Alex Schreiber

Familiarity with "bioinformatics", or the science of analyzing and interpreting DNA sequence information, is a critically important skill for an undergraduate majoring in Biology or Chemistry with an emphasis on cell and molecular biology to develop. My CTL grant allowed me to purchase one of the most established and useful pieces of bioinformatics analysis software available, called "MacVector". A major aspect of my lab's research involves designing genes that can be inserted into the genomes of my research organism (frogs) so that the functions of specific genes can be studied. With access to the MacVector software, my SYE and Independent Study students will be able to effectively construct their own "designer genes" tailored to address specific questions of interest to them. These digital gene constructs can then be biochemically synthesized into actual DNA that can be incorporated into frog embryos to study their development.