Infrastructure Enhancement to Teach Molecular Sciences to Veterinary and Graduate Students

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Lack of adequate infrastructure and resources at Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine is impeding effective teaching of molecular sciences to veterinary and graduate students. Lack of opportunities for experiential learning is thought to be a factor in not attracting minority veterinary students into research careers. The purpose of this project is to provide hands-on experience to veterinary and graduate students in studying food animal health and food safety problems using state-of-the art equipment and skilled faculty and USDA collaborators.

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APPROACH: The real-time PCR machine (Smart Cycler) will be purchased from CEPHEID Company that has been supplying these to USDA and Department of Defense laboratories. Graduate students and selected veterinary students will be provided hands-on experience to use the Smart Cycler System that has proven to be a successful platform for a variety of applications in life science research including food safety, bioterrorism, infectious diseases, etc. Students will use it in molecular techniques including the detection of food borne pathogens and gene expression studies. We will undertake curriculum designing for the new didactic courses in the Department of Pathobiology. New material will be incorporated and laboratory exercises will be developed with the help of project collaborators. These courses are: 1) Molecular Biology, 2) Immunology, and 3) Virology & Immunology laboratory. The syllabi will be made available to the students online using BLACKBOARD 6, a web-based server software system. We will take a problem-solving approach to teach all the above courses. New books and new editions of recommended text books will be purchased for the TUSVM library. Three innovative instructional delivery systems will augment traditional classroom lectures. These include: 1) problem-solving learning methodologies, 2) small group (5 to 6 students) learning versus individual learning and 3) multimedia-based learning versus single source learning. Faculty members responsible for teaching the courses will attend workshops and national meetings to enhance their skills, knowledge, and abilities in order to achieve excellence in teaching and research. Four veterinary and two graduate students will be provided the opportunity to participate in research in the laboratories of USDA collaborators during the summer breaks. Graduate students will be exposed to research and education in food animal and wildlife diseases at some of the international laboratories including the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya and the Veterinary Colleges in Nairobi and the adjacent Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Morogoro, Tanzania.
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PROGRESS: 2003/09 TO 2006/09<BR>
Course contents were revised and several new multimedia modules were developed for teaching the newly started core curriculum courses of Immunology (MBIO413), Virology & Immunology Laboratory (MBIO 414) as well as for the existing elective course Advanced Pathogenic Microbiology (MBIo512) courses. The Course Outline and syllabus for the Immunology (MBIO413) course is currently available on the Blackboard 6, a web-based software system currently being used by Tuskegee University. Guest lectures were provided by: Dr. Peter Holt, USDA/ARS, Russell Research Center, Athens, GA (Avian Immunology), Dr. Irene Wesley, USDA/ARS NADC Ames, IA (Food Safety) Dr. Ron Schultz, Professor & Head, Department of Pathobiology, University of Wisconsin (Production & Use of Veterinary vaccines). A total of five veterinary students were given the opportunity for international research internship training at the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Sokoine Agricultural University, Morogor, Tanzania and University of Nairobi, Kenya. 1. Ms. Leonara Dickson (Summer 2004) 2. Ms. Shadawn salmond (Summer 2004) 3. Ms. Melanie Muldrow (Summer 2006) 4. Ms. Tia Harris (Summer 2006) 5. Ms. Lavonne Gaffin (Summer 2007) Two graduate students (Mr. Sadig Nadeem and Ms. Maria Bai-Sheka) received training at the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory on the use of real-time PCR assay. The following graduate students received partial financial support (stipends and/or tuition): 1. Ms. Nora Hasheem 2. Ms. Maria Bai-Sheka 3. Mr. Sadig Nadeem 4. Mr. Yezeed Abdelmageed 5. Mr. Rufus Clinkscales 6. Ms. Ensaaf Taha 7. Ms. Kaylyn Dillard Among the students shown above, the first four have graduated. Ms. Kaylyn Dillard went on to the DVM program but returned to the graduate program after one semester. She is curretly taking three courses and will start her research in the Summer of 2008. Mr. Rufus Clinkscales and Ms. Ensaaf Taha are likely to graduate in May 2008. One graduate student (Ms. Alystia Walker) participated in the Summer Internship program (8 weeks) at the USDA Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory. Four graduate students have completed the M.S degree program in veterinary science and used real-time PCR assays and microarray protocols for their research. <BR> PRODUCTS: Four graduate students have successfully completed their Master's degree programs and almost all of them used molecular techniques including real-time PCR. Syllabi for the identified courses have been updated, multimedia modules have been developed and the course outlines, lecture notes are now available for the students on the BLACKBOARD, a Web-based course management software. The Smart Cycler purchased with grant funds is being extensively used by graduate students and faculty in their research projects. <BR> OUTCOMES: Grant funds allowed us to train the graduate students in the molecular protocols. Students used these protocols with reagents and chemicals purchased from these grant funds. Two more students are extensively using the real-time PCR machine purchased with the grant funds. They are receiving partial financial support from the grant funds. Two full-length manuscripts are being prepared for publication in scientific journals. Course Content and syllabus will be constantly updated for the identified courses and we indent to initiate new courses (Ex., Foreign Animal Diseases) for the benefit of students in the new Integrative Biosciences Ph.D program. We will continue to invite Guest lectures to provide some lectures to the new PhD students.. Graduate students are able to use state-of-the-art molecular assays in their research and are involved in developing rapid methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens. These methods will be useful for the food industry. They are also involved in research to further understand the molecular mechanisms of involved in immunosuppression in animals due management stressors such as induced molting or due to environmental toxicants such as mercury. Courses such as Immunology and Virology & Immunology Laboratory are being taught with the use of multimedia audio-visuals and problem-solving methodology. The new multiple-choice questions added to the question bank are boosting the confidence of veterinary students in taking the board examinations. Infrastructure needed to educate graduate students has vastly improved. Rapid methods developed for the detection of foodborne pathogens will be useful for the industry in assuring safety of the foods. <BR> DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Students returning from International research internship either at Sokoine Agricultural University, Tanzania or University of nairobi, Kenya presented their experiences at the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association meetings as well as the Annual Veterinary Medical Symposium at Tuskegee University. Two students have also presented their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Symposium in the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University as well as at the American Society of Microbiology Annual Meetings. Faculty members have also presented papers at scientific and international meetings. <BR> FUTURE INITIATIVES: 1. Continue to acquire resources, especially the equipment to teach molecular methods to graduate students pursuing research in Animal Health and Food Safety. 2. Apply for National Needs Fellowship funding to support master's and Ph.D students. 3. Continue to seek extramural funding for acquiring teaching resources and upgrading faculty skills for excellence in teaching. 4. Continue to seek funding for providing national and international externship programs for veterinary and graduate students. 5. Continue to seek funding for providing travel support for graduate students to present research papers at the National scientific Meetings such as the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology.
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IMPACT: 2003/09 TO 2006/09<BR>
Graduate students at Tuskegee will be able to use state-of-the-art molecular assays in their research and in developing rapid methods for the detection of foodborne pathogens. These methods will be useful for the food industry. They are also involved in research to further understand the molecular mechanisms of involved in immunosuppression in animals due to management stressors such as induced molting or due to environmental toxicants such as mercury. Courses such as Immunology and Virology & Immunology Laboratory are being taught with the use of multimedia audio-visuals and problem-solving methodology. The new multiple-choice questions added to the question bank are boosting the confidence of veterinary students in taking the board examinations. Infrastructure needed to educate graduate students has vastly improved. Rapid methods developed for the detection of foodborne pathogens will be useful for the industry in assuring safety of the foods.