Advanced Biotechnology Course Introduced

Students Involved in Original Research

Yeshiva College is continuing its efforts to establish itself as a respected research facility for the twenty-first century and to prepare its students for science at the graduate level. To further these endeavors, a new course has been established. The course, Advanced Biotechnology, is the brainchild of Dr. Kenneth Danishefsky who proposed its creation to Norman Adler, Dean of YC, and Dr. Carl Feit, senior professor of biology, earlier this year.

Advanced Biotechnology is an advanced laboratory course that focuses on original research to be completed by the students under the auspices of Dr. Danishefsky. The official time slot for the course is Sunday 1:30-6:30, but it requires students to come in throughout the week depending on the needs of specific experiments.

There were early doubts as to whether the course would attract the necesary four students due to the difficult time commitment. However, six students, all of whom were personally admitted by the instructor, Dr. Danishefsky, are currently enrolled.

The course is designed to give students a post-graduate or professional experience in research and train the students to think like scientists. Therefore, students are required to take part in all aspects of the research project. They are obligated to design, as well as conduct experiments utilizing the proper controls in order to further the research goals.

This semester's project is to facilitate the study of HFREP-1, a novel fibrinogen-related protein whose gene was characterized and cloned in 1993. Investigations concerning this protein, which may play a role in blood clotting, have been limited.

The initial focus of the students in Advanced Biotechnology is to express the gene by inserting it into a living cell that would produce the protein. Once made, they can investigate the role it plays in the cloting process and discover what unique structural properties allow it to funtion properly. To date, the young investigators have multiplied the gene and using an enzyme called ligase, inserted it into a plasmid.

A plasmid is a circular piece of DNA which can be read and processd by bacteria. The researchers introduced their plasmid into bacteria hoping the bacteria will read their gene and reproduce it successfully. In the final step of their project, the working genes isolated from this bacteria are to be inserted into a virus which will be used to infect a type of insect cell that will, in the end, mass produce the protein.

Dr. Danishefsky is encouraged by the apparent success of the course. He expressed his hope that "this experience will make the students better scientists and more attractive candidates for programs at the graduate level." He described the enthusiasm of the students as "personally motivating."

Jeff Bander, a YC Junior enrolled in the course echoed that feeling, "It's not like other courses where everything is mapped out for you and an instructor is standing over your shoulder. Here it's exciting because the work involves a measure of independence and the outcome of our experiments is unknown."

Dean Adler called Advance Biotechnology another opportunity for students at YC to participate in honors type classes. Dr. Feit stressed the fact that recent renovations of the molecular biology lab, which is now considered state-of-the-art, made this course possible.