My Gene Project: examining gene, mRNA, protein features and creating a phylogenetic gene tree to examine the evolutionary history of your gene of choice
Kimberley Curry & John Taylor
Advances in Biology Laboratory Education, 2026, Volume 46
Have you ever wondered about the history of a gene, when it appeared, and whether it duplicated in a genome? For this project, students choose their own gene of interest to explore all the details known about that gene, how it transcribes into mRNA, and how that is translated into proteins. Many gene, mRNA, and protein sequence features have been identified and are common amongst other genes. Students will find and explain what these features are and what they might be known to do. Students will generate simple phylogenetic gene trees to examine when that gene speciated and/or duplicated in time. Every gene tree is unique and extremely interesting to examine! This information and the tools to conduct these exercises are easily accessible in online databases. Students complete this project throughout the term using my guided videos for assistance. Throughout the term, we ask students to design primers for their gene of interest, submit a midterm collection of their research, and provide a written explanation of their phylogenetic gene tree. At the end of term, they present their research and phylogenetic gene trees in a five-minute presentation.
You will be guided through the selection of your own gene of interest, and how to use the NCBI database to obtain gene, mRNA and protein features. I will also show you how to produce a phylogenetic gene tree and how to analyze it. We will use all participant examples to ensure a complete understanding on how to create and interpret gene trees.
Keywords: genetics, bioinformatics, mRNA, protein, NCBI database, phylogenetic tree
University of Manitoba (2025)
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