How scientists study biology

Course Description

Goal: The goal for this course is to allow students to experience the hands-on aspects of biology research and appreciate the diverse nature of research in biology.
Overview: During this one-week course, students will complete a blend of classroom and hands-on research experiences in the field of biology. Students will engage with scientists from the Biology Department and learn about diverse fields of biology research. Students will also be given tours of multiple research locations such as the Carleton University greenhouses, cell biology research labs, and insect biology research labs. However, the focus of this course will be on giving students the experience of conducting a biomedical research experiment from beginning to end. The course will be run by a researcher from the Bruin Lab, which studies diabetes. Students will be given a biomedical research question relating to diabetes and cell biology. They will spend the week working collaboratively in small groups to conduct hands-on laboratory experiments (e.g. microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction) designed to answer their research question. Day 1 is mandatory and will consist of laboratory safety training. The in-lab component of this course will start on Day 2 when students will learn the necessary skills to conduct experiments. On Days 3 and 4 students will spend most of their day working in the research lab. Students will also participate in workshops to discuss the necessary background information to understand their hands-on experiments and the experiment outcomes. The week will end with an informal discussion on the highlights and challenges of conducting biology research.