Lacey Neufeld, Micah Shelton, Benjamin R. Does, Juan Carlos Martínez-Cruzado, Jordan S. Baumgardner, Nicole Chichearo, Mary T. Reilly, Colleen V. Kelley, Monica Yalamanchili, Dawn Lau, Abbie Morgan, Alyssa Cifelli, Milton R. Herrold, Ambreen Khan, James Messler, Kyle Westphal, James L. Kehoe, Juliana A. Wurzler, Garrett Salzman, Tracy Wang, Charlene Emerson, Lyndsey A. Reynolds, Alysha Moretti, Marita K. Abrams, Mara G. Cole, Michael B. Schultz, Samantha Cruz, Natalie Ngai, Nadia Safa, Vicente Velasquez, Ashley Townsend, Jonathan L. Crooke-Rosado, Amber M. Gygi, Ishwar S. Gill, Christopher McLaughlin, Dorianmarie Vargas-Franco, Alissa Beckett, Samantha Vue, Nadine L. Rossi, Justina Chinwong, Ryan Michael Rempe, Trip Freeburg, Amy J. Johnson, Omolara Glenn, Jade Lea Rekai, Hashini Gunasinghe, Vivienne Echendu, Marshall Strother, Morgan Baker, Christopher D. Smith, Paolo A. DaSilva, Noelle Delacruz, Tiara Tirasawasdichai, Yakov Shevin, Wilfried Guiblet, Shane M. Patao, Peterson R. Cullimore, Giancarlo F. Garbagnati, Adam E. Musick, Sarah C. Butzler, Jonathan D. Presley, Ana I. Correa-Muller, Christopher D. Shaffer, Chunguang Du, Ryan D. Mitchell, Jonathan P. Rennhack, Barbara L. Hopkins, Mary E. Shaw, Jessica E. Hill, Jeremy N. Wong, Anna Kim, Christopher B. Khoury, Julia Chapman, Amanda T. Mercer, Jessica A. Shuen, Joyce H. Lau, I.N. Falk, Sunil Rathore, Christopher J. Jones, Laura Simone Bisogno, Nighat P. Kokan, Paul Yenerall, Amber L. Price, Kelsey T. Bushhouse, Stephen L. McDaniel, Andrew P. Drake, Johnathan D. English, Sampson K. Boham, Robert A. Herbstsomer, Daniel S. Fosselman, Kevin Babilonia-Figueroa, Matthew Simon, Anne G. Rosenwald, Bryan J. Rupley, Heather Cohen, Victoria Scala, Avery B. Cromwell, Christopher E. Blunden, Yelena P. Davis, William B. Armstrong, Kristine Ostby, Joanna Haye, Lauren M. Wysocki, Lena Christiansen, Allison A. Throm, Sarah Flohr, Matthew Wawersik, Rebecca J. Cotteleer, Kristen R Ramirez, Dontae A. Jacobs, Sarah Woehlke, Gregory S. Messenger, Soham Aso, Nicole Clarke-Medley, Bryant R. Swanson, Lindsay K. Brouwer, S. Catherine Silver Key, Stephanie Zarrasola, Michael S. Salgado, Dong K. Rhee, Mai Abdelnabi, Eve VanEck, Jeremy Buhler, Sarah Kong, Turner Conrad, Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Marykathryn Tynon, Brian J. Maniaci, Alexa M. McDonough, Ivan G. Llavona-Cartagena, J. Devin Spencer, Todd D. Johnson, Azita Bashiri, Kimberley Ramsey, Mike Polen, Hien P Nguyen, Seantay D. Patterson, Lucia Wande, Nicholas U. Schwartz, Han Yuan, Albeliz Santiago-Colón, Joseph Medina, Samuel Thomas Crowley, Emma Shoemaker, Alex J. Feliciano-Cancela, Alexander J. Kujawski, Lillyann Asencio-Zayas, Gentry L. Pickett, Matt J. Randazzo, Erica Stagaard, Kristin M. LaForge, Gabriela A. Llaurador-Caraballo, Anastasia K. Yemelyanova, Alan Tseng, Erika E. Menyes, Julie Azarewicz, Christa Burke, Samuel I. Smith, Nazanin Ghavam, Carolina Gomez, Cameron Fick, Anthony Pinto, Lindsay Rios, Gary A Kuleck, Ashley Rich, Kayla A. Florian, Martin N. Cheramie, Yuki Kwan Wa Shum, Atlee Baker, LaJerald Augustine, Alyson Greenwell, Rasleen K. Saluja, Jason S. Macias, Wesley W. Winn, Samantha M. Schmuecker, Michelle E. M. Eisen, Pedro Benitez, Jeanette Hauke, Nora C. Goscinski, Justin R. DiAngelo, Carter T. Docking, David D. Xiong, Brittany D. Pasierb, Matt Van Camp, Yin Zheng, Nikie L. McCabe, Emily Reed, Katie Homa, Kimberly S. Kolibas, Elizabeth A. Karaska, Grace A. Dougherty, John P. Fanning, Michael Fasano, Joseph E. Sable, Robert W. Schulz, San Francisco Nguyen, Michael L. Rojas-Vargas, Kierstin L. Naylor, Emily Peoples, Jessica Neely, Lejla Cesko, Brionna D. Davis-Reyes, Roxanne Banker, Amanda K. Tilot, Jordan P. Brand, William H. Newhart, Lauriaun Johnson, Michelle M. Giddens, Nicole B. Clark, Anant Agarwalla, Thomas F. Minton, Dana W. Brooks, Amanda D. Garrett, Bethany M. Klett, Kristin M. Starkey, Antoinette E. Fafara-Thompson, Michael R. Rubin, Jonathon M. Benson, Erica Enoch, Amanda M. Damsteegt, Zackary W. Scott, Elisabeth A. Kelly, Jason M. Barnett, Wilson Leung, Luke J. Rodriguez-Giron, Krishna C. Mudumbi, Francis J. May, Nadyan M. Vargas-Barreto, Geeta Statton, José L. Torres-Castillo, Sarah Hirsch, Rachel M. Reem, Linghui Li, Deirdre Robinett, Jason Caronna, Abneris E. Rodríguez-Laboy, Samantha Lawrence, Katherine R. Reynolds, Corinne Weeks, Allison M. Sterling, Chun Leung Ng, Roman E. Ramirez, Daron C. Barnard, Leming Zhou, Eric P. Spana, John A. Toth, Alvin Lu, Krizia C. Menéndez-Serrano, Jonathan M. Heckman, Ben Chlebina, Matthew C. Fadus, Helmet T. Karim, Shailly Gaur, Timothy R. Jelsema, Nicholas Keysock, Thomas J. Carr, Zach Fusco, Evan M. Verbofsky, Monal Naik, Amanda H. Flores, Kristin A. Knouse, Olga R. Kopp, Elizabeth Feenstra, Edward P. Sweeney, Christen Johnson, Justin Crawford, Damian Urick, Victor W. Mullen, Carrie A. Dunham, Gabriella A. DeMichele, Mengyang Sun, William Harrington, Jessica M. Bodenberg, Xavier A. Collado-Méndez, T. Aaron Wiles, Michelle K. Powers, Phillip J. Minnick, Lourdes N. Irizarry-González, Valeria Silva, Steven Ovu, Nik Kolba, Peter Lindbeck, Jerome M. Molleston, Ifeanyi Obiorah, David Carranza, Lauren R. Beck, Alina M. Tamayo-Figueroa, Elaine R. Mardis, Rachel N. Lippert, Ingrid T. Rivera-Pagán, Mahdi Soos, Trung T. Nguyen, Megan Martinez, Van Kim, Benjamin L. Danner, Randall J. DeJong, Melissa M. Trieu, Andrea M. Senquiz-Gonzalez, Mary Grace Schueler, Emily E. Magnuson, Lesley E. Jackson, Hendrick Pagán-Torres, Fareed Sanusi, Dana Koenig, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Chinmoy I. Bhatiya, Dongyeon Kim, Paul J. Overvoorde, Reece Watson, Jennifer Schottler, Devry Lin, Jim Youngblom, Taylor Schauder, Nigel Madden, Isabel Valdez, Thomas John Reynolds, Kelly M. Deranek, Anne A. Welker, Jackie X. White, Nicole C. Riddle, Jacob Pfeil, Aldo Heredia-Negrón, Christine Langner, Tao Jian He, Jonathan P. Mecoli, Lissett Mayorga, Scott Chiang, Rishi Singhal, Julia C. Peairs, Michael Quach, Anne M. Eime, GiNell Elliott, Meleah J. Gross, Melissa Drewry, Julia A. Emerson, Anthony K. Lambright, Isaac Appiah, Gregory M. Robertson, Nathaniel Regenold, Philip Pham, George Odisho, Alexi Archambault, Matthew Dothager, Shana M. Baldassari, Paul J. Lee, Callie R. Merry, Jesse R. Farek, Archana Tare, Srebrenka Robic, William Vernon, Tam Vuong, Bethany Grace Bonifield, Katrina Thistle, Rose M. Dowd, Noor Tazudeen, Jennifer Weaver, Manpreet Kaur, Nicole M. Caesar, Yi Zhang, Michael C. Cristostomo, Albert Tzeng, Kayla Vondy, Emily Perling, Ramiro A. Chavez, Lanor S. Horton, Matt Kroll, Levent H. Beken, Justin R. Starcher, Sam Asinof, Nathalia M. Cruz, Eunice George, Adam T. Morrow, Heather Milnthorp, Cheryl Mazzeo, Kristen R. Hatfield, Anna L. Boudoures, Ashley A. Tewilliager, Edna P. Tascón-Peñaranda, Vilma F. Huerta, Sarah Tuberty, Mallory A. Williams, Rachel E. Weber, Sarah Spencer, Emily C. Leatherman, Yuying Gosser, Steve DeFazio, Patrick Ng, Jeri Sparks, Pavan Bhat, Mindy E. Bower, Jordan E. Matthews, Cyrus E. Kuschner, Anne Bertolet, Matt Kusner, Thomas C. Giarla, Jessica Penn, Gerard P. McNeil, Mariam Meghdari, Michael J. Wolyniak, Matthew Juergens, Karla I. Velázquez-Soto, Maria Kaisler, Jeanine Schibler, Alexis Nagengast, Susan Parrish, Frances Marín-Maldonado, Shiv Mohini, Jessica King, Danny Mammo, Katherine S. Harker, Allyson P. Hawkins, Kelly Drumm, Jennifer A. Lammers, Allyson P Mallya, Ashley Bryant, Katie Weihbrecht, Pete Wendland, Gabriela V. Bernal-Vega, Nestor A. Gutierrez, Armando G. Bermudez-Capo, Luke R. Salbert, Kirk Haltaufderhyde, Michelle L. Kappes, Mary A. Smith, York Chen, Miguel Vélez-Vázquez, Brittany E. Plescher, Francis D. Beauchamp-Pérez, Alyssa Ward, Andrea N. Clary, Don Foret, Mitchell J McDonald, Mariela Colon-Vazquez, Amanda L. Blaker, Hao Yang, James Z. Liu, Austin B. Limle, Henry Huang, Luis Vilanova-Velez, Edgar Garibay, Philip J. Freda, Laura L. Mays Hoopes, Maureen S. Hammond, Marian M. Kaehler, Rebecca Shuford, Ray Sunjed, Cynthia K. Hanson, Marielle VanderVennen, Idaliz M. Martínez-Traverso, Jack Y. Yu, Spencer L. Franchi, Michael Snavely, John E. Anderson, Lainey S. Rubin, Kelly K. Jones, Stephanie F. Mel, Stacey Lytle, Danny L. Tran, Chelsea R. Barberi, Max Mian Liu, Eric A. Nollet, Sarah E. Muller, Diana Norton, John M. Braverman, Thu A. Phan, Nelson Membreno, Colin Khoshabian, John Gooch, Cassandra Kubricky, Priscila M. Rodríguez-García, Anna Wylie, Diana L. E. Johnson, Anna K. Unruh, Deborah Hammett, Jon Sarezky, Marie Brown, Carolina Riascos-Cuero, Emily J. Diekema, Emmy E. Ogawa, Miranda Chavez, Zuzana Kocsisova, Dennis Revie, Anniken M. Lydon, Peter A. Cognetti, Ashley A. Collins, Tariq Abusheikh, Erin K. Luippold, Kevin Myirski, Brian O. Rodríguez-Echevarría, Haley J. Plasman, Lara Baatenburg, Jesse Hendriksma, Christopher R. Knob, Max Semon, Cassandra Farrar, Xiao Zhu, Ali Dobbe, Marie-Isabelle B. Seydoux, Griffin Sadovsky, Shreya Prasad, Victoria Newcomb, Chad Gier, Dmitri Serjanov, Jules Wellinghoff, Maxwell T. Smith-Gee, and Alexandra H. Scoma

Subjects
Transposable element, Codon Adaptation Index, Euchromatin, Heterochromatin, transposons, evolution of heterochromatin, Investigations, Genome, Evolution, Molecular, 03 medical and health sciences, gene size, 0302 clinical medicine, melting characteristics, Species Specificity, codon bias, Genetics, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Selection, Genetic, Codon, Molecular Biology, Genetics (clinical), 030304 developmental biology, Polytene Chromosomes, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Gene Rearrangement, 0303 health sciences, biology, Computational Biology, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Gene rearrangement, Exons, Genomics, biology.organism_classification, Introns, Drosophila melanogaster, Codon usage bias, DNA Transposable Elements, Drosophila, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Abstract

The Muller F element (4.2 Mb, ~80 protein-coding genes) is an unusual autosome of Drosophila melanogaster; it is mostly heterochromatic with a low recombination rate. To investigate how these properties impact the evolution of repeats and genes, we manually improved the sequence and annotated the genes on the D. erecta, D. mojavensis, and D. grimshawi F elements and euchromatic domains from the Muller D element. We find that F elements have greater transposon density (25–50%) than euchromatic reference regions (3–11%). Among the F elements, D. grimshawi has the lowest transposon density (particularly DINE-1: 2% vs. 11–27%). F element genes have larger coding spans, more coding exons, larger introns, and lower codon bias. Comparison of the Effective Number of Codons with the Codon Adaptation Index shows that, in contrast to the other species, codon bias in D. grimshawi F element genes can be attributed primarily to selection instead of mutational biases, suggesting that density and types of transposons affect the degree of local heterochromatin formation. F element genes have lower estimated DNA melting temperatures than D element genes, potentially facilitating transcription through heterochromatin. Most F element genes (~90%) have remained on that element, but the F element has smaller syntenic blocks than genome averages (3.4–3.6 vs. 8.4–8.8 genes per block), indicating greater rates of inversion despite lower rates of recombination. Overall, the F element has maintained characteristics that are distinct from other autosomes in the Drosophila lineage, illuminating the constraints imposed by a heterochromatic milieu.

Published
2015

16. A Course-Based Research Experience: How Benefits Change with Increased Investment in Instructional Time

Author

Juan Carlos Martínez-Cruzado, Gary A Kuleck, Shubha Govind, Christopher D. Smith, Judith Leatherman, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Daron C. Barnard, Christopher J. Jones, Paul J. Overvoorde, Matthew Wawersik, Amy Frary, Randall J. DeJong, Dale L. Beach, Todd T. Eckdahl, Laura L. Mays Hoopes, Marian M. Kaehler, David Lopatto, Justin R. DiAngelo, Michael R. Rubin, Mary A. Smith, Carina E. Howell, Donald R. Frohlich, Chunguang Du, Leming Zhou, Eric P. Spana, Stephanie F. Mel, John M. Braverman, Karim A. Sharif, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Gary R. Skuse, Cheryl Bailey, Anya Goodman, Kari Clase, Laura K. Reed, Anne G. Rosenwald, Don W. Paetkau, James E. J. Bedard, Mary L. Preuss, Gerard P. McNeil, Michael J. Wolyniak, Martin G. Burg, Lisa Kadlec, Alexis Nagengast, Susan Parrish, Hemlata Mistry, Hui-Min Chung, Joyce Stamm, April E. Bednarski, Sheryl T. Smith, Aparna Sreenivasan, Paul Szauter, Celeste Peterson, Stephanie Schroeder, Nighat P. Kokan, Satish C. Bhalla, Arlene J. Hoogewerf, Heather L. Eisler, Christy MacKinnon, Mary Spratt, Christopher Bazinet, Amy T. Hark, Wilson Leung, Olga R. Kopp, Diana S Johnson, Elaine R. Mardis, Mary E. Shaw, Catherine Reinke, David Dunbar, Yuying Gosser, Jane Lopilato, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Srebrenka Robic, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Kenneth Saville, Adam Haberman, Dennis Revie, Christopher D. Shaffer, Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Julia A. Emerson, Adam Kleinschmit, Jeremy Buhler, Charles R. Hauser, James J. Youngblom, S. Catherine Silver Key, and O'Dowd, Diane K

Subjects
Value (ethics), Program evaluation, Time Factors, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Information science, Education, Surveys and Questionnaires, Mathematics education, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, Humans, Learning, Cooperative Behavior, Curriculum, Biology, Mathematics, Data collection, Genome, Data Collection, Research, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Articles, Genomics, Investment (macroeconomics), Faculty, Research Personnel, Variety (cybernetics), Knowledge, Undergraduate research, Attitude, Self Report, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Program Evaluation
Abstract

While course-based research in genomics can generate both knowledge gains and a greater appreciation for how science is done, a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. Nonetheless, this is a very cost-effective way to reach larger numbers of students., There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of schools and offers the opportunity to tailor this experience to local curriculum and institution-specific student needs. We assessed both attitude and knowledge gains, looking for insights into how students respond given this wide range of curricular and institutional variables. While different approaches all appear to result in learning gains, we find that a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. An alumni survey revealed that time spent on a research project is also a significant factor in the value former students assign to the experience one or more years later. We conclude: 1) implementation of a bioinformatics project within the biology curriculum provides a mechanism for successfully engaging large numbers of students in undergraduate research; 2) benefits to students are achievable at a wide variety of academic institutions; and 3) successful implementation of course-based research experiences requires significant investment of instructional time for students to gain full benefit.

Published
2014

17. A Hands-on Introduction to Hidden Markov Models

Author

Wilson Leung, Zongtai Qi, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Christopher D. Shaffer, Elena O. Gracheva, Anton E. Weisstein, and Z. Goodwin

Subjects
business.industry, Computer science, General Medicine, Artificial intelligence, business, Hidden Markov model
Published
2016

18. Terrestrial Activity in Pitheciins (Cacajao,Chiropotes, andPithecia)

Author

Thiago H. G. Alvim, Ana C.P. Guimarães, Torbjørn Haugaasen, Anthony Di Fiore, Stephen F. Ferrari, Carson R. Phillips, Amy Harrison-Levine, Fabiano Rodrigues de Melo, Suleima do Socorro Bastos da Silva, Viviane S. Moura, Liliam P. Pinto, Lívia R. da Silva, Leandro Santana Moreira, Tatiana M. Vieira, Sarah A. Boyle, Cynthia L. Thompson, Eduardo Fernandez-Duque, Marilyn M. Norconk, Katherine C. MacKinnon, Suzanne E. Walker-Pacheco, Christopher D. Shaffer, Wilson Roberto Spironello, Marcio Port-Carvalho, Ricardo Santos, Shawn M. Lehman, Rafaela F. Soares, Eleonore Z. F. Setz, Mark Bowler, Liza M. Veiga, Arioene Vreedzaam, Janice Chism, Adrian Barnett, Ann MacLarnon, and Suzanne Palminteri

Subjects
Canopy, Arboreal locomotion, Taxon, Habitat, Ecology, Amazon rainforest, Animal Science and Zoology, Understory, Pitheciidae, Biology, biology.organism_classification, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Predation
Abstract

Neotropical monkeys of the genera Cacajao, Chiropotes, and Pithecia (Pitheciidae) are considered to be highly arboreal, spending most of their time feeding and traveling in the upper canopy. Until now, the use of terrestrial substrates has not been analyzed in detail in this group. Here, we review the frequency of terrestrial use among pitheciin taxa to determine the ecological and social conditions that might lead to such behavior. We collated published and unpublished data from 14 taxa in the three genera. Data were gleaned from 53 published studies (including five on multiple pitheciin genera) and personal communications of unpublished data distributed across 31 localities. Terrestrial activity was reported in 61% of Pithecia field studies (11 of 18), in 34% of Chiropotes studies (10 of 29), and 36% of Cacajao studies (4 of 11). Within Pithecia, terrestrial behavior was more frequently reported in smaller species (e.g. P. pithecia) that are vertical clingers and leapers and make extensive use of the understory than in in the larger bodied canopy dwellers of the western Amazon (e.g. P. irrorata). Terrestrial behavior in Pithecia also occurred more frequently and lasted longer than in Cacajao or Chiropotes. An apparent association was found between flooded habitats and terrestrial activity and there is evidence of the development of a “local pattern” of terrestrial use in some populations. Seasonal fruit availability also may stimulate terrestrial behavior. Individuals also descended to the ground when visiting mineral licks, escaping predators, and responding to accidents such as a dropped infant. Overall, the results of this review emphasize that terrestrial use is rare among the pitheciins in general and is usually associated with the exploitation of specific resources or habitat types. Am. J. Primatol. 74:1106-1127, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published
2012

19. The Genomics Education Partnership: Successful Integration of Research into Laboratory Classes at a Diverse Group of Undergraduate Institutions

Author

E. Gloria C. Regisford, Jeremy Buhler, Christopher D. Smith, Cheryl Bailey, Laura L. Mays Hoopes, Marian M. Kaehler, Anne G. Rosenwald, Elizabeth Shoop, Satish C. Bhalla, Yuying Gosser, Mary Shaw, Donald R. Frohlich, Gary A Kuleck, Gerard P. McNeil, Barbara A. Wilson, Joyce Stamm, Daron C. Barnard, Alexis Nagengast, Susan Parrish, Stephanie Schroeder, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Jennifer Leigh Myka, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Chitra Chandrasekaran, Christopher D. Shaffer, Robert W. Morris, Jim Youngblom, Paul J. Overvoorde, Mary Spratt, Diana L. E. Johnson, Todd T. Eckdahl, Charles R. Hauser, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Christopher J. Jones, David Lopatto, Kelynne E. Reed, Mary A. Smith, Robert Moss, Gary R. Skuse, Anya Goodman, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Wilson Leung, Olga R. Kopp, Nighat P. Kokan, Chunguang Du, Jeff L Poet, Elaine R. Mardis, Dennis Revie, Matthew Wawersik, Ken Saville, Douglas R Dorer, Hui-Min Chung, and Eric P. Spana

Subjects
Genetic Research, Universities, Genomics, Science education, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Education, 03 medical and health sciences, Annotation, Pedagogy, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, Animals, Students, Curriculum, 030304 developmental biology, 0303 health sciences, Medical education, 4. Education, 05 social sciences, Educational technology, 050301 education, Articles, Faculty, ComputingMethodologies_PATTERNRECOGNITION, Undergraduate research, General partnership, Active learning, Laboratories, 0503 education
Abstract

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprecedented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students.

Published
2010

20. A lot about a little dot — lessons learned fromDrosophila melanogasterchromosome 4This paper is one of a selection of papers published in this Special Issue, entitled 29th Annual International Asilomar Chromatin and Chromosomes Conference, and has undergone the Journal’s usual peer review process

Author

Nicole C. Riddle, Sarah C. R. Elgin, and Christopher D. Shaffer

Subjects
Genetics, Chromosome 4, Polytene chromosome, Heterochromatin, Chromosome regions, Constitutive heterochromatin, Heterochromatin protein 1, Cell Biology, Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chromosome 22, X-inactivation
Abstract

The fourth chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster has a number of unique properties that make it a convenient model for the study of chromatin structure. Only 4.2 Mb overall, the 1.2 Mb distal arm of chromosome 4 seen in polytene chromosomes combines characteristics of heterochromatin and euchromatin. This domain has a repeat density of ~35%, comparable to some pericentric chromosome regions, while maintaining a gene density similar to that of the other euchromatic chromosome arms. Studies of position-effect variegation have revealed that heterochromatic and euchromatic domains are interspersed on chromosome 4, and both cytological and biochemical studies have demonstrated that chromosome 4 is associated with heterochromatic marks, such as heterochromatin protein 1 and histone 3 lysine 9 methylation. Chromosome 4 is also marked by POF (painting-of-fourth), a chromosome 4-specific chromosomal protein, and utilizes a dedicated histone methyltransferase, EGG. Studies of chromosome 4 have helped to shape our understanding of heterochromatin domains and their establishment and maintenance. In this review, we provide a synthesis of the work to date and an outlook to the future.

Published
2009

21. A Bioinformatics Course‐based Undergraduate Research Experience

Author

Gerard P. McNeil, Wilson Leung, David Lopatto, Christopher D. Shaffer, Sarah C. R. Elgin, and Ken Saville

Subjects
0303 health sciences, 03 medical and health sciences, Medical education, 0302 clinical medicine, Undergraduate research, Genetics, Psychology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, 030217 neurology & neurosurgery, 030304 developmental biology, Biotechnology, Course (navigation)
Published
2015

22. Heterochromatin protein 2 (HP2), a partner of HP1 in Drosophila heterochromatin

Author

Christopher D. Shaffer, Levi Funches, Gena E. Stephens, John A. Bernat, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Carolyn A. Craig, and Brandi A. Thompson

Subjects
Genetics, endocrine system, animal structures, Multidisciplinary, Euchromatin, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone, Heterochromatin, fungi, Genes, Insect, Biological Sciences, Biology, Position-effect variegation, AT Rich Sequence, Chromodomain, Drosophila melanogaster, Non-histone protein, Mutagenesis, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Constitutive heterochromatin, Heterochromatin protein 1, Pericentric heterochromatin
Abstract

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster , is a highly conserved chromosomal protein implicated in both heterochromatin formation and gene silencing. We report here characterization of an HP1-interacting protein, heterochromatin protein 2 (HP2), which codistributes with HP1 in the pericentric heterochromatin. HP2 is a large protein with two major isoforms of approximately 356 and 176 kDa. The smaller isoform is produced from an alternative splicing pattern in which two exons are skipped. Both isoforms contain the domain that interacts with HP1; the larger isoform contains two AT-hook motifs. Mutations recovered in HP2 act as dominant suppressors of position effect variegation, confirming a role in heterochromatin spreading and gene silencing.

Published
2002

23. Genomics Education Partnership: a research‐based approach to undergraduate teaching utilizing a centralized support system (618.39)

Author

Anya Goodman, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Christopher D. Shaffer, Jennifer Roecklein-Canfield, Cindy Arrigo, K. Jones, Wilson Leung, David Lopatto, Celeste Peterson, and Ana Maria Barral

Subjects
Engineering, Engineering management, Medical education, business.industry, General partnership, Research based, Genetics, Genomics, Support system, business, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology
Published
2014

24. A broadly implementable research course in phage discovery and genomics for first-year undergraduate students

Author

Lucia P. Barker, Lee E. Hughes, David Dunbar, Rodney A. King, Daniel A. Russell, Edwin Vazquez, Vassie C. Ware, Chris R. Gissendanner, Wendy H. Grillo, Nancy Guild, Allison Johnson, John J. Dennehy, Randall J. DeJong, Kevin W. Bradley, Christopher D. Shaffer, Steven G. Cresawn, Wei Li, David Lopatto, Urszula Golebiewska, Graham F. Hatfull, Steven M. Caruso, Margaret S. Saha, Dee R. Denver, Ann M. Findley, Grant A. Hartzog, Sandra H. Burnett, Michael R. Rubin, Gail P. Hollowell, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Cheryl Bailey, Lynn O. Lewis, Frank Rosenzweig, Welkin H. Pope, Barbara J. Taylor, Larissa K. Temple, Kari Clase, Susan Carson, James Sandoz, Tuajuanda C. Jordan, and Losick, Richard

Subjects
Adult, Male, media_common.quotation_subject, Population, Context (language use), Academic achievement, Science education, Microbiology, Young Adult, Virology, Mathematics education, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, Genetics, Humans, Bacteriophages, education, Students, Curriculum, Mathematics, media_common, education.field_of_study, Bacteria, Human Genome, Genomics, QR1-502, Quality Education, Transformative learning, Undergraduate research, Female, Research Article, Diversity (politics), Biotechnology
Abstract

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., IMPORTANCE 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.

Published
2014

25. A central support system can facilitate implementation and sustainability of a Classroom-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in Genomics

Author

Lisa Kadlec, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Michael R. Rubin, Aparna Sreenivasan, Srebrenka Robic, David Dunbar, Christopher D. Shaffer, Amy Frary, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Charles R. Hauser, Gerard P. McNeil, Michael J. Wolyniak, Jane Lopilato, Shubha Govind, Chunguang Du, Gary A Kuleck, Martin G. Burg, Justin R. DiAngelo, Julia A. Emerson, Jennifer A Roecklien-Canfield, Kenneth Saville, Adam Haberman, Alexis Nagengast, Susan Parrish, David Lopatto, James J. Youngblom, Wilson Leung, Laura D Reed, Nighat P. Kokan, Olga R. Kopp, Amy T. Hark, Arlene J. Hoogewerf, Mary Spratt, Yuying Gosser, Elaine R. Mardis, James E. J. Bedard, John M. Braverman, April E. Bednarski, Christy MacKinnon, Karim A. Sharif, Christopher D. Smith, Diana L. E. Johnson, Satish C. Bhalla, Marian M. Kaehler, Daron C. Barnard, Jeremy Buhler, Donald R. Frohlich, S. Catherine Silver Key, Randall J. DeJong, Stephanie F. Mel, Paul J. Overvoorde, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Don W. Paetkau, Dennis Revie, Mary A. Smith, Mary Shaw, Todd T. Eckdahl, Joyce Stamm, Hui-Min Chung, Juan Carlos Martínez-Cruzado, Christopher J. Jones, Gary R. Skuse, Anya Goodman, Mary L. Preuss, Leming Zhou, Eric P. Spana, Anne G. Rosenwald, Matthew Wawersik, Jennifer Mary Threlfall, Stephanie Schroeder, Sheryl T. Smith, E. Gloria C. Regisford, and Dolan, Erin

Subjects
Value (ethics), Models, Educational, Universities, Genomics, Articles, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, United States, Education, Incentive, Undergraduate research, Models, Clinical Research, General partnership, Pedagogy, Sustainability, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, Curriculum development, Engineering ethics, Educational, Curriculum, Program Development, Curriculum and Pedagogy
Abstract

There have been numerous calls to engage students in science as science is done. A survey of 90-plus faculty members explores barriers and incentives when developing a research-based genomics course. The results indicate that a central core supporting a national experiment can help overcome local obstacles., In their 2012 report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated “replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses”—a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses. While some of the barriers and rewards are specific to a research project utilizing a genomics approach, other lessons learned should be broadly applicable. We find that a central system that supports a shared investigation can mitigate some shortfalls in campus infrastructure (such as time for new curriculum development, availability of IT services) and provides collegial support for change. Our findings should be useful for designing similar supportive programs to facilitate change in the way we teach science for undergraduates.

Published
2014

26. Cluster M mycobacteriophages Bongo, PegLeg, and Rey with unusually large repertoires of tRNA isotypes

Author

Kari Clase, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Kathleen Cornely, Graham F. Hatfull, Madison A. Baird, Randall J. DeJong, Christina M. Ferreira, Michael R. Rubin, Kirk R. Anders, Daniel A. Russell, Kathleen Weston Hafer, Shallee T. Page, Welkin H. Pope, Véronique A. Delesalle, Roger W. Hendrix, Matthew R. Olm, Lisa Deng, Nicholas P. Edgington, Christopher D. Shaffer, Tiffany W. Chow, Lee E. Hughes, J. Robert Hatherill, Edwin Vazquez, Grant A. Hartzog, Morgan Schoer, Daiyuan Zhang, Steven G. Cresawn, Michelle M. Boyle, Denise L Monti, Christopher G Meier, Shannon D. Cooper, Khristina Ipapo, Gregory P. Krukonis, David Dunbar, Erin R. Sanders, Claire A. Rinehart, Charles A. Bowman, Craig L. Peebles, Gregory W. Broussard, James Wherley, Han Yuan, and Imperiale, MJ

Subjects
Medical and Health Sciences, Genome, Repetitive Sequences, Bacteriophage, Genome Size, RNA, Transfer, Gene Order, 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors, Viral, Aetiology, Conserved Sequence, Phylogeny, Genetics, education.field_of_study, Base Composition, Mycobacteriophages, Biological Sciences, Multigene Family, RNA, Viral, Biotechnology, Mycobacteriophage, Immunology, Population, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Genomics, Genome, Viral, Biology, Microbiology, Open Reading Frames, Virology, Lysogenic cycle, education, Codon, Genome size, Lysogeny, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Nucleic Acid, Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Base Sequence, Virus Assembly, Human Genome, Inverted Repeat Sequences, Virion, biology.organism_classification, Transfer, Genetic Diversity and Evolution, Insect Science, RNA, Sequence Alignment
Abstract

Genomic analysis of a large set of phages infecting the common host Mycobacterium smegmatis mc 2 155 shows that they span considerable genetic diversity. There are more than 20 distinct types that lack nucleotide similarity with each other, and there is considerable diversity within most of the groups. Three newly isolated temperate mycobacteriophages, Bongo, PegLeg, and Rey, constitute a new group (cluster M), with the closely related phages Bongo and PegLeg forming subcluster M1 and the more distantly related Rey forming subcluster M2. The cluster M mycobacteriophages have siphoviral morphologies with unusually long tails, are homoimmune, and have larger than average genomes (80.2 to 83.7 kbp). They exhibit a variety of features not previously described in other mycobacteriophages, including noncanonical genome architectures and several unusual sets of conserved repeated sequences suggesting novel regulatory systems for both transcription and translation. In addition to containing transfer-messenger RNA and RtcB-like RNA ligase genes, their genomes encode 21 to 24 tRNA genes encompassing complete or nearly complete sets of isotypes. We predict that these tRNAs are used in late lytic growth, likely compensating for the degradation or inadequacy of host tRNAs. They may represent a complete set of tRNAs necessary for late lytic growth, especially when taken together with the apparent lack of codons in the same late genes that correspond to tRNAs that the genomes of the phages do not obviously encode. IMPORTANCE The bacteriophage population is vast, dynamic, and old and plays a central role in bacterial pathogenicity. We know surprisingly little about the genetic diversity of the phage population, although metagenomic and phage genome sequencing indicates that it is great. Probing the depth of genetic diversity of phages of a common host, Mycobacterium smegmatis , provides a higher resolution of the phage population and how it has evolved. Three new phages constituting a new cluster M further expand the diversity of the mycobacteriophages and introduce novel features. As such, they provide insights into phage genome architecture, virion structure, and gene regulation at the transcriptional and translational levels.

Published
2013

27. Molecular characterization of the lysosomal acid phosphatase fromDrosophila melanogaster

Author

Ross J. MacIntyre, Christopher D. Shaffer, and Hae-Jin Chung

Subjects
DNA, Complementary, Acid Phosphatase, Molecular Sequence Data, Gene Expression, Genes, Insect, Biology, Chromosome Walking, Complementary DNA, Consensus Sequence, Genetics, Animals, Humans, Amino Acid Sequence, Cloning, Molecular, Molecular Biology, Peptide sequence, Gene, Conserved Sequence, Phylogeny, Base Sequence, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Acid phosphatase, Intron, biology.organism_classification, Molecular biology, Introns, Recombinant Proteins, Lysosomal acid phosphatase, Drosophila melanogaster, Biochemistry, Regulatory sequence, biology.protein, Lysosomes
Abstract

In Drosophila, unlike humans, the lysosomal acid phosphatase (Acph-1) is a non-essential enzyme. It is also one of the most rapidly evolving gene-enzyme systems in the genus. In order to determine which parts of the enzyme are conserved and which parts are apparently under little functional constraint, we cloned the gene from Drosophila melanogaster via a chromosomal walk. Fragments from the gene were used to recover an apparently full-length cDNA. The cDNA was sub-cloned into a Drosophila transformation vector where it was under the control of the 5' promoter sequence of the hsp-70 gene. Three independent transformants were obtained; in each, Acph-1 expression from the cDNA was constitutive and not dependent on heat shock, as determined by densitometric analyses of the allozymic forms of the enzyme. The pattern of expression indicates the hsp-70 and endogenous Acph-1 promoters act together in some, but not all, tissues. The sequence of the cDNA was determined using deletions made with exonuclease III, and primers deduced from the cDNA sequence were used to sequence the genomic clone. Five introns were found, and putative 5' upstream regulatory sequences were identified. Amino acid sequence comparisons have revealed several highly conserved motifs between Drosophila Acph-1 and vertebrate lysosomal and prostatic acid phosphatases.

Published
1996

28. Chromatin: Ga-ga over GAGA factor

Author

Christopher D. Shaffer, H. Granok, B.A. Leibovitch, and Sarah C. R. Elgin

Subjects
Molecular Sequence Data, Genes, Insect, Biology, DNA-binding protein, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Chromatin remodeling, Conserved sequence, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Binding site, Gene, Conserved Sequence, ChIA-PET, Homeodomain Proteins, Genetics, Binding Sites, Base Sequence, Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all), Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all), Chromatin, DNA-Binding Proteins, Drosophila melanogaster, General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Drosophila Protein, Transcription Factors
Abstract

Recent results suggest that the Drosophila transcriptional activator known as GAGA factor functions by influencing chromatin structure.

Published
1995

29. Cluster K Mycobacteriophages: Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Mycobacteriophage TM4

Author

Paras Jain, Kurt E. Williamson, Welkin H. Pope, Marilyn D. Jalal, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Graham F. Hatfull, Daniel A. Russell, Emilie G. Weisser, Margaret S. Saha, John T. Wertz, Forrest R. Guilfoile, Randall J. DeJong, Bo Zhang, Mariana Piuri, Molly J. McDonough, Steven G. Cresawn, Arrykka S. Jackson, Christopher D. Shaffer, Samuel E. Harvey, Lee E. Hughes, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Kathleen Weston-Hafer, Robert C. Benjamin, Mark H. Forsyth, Coreen M. Manley, Stephanie E. Simon, Christina M. Ferreira, Corwin N. Rhyan, Peter M. Hynes, H. S. Rabinowitz, Elizabeth A. MacMurray, Roger W. Hendrix, Alexander D. Harris, Ariangela J. Davis, William R. Jacobs, Erika Fieldman Sims, Larissa J. Osterbann, Jordan L. Mosier, and Isabel G. Tovar

Subjects
Bacterial Diseases, viruses, lcsh:Medicine, Virus Replication, Genome, Conserved sequence, purl.org/becyt/ford/1 [https], Lysogen, Viral classification, Cluster Analysis, Bacteriophages, Genome Sequencing, lcsh:Science, Genome Evolution, Conserved Sequence, Genetics, Multidisciplinary, Mycobacteriophages, biology, Mycobacteriophage, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Temperature, Chromosome Mapping, Genomics, Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology, Multigene Family, Attachment Sites, Microbiological, Medicine, CIENCIAS NATURALES Y EXACTAS, Research Article, Otras Ciencias Biológicas, Virus Integration, Molecular Sequence Data, Genome, Viral, Microbiology, Viral Evolution, Mycobacterium, Ciencias Biológicas, Evolution, Molecular, Viral Proteins, Lysogenic cycle, Virology, TM4, purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6 [https], Biology, Comparative genomics, Evolutionary Biology, Base Sequence, lcsh:R, Virion, Bacteriology, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Comparative Genomics, biology.organism_classification, Mutation, Cluster K, lcsh:Q, DNA viruses, Gene Deletion
Abstract

Five newly isolated mycobacteriophages -Angelica, CrimD, Adephagia, Anaya, and Pixie - have similar genomic architectures to mycobacteriophage TM4, a previously characterized phage that is widely used in mycobacterial genetics. The nucleotide sequence similarities warrant grouping these into Cluster K, with subdivision into three subclusters: K1, K2, and K3. Although the overall genome architectures of these phages are similar, TM4 appears to have lost at least two segments of its genome, a central region containing the integration apparatus, and a segment at the right end. This suggests that TM4 is a recent derivative of a temperate parent, resolving a long-standing conundrum about its biology, in that it was reportedly recovered from a lysogenic strain of Mycobacterium avium, but it is not capable of forming lysogens in any mycobacterial host. Like TM4, all of the Cluster K phages infect both fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria, and all of them - with the exception of TM4 - form stable lysogens in both Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis; immunity assays show that all five of these phages share the same immune specificity. TM4 infects these lysogens suggesting that it was either derived from a heteroimmune temperate parent or that it has acquired a virulent phenotype. We have also characterized a widely-used conditionally replicating derivative of TM4 and identified mutations conferring the temperature-sensitive phenotype. All of the Cluster K phages contain a series of well conserved 13 bp repeats associated with the translation initiation sites of a subset of the genes; approximately one half of these contain an additional sequence feature composed of imperfectly conserved 17 bp inverted repeats separated by a variable spacer. The K1 phages integrate into the host tmRNA and the Cluster K phages represent potential new tools for the genetics of M. tuberculosis and related species. © 2011 Pope et al. Fil: Pope, Welkin H.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Ferreira, Christina M.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Jacobs Sera, Deborah. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Benjamin, Robert C.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: Davis, Ariangela J.. Calvin College; Estados Unidos Fil: DeJong, Randall J.. Calvin College; Estados Unidos Fil: Elgin, Sarah C. R.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Guilfoile, Forrest R.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Forsyth, Mark H.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Harris, Alexander D.. Calvin College; Estados Unidos Fil: Harvey, Samuel E.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Hughes, Lee E.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: Hynes, Peter M.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Jackson, Arrykka S.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Jalal, Marilyn D.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: MacMurray, Elizabeth A.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Manley, Coreen M.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: McDonough, Molly J.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Mosier, Jordan L.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: Osterbann, Larissa J.. Calvin College; Estados Unidos Fil: Rabinowitz, Hannah S.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Rhyan, Corwin N.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Russell, Daniel A.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Saha, Margaret S.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Shaffer, Christopher D.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Simon, Stephanie E.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: Sims, Erika F.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Tovar, Isabel G.. University of North Texas; Estados Unidos Fil: Weisser, Emilie G.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Wertz, John T.. Calvin College; Estados Unidos Fil: Weston-Hafer, Kathleen A.. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Williamson, Kurt E.. The College Of William And Mary; Estados Unidos Fil: Zhang, Bo. Washington University in St. Louis; Estados Unidos Fil: Cresawn, Steven G.. James Madison University; Estados Unidos Fil: Jain, Paras. Albert Einstein College Of Medicine Of Yeshiva University; Estados Unidos Fil: Piuri, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Jacobs, William R.. Albert Einstein College Of Medicine Of Yeshiva University; Estados Unidos Fil: Hendrix, Roger W.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos Fil: Hatfull, Graham F.. University of Pittsburgh; Estados Unidos

Published
2011

30. Expanding the diversity of mycobacteriophages: insights into genome architecture and evolution

Author

Chris R. Gissendanner, Jasper Van Kirk Thompson, Cynthia M. Bauerle, Kobie C. Gordon, Stephanie E. Trapani, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Ching-Chung Ko, Asma Latif, Caitlin E. Peirce, Jeremy S. Harmson, Elvis Nguyen, Jillian M. Walton, Siping He, Lauren L. Rodriguez, Jazmyn J. McCloud, Catherine J. Harmon, Angelica N. Willis, Melissa J. Fritz, Jessica A. Ruby, Michael P. Tokarz, Lisa Deng, Samantha T. Alford, Kathryn M. Sinclair, Victoria G. Hohenstein, Lauren Forbes, Erika F. Simms, Jessica M. Simmons, David A. Zaidins, Anthony T. Tubbs, Tyler M. Fox, Erica J. Puopolo, Garrett V. Hagopian, Hilary M. Whelan, Tina Q. Lu, Rachel Miller, Brandy M. Simpson, Emilie G. Weisser, Theresa W. Wong, Luke J. Peterson, Andrew C. Rose, Chelsea L. Cockburn, Tuajuanda C. Jordan, Daniel A. Russell, Yetta M. Robinson, Justin Z. Knutter, Tin-Yun Tang, Daryl Khaw, Ian Winsten Campbell, Stephen B. Taylor, Arrykka S. Jackson, Zein Al-Atrache, Amanda R. Schott, Samantha C. Wendler, John R. Warner, Sequoia I. Leuba, Steven G. Cresawn, J. Bradley Segal, Hannah S. Wirtshafter, Margaret S. Saha, Christine A. Boyer, Melina Y. Zúniga, Lucia P. Barker, Tamsen Polley, Marcella L. Erb, Anjali Menon, Victoria A. Bradley, Amanda J. Barber, Charles A. Bowman, Kaitlin E. Healy, Molly J. McDonough, Kaylee M. Nicholson, A. Javier Lopez, Andrew A. S. Ang, Erica M. Shepard, Leila Haghighat, Matthew B. Alfano, Manuel Ares, Kathryn Sheldon, Murray A. Katelyn, Alexander G. Anderson, Jeffrey D. Rubin, Larisa A. Kerrigan, Lisa Alexander, Krysta R. Guiney-Olsen, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Junghee Kim, Rebecca Goldstein, Clark L. Straub, Lianne B. Cohen, Anne Georges, Erin N. Hildebrandt, Angela E. Engelsen, Bridget G. Guiza, Russell D. Green, Paul G. Jasinto, Allison M. Perz, Turi A. Alcoser, Laura Z. Filliger, H. S. Rabinowitz, Christopher D. Shaffer, Kathleen Weston-Hafer, William D. Barshop, Blaire C. Spaulding, Andrew J. Medenbach, Joseph Stukey, Michael J. Resiss, Samuel E. Harvey, Aaron A. Best, Nichols E. Amy, Kevin J. He, Erica C. Jansen, Danielle H. Wang, Katrina Nguyen, Katherine Belfield, Christine E. Schnitzler, Seegren V. Philip, Ian M. Bayles, Belle E. V. English, Graham F. Hatfull, Victor Mac, Barbara J. Taylor, Kathryn E. Loesser-Casey, Ingrid J. Slette, Nathan A. Holz, Rachel E. Pferdehirt, Emilie T. Nguyen, Nicholas Lowery, Agustin Borjon, Bo Zhang, Gail V. Larkin, Lynn O. Lewis, Ellen R. Higinbotham, Kevin W. Bradley, Patrick Ng, Brandon C. Yee, Kurt E. Williamson, Anne M. Campbell, Welkin H. Pope, Roger W. Hendrix, Craig L. Peebles, Jonathan M. Barrett, Brandon K. Morgan, Ericka L. Hufford, Ann M. Findley, Kayla N. Busby, Jonathan W. Shepardson, Breyon R. Dixon, Joe Pogliano, Stephanie Guerra, Robert Sjoholm, Dale J. Schipper, Phillip Wu, Steven M. Caruso, Larissa K. Temple, Yun jeong Yang, Jason H. Ho, Kohana D. Leuba, Judith Savitskaya, Alyssa Carey, Peter M. Hynes, Jonathan W. Jarvik, Jonathan Tsay, Corwin N. Rhyan, Marie D. Anderson, Lyons M. Tatyana, Rebekah D. Chew, Jennifer R. Laroche, Jessica S. Kelsey, Jeffrey Corajod, Keshav Budwal, James Sandoz, Tomas Kasza, Alexander P. Troum, Lindsay A. Parnell, Crystal Estrada, Sahrish Ekram, Shannon Goff, Hannah Wang, Mark H. Forsyth, Lauren N. Broadway, Madav K. Shroff, Zindzi D. George, Dee R. Denver, Grant A. Hartzog, Kimberly R. Davis, Kit Pogliano, Isaac R. Masters, Trevor Sughrue, Courtney A. Long, Vincent J. Huang, Gina M. Hogan, and Roberto Puertas Garcia

Subjects
Genome evolution, Science Policy, Mycobacteriophage, Population, lcsh:Medicine, Genome, Viral, Biology, Microbiology, Genome, 03 medical and health sciences, Virology, education, lcsh:Science, Genome Evolution, 030304 developmental biology, Genetics, Comparative genomics, 0303 health sciences, education.field_of_study, Multidisciplinary, Base Sequence, Geography, Mycobacteriophages, 030306 microbiology, lcsh:R, Genetic Variation, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Genomics, Comparative Genomics, Biological Evolution, United States, 3. Good health, Science Education, Evolutionary biology, Viral evolution, DNA, Viral, lcsh:Q, Mobile genetic elements, Research Article
Abstract

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All mycobacteriophages characterized to date are dsDNA tailed phages, and have either siphoviral or myoviral morphotypes. However, their genetic diversity is considerable, and although sixty-two genomes have been sequenced and comparatively analyzed, these likely represent only a small portion of the diversity of the mycobacteriophage population at large. Here we report the isolation, sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 18 new mycobacteriophages isolated from geographically distinct locations within the United States. Although no clear correlation between location and genome type can be discerned, these genomes expand our knowledge of mycobacteriophage diversity and enhance our understanding of the roles of mobile elements in viral evolution. Expansion of the number of mycobacteriophages grouped within Cluster A provides insights into the basis of immune specificity in these temperate phages, and we also describe a novel example of apparent immunity theft. The isolation and genomic analysis of bacteriophages by freshman college students provides an example of an authentic research experience for novice scientists.

Published
2011

31. Evolution of a Distinct Genomic Domain in Drosophila: Comparative Analysis of the Dot Chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila virilis

Author

Rui Guan, Louis Lo, Wilson Leung, Leah R. Sabin, Robert Carrasquillo, Tien M Chusak, Jeannette Wong, Anushree Sharma, Fine Song, Elaine R. Mardis, Craig B. Wilen, Elmer Kellmann, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Justin M. Richner, Anita Shah, Kelli D Grim, Katazyna Falkowska, Jacquelyn Honeybourne, Ryan Richt, Taylor D. Cordonnier, Carolyn E. Cain, Rebecca McGaha, Elizabeth E Slawson Tempel, Michelle S. Itano, Christopher D. Shaffer, Sonal Singhal, David M. Desruisseau, Christopher Swope, Jevon Plunkett, Sana Khan, and Jeremy Buhler

Subjects
Euchromatin, Genome, Insect, Genes, Insect, Investigations, Biology, Synteny, Evolution, Molecular, Open Reading Frames, INDEL Mutation, Species Specificity, Heterochromatin, Gene density, Genetics, Melanogaster, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Chromosome Mapping, Gene rearrangement, biology.organism_classification, Chromosomes, Insect, Drosophila virilis, Drosophila melanogaster, Tandem Repeat Sequences, Drosophila, Drosophila Protein
Abstract

The distal arm of the fourth (“dot”) chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster is unusual in that it exhibits an amalgamation of heterochromatic properties (e.g., dense packaging, late replication) and euchromatic properties (e.g., gene density similar to euchromatic domains, replication during polytenization). To examine the evolution of this unusual domain, we undertook a comparative study by generating high-quality sequence data and manually curating gene models for the dot chromosome of D. virilis (Tucson strain 15010–1051.88). Our analysis shows that the dot chromosomes of D. melanogaster and D. virilis have higher repeat density, larger gene size, lower codon bias, and a higher rate of gene rearrangement compared to a reference euchromatic domain. Analysis of eight “wanderer” genes (present in a euchromatic chromosome arm in one species and on the dot chromosome in the other) shows that their characteristics are similar to other genes in the same domain, which suggests that these characteristics are features of the domain and are not required for these genes to function. Comparison of this strain of D. virilis with the strain sequenced by the Drosophila 12 Genomes Consortium (Tucson strain 15010–1051.87) indicates that most genes on the dot are under weak purifying selection. Collectively, despite the heterochromatin-like properties of this domain, genes on the dot evolve to maintain function while being responsive to changes in their local environment.

Published
2010
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32. Molecular cloning and transformation of cyclodiene resistance in Drosophila: an invertebrate gamma-aminobutyric acid subtype A receptor locus

Author

Richard T. Roush, Christopher D. Shaffer, Richard H. ffrench-Constant, R. J. MacIntyre, and Douglas P. Mortlock

Subjects
Male, Insecticides, Macromolecular Substances, Protein Conformation, Molecular Sequence Data, Restriction Mapping, Drug Resistance, Locus (genetics), Biology, Molecular cloning, Chromosome Walking, Transformation, Genetic, Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid, Complementary DNA, Drosophilidae, Animals, Amino Acid Sequence, Cloning, Molecular, Gene, Peptide sequence, Crosses, Genetic, Selectable marker, Gene Rearrangement, Genetics, Dieldrin, Multidisciplinary, DNA, Gene rearrangement, Cosmids, Receptors, GABA-A, biology.organism_classification, Rats, Phenotype, DNA Transposable Elements, Cattle, Drosophila, Female, Research Article
Abstract

Cyclodiene resistance represents 60% of the reported cases of insecticide resistance and is also present in vertebrates. Resistance is due to insensitivity of the cyclodiene/picrotoxinin binding site on the gamma-aminobutyric acid subtype A (GABAA) receptor-chloride ionophore complex. Following isolation of cyclodiene-resistant Drosophila mutants, we report the cloning of the locus conferring resistance via a "chromosomal walk" and rescue of the susceptible phenotype by P-element-mediated germ-line transformation. Amino acid sequence analysis of a cDNA from the locus reveals homology with vertebrate GABAA subunits. To our knowledge, this represents the first cloning of an invertebrate GABA receptor and also allows us to manipulate the resistance status of an insect via germ-line transformation. This gene may be useful as a selectable marker in other insect systems.

Published
1991

33. The isolation of the acid phosphatase-1 gene of Drosophila melanogaster and a chromosomal breakpoint inducing its position effect variegation

Author

Ross J. MacIntyre and Christopher D. Shaffer

Subjects
Transcription, Genetic, Heterochromatin, Satellite DNA, Acid Phosphatase, Restriction Mapping, Gene Expression, Biology, Chromosomes, Transformation, Genetic, Genetics, Animals, Cloning, Molecular, Molecular Biology, Gene, Variegation, Breakpoint, Nucleic Acid Hybridization, DNA, Position-effect variegation, Blotting, Northern, Molecular biology, Blotting, Southern, genomic DNA, Drosophila melanogaster, Position effect, Genes, DNA Transposable Elements, Lysosomes
Abstract

Over 120 kb of contiguous genomic DNA sequence derived from the 99C-99D region of the Drosophila melanogaster third chromosome were isolated by molecular cloning. Sequences within this region required for the expression of the lysosomal gene-enzyme system acid phosphatase-1 (Acph-1) were identified by both P element-mediated germline transformation and transient expression and lie within a single 5 kb fragment. Acph-1 is encoded by a 2.1 kb poly(A)+ RNA transcript, which is expressed throughout development. Enzyme activity peaks also correlate with increases in RNA abundance. The ca-74 deletion, which exhibits position effect variegation at the Acph-1 gene (Frisardi and MacIntyre 1984), was also partially characterized. The variegating ca-74 breakpoint is located approximately 20 kb proximal to the Acph-1 gene. Results suggest that the heterochromatin at this breakpoint comprises highly repetitive or satellite DNA.

Published
1990

34. The Large Isoform of Drosophila melanogaster Heterochromatin Protein 2 Plays a Critical Role in Gene Silencing and Chromosome Structure

Author

Elizabeth E. Slawson, Brandi A. Thompson, Maurizio Gatti, Kwame Adu-Wusu, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Giovanni Cenci, Gena E. Stephens, and Christopher D. Shaffer

Subjects
Gene isoform, Genetic Markers, Indoles, sequence analysis, Heterochromatin, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone, Mutant, alleles, animals, chemistry/genetics/metabolism, chromosomal proteins, chromosomes, crosses, dna, drosophila melanogaster, drosophila proteins, fluorescent antibody technique, fluorescent dyes, gene dosage, gene silencing, genetic, genetic markers, genetics/metabolism, green fluorescent proteins, indoles, larva, metabolism, mitosis, molecular weight, mutation, non-histone, nucleic acid amplification techniques, protein isoforms, Green Fluorescent Proteins, Gene Dosage, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Mitosis, Investigations, Chromosomes, Genetics, Constitutive heterochromatin, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Protein Isoforms, Gene Silencing, Alleles, Crosses, Genetic, Fluorescent Dyes, Polytene chromosome, biology, Sequence Analysis, DNA, biology.organism_classification, Molecular Weight, Drosophila melanogaster, Larva, Mutation, Heterochromatin protein 1, Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques, Drosophila Protein
Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster heterochromatin protein 2 (HP2) interacts with heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1). In polytene chromosomes, HP2 and HP1 colocalize at the chromocenter, telomeres, and the small fourth chromosome. We show here that HP2 is present in the arms as well as the centromeric regions of mitotic chromosomes. We also demonstrate that Su(var)2-HP2 exhibits a dosage-dependent modification of variegation of a yellow reporter transgene, indicating a structural role in heterochromatin formation. We have isolated and characterized 14 new mutations in the Su(var)2-HP2 gene. Using wm4h, many (but not all) mutant alleles show dominant Su(var) activity. Su(var)2-HP2 mutant larvae show a wide variety of mitotic abnormalities, but not the telomere fusion seen in larvae deficient for HP1. The Su(var)2-HP2 gene codes for two isoforms: HP2-L (∼365 kDa) and HP2-S (∼175 kDa), lacking exons 5 and 6. In general, mutations that affect only the larger isoform result in more pronounced defects than do mutations common to both isoforms. This suggests that an imbalance between large and small isoforms is particularly deleterious. These results indicate a role for HP2 in the structural organization of chromosomes and in heterochromatin-induced gene silencing and show that the larger isoform plays a critical role in these processes.

Published
2006

35. Generating High Fidelity Sequence for the Drosophila Virilis Dot Chromosome

Author

Christopher D. Shaffer, Michelle S. Itano, Elaine R. Mardis, Elizabeth E. Slawson, Wilson Leung, Sarah C. R. Elgin, Elmer Kellmann, and Jeremy Buhler

Subjects
Drosophila virilis, Genetics, biology, Chromosome (genetic algorithm), biology.organism_classification, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Sequence (medicine)
Published
2006

36. Comparison of dot chromosome sequences from D. melanogaster and D. virilis reveals an enrichment of DNA transposon sequences in heterochromatic domains

Author

Sarah C. R. Elgin, Seth M. Bloom, Elmer Kellmann, Colin Malone, Wilson Leung, Fatih Ozsolak, Mary Lou Pardue, Jeremy Buhler, James Dee, Elaine R. Mardis, Mindy Tittiger, Emiko T.A. Morimoto, Jenny Myoung, Andrew Nett, Carolyn A. Craig, Christopher D. Shaffer, Elizabeth E. Slawson, James W Bogenpohl, Andrea Zeug, and Rachel B Shevchek

Subjects
Euchromatin, Retroelements, Heterochromatin, Statistics, Nonparametric, Gene density, Melanogaster, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, DNA transposon, In Situ Hybridization, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Genetics, Expressed Sequence Tags, Genome, Models, Statistical, biology, Models, Genetic, Research, Chromosome, Chromosome Mapping, DNA, biology.organism_classification, Fosmid, Drosophila melanogaster, DNA Transposable Elements, Drosophila, RNA Interference
Abstract

Sequencing and analysis of fosmid hybridization to the dot chromosomes of Drosophila virilis and D. melanogaster suggest that repetitive elements and density are important in determining higher-order chromatin packaging., Background Chromosome four of Drosophila melanogaster, known as the dot chromosome, is largely heterochromatic, as shown by immunofluorescent staining with antibodies to heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) and histone H3K9me. In contrast, the absence of HP1 and H3K9me from the dot chromosome in D. virilis suggests that this region is euchromatic. D. virilis diverged from D. melanogaster 40 to 60 million years ago. Results Here we describe finished sequencing and analysis of 11 fosmids hybridizing to the dot chromosome of D. virilis (372,650 base-pairs) and seven fosmids from major euchromatic chromosome arms (273,110 base-pairs). Most genes from the dot chromosome of D. melanogaster remain on the dot chromosome in D. virilis, but many inversions have occurred. The dot chromosomes of both species are similar to the major chromosome arms in gene density and coding density, but the dot chromosome genes of both species have larger introns. The D. virilis dot chromosome fosmids have a high repeat density (22.8%), similar to homologous regions of D. melanogaster (26.5%). There are, however, major differences in the representation of repetitive elements. Remnants of DNA transposons make up only 6.3% of the D. virilis dot chromosome fosmids, but 18.4% of the homologous regions from D. melanogaster; DINE-1 and 1360 elements are particularly enriched in D. melanogaster. Euchromatic domains on the major chromosomes in both species have very few DNA transposons (less than 0.4 %). Conclusion Combining these results with recent findings about RNAi, we suggest that specific repetitive elements, as well as density, play a role in determining higher-order chromatin packaging.

Published
2005

37. Cleaning microsatellite PCR products with Sephadex in 96-well filtration plates enhances genotyping quality

Author

Delbert W. Hutchison, Christopher D. Shaffer, and Jared L. Strasburg

Subjects
Chromatography, Pcr cloning, Reproducibility of Results, Ultrafiltration, Dextrans, Robotics, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Biology, Molecular biology, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Sensitivity and Specificity, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, law.invention, Specimen Handling, Sephadex, law, Microsatellite, Equipment Contamination, Genotyping, Filtration, Biotechnology, Microsatellite Repeats
Published
2005

38. Regulating genes by packaging domains: bits of heterochromatin in euchromatin?

Author

Sarah C. R. Elgin, Lori L. Wallrath, and Christopher D. Shaffer

Subjects
Euchromatin, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone, Heterochromatin, Molecular Sequence Data, Locus (genetics), Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Gene cluster, Genetics, Animals, Drosophila Proteins, Amino Acid Sequence, Genes, Suppressor, Cell Nucleus, Polycomb Repressive Complex 1, Polytene chromosome, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, biology, fungi, Proteins, Chromatin, DNA-Binding Proteins, Drosophila melanogaster, Enhancer Elements, Genetic, Histone, Gene Expression Regulation, Chromobox Protein Homolog 5, biology.protein, Heterochromatin protein 1, Transcription Factors
Abstract

which a variegating gene is inactivated and the frequency with which it is incorporated within cytologically visible heterochromatin 16,17, and also by changes at the molecular level in the chromatin structure of variegating loci TM. While there is evidence that some variegating loci are inactivated as a consequence of DNA loss, due to differential replication or DNA elimination 13,19, it is clear that in many cases of PEV this does not occur 2°m. Inactivation is generally the result of changes in chromatin structure 'v'6. One would therefore expect mutations that modify the extent of inactivation at variegating loci to lie in genes encoding chromosomal proteins, their modifiers, or assembly factors (reviewed in Ref. 8). Many of these mutations have been identifieda2, 23, including both suppressors of PEV [Su(var)], which suppress inactivation of the variegating gene, and znhancers of PEV [En(var)], whicil enhance inactivation. Mutations at as many as 120 loci can have a dominant effect on PEV 2"~. Several such modifier loci have been cloned and characterized (reviewed in Refs 8, 25). Interestingly, many Su(var) and En(var) loci that encode chromosomal proteins show a strong dosage effect. These include the histone gene cluster 26 and the Su(var)205 locus encoding heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) 27-29, which is predominantly associated with the ~-heterochromatin of salivary gland polytene chromosomes 27.30. These results support the hypothesis that changes in chromatin structure dictate the stable inactivatior, of genes that lie adjacent to heterochromatin as the result of a translocation.

Published
1993

39. Genomics Education Partnership

Author

Jim Youngblom, Kenneth Saville, Chunguang Du, Wilson Leung, Olga R. Kopp, G Regisford, Todd T. Eckdahl, Elaine R. Mardis, Jeffrey S. Thompson, Jennifer Leigh Myka, David Lopatto, Mary A. Smith, Charles R. Hauser, Joyce Stamm, Consuelo J. Alvarez, Chitra Chandrasekaran, Sarah C. R. Elgin, C Witkowski, Daron C. Barnard, Christopher J. Jones, Gary A Kuleck, Paul J. Overvoorde, Gerard P. McNeil, Dennis Revie, Alexis Nagengast, Barbara A. Wilson, Kelynne E. Reed, Christopher D. Shaffer, Jeffrey L. Poet, Mary Spratt, Jeremy Buhler, Anne G. Rosenwald, H-M Chung, Christopher D. Smith, M Shaw, Gary R. Skuse, Anya Goodman, and Robert W. Morris

Subjects
Multidisciplinary, Undergraduate research, Work (electrical), General partnership, education, Pooling, ComputingMilieux_COMPUTERSANDEDUCATION, Genomics, Engineering ethics, Sociology, Engineering physics, health care economics and organizations
Abstract

The Genomics Education Partnership offers an inclusive model for undergraduate research experiences, with students pooling their work to contribute to international databases.

Published
2008

40. Chapter 5 Raising Large Quantities of Drosophila for Biochemical Experiments

Author

Christopher D. Shaffer, Sarah C. R. Elgin, and Joann M. Wuller

Subjects
education.field_of_study, biology, fungi, Population, food and beverages, Humidity, Embryo, biology.organism_classification, Raising (metalworking), Yeast, Botany, Food science, Drosophila melanogaster, education, Drosophila, Aroma
Abstract

Publisher Summary Mass cultures of Drosophila have been used in the preparation of a variety of cellular components, including RNA, proteins, DNA, and nuclei. This chapter describes the system used to rear and maintain a population of about 400,000 flies capable of producing 100 g of embryos a day. The minimal requirements for growth of the flies are simple and can be easily met. However, to obtain maximum yield of embryos, proper environmental conditions should be maintained: humidity of 70%, temperature of 25oC, and a constant 24-hr light-dark cycle. The adult flies are fed yeast food. A single strip of yeast paste is spread on a grape plate and the whole plate is placed inside the fly cage. Although the grape plate is probably fed on lightly, its predominant purpose is to stimulate egg laying on its surface as a consequence of the attractive aroma and high surface humidity. The washed embryos can be used immediately for experimental purposes or to continue the population; alternatively, they can be frozen at –80°C for future experiments.

Published
1994

41. Chapter 10 Preparation of Drosophila Nuclei

Author

Sarah C. R. Elgin, Christopher D. Shaffer, and Joann M. Wuller

Subjects
biology, Botany, RNA, Embryo, biology.organism_classification, Drosophila, Cell biology, Chromatin
Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes protocols for the preparation of Drosophila nuclei. The protocols describe large-scale procedures for the isolation of nuclei in three main steps: isolation, disruption, and recovery. The isolation begins with the removal of the chorion. This is followed by disruption of the embryos and recovery of nuclei. Gloves should be worn at all times to avoid contaminating the nuclei with degradative enzymes found on the hands. All buffers are prepared fresh and kept on ice. Embryos 6–18 hr old are found to be a good source of material for the preparation of nuclei, chromatin, DNA, RNA, and proteins. Twenty to forty grams of embryos are obtained and stored at –80°C. Any large clumps can be broken up while the material is still frozen. For a variety of problems it may be necessary to isolate large amounts of nuclei from stages other than embryos. The chapter discusses small-scale procedures that could be used as a starting point for developing large-scale protocols for larvae and adults.

Published
1994

43. The claret locus in Drosophila encodes products required for eyecolor and for meiotic chromosome segregation

Author

Donald J. Komma, Sharyn A. Endow, V. Pirrotta, A.H. Yamamoto, and Christopher D. Shaffer

Subjects
Male, Transcription, Genetic, Mutant, Restriction Mapping, Mitosis, Locus (genetics), Biology, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Chromosomes, Chromosome segregation, Transformation, Genetic, Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid, Animals, Cloning, Molecular, Molecular Biology, Gene, Alleles, Genetics, General Immunology and Microbiology, Eye Color, General Neuroscience, Meiotic chromosome segregation, DNA, Blotting, Northern, Molecular biology, genomic DNA, Meiosis, Drosophila melanogaster, Phenotype, Mutation, RNA, Female, Chromosome Deletion, Chromosome 21, Chromosome 22, Research Article
Abstract

The claret (ca) locus in Drosophila encodes products that are needed both for wild-type eyecolor and for correct meiotic chromosome segregation. Mutants described previously provide evidence that two mutationally independent coding regions are present at ca. We have recovered six new P element-induced and one spontaneous ca mutant. Four of these new mutants affect both eyecolor and chromosome segregation. The high frequency of co-mutation of these two functions suggests that the corresponding genes are closely adjacent to one another. We recovered genomic DNA sequences corresponding to the ca locus by chromosome walking, and showed using revertant analysis that the cloned region encodes ca+. Transformation experiments demonstrate that the mutant effect resulting in meiotic chromosome non-disjunction (nd) and loss is fully rescued by DNA from the cloned region. Two RNAs of 7.4 and 2.2 kb have been identified by Northern blot analysis as the putative eyecolor and segregational products. Expression of the RNAs with respect to males and females, and their presence or absence in ca and nd mutants indicate that the 7.4 kb RNA corresponds to the product needed for wild-type eyecolor and the 2.2 kb RNA is the product required for normal chromosome segregation. These RNAs are transcribed in opposite directions to one another. Alleles that affect both eyecolor and chromosome segregation are deletion mutants that affect both transcripts. Thus, the putative eyecolor and segregational products are encoded by separate genes. Mutants that affect both eyecolor and chromosome segregation apparently do so because they delete essential regions of both genes.

Published
1989

44. Genomic diversity of bacteriophages infecting Microbacterium spp.

Author

Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Lawrence A Abad, Richard M Alvey, Kirk R Anders, Haley G Aull, Suparna S Bhalla, Lawrence S Blumer, David W Bollivar, J Alfred Bonilla, Kristen A Butela, Roy J Coomans, Steven G Cresawn, Tom D'Elia, Arturo Diaz, Ashley M Divens, Nicholas P Edgington, Gregory D Frederick, Maria D Gainey, Rebecca A Garlena, Kenneth W Grant, Susan M R Gurney, Heather L Hendrickson, Lee E Hughes, Margaret A Kenna, Karen K Klyczek, Hari Kotturi, Travis N Mavrich, Angela L McKinney, Evan C Merkhofer, Jordan Moberg Parker, Sally D Molloy, Denise L Monti, Dana A Pape-Zambito, Richard S Pollenz, Welkin H Pope, Nathan S Reyna, Claire A Rinehart, Daniel A Russell, Christopher D Shaffer, Viknesh Sivanathan, Ty H Stoner, Joseph Stukey, C Nicole Sunnen, Sara S Tolsma, Philippos K Tsourkas, Jamie R Wallen, Vassie C Ware, Marcie H Warner, Jacqueline M Washington, Kristi M Westover, JoAnn L Whitefleet-Smith, Helen I Wiersma-Koch, Daniel C Williams, Kira M Zack, and Graham F Hatfull

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

The bacteriophage population is vast, dynamic, old, and genetically diverse. The genomics of phages that infect bacterial hosts in the phylum Actinobacteria show them to not only be diverse but also pervasively mosaic, and replete with genes of unknown function. To further explore this broad group of bacteriophages, we describe here the isolation and genomic characterization of 116 phages that infect Microbacterium spp. Most of the phages are lytic, and can be grouped into twelve clusters according to their overall relatedness; seven of the phages are singletons with no close relatives. Genome sizes vary from 17.3 kbp to 97.7 kbp, and their G+C% content ranges from 51.4% to 71.4%, compared to ~67% for their Microbacterium hosts. The phages were isolated on five different Microbacterium species, but typically do not efficiently infect strains beyond the one on which they were isolated. These Microbacterium phages contain many novel features, including very large viral genes (13.5 kbp) and unusual fusions of structural proteins, including a fusion of VIP2 toxin and a MuF-like protein into a single gene. These phages and their genetic components such as integration systems, recombineering tools, and phage-mediated delivery systems, will be useful resources for advancing Microbacterium genetics.

Published
2020
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45. Expanding the diversity of mycobacteriophages: insights into genome architecture and evolution.

Author

Welkin H Pope, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Daniel A Russell, Craig L Peebles, Zein Al-Atrache, Turi A Alcoser, Lisa M Alexander, Matthew B Alfano, Samantha T Alford, Nichols E Amy, Marie D Anderson, Alexander G Anderson, Andrew A S Ang, Manuel Ares, Amanda J Barber, Lucia P Barker, Jonathan M Barrett, William D Barshop, Cynthia M Bauerle, Ian M Bayles, Katherine L Belfield, Aaron A Best, Agustin Borjon, Charles A Bowman, Christine A Boyer, Kevin W Bradley, Victoria A Bradley, Lauren N Broadway, Keshav Budwal, Kayla N Busby, Ian W Campbell, Anne M Campbell, Alyssa Carey, Steven M Caruso, Rebekah D Chew, Chelsea L Cockburn, Lianne B Cohen, Jeffrey M Corajod, Steven G Cresawn, Kimberly R Davis, Lisa Deng, Dee R Denver, Breyon R Dixon, Sahrish Ekram, Sarah C R Elgin, Angela E Engelsen, Belle E V English, Marcella L Erb, Crystal Estrada, Laura Z Filliger, Ann M Findley, Lauren Forbes, Mark H Forsyth, Tyler M Fox, Melissa J Fritz, Roberto Garcia, Zindzi D George, Anne E Georges, Christopher R Gissendanner, Shannon Goff, Rebecca Goldstein, Kobie C Gordon, Russell D Green, Stephanie L Guerra, Krysta R Guiney-Olsen, Bridget G Guiza, Leila Haghighat, Garrett V Hagopian, Catherine J Harmon, Jeremy S Harmson, Grant A Hartzog, Samuel E Harvey, Siping He, Kevin J He, Kaitlin E Healy, Ellen R Higinbotham, Erin N Hildebrandt, Jason H Ho, Gina M Hogan, Victoria G Hohenstein, Nathan A Holz, Vincent J Huang, Ericka L Hufford, Peter M Hynes, Arrykka S Jackson, Erica C Jansen, Jonathan Jarvik, Paul G Jasinto, Tuajuanda C Jordan, Tomas Kasza, Murray A Katelyn, Jessica S Kelsey, Larisa A Kerrigan, Daryl Khaw, Junghee Kim, Justin Z Knutter, Ching-Chung Ko, Gail V Larkin, Jennifer R Laroche, Asma Latif, Kohana D Leuba, Sequoia I Leuba, Lynn O Lewis, Kathryn E Loesser-Casey, Courtney A Long, A Javier Lopez, Nicholas Lowery, Tina Q Lu, Victor Mac, Isaac R Masters, Jazmyn J McCloud, Molly J McDonough, Andrew J Medenbach, Anjali Menon, Rachel Miller, Brandon K Morgan, Patrick C Ng, Elvis Nguyen, Katrina T Nguyen, Emilie T Nguyen, Kaylee M Nicholson, Lindsay A Parnell, Caitlin E Peirce, Allison M Perz, Luke J Peterson, Rachel E Pferdehirt, Seegren V Philip, Kit Pogliano, Joe Pogliano, Tamsen Polley, Erica J Puopolo, Hannah S Rabinowitz, Michael J Resiss, Corwin N Rhyan, Yetta M Robinson, Lauren L Rodriguez, Andrew C Rose, Jeffrey D Rubin, Jessica A Ruby, Margaret S Saha, James W Sandoz, Judith Savitskaya, Dale J Schipper, Christine E Schnitzler, Amanda R Schott, J Bradley Segal, Christopher D Shaffer, Kathryn E Sheldon, Erica M Shepard, Jonathan W Shepardson, Madav K Shroff, Jessica M Simmons, Erika F Simms, Brandy M Simpson, Kathryn M Sinclair, Robert L Sjoholm, Ingrid J Slette, Blaire C Spaulding, Clark L Straub, Joseph Stukey, Trevor Sughrue, Tin-Yun Tang, Lyons M Tatyana, Stephen B Taylor, Barbara J Taylor, Louise M Temple, Jasper V Thompson, Michael P Tokarz, Stephanie E Trapani, Alexander P Troum, Jonathan Tsay, Anthony T Tubbs, Jillian M Walton, Danielle H Wang, Hannah Wang, John R Warner, Emilie G Weisser, Samantha C Wendler, Kathleen A Weston-Hafer, Hilary M Whelan, Kurt E Williamson, Angelica N Willis, Hannah S Wirtshafter, Theresa W Wong, Phillip Wu, Yun jeong Yang, Brandon C Yee, David A Zaidins, Bo Zhang, Melina Y Zúniga, Roger W Hendrix, and Graham F Hatfull

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that infect mycobacterial hosts such as Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All mycobacteriophages characterized to date are dsDNA tailed phages, and have either siphoviral or myoviral morphotypes. However, their genetic diversity is considerable, and although sixty-two genomes have been sequenced and comparatively analyzed, these likely represent only a small portion of the diversity of the mycobacteriophage population at large. Here we report the isolation, sequencing and comparative genomic analysis of 18 new mycobacteriophages isolated from geographically distinct locations within the United States. Although no clear correlation between location and genome type can be discerned, these genomes expand our knowledge of mycobacteriophage diversity and enhance our understanding of the roles of mobile elements in viral evolution. Expansion of the number of mycobacteriophages grouped within Cluster A provides insights into the basis of immune specificity in these temperate phages, and we also describe a novel example of apparent immunity theft. The isolation and genomic analysis of bacteriophages by freshman college students provides an example of an authentic research experience for novice scientists.

Published
2011
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46. Cluster K mycobacteriophages: insights into the evolutionary origins of mycobacteriophage TM4.

Author

Welkin H Pope, Christina M Ferreira, Deborah Jacobs-Sera, Robert C Benjamin, Ariangela J Davis, Randall J DeJong, Sarah C R Elgin, Forrest R Guilfoile, Mark H Forsyth, Alexander D Harris, Samuel E Harvey, Lee E Hughes, Peter M Hynes, Arrykka S Jackson, Marilyn D Jalal, Elizabeth A MacMurray, Coreen M Manley, Molly J McDonough, Jordan L Mosier, Larissa J Osterbann, Hannah S Rabinowitz, Corwin N Rhyan, Daniel A Russell, Margaret S Saha, Christopher D Shaffer, Stephanie E Simon, Erika F Sims, Isabel G Tovar, Emilie G Weisser, John T Wertz, Kathleen A Weston-Hafer, Kurt E Williamson, Bo Zhang, Steven G Cresawn, Paras Jain, Mariana Piuri, William R Jacobs, Roger W Hendrix, and Graham F Hatfull

Subjects
Medicine, Science
Abstract

Five newly isolated mycobacteriophages--Angelica, CrimD, Adephagia, Anaya, and Pixie--have similar genomic architectures to mycobacteriophage TM4, a previously characterized phage that is widely used in mycobacterial genetics. The nucleotide sequence similarities warrant grouping these into Cluster K, with subdivision into three subclusters: K1, K2, and K3. Although the overall genome architectures of these phages are similar, TM4 appears to have lost at least two segments of its genome, a central region containing the integration apparatus, and a segment at the right end. This suggests that TM4 is a recent derivative of a temperate parent, resolving a long-standing conundrum about its biology, in that it was reportedly recovered from a lysogenic strain of Mycobacterium avium, but it is not capable of forming lysogens in any mycobacterial host. Like TM4, all of the Cluster K phages infect both fast- and slow-growing mycobacteria, and all of them--with the exception of TM4--form stable lysogens in both Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis; immunity assays show that all five of these phages share the same immune specificity. TM4 infects these lysogens suggesting that it was either derived from a heteroimmune temperate parent or that it has acquired a virulent phenotype. We have also characterized a widely-used conditionally replicating derivative of TM4 and identified mutations conferring the temperature-sensitive phenotype. All of the Cluster K phages contain a series of well conserved 13 bp repeats associated with the translation initiation sites of a subset of the genes; approximately one half of these contain an additional sequence feature composed of imperfectly conserved 17 bp inverted repeats separated by a variable spacer. The K1 phages integrate into the host tmRNA and the Cluster K phages represent potential new tools for the genetics of M. tuberculosis and related species.

Published
2011
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