Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/09

Outputs
The Consortium for Bioinformatics Instruction (CBI) is a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary effort among three 1890 institutions. This report covers approximately the first 48 months of this three-year-project with one one year renewal. The objectives were: 1) to develop, test and offer one common teleconferenced/web-based introductory course in bioinformatics at the three participating universities; 2) to improve hardware and infrastructure capability to undertake bioinformatics instruction at the three institutions; and 3) to undertake curriculum design and specific steps to offer a minor in bioinformatics initially at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). The course "Introduction to Bioinformatics" was developed, tested, offered, and continually enhanced in Fall semester 2006 and again in 2007. In Fall 2006, 15 students enrolled for the course at AAMU, 14 (7 MS and 7 PhD) at TU and 6 (3 MS and 3 PhD) at TSU. In fall 2007, a total of 31 students received instruction (24 at AAMU, 4 at TSU and 3 at TU). One of the AAMU co-PIs taught the course from AAMU and the co-PIs at TU and TSU were the facilitating instructors. The installation of the Polycom devices, video projector, speakers, etc. was completed in 2006 further refined in 2007 at the three institutions. The course material was placed on AAMU Blackboard system; it included lecture and hands-on lab exercises. To synchronously deliver better quality audio and video to three campuses encountered problems because of limited broadband but the Blackboard system provided access to instructional materials during the scheduled classes and was utilized on demand basis for individual learning. The development of a minor was enhanced by addition of a graduate level course, "Bioinformatics Applications" and it was offered in spring 2007 and again in spring 2008. A multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster Environment) has been installed to support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/bihpc. PRODUCTS: Concise course outlines for one undergraduate course, Introduction to Bioinformatics and for one graduate level Bioinformatics Applications have been developed. A suggested package of equipment for institutions with limited bandwidth has been defined. A configuration for a bioinformatics minor has evolved. Utilizing other institutional resources, a multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster environment) has been installed to support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/biohpc OUTCOMES: The main outcomes of the project are: 1. Developed mechanisms of offering one introductory and one advanced course in bioinformatics. A new distance delivery module in bioinformatics has been developed to efficiently impart critical skills to select 1890 institutions. 2. Strengthened the distance education delivery capacities of Tuskegee and Alabama A&M Universities. 3. Improved utilization of bioinformatics computational capacities at Alabama A&M University which is accessible by other institutions at http://genome.aamu.edu/bihpc DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project is providing stimulus for academic program offerings across small land grant institutions using distance and internet-based education. This inter-institution collaboration is between research and education components of three 1890 institutions--Alabama A&M University, Tennessee State University and Tuskegee University. Because of this collaboration, TSU has developed two additional courses in bioinformatics and genomics to support graduate level training at TSU for their newly initiated PhD program. The PhD effort at TU in Integrative Biosciences has also been strengthened. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiative of this project beyond the duration of this project is to strengthen bandwidth capabilities which will allow expansion of bioinformatics course offerings to a larger number of institutions.

Impacts
The implementation of this project has enhanced agricultural, life sciences, and computer science curricula at three institutions. Especially notable are the PhD level program offerings and their development at the three cooperating institutions. The consortium has defined and utilized an approach to share resource-intensive courses across institutions. The faculty has developed skills in selection of technologies for effective delivery of course materials through lectures and websites especially devoted to genomic analyses.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 09/01/07 to 08/31/08

Outputs
The Consortium for Bioinformatics Instruction (CBI) is a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary effort among three 1890 institutions. This report covers approximately the first 48 months of this three-year-project with one one year renewal. The objectives were: 1) to develop, test and offer one common teleconferenced/web-based introductory course in bioinformatics at the three participating universities; 2) to improve hardware and infrastructure capability to undertake bioinformatics instruction at the three institutions; and 3) to undertake curriculum design and specific steps to offer a minor in bioinformatics initially at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). The course "Introduction to Bioinformatics" was developed, tested, offered, and continually enhanced in Fall semester 2006 and again in 2007. In Fall 2006, 15 students enrolled for the course at AAMU, 14 (7 MS and 7 PhD) at TU and 6 (3 MS and 3 PhD) at TSU. In fall 2007, a total of 31 students received instruction (24 at AAMU, 4 at TSU and 3 at TU). One of the AAMU co-PIs taught the course from AAMU and the co-PIs at TU and TSU were the facilitating instructors. The installation of the Polycom devices, video projector, speakers, etc. was completed in 2006 further refined in 2007 at the three institutions. The course material was placed on AAMU Blackboard system; it included lecture and hands-on lab exercises. To synchronously deliver better quality audio and video to three campuses encountered problems because of limited broadband but the Blackboard system provided access to instructional materials during the scheduled classes and was utilized on demand basis for individual learning. The development of a minor was enhanced by addition of a graduate level course, "Bioinformatics Applications" and it was offered in spring 2007 and again in spring 2008. A multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster Environment) has been installed to support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/bihpc. PRODUCTS: Concise course outlines for one undergraduate course, Introduction to Bioinformatics and for one graduate level Bioinformatics Applications have been developed. A suggested package of equipment for institutions with limited bandwidth has been defined. A configuration for a bioinformatics minor has evolved. Utilizing other institutional resources, a multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster environment) has been installed to support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/biohpc. Installed programs can undertake or support: 1) Sequence Analysis; 2) Sequence Alignment; 3) Population Genetics; 4) Protein Structure, and 5) Other statistical analysis packages. Majority of the computationally intensive software were configured to work in a parallel processing environment -- such as, P-BLAST, PHMMER, P-IPRSCAN, Repeat Finder, P-CLUSTALW, T COFFEE, etc. OUTCOMES: The main outcomes of the project are: 1. Developed mechanisms of offering one introductory and one advanced course in bioinformatics. A new distance delivery module in bioinformatics has been developed to efficiently impart critical skills to select 1890 institutions. 2. Strengthened the distance education delivery capacities of Tuskegee and Alabama A&M Universities. 3. Improved utilization of bioinformatics computational capacities at Alabama A&M University which is accessible by other institutions at http://genome.aamu.edu/bihpc. An internet-based format will encourage non-traditional students to participate in the program. It will also include a configuration for a bioinformatics minor which can be shared between agriculture and environmental science, and computer science students. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project is providing stimulus for academic program offerings across small land grant institutions using distance and internet-based education. This inter-institution collaboration is between research and education components of three 1890 institutions--Alabama A&M University, Tennessee State University and Tuskegee University. Because of this collaboration, TSU has developed two additional courses in bioinformatics and genomics to support graduate level training at TSU for their newly initiated PhD program. The PhD effort at TU in Integrative Biosciences has also been strengthened. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiative of this project beyond the duration of this project is to strengthen bandwidth capabilities which will allow expansion of bioinformatics course offerings to a larger number of institutions.

Impacts
The implementation of this project has enhanced agricultural, life sciences, and computer science curricula at three institutions. Especially notable are the PhD level program offerings and their development at the three cooperating institutions. The consortium has defined and utilized an approach to share resource-intensive courses across institutions. The faculty has developed skills in selection of technologies for effective delivery of course materials through lectures and websites especially devoted to genomic analyses.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 09/01/06 to 08/31/07

Outputs
The Consortium for Bioinformatics Instruction (CBI) is a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary effort among three 1890 institutions. This report covers approximately the first 30 months of this three-year-project. The objectives were: 1) to develop, test and offer one common teleconferenced/web-based introductiory course in bioinformatics at the three participating universities; 2) to improve hardware and infrastructure capability to undertake bioinformatics instructionat at the three institutions; and 3) to undertake curriculum design and specific steps to offer a minor in bioinformatics initially at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). The course "Introduction to Bioinformatics" was developed, tested, offered, and continually enhanced in Fall 2007. In Fall 2006, 15 students enrolled for the course at AAMU, 14 (7 MS and 7 PhD) at TU and i6 (3 MS and 3 Phd)at TSU.In fall 2007, a total of 31 students received instruction (24 at AAMU, 4 at TSU and 3 at TU). One of the AAMU co-PIs taught the course from AAMU and the co-PIs at TU and TSU were the facilitating instructors. The installation of the Polycom devices, video projector, speakers, etc. was completed in 2006 further refined in 2007 at the three institutions. The course material was placed on AAMU Blackboard system; it included lecture and hands-on lab exercises. To synchronously deliver better quality audio and video to three campuses encountered problems because of limited broadband but the Blackboard system provided access to instructional materials during the scheduled classes and was utilized on demand basis for individual learning. The development of a minor was enhanced by addition of a graduate level course, "Bioinformatics Applications" and it was offered in spring 2007 and again in spring 2008. A multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster Environment) has been installed to support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/bihpc. PRODUCTS: Concise course outlines for one undergraduate course, Introduction to Bioinformatics and for one graduate level Bioinformatics Applications have been developed. A suggested package of equipment for institutions with limited bandwidth has been defined. A configuration for a bioinformatics minor has evolved. A multi-processor blade server (Microsoft Windows Cluster environment) has been installed support bioinformatics instruction and graduate research training with an active website, http://genome.aamu.edu/biohpc. Installed programs can undertake or support: 1) Sequence Analysis; 2) Sequence Alignment; 3) Population Genetics; 4) Protein Structure, and 5) Other statistical analysis packages. Majority of the computationally intensive software were configured to work in a parallel processing environment -- such as, P-BLAST, PHMMER, P-IPRSCAN, Repeat Finder, P-CLUSTALW, T_COFFEE, etc. OUTCOMES: A new distance delivery module in bioinformatics has been developed to efficiently impart critical skills to select 1890 instituions. An internet-based format will encourage non-traditional students to participate in the program. It will also include a configuration for a bioinformatics minor which can be shared between agriculture and environmental science, and computer science students. DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: The project is providing stimulus for academic program offerings across small land grant institutions using distance and internet-based education. This inter-institution collaboration is between research and education components of three 1890 institutions--Alabama A&M University, Tennessee State University and Tuskegee University. Because of this collaboration, TSU has developed two additional courses in bioinformatics and genomics to support graduate level training at TSU for their newly initiated PhD program. The PhD effort at TU in Integrative Biosciences has also been strengthened. FUTURE INITIATIVES: Future initiatives of this project is to strengthen bandwidth capabilities which will allow expansion of bioinformatics course offerings to a larger number of institutions.

Impacts
The implementation of this project has enhanced agricultural, life sciences, and computer science curricula at three institutions. Especially notable are the PhD level program offerings and their development at the three cooperating institutions. The consortium has defined and utilized an approach to share resource-intensive courses across institutions. The faculty has developed skills in selection of technologies for effective delivery of course materials through lectures and websites especially devoted to genomic analyses.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 09/01/05 to 08/31/06

Outputs
The Consortium for Bioinformatics Instruction (CBI) is a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary effort among three 1890 institutions. This report covers approximately the first three months of this three year project. The primary objectives of the grant are: 1) To develop, test and offer one common teleconferenced/web-based introductory course in bioinformatics at the three participating universities. 2) To improve hardware and infrastructure capability to undertake bioinformatics instruction at the three institutions. 3) To undertake curriculum design and specific steps to offer a minor in bioinformatics initially at Alabama A&M University. The year one efforts consist of introducing this course with uniform course content through our respective curriculum committees and academic program oversights. This process has been initiated. The other steps consist of evaluation of technologies for delivery. We have compared the existing technologies available both in a video-based teleconferenced approach through ISDN versus utilizing Internet Protocol Television approaches. Additional analysis and completion of academic approval process will remain the focus of our efforts this year.

Impacts
When implemented this project will affect agricultural, life science and computer science curricula at three institutions. It will also provide an approach to sharing course across institutions. The faculty will develop skills in selection of technologies for effective delivery of course materials through lectures, prepared PowerPoint slides and through hands-on exercises consisting of genomic and bioinformatics tools.

Publications

• No publications reported this period