Genetics Class Uses HIV Epidemic as Model

Not many high schools have taken this approach in genetics,” says Diane Gilbert-Diamond, of the science department. Normally colleges and universities would take a model such as HIV and study the fundamentals of molecular genetics through it. “Molecular genetics is such a broad field, and using HIV is a way to find a common thread and allow students to become experts on a topic during the semester,” Diane says.

Funded by a curriculum development grant, Diane designed the course using research facilities of the Partners AIDS Research Center in Charlestown, Massa-chusetts, where renowned geneticist Dr. Bruce Walker, a Milton parent, bases his research. There, after extensive reading and research, Diane, assisted by lab members, developed lab experiments for students. She introduced the course at Milton in 2003–2004.

“One lab in this course focuses on the gene CCR5, which codes for a receptor on helper T cells. Researchers have found that people carrying a deletion in their CCR5 genes are less likely to contract HIV,” Diane explains. The double CCR5 mutation is extremely rare, but more common in Caucasians. For this study, Dr. Walker’s lab provided DNA samples, and the students tested the CCR5 genotype for three “subjects,” using a technique called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In order to do this technique, the class used state-of-the-art equipment, including a thermocycler machine. Diane explains that “using tools and procedures like this, real-world applications of the science that they’re learning, adds relevance to the course; students understand the implications of the findings.”

“I liked learning about lab procedures in relation to the study of HIV, and then being able to see firsthand how those procedures are used daily in labs such as the ones at Mass General Hospital,” said Ilana Klarman, one of Diane’s students in the course’s introductory year.

“This course aims to teach high-school students the fundamentals of molecular genetics through focusing on HIV,” Diane says. “It also aims to increase students’ interest and motivation to learn biology, while giving them a greater understanding of one of the greatest health issues facing the world. The course provides an excellent opportunity for students to understand the connection between fundamental scientific research and technology, as well as science and society,” Diane says.

Linking scientific research and social issues is brilliant, said Chrissy Hobbs, another of the course’s charter members. “Knowing that what you’re learning has applications in the real world, knowing that people are still studying what you are learning about—or knowing that the next time you read about HIV-AIDS you’ll be better informed on the subject—is amazing. Not only did we learn about human genetics, but we also learned about the genetics of a retrovirus and about the human immune system,” Chrissy added.

Linking research and social issues can be an effective way to enforce the practical and vital role of science in the world, Diane believes. Using HIV, a major social and health crisis with which students are already familiar, also gives them a context that can make concepts easier to grasp.

“Another important thing we’ve done in this course is to use HIV to look at evolution; the most difficult thing about developing a vaccine is that the disease is so variable,” Diane explains. In a computer-based lab, students examine the sequences of HIV in a single person to see how the virus has mutated over time to escape that patient’s immune system.

“One of the main things that I want the students to learn,” Diane notes, “is that in order to solve a problem like HIV, scientists need to understand the genetics of the disease on a fundamental level. Our current therapies against HIV were developed from this fundamental scientific understanding of the virus and human biology. And that’s true with many diseases. I want the students to realize that what they are learning now can help them to develop the solutions of the future.”

 

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