Undergraduate Genomics Research through GCAT-SEEK: The Genome Consortium for Active Teaching Using Next-Generation Sequencing

Many recent educational initiatives have highlighted the need for increased active learning for undergraduates, including authentic classroom research projects and expanded engagement in faculty-sponsored research programs. However, many educators at small, primarily-undergraduate institutions still lack access to the infrastructure and training necessary to implement emerging genomics tools. The Genome Consortium for Active Teaching Using Next-Generation Sequencing (GCAT-SEEK) is a network of schools that brings together the necessary resources to support genomic projects with undergraduates.  The network is funded by grants from the HHMI undergraduate grants and NSF research coordination networks for undergraduate biology education (RCN/UBE) programs.  The network has i) facilitated group runs and/or negotiated group pricing with a number of sequencing centers, ii) connected liberal arts professors to experts in various fields, iii) increased access to shared computer resources for faculty and undergraduate-students across the country, iv) conducted summer faculty development workshops which include funding for participant research projects, and v) developed and published genomics teaching resources. The GCAT-SEEK network has grown to over 200 members from over 130 schools. Network research projects have spanned the fields of genomics, including metagenomics, de novo genome sequencing, and RNA-seq, and the tree of life, from viruses to mammals. Over 800 students have used GCAT resources in our first three years.  Two summer workshops per year are funded through 2017.  Upcoming priorities include publishing our workshop breakout sessions in the peer-reviewed journal Course Source, adjusting lab modules to integrate computational resources available from the iPlant collaborative, negotiating affordable HiSeq 2500 rapid runs for RNAseq experiments within the course of a single semester, and managing our initial datasets for broader use by network members (www.gcat-seek.org).