Introduction of investigator (student)-centered research projects to undergraduate plant physiology students

TitleIntroduction of investigator (student)-centered research projects to undergraduate plant physiology students
Faculty/College/UnitScience
StatusCompleted
Duration2 Year
Initiation04/01/2005
Completion03/31/2007
Funding Details
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2005/2006
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorSantokh Singh
Year 1: Funded Amount17,331
Year 1: Team Members

Santokh Singh, Botany / Biology, Faculty of Science

Year 1: Summary

The main objective of this project is to introduce innovative investigator (student)-centered research projects to study the physiological status of trees and shrubs growing in UBC to undergraduate plant physiology students taking BIOL 351/FRST 311/AGRO 324, BIOL 352 and BIOL 448 courses. BIOL 351 and BIOL 352 are essential core Biology courses with labs for Science undergraduate students. In addition, BIOL 351/FRST 311/AGRO 324 represents a team-taught program in Plant Physiology, involving faculty and students from Faculties of Science, Agroecology and Forest Sciences. BIOL 448 is a directed studies course for undergraduate students to conduct a one-or two-terms research project in a lab. In the previous years, plant physiology lab education has mainly focused on simple recipe-styled lab experiments using traditional physiological techniques.

In the last two years, I have introduced a limited number of lab research projects to a small number of plant physiology students on a trial basis. Students showed tremendous interest in such research projects and they provided an outstanding positive feedback to me. Therefore, I propose to provide all plant physiology students the opportunity and experience of conducting innovative investigator (student)-centered, open-ended, lab and field-based research projects on trees, shrubs and weeds growing in UBC using modern biochemical and molecular techniques. This will provide students an awareness of the UBC flora and a valuable experience in conducting independent research. Students will first write a research proposal including the hypothesis, description of the project, background literature, materials and methods, schedule (timeline) and references. They will then conduct research experiments outlines in the project proposal lab. Finally, each student will write a research paper-style comprehensive and formal research report (8-10 pages). This project will continue beyond 2005/06; however, funding from TLEF will be required only for 2005/06.

Year 2: Project YearYear 2
Year 2: Funding Year2006/2007
Year 2: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 2: Principal InvestigatorSantokh Singh
Year 2: Funded Amount21,500
Year 2: Team Members

Santokh Singh, Botany / Biology, Faculty of Science

Year 2: Summary

In the first year of this project (2005/06), I with the help of three undergraduate research students and a lab technician have developed protocols and methods to study various physiological aspects (e.g. gas exchange and protein profiles) of trees and shrubs growing in the Biological Sciences courtyard. I have also introduced a limited number of lab research projects to a number of plant physiology students. Students showed tremendous interest in such research projects and they provided an outstanding positive feedback to me. Therefore, I propose to provide all plant physiology students the opportunity and experience of conducting innovative investigator (student)-centered, open-ended, lab­ and field-based research projects in the coming years. In particular, the project during 2006/07 will focus on a year-­round investigation of physiology of trees and shrubs growing in UBC, especially the Biological Science courtyard and the Biological Sciences Native Teaching Garden using modem biochemical and molecular techniques. This will provide students an awareness of the UBC flora and a valuable experience in conducting independent research.