Summer DNA workshops

Teaching Biotechnology Skills through DNA Metabarcoding Biodiversity Research
New York City, NY

Learn how to lead your students in metabarcoding analyses using affordable biochemistry and online tools developed by the DNALC, leveraging next generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze thousands of DNA barcodes from complex mixtures of DNA—representing microbes (microbiomes) or organisms in environmental DNA (eDNA). DNA metabarcoding draws on techniques from molecular biology and introduces students to massively parallel genome analysis, including NGS quality control and data science, to identify species. Bioinformatic analysis of metabarcoding data are conducted in the DNA Subway Purple Line, a browser-based pipeline incorporating QIIME2, a research-grade metabarcoding platform. Workshop seminars introduce key concepts and emphasize high-value skills aimed at workforce development.

Faculty who complete each workshop receive a $500 stipend and will receive year-round mentoring and support as they implement in their classes, including free reagents and DNA sequencing. Faculty are asked to participate in a series of evaluation activities, beginning with workshop evaluation. Faculty who go on to implement in the classroom will also be asked about their experiences and those of their students. A limited number of travel awards will be offered to participants on a first-come basis.

Presenter:  Bruce Nash, DNA Learning Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Learn more and register at https://dnalc.cshl.edu/programs/teacher_training.html