Mining the Genome: Using Bioinformatics Tools in the Classroom to Support Student Discovery of Genes

Adapting research-driven routines to the classroom context can promote innovative and motivational learning environments. Using a case-study approach, we propose a set of bioinformatics-based activities supported by a tutorial video aiming to identify genes and disclosing their genomic context in different species. The rationale is to strengthen teachers’ competencies to introduce bioinformatics resources and tools (e.g., NCBI, ORFinder, BLAST, and MaGe) in their teaching practices. By doing so, teachers will ultimately enhance students’ understanding of how genomic data mining and comparative genomics are instrumental for biological research.