West Lafayette, IN / Cold Spring Harbor, NY — The Department of Biological Sciences of Purdue University has announced four new first-year biology core laboratory courses for the 2004/2005 academic year. Focused on the practical skills that biologists use, the courses have been nicknamed “Hands On Training in Biology” or H.O.T. Biology. They catch the excitement about new ideas and technologies in the biological sciences at Purdue University, where research capacity is growing and students’ learning experiences are constantly being enhanced.
The four, 8-week laboratory modules can be taken in any order and cover Quantitative and Problem Solving Skills; Information and Communication Skills; Handling Cells and Tissues, and Microscopy; and Measurements and Basic Solution Chemistry. Students taking these new lab modules are required to purchase three books, two of them from the research and educational publisher Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Students will use At The Bench, by Kathy Barker, a much-praised, broad-ranging, and detailed guide to working in a research laboratory environment, as well as, Lab Math: A Handbook of Measurements, Calculations, and Other Quantitative Skills, written by Dany Adams, of the Forsythe Institute at Harvard University.
Describing the Department’s approach to these new courses, Professor Laurie Iten explains, “Biology has undergone a major transformation in the last 10 to 15 years, beginning biology laboratories have not. Our new first-year laboratory modules are for biology majors to start gaining the skills and knowledge they need to function at the bench. They build on these skills as they progress through our research-intensive undergraduate curriculum and perhaps beyond to graduate or medical school and future careers in biomedical research. We are using the Cold Spring Harbor Press handbooks, Lab Math… and At the Bench… for our new first-year lab modules because they are exactly what we want and what students need.”
Dr. John Inglis, Executive Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, comments, “Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press began a long tradition of publishing distinguished books for the professional biologist in the 1930s. Through its publishing program and the educational innovations of its Dolan DNA Learning Center that have revolutionized high school biology teaching, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has had a major role in bringing the latest research in molecular biology from the laboratory to the schoolroom and now to the university lecture hall. We are delighted and honored that Purdue University has chosen to have their students use our textbooks as the basis for its new approach to teaching freshman biology.”
An operating division of the Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press is a renowned international publisher of books, journals, and multimedia dealing with research and education in the biological sciences.
Written by: Communications Department | publicaffairs@cshl.edu | 516-367-8455