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Presentation on the RISEbio program provided at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) 94th Annual Conference in April 2021 (virtual). 

The Department of Biological Sciences at Minnesota State University, Mankato has recently implemented a first year undergraduate research experience (called the Research Immersive Scholastic Experience in Biology program; RISEbio) designed to improve student success and engagement in biology. In this program, first year students exchange introductory biology labs for the RISEbio curriculum, where they learn basic laboratory, analytical and scientific reasoning skills before beginning authentic mentored research projects in their second and third semesters. Students in one of three research tracks examine the neural control of reproductive behavior by examining gene expression in the brain of the seasonally breeding green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Working in groups, students gain experience with bioinformatics by examining preliminary RNA-seq data and selecting a gene of interest. Then, students design and test primers to amplify their gene of interest, followed by isolating RNA from the hypothalamus of breeding and non-breeding lizard brains. Lastly, students utilize their isolated RNA samples and validated primers in quantitative RT-PCR studies to determine if their gene of interest is differentially expressed in the anole brain. Preliminary work has identified melatonin receptor 1A (MTNR1A) as more highly expressed in the breeding compared to non-breeding anole hypothalamus, while corticotropin releasing hormone binding protein (CRHBP) expression does not differ seasonally. Together with other aspects of the RISEbio program, these early research experiences have led to increased student outcomes, including increased academic success and enhanced scientific motivation. 

The Department of Biological Sciences at Minnesota State University, Mankato, a primarily undergraduate institution, is developing and implementing the “Research Immersive Scholastic Experience in Biology” (RISEbio) program. RISEbio is a National Science Foundation-funded scholarship and support program that is targeting incoming Biological Sciences freshmen with demonstrated financial need and academic potential. The overall goal of RISEbio is to increase student academic success through: (1) Increasing student social integration and support, (2) developing student technical and professional skills, and (3) implementing a freshman immersive research program. To form a social support network, scholars will be part of a RISEbio learning community. A unique, core component of RISEbio is to provide scholars with an authentic real-world research experience by modifying freshman research initiatives utilized by research-intensive universities to fit within the available infrastructure at Minnesota State University, Mankato. During a scholar’s first year, they exchange their Introductory Biology 1 lab for an applied course, Foundational Methods in Biology. In their second semester, scholars join a research stream in exchange for their Introductory Biology 2 lab. The stream research continues on to their third semester. One of two initial research streams is focused on neuroscience and is titled “Brain and Behavior.” Students in this stream examine the neural control of reproductive behavior by examining gene expression in the brain of the seasonally breeding green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis). Students will extract RNA from the hypothalamus of breeding and non-breeding lizard brains, then design primers and use quantitative PCR in conjunction with bioinformatic analysis to identify genes that are differentially expressed in the brain between seasons. If differentially expressed genes are found, students will learn how to design and perform in situ hybridizations to examine the localization of these genes within the brain. Following the third semester, scholars enter the “next steps” stage which offers support to identify additional opportunities on and off campus, including mentoring the next group of RISEbio Scholars or joining research labs to continue conducting undergraduate research. RISEbio will also provide a platform to test how this program translates to student persistence and academic success. To our knowledge, this is the first freshman research initiative developed at a regional comprehensive university.