DNA sequencing is a fundamental method in biological research. It is used to identify organisms, analyze their genomes, and study biodiversity, among many other applications. While genome-scale sequencing and data analyses used to be prohibitively difficult and expensive, recent advances in both technology and software make it feasible to integrate both into high school and undergraduate laboratory courses. These experiences provide students with both an opportunity to practice computational and data analysis skills and to apply them to course-specific learning goals such as analyzing the biodiversity of a specific habitat. Here, we present three DNA sequencing data analyses suitable for laboratory courses: analyzing ???DNA barcodes??? to identify an organism???s taxa, metabarcoding to identify all the microbial organisms in an environmental sample, and assembling and annotating a viral or prokaryotic genome. Each uses freely-available software and can be implemented as a stand-alone activity or in the broader context of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE).
Keywords: Bioinformatics, DNA sequencing, DNA barcodes, metagenome, nanopore, CURE
University of Manitoba (2025)
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