06-Jun-2001
Press Release

TIGR Offers Free Genomics Education Course to High School Teachers

June 6, 2001

ROCKVILLE, MD -- The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) announced today it is accepting registration for its comprehensive 5-day Genomics Course for Educators, which is a course for teachers who want to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving field of genomics. There is no charge for instruction or materials.

Approved by the State of Maryland Department of Education for two (2) continuing professional education credits, the course will be held July 9 - 13, 2001, and again on August 6 - 10, 2001. The class may also meet teacher recertification requirements in Virginia and the District of Columbia upon teacher request. Enrollment is open to all high school science teachers. The class will be conducted at TIGR in Rockville, Maryland.

"We are a nonprofit institution committed to scientific research in an academic environment. Education, therefore, is an essential element of the TIGR mission. That, combined with the rapid changes in technology today — especially in the biological sciences — makes it necessary for us to offer the information we are gathering not only to scientists and those involved in health care, but to educators working with today's youth — the group that stands to benefit most from current scientific developments," said Dr. Claire M. Fraser, President of TIGR. "In addition, TIGR has much to offer educators who want to learn from a direct source of research rather than existing traditional educational workshops and seminars."

The course offers high school biology teachers the most up-to-date information presented by TIGR along with a thorough understanding of genomics so that their students, in turn, may become familiar with this rapidly developing industry. As part of the program, participants develop a lesson plan incorporating the knowledge they have acquired.

Topics covered in the Genomics Course for Educators include:

  • The biological process by which cells read and follow genetic instructions
  • Techniques in molecular biology for manipulating DNA for study
  • Vaccines and other benefits of genomics
  • An overview of ethical issues raised by genomics, such as genetically altered crops, genetic therapy, genes and disease, personalized medicine, the Human Genome Project and privacy of individual genetic information

TIGR is a not-for-profit research institute founded in 1992 with interests in structural, functional and comparative analysis of genomes and gene products in viruses, bacteria (pathogenic or disease causing and environmental) archaea and eukaryotes, both plant and animal, including human. In its brief history, TIGR is in the forefront of the new and emerging area of genomic science. For more information, contact TIGR's Training and Education Group at (301) 838-5832, send an email message to: