The Michigan Daily ran an article this week that is partially excerpted here:

Since the beginning of the semester, students in Biology 144 have been creating documentary projects related to genomics. The documentaries are now uploaded to YouTube where thumbs-up voting will be tallied for a week. In this innovative use of having students create videos for class by Professor Vincent Denef, the winning team receives extra credit.

A branch of biotechnology, genomics, focuses on applying genetics and molecular biology to genetic mapping and the sequencing of genes, or complete sets of genes known as genomes. The results are often compiled in a database and then applied to medicine, biology and other aspects of human life.

Denef, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, said the class covers a variety of topics, including many facets of society impacted by genomics, such as medical treatments and agricultural methods. He said the social issues discussed in the class are sometimes controversial, with many of the films shown featuring topics like employer discrimination based on health history and issues of race and gender.

Graduate student instructor, Senay Yitbarek, an EEB Ph.D. student, is also quoted in the article.

You can view the videos on the Bio 144 channel on YouTube beginning today, April 22, 2015. [Update: sorry the videos have been removed. Permissions from interviewees was limited.]

Read the full Michigan Daily article>>

Cartoon credit: Barbara Denef