Ten years after the release of the first complete human genome, genetic biobanks feed a mass flow of information to biomedical research, personalized medicine and drug development; moreover, everyone can now have their DNA checked for ancestry or health-related traits analyses. Meanwhile, researchers have developed powerful tools such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to label genomic sequences and identify their associations with human traits, risk factors, diseases, or ancestry. This genomic revolution relies on key concepts that biology students must master, whether they are going on as graduate students in research labs, employed in drug development and pharmaceutical industries, or directing themselves in medicine or veterinary careers. Incorporating GWAS into the curriculum of BSc biology/health science majors is becoming a pressing issue. However, teaching GWAS and genetic mapping of causal variants can be challenging for lab instructors who did not learn such techniques during their studies; moreover, the ?wet? part of such studies is better performed in a high-throughput sequencing facility that can analyze thousands of variants simultaneously rather than in a teaching lab. Instructors may be reluctant to teach a lab on GWAS that calls upon students? analytical and strategic skills without much manipulation beyond DNA extraction. We, therefore, created a simulated lab in which students must discover the genetic variant supporting the transmission of a human trait. We made colourful and straightforward tools to help students picture complex concepts such as linkage disequilibrium and familial recombinant association studies. During the 90-minute workshop presented at ABLE, participants will perform selected portions of the lab. Like students, they will use our simulated tools to identify, locate and associate a genetic variant with a trait. This workshop will equip instructors with an easy-to-implement simulation, a guided workflow and sample calculations with optional add-ons to introduce GWAS to their students successfully.
Keywords: genetics, traits, GWAS, SNP
University of Manitoba (2025)
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
