@article{carson_2022, title={We Can Dance If We Want To (with Safety Measures)}, volume={13}, ISSN={["2150-7511"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00295-22}, DOI={10.1128/mbio.00295-22}, abstractNote={This work considers the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during a multiday intensive dance camp occurring from 26 December 2021 to 1 January 2022 in Asheville, North Carolina. Approximately 370 dancers and performers were in attendance, and the data presented are the result of an anonymous survey distributed 10 days following the event.}, number={2}, journal={MBIO}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Carson, Susan}, year={2022}, month={Apr} }
 @article{gallardo-williams_parks_carson_2021, title={Creation of a Cohort of Educational Research Practitioners: The TH!NK Researchers Program}, volume={35}, number={2}, journal={The Journal of Faculty Development}, author={Gallardo-Williams, Maria T. and Parks, Lisa D. and Carson, Susan}, year={2021}, pages={10–19} }
 @inproceedings{carson_stanigar_2020, title={Adoption of evidenced-based teaching strategies in STEM and non-STEM courses after a common faculty development experience}, url={https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11009}, DOI={10.4995/HEAd20.2020.11009}, abstractNote={North Carolina State University undertook a faculty development initiative, TH!NK, beginning summer 2014. TH!NK is a campus-wide initiative designed to develop faculty members’ abilities in cultivating students’ higher-order skills in critical and creative thinking and self-reflection. Faculty and courses in a wide variety of disciplines were involved in the initiative, with the ultimate goal being an institutional transformation in the way that teaching is approached across campus. This paper shares early outcomes of five years of the program, which engaged approximately 130 faculty members. We assess the adoption of teaching strategies and how adoption varied between STEM and non-STEM courses based on a 2019 survey of TH!NK-trained faculty (n=72). We observed that an intensive, multi-day, interdisciplinary faculty development institute, paired with long-term peer mentoring and accountability, led to a high rate of adoption of the strategies. While non-STEM faculty utilized a wider array of teaching strategies prior to training, both groups made gains post-training, with the greatest gains among STEM faculty. There were notable outcomes observed in faculty use of the strategies in other courses and sharing activities and assignments with colleagues inside and outside of their home departments.}, booktitle={6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’20)}, publisher={Universitat Politècnica de València}, author={Carson, Susan and Stanigar, Jennifer}, year={2020}, month={Jun} }
 @article{carson_2019, title={Advancing Critical and Creative Thinking through Institutional Transformation}, url={https://www.rc-2020.org/carson.}, journal={The RC20/20 Project: A digital publication of the Reinvention Collaborative}, author={Carson, S.}, year={2019} }
 @article{allen_queen_gallardo-williams_parks_auten_carson_2019, title={Building a Culture of Critical and Creative Thinking. Creating and Sustaining Higher-Order Thinking as part of a Quality Enhancement Plan}, DOI={10.4995/HEAd19.2019.9536}, abstractNote={Creating and Sustaining Higher-Order Thinking as part of a Quality Enhancement Plan at a US UniversityThe TH!NK initiative at North Carolina State University seeks to bridge the gap between evidence-based research on teaching and actual teaching practices in the classroom. Through this work, the culture of teaching and learning on our campus is being transformed from teacher-centered to student-centered instruction that promotes higher-order thinking across a diverse array of disciplines. Participating faculty engage in intensive faculty development; create discipline-specific classroom activities and assignments; become adept at providing students feedback on their thinking skills; and engage in a learning community to share and provide peer feedback on pedagogical innovations. The primary student learning outcome (SLO) is for students to apply critical and creative thinking skills and behaviors in the process of solving problems and addressing questions. Methods to achieve the institutional transformation include implementation of a comprehensive faculty development focused on the use of evidence-based pedagogy that promotes higher-order thinking, and rigorous outcomes assessment to provide means for continual improvement. The program has expanded into multiple phases, and involves strategies to create a more sustainable culture of critical and creative thinking through formal and informal learning and scholarship.}, journal={5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION ADVANCES (HEAD'19)}, author={Allen, Tania and Queen, Sara and Gallardo-Williams, Maria and Parks, Lisa and Auten, Anne and Carson, Susan}, year={2019}, pages={1391–1398} }
 @book{carson_miller_srougi_witherow_2019, place={London}, edition={4th edition}, title={Molecular Biology Techniques: A Classroom Laboratory Manual}, publisher={Academic Press}, author={Carson, S. and Miller, H. and Srougi, M. and Witherow, D.S.}, year={2019} }
 @article{hanauer_graham_betancur_bobrownicki_cresawn_garlena_jacobs-sera_kaufmann_pope_russell_et al._2017, title={An inclusive Research Education Community (iREC): Impact of the SEA-PHAGES program on research outcomes and student learning}, volume={114}, ISSN={0027-8424 1091-6490}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/PNAS.1718188115}, DOI={10.1073/PNAS.1718188115}, abstractNote={Engaging undergraduate students in scientific research promises substantial benefits, but it is not accessible to all students and is rarely implemented early in college education, when it will have the greatest impact. An inclusive Research Education Community (iREC) provides a centralized scientific and administrative infrastructure enabling engagement of large numbers of students at different types of institutions. The Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) is an iREC that promotes engagement and continued involvement in science among beginning undergraduate students. The SEA-PHAGES students show strong gains correlated with persistence relative to those in traditional laboratory courses regardless of academic, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic profiles. This persistent involvement in science is reflected in key measures, including project ownership, scientific community values, science identity, and scientific networking.}, number={51}, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, publisher={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Hanauer, David I. and Graham, Mark J. and Betancur, Laura and Bobrownicki, Aiyana and Cresawn, Steven G. and Garlena, Rebecca A. and Jacobs-Sera, Deborah and Kaufmann, Nancy and Pope, Welkin H. and Russell, Daniel A. and et al.}, year={2017}, month={Dec}, pages={13531–13536} }
 @article{abraham_bousquet_bruff_carson_clark_connell_davis_dums_everington_groth_et al._2016, title={Paenibacillus larvae
                    Phage Tripp Genome Has 378-Base-Pair Terminal Repeats}, volume={4}, ISSN={2169-8287}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.01498-15}, DOI={10.1128/genomeA.01498-15}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Paenibacillus larvae bacteriophage Tripp was isolated from an American foulbrood diseased honey bee hive in North Carolina, USA. The 54,439-bp genome is 48.3% G+C, encodes 92 proteins, no tRNAs, and has 378-bp direct terminal repeats. It is currently unique in Genbank.}, number={1}, journal={Genome Announcements}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Abraham, J. and Bousquet, A.-C. and Bruff, E. and Carson, N. and Clark, A. and Connell, A. and Davis, Z. and Dums, J. and Everington, C. and Groth, A. and et al.}, year={2016}, month={Jan} }
 @inproceedings{vila-parrish_baldwin_battestilli._queen_schmidt_carson_2016, title={TH!NK: A Framework to Assess and Support Critical and Creative Thinking}, publisher={ASEE Proceedings}, author={Vila-Parrish, A. and Baldwin, T. and Battestilli., L. and Queen, H. and Schmidt, J. and Carson, S.}, year={2016}, month={Jun} }
 @article{ott_carson_2016, title={Who Scared the Cat? A Molecular Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Exercise}, volume={17}, ISSN={1935-7877 1935-7885}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v17i3.1122}, DOI={10.1128/jmbe.v17i3.1122}, abstractNote={This introductory laboratory exercise gives first-year life science majors or nonmajors an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in basic bioinformatics and molecular biology laboratory techniques and analysis in the context of a mock crime scene investigation. In this laboratory, students determine if a human (Lady) or dog (Kona) committed the fictional crime of scaring a cat. Students begin by performing in silico PCR using provided dog- and human-specific PCR primers to determine the sequences to be amplified and predict PCR amplicon sizes. They then BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) the in silico PCR results to confirm that the PCR primers are designed to amplify genomic fragments of the cardiac actin gene in both dogs and humans. Finally, they use DNA quantification techniques, PCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis to identify the culprit and they confirm results by analyzing Sanger sequencing. Student learning gains were demonstrated by successful execution of the lab and by analysis and interpretation of data in the completion of laboratory reports. The student learning gains were also demonstrated by increased performance on a post-laboratory assessment compared to the pre-assessment. A post-activity assessment also revealed that students perceived gains in the skills and conceptual knowledge associated with the student learning outcomes. Finally, assessment of this introductory molecular biology and bio-informatics activity reveals that it allows first-year students to develop higher-order data analysis and interpretation skills.}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Ott, L. and Carson, S.}, year={2016}, month={Dec}, pages={451–457} }
 @article{carson_bruff_defoor_dums_groth_hatfield_iyer_joshi_mcadams_miles_et al._2015, title={Genome Sequences of Six Paenibacillus larvae Siphoviridae Phages}, volume={3}, ISSN={2169-8287}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/genomeA.00101-15}, DOI={10.1128/genomeA.00101-15}, abstractNote={Six sequenced and annotated genomes of Paenibacillus larvae phages isolated from the combs of American foulbrood-diseased beehives are 37 to 45 kbp and have approximately 42% G+C content and 60 to 74 protein-coding genes. Phage Lily is most divergent from Diva, Rani, Redbud, Shelly, and Sitara.}, number={3}, journal={Genome Announcements}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Carson, Susan and Bruff, Emily and DeFoor, William and Dums, Jacob and Groth, Adam and Hatfield, Taylor and Iyer, Aruna and Joshi, Kalyani and McAdams, Sarah and Miles, Devon and et al.}, year={2015}, month={Jun} }
 @article{carson_2015, title={Targeting Critical Thinking Skills in a First-Year Undergraduate Research Course †}, volume={16}, ISSN={1935-7877 1935-7885}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v16i2.935}, DOI={10.1128/jmbe.v16i2.935}, abstractNote={TH!NK is a new initiative at NC State University focused on enhancing students’ higher-order cognitive skills. As part of this initiative, I explicitly emphasized critical and creative thinking in an existing bacteriophage discovery first-year research course. In addition to the typical activities associated with undergraduate research such as review of primary literature and writing research papers, another strategy employed to enhance students’ critical thinking skills was the use of discipline-specific, real-world scenarios. This paper outlines a general “formula” for writing scenarios, as well as several specific scenarios created for the described course. I also present how embedding aspects of the scenarios in reviews of the primary literature enriched the activity. I assessed student gains in critical thinking skills using a pre-/posttest model of the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT), developed by Tennessee Technological University. I observed a positive gain trend in most of the individual skills assessed in the CAT, with a statistically significant large effect on critical thinking skills overall in students in the test group. I also show that a higher level of critical thinking skills was demonstrated in research papers written by students who participated in the scenarios compared with similar students who did not participate in the scenario activities. The scenario strategy described here can be modified for use in biology and other STEM disciplines, as well as in diverse disciplines in the social sciences and humanities.}, number={2}, journal={Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Carson, Susan}, year={2015}, month={Dec}, pages={148–156} }
 @inproceedings{vila-parrish_carson_moore_atkinson_auten_queen_2015, title={Teaching to foster critical and creativing TH!NKing at North Carolina State University}, booktitle={Proceedings of 2015 International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning (ICL)}, author={Vila-Parrish, A. and Carson, S. and Moore, D. and Atkinson, M. and Auten, A. and Queen, S.}, year={2015}, pages={1117–1119} }
 @article{pope_bowman_russell_jacobs-sera_asai_cresawn_jacobs_hendrix_lawrence_hatfull_2015, title={Whole genome comparison of a large collection of mycobacteriophages reveals a continuum of phage genetic diversity}, volume={4}, ISSN={2050-084X}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06416}, DOI={10.7554/eLife.06416}, abstractNote={The bacteriophage population is large, dynamic, ancient, and genetically diverse. Limited genomic information shows that phage genomes are mosaic, and the genetic architecture of phage populations remains ill-defined. To understand the population structure of phages infecting a single host strain, we isolated, sequenced, and compared 627 phages of Mycobacterium smegmatis. Their genetic diversity is considerable, and there are 28 distinct genomic types (clusters) with related nucleotide sequences. However, amino acid sequence comparisons show pervasive genomic mosaicism, and quantification of inter-cluster and intra-cluster relatedness reveals a continuum of genetic diversity, albeit with uneven representation of different phages. Furthermore, rarefaction analysis shows that the mycobacteriophage population is not closed, and there is a constant influx of genes from other sources. Phage isolation and analysis was performed by a large consortium of academic institutions, illustrating the substantial benefits of a disseminated, structured program involving large numbers of freshman undergraduates in scientific discovery.}, journal={eLife}, publisher={eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd}, author={Pope, Welkin H and Bowman, Charles A and Russell, Daniel A and Jacobs-Sera, Deborah and Asai, David J and Cresawn, Steven G and Jacobs, William R, Jr and Hendrix, Roger W and Lawrence, Jeffrey G and Hatfull, Graham F}, year={2015}, month={Apr} }
 @article{jordan_burnett_carson_caruso_clase_dejong_dennehy_denver_dunbar_elgin_et al._2014, title={A Broadly Implementable Research Course in Phage Discovery and Genomics for First-Year Undergraduate Students}, volume={5}, ISSN={["2150-7511"]}, DOI={10.1128/mbio.01051-13}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT Engaging large numbers of undergraduates in authentic scientific discovery is desirable but difficult to achieve. We have developed a general model in which faculty and teaching assistants from diverse academic institutions are trained to teach a research course for first-year undergraduate students focused on bacteriophage discovery and genomics. The course is situated within a broader scientific context aimed at understanding viral diversity, such that faculty and students are collaborators with established researchers in the field. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) course has been widely implemented and has been taken by over 4,800 students at 73 institutions. We show here that this alliance-sourced model not only substantially advances the field of phage genomics but also stimulates students’ interest in science, positively influences academic achievement, and enhances persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Broad application of this model by integrating other research areas with large numbers of early-career undergraduate students has the potential to be transformative in science education and research training. IMPORTANCE Engagement of undergraduate students in scientific research at early stages in their careers presents an opportunity to excite students about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and promote continued interests in these areas. Many excellent course-based undergraduate research experiences have been developed, but scaling these to a broader impact with larger numbers of students is challenging. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Science Education Alliance Phage Hunting Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program takes advantage of the huge size and diversity of the bacteriophage population to engage students in discovery of new viruses, genome annotation, and comparative genomics, with strong impacts on bacteriophage research, increased persistence in STEM fields, and student self-identification with learning gains, motivation, attitude, and career aspirations.}, number={1}, journal={mBio}, author={Jordan, T.C. and Burnett, S.H. and Carson, S. and Caruso, S.M. and Clase, K and DeJong, R.J. and Dennehy, J.J. and Denver, D.R. and Dunbar, D. and Elgin, S.R. and et al.}, year={2014}, pages={e01051–13} }
 @article{ott_carson_2014, title={Immunological Tools: Engaging Students in the Use and Analysis of Flow Cytometry and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA)}, volume={42}, ISSN={["1539-3429"]}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.20808}, abstractNote={Abstract Flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are commonly used techniques associated with clinical and research applications within the immunology and medical fields. The use of these techniques is becoming increasingly valuable in many life science and engineering disciplines as well. Herein, we report the development and evaluation of a novel half‐semester course that focused on introducing undergraduate and graduate students to advance conceptual and technical skills associated with flow cytometry and ELISA, with emphasis on applications, experimental design, and data analysis. This course was offered in the North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program over three semesters and consisted of weekly lectures and laboratories. Students performed and/or analyzed flow cytometry and ELISA in three separate laboratory exercises: (1) identification of transgenic zebrafish hematopoietic cells, (2) analysis of transfection efficiency, and (3) analysis of cytokine production upon lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Student learning outcomes were achieved as demonstrated by multiple means of assessment, including three laboratory reports, a data analysis laboratory practicum, and a cumulative final exam. Further, anonymous student self‐assessment revealed increased student confidence in the knowledge and skill sets defined in the learning outcomes. © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 42(5):382–397, 2014.}, number={5}, journal={BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION}, author={Ott, Laura E. and Carson, Susan}, year={2014}, pages={382–397} }
 @article{srougi_carson_thomas-swanik_marchant_chan_2014, title={Making Heads or Tails: Planarian Stem Cells in the Classroom †}, volume={15}, ISSN={1935-7877 1935-7885}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v15i1.692}, DOI={10.1128/jmbe.v15i1.692}, abstractNote={Stem cells hold great promise in the treatment of diseases ranging from cancer to dementia. However, as rapidly as the field of stem cell biology has emerged, heated political debate has followed, scrutinizing the ethical implications of stem cell use. It is therefore imperative to promote scientific literacy by educating students about stem cell biology. Yet, there is a definite lack of material to engage students in this subject at the basic science level. Therefore, we have developed and implemented a hands-on introductory laboratory module that introduces students to stem cell biology and can be easily incorporated into existing curricula. Students learn about stem cell biology using an in vivo planarian model system in which they down-regulate two genes important in stem cell differentiation using RNA interference and then observe the regenerative phenotype. The module was piloted at the high school, community college, and university levels. Here, we report that introductory biology students enrolled at a community college were able to demonstrate gains in learning after completion of a one-hour lecture and four 45-minute laboratory sessions over the course of three weeks. These gains in learning outcomes were objectively evaluated both before and after its execution using a student quiz and experimental results. Furthermore, students' self-assessments revealed increases in perceived knowledge as well as a general interest in stem cells. Therefore, these data suggest that this module is a simple, useful way to engage and to teach students about stem cell biology.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Srougi, Melissa C. and Carson, Susan and Thomas-Swanik, Jackie and Marchant, Jonathan S. and Chan, John D.}, year={2014}, month={May}, pages={18–25} }
 @article{srougi_miller_witherow_carson_2013, title={Assessment of a novel group-centered testing schema in an upper-level undergraduate molecular biotechnology course}, volume={41}, ISSN={["1539-3429"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20701}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.20701}, abstractNote={Providing students with assignments that focus on critical thinking is an important part of their scientific and intellectual development. However, as class sizes increase, so does the grading burden, prohibiting many faculty from incorporating critical thinking assignments in the classroom. In an effort to continue to provide our students with meaningful critical thinking exercises, we implemented a novel group-centered, problem-based testing scheme. We wanted to assess how performing critical thinking problem sets as group work compares to performing the sets as individual work, in terms of student attitudes and learning outcomes. During two semesters of our recombinant DNA course, students had the same lecture material and similar assessments. In the Fall semester, student learning was assessed by two collaborative take-home exams, followed immediately by individual, closed-book in-class exams on the same content, as well as a final cumulative exam. Student teams on the take-home exams were instructor-assigned, and each team turned in one collaborative exam. In the Spring semester, the control group of students were required to turn in their own individual take-home exams, followed by the in-class exams and final cumulative exam. For the majority of students, learning outcomes were met, regardless of whether they worked in teams. In addition, collaborative learning was favorably received by students and grading was reduced for instructors. These data suggest that group-centered, problem-based learning is a useful model for achievement of student learning outcomes in courses where it would be infeasible to provide feedback on individual critical thinking assignments due to grading volume. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 41(4):232–241, 2013}, number={4}, journal={BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION}, author={Srougi, Melissa C. and Miller, Heather B. and Witherow, D. Scott and Carson, Susan}, year={2013}, month={Jul}, pages={232–241} }
 @article{srougi_carson_2013, title={Inquiry into chemotherapy-induced p53 activation in cancer cells as a model for teaching signal transduction}, volume={41}, ISSN={1470-8175}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bmb.20741}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.20741}, abstractNote={Intracellular and extracellular communication is conducted through an intricate and interwoven network of signal transduction pathways. The mechanisms for how cells speak with one another are of significant biological importance to both basic and industrial scientists from a number of different disciplines. We have therefore developed and implemented a new laboratory-intensive course that teaches students the theory and techniques used to study cell signaling pathways. Students learn these methodologies as they conduct a hypothesis-driven research project where they elucidate the mechanism of breast cancer cell death caused by a cancer chemotherapeutic agent. While each lab experiment can be conducted independently, the findings build upon one another to form the beginnings of a signaling pathway. In the lecture component of the course, students investigate different signaling pathways and the methods employed to study them. In addition, students actively participate in journal article discussions where they assess the primary scientific literature. We evaluated the course over two semesters and found that in both semesters learning outcomes were met by both undergraduate and graduate students. The evaluation of the course was based on a number of instructor assessments of student work, including lab reports, experimental results, journal article discussions, and a final cumulative exam. Furthermore, students' self-assessments revealed gains in perceived confidence in both conceptual knowledge and technical skills}, number={6}, journal={Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Srougi, Melissa C. and Carson, Susan}, year={2013}, month={Nov}, pages={419–432} }
 @article{carson_miller_2013, title={Introducing primary scientific literature to first-year undergraduate researchers}, volume={34}, number={4}, journal={CURQ Web}, author={Carson, S. and Miller, E.S.}, year={2013}, pages={17–22} }
 @article{carson_miller_2012, title={A contemporary, laboratory-intensive course on messenger RNA transcription and processing}, volume={40}, ISSN={["1470-8175"]}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.20580}, abstractNote={Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) plays a pivotal role in the central dogma of molecular biology. Importantly, molecular events occurring during and after mRNA synthesis have the potential to create multiple proteins from one gene, leading to some of the remarkable protein diversity that genomes hold. The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program developed and implemented a new, laboratory-intensive course to provide students with a contemporary view of mRNA entitled "mRNA: Transcription and Processing." This course, offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, aimed to introduce students to the many functions of RNA, with an emphasis on mRNA. In addition to fundamental aspects of these processes, students were exposed to cutting-edge techniques used to analyze mRNA in both lecture and laboratory components. We evaluated this course over two semesters and found that learning outcomes were met by both undergraduate and graduate students, based on assessments such as laboratory reports, pre-lab assignments, a final exam, and successful results in the laboratory. We also examined student perceptions through anonymous surveys, where students reported gains in confidence in both conceptual knowledge and technical skill after completing this course.}, number={2}, journal={BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION}, author={Carson, Sue and Miller, Heather}, year={2012}, pages={89–99} }
 @book{carson_miller_witherow_2012, title={Molecular biology techniques: a classroom laboratory manual}, publisher={New York: Academic}, author={Carson, S. and Miller, H. and Witherow, D. S.}, year={2012} }
 @article{miller_witherow_carson_2012, title={Student Learning Outcomes and Attitudes When Biotechnology Lab Partners Are of Different Academic Levels}, volume={11}, ISSN={["1931-7913"]}, DOI={10.1187/cbe.11-10-0094}, abstractNote={The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In "Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA," students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer "boutique" courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed.}, number={3}, journal={CBE-LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION}, author={Miller, Heather B. and Witherow, D. Scott and Carson, Susan}, year={2012}, month={Sep}, pages={323–332} }
 @article{witherow_carson_2011, title={A Laboratory-Intensive Course on the Experimental Study of Protein-Protein Interactions}, volume={39}, ISSN={["1470-8175"]}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.20506}, abstractNote={Abstract The study of protein–protein interactions is important to scientists in a wide range of disciplines. We present here the assessment of a lab‐intensive course that teaches students techniques used to identify and further study protein–protein interactions. One of the unique elements of the course is that students perform a yeast two‐hybrid screen and identify novel protein–protein interactions in what is essentially the beginning of an independent research project in the context of a class. While students benefit from the research‐like experience, data is actively generated that can be further studied in independent research projects. Student learning outcomes were assessed using a questionnaire that was given to students before and after the course. The results indicate that students' conceptual and technical understanding of the methodologies taught in the class increased, and that hands‐on experience in the lab was perceived to be the most important component of the course. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 300‐308, 2011}, number={4}, journal={BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION}, author={Witherow, D. Scott and Carson, Sue}, year={2011}, pages={300–308} }
 @article{miller_witherow_carson_2009, title={A Laboratory-intensive Course on RNA Interference and Model Organisms}, volume={8}, ISSN={["1931-7913"]}, DOI={10.1187/cbe.09-02-0012}, abstractNote={RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful method to silence gene expression in a variety of organisms and is generating interest not only as a useful tool for research scientists but also as a novel class of therapeutics in clinical trials. Here, we report that undergraduate and graduate students with a basic molecular biology background were able to demonstrate conceptual knowledge and technical skills for using RNAi as a research tool upon completion of an intensive 8-wk RNAi course with a 2-h lecture and 5-h laboratory per week. Students were instructed on design of RNAi experiments in model organisms and perform multiweek laboratory sessions based on journal articles read and discussed in class. Using Nicotiana benthamiana, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mammalian cell culture, students analyzed the extent of silencing using both qualitative assessment of phenotypic variations and quantitative measurements of RNA levels or protein levels. We evaluated the course over two semesters, each with a separate instructor. In both semesters, we show students met expected learning outcomes as demonstrated by successful laboratory experiment results, as well as positive instructor assessments of exams and lab reports. Student self-assessments revealed increased confidence in conceptual knowledge and practical skills. Our data also suggest that the course is adaptable to different instructors with varying expertise.}, number={4}, journal={CBE-LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION}, author={Miller, Joanna A. and Witherow, D. Scott and Carson, Susan}, year={2009}, pages={316–325} }
 @article{carson_chisnell_kelly_2009, title={Integrating Modern Biology into the ChE Biomolecular Engineering Concentration through a Campus-Wide Core Laboratory Education Program}, volume={43}, number={4}, journal={Chemical Engineering Education}, author={Carson, S. and Chisnell, J. and Kelly, R.}, year={2009}, pages={257–264} }
 @article{carson_2007, title={A New Paradigm for Mentored Undergraduate Research in Molecular Microbiology}, volume={6}, ISSN={1931-7913}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1187/cbe.07-05-0027}, DOI={10.1187/cbe.07-05-0027}, abstractNote={Science educators agree that an undergraduate research experience is critical for students who are considering graduate school or research careers. The process of researching a topic in the primary literature, designing experiments, implementing those experiments, and analyzing the results is essential in developing the analytical skills necessary to become a true scientist. Because training undergraduates who will only be in the laboratory for a short period is time consuming for faculty mentors, many students are unable to find appropriate research opportunities. We hypothesized that we could effectively mentor several students simultaneously, using a method that is a hybrid of traditional undergraduate research and a traditional laboratory course. This article describes a paradigm for mentored undergraduate research in molecular microbiology where students have ownership of their individual projects, but the projects are done in parallel, enabling the faculty mentor to guide multiple students efficiently.}, number={4}, journal={CBE—Life Sciences Education}, publisher={American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)}, author={Carson, Susan}, editor={Ledbetter, Mary LeeEditor}, year={2007}, month={Dec}, pages={343–349} }
 @book{carson_robertson_2006, place={Burlington, MA}, edition={2}, title={Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA: A Laboratory Manual}, publisher={Academic Press}, author={Carson, S. and Robertson, D.}, year={2006} }
 @article{mozdziak_petitte_carson_2004, title={An introductory undergraduate course covering animal cell culture techniques}, volume={32}, ISSN={["1539-3429"]}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-4944221288&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1002/bmb.2004.494032050381}, abstractNote={Abstract Animal cell culture is a core laboratory technique in many molecular biology, developmental biology, and biotechnology laboratories. Cell culture is a relatively old technique that has been sparingly taught at the undergraduate level. The traditional methodology for acquiring cell culture training has been through trial and error, instruction when undertaking the first graduate student position, or instruction when hired for a specific industrial cell culture position. However, cell culture is an important candidate course for any biotechnology‐related training program because it is a technique that must be performed by investigators before they perform many molecular procedures, and vertebrate cell culture is becoming increasingly important for biomanufacturing of therapeutic proteins. Therefore, a cell culture techniques course is an important offering for undergraduate students who aspire to graduate training, and also undergraduate students who will seek employment with biotechnology companies immediately after graduation. Recently, a cell culture techniques course was developed and delivered to students at North Carolina State University as a component of an undergraduate Biotechnology minor curricula. Currently, the instructors at North Carolina State University are seeking to provide students with the necessary technical and critical reasoning skills to successfully perform animal cell culture.}, number={5}, journal={BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION}, author={Mozdziak, PE and Petitte, JN and Carson, SD}, year={2004}, pages={319–322} }
 @inbook{carson_devery_kathariou_mcintyre_2004, place={Lisbon}, title={O Bt e a Propriedade Intelectual: Um case de estudo sobre propriedade intellectual em biotecnologia}, ISBN={9789728654085}, booktitle={Bioética para as ciências naturais : conferências e casos de estudo do FLAD/NSF International Bioethics Institute}, publisher={Fundação Luso-Americana}, author={Carson, S. and Devery, R. and Kathariou, S. and McIntyre, M.}, editor={Rosa, H.D.Editor}, year={2004} }
 @article{rashotte_carson_to_kieber_2003, title={Expression Profiling of Cytokinin Action in Arabidopsis}, volume={132}, ISSN={0032-0889 1532-2548}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.103.021436}, DOI={10.1104/pp.103.021436}, abstractNote={The phytohormone cytokinin is an important regulator of plant growth and development; however, relatively few genes that mediate cytokinin responses have been identified. Genome-wide analyses of Arabidopsis seedlings using the approximately 8,300-element Affymetrix Arabidopsis GeneChips (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) to examine cytokinin-responsive genes were conducted, revealing at least 30 genes whose steady-state level of mRNA was elevated and at least 40 that were down-regulated at multiple time points after application of cytokinin. The cytokinin up-regulated genes include the type-A Arabidopsis response regulators (ARRs), which had been shown previously to be cytokinin primary response genes, cytokinin oxidase, which encodes an enzyme that degrades cytokinins, and several transcription factors. Cytokinin down-regulated genes include several peroxidases and kinases and an E3 ubiquitin ligase. We identified a common sequence motif enriched in the upstream regions of the most consistently cytokinin up-regulated genes. This motif is highly similar to the optimal DNA-binding sites for ARR1/ARR2, type-B ARRs that have been implicated in the transcriptional elevation of the type-A ARRs. Additionally, genome-wide analyses of cytokinin receptor mutants (wol/cre1) revealed large-scale changes in gene expression, including down-regulation of the type-A ARRs and several meristem and cell cycle genes, such as CycD3. Mutations in CRE1 reduced but did not eliminate the effect of cytokinin on gene expression for a subset of cytokinin-responsive genes and had little or no effect on others, suggesting functional redundancy among the cytokinin receptors.}, number={4}, journal={Plant Physiology}, publisher={American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)}, author={Rashotte, Aaron M. and Carson, Susan D.B. and To, Jennifer P.C. and Kieber, Joseph J.}, year={2003}, month={Jul}, pages={1998–2011} }
 @article{carson_stone_beucher_fu_sparling_2002, title={Phase variation of the gonococcal siderophore receptor FetA}, volume={36}, ISSN={0950-382X 1365-2958}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.01873.x}, DOI={10.1046/j.1365-2958.2000.01873.x}, abstractNote={FetA, the recently characterized gonococcal ferric enterobactin receptor, exhibited extremely rapid phase variation between high- and low-expression levels. The frequency of phase variation was ≈ 1.3% in both directions in gonococcal strain FA1090. FetA expression in the ‘high phase’ was significantly greater than the level of expression in the ‘low phase’. Expression levels correlated with the number of cytosine residues in a string of cytosines located close to the transcriptional start site for fetA between the putative −10 and −35 consensus sequences. Antibody production against FetA commonly occurs in infected patients, and we therefore hypothesize that phase variation reflects a balance between the advantages of being able to use a ferric siderophore as an iron source and evasion of the host immune response.}, number={3}, journal={Molecular Microbiology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Carson, Susan D. Biegel and Stone, Barbara and Beucher, Margaret and Fu, Jennifer and Sparling, P. Frederick}, year={2002}, month={Jan}, pages={585–593} }
 @article{carson_klebba_newton_sparling_1999, title={Ferric Enterobactin Binding and Utilization by Neisseria gonorrhoeae}, volume={181}, ISSN={1098-5530 0021-9193}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jb.181.9.2895-2901.1999}, DOI={10.1128/jb.181.9.2895-2901.1999}, abstractNote={ABSTRACT FetA, formerly designated FrpB, an iron-regulated, 76-kDa neisserial outer membrane protein, shows sequence homology to the TonB-dependent family of receptors that transport iron into gram-negative bacteria. Although FetA is commonly expressed by most neisserial strains and is a potential vaccine candidate for both Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis , its function in cell physiology was previously undefined. We now report that FetA functions as an enterobactin receptor. N. gonorrhoeae FA1090 utilized ferric enterobactin as the sole iron source when supplied with ferric enterobactin at approximately 10 μM, but growth stimulation was abolished when an omega (Ω) cassette was inserted within fetA or when tonB was insertionally interrupted. FA1090 FetA specifically bound 59 Fe-enterobactin, with a K d of approximately 5 μM. Monoclonal antibodies raised against the Escherichia coli enterobactin receptor, FepA, recognized FetA in Western blots, and amino acid sequence comparisons revealed that residues previously implicated in ferric enterobactin binding by FepA were partially conserved in FetA. An open reading frame downstream of fetA , designated fetB , predicted a protein with sequence similarity to the family of periplasmic binding proteins necessary for transporting siderophores through the periplasmic space of gram-negative bacteria. An Ω insertion within fetB abolished ferric enterobactin utilization without causing a loss of ferric enterobactin binding. These data show that FetA is a functional homolog of FepA that binds ferric enterobactin and may be part of a system responsible for transporting the siderophore into the cell.}, number={9}, journal={Journal of Bacteriology}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Carson, Susan D. Biegel and Klebba, Philip E. and Newton, Salete M. C. and Sparling, P. Frederick}, year={1999}, pages={2895–2901} }
 @article{biegel carson_thomas_elkins_1996, title={Cloning and sequencing of a Haemophilus ducreyi fur homolog}, volume={176}, ISSN={0378-1119}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-1119(96)00236-3}, DOI={10.1016/0378-1119(96)00236-3}, abstractNote={Iron regulation in a growing number of bacterial species is being attributed to the presence of a fur (ferric uptake regulation) regulatory system. In the presence of iron, Fur acts as a classical negative regulator, binding conserved sequences within the promoter of iron-repressible genes and blocking transcription. Western blot analysis utilizing Escherichia coli Fur antisera detected a band of approximately 17 kDa in soluble extracts of Haemophilus ducreyi . Additionally, Southern blot hybridization of the H. ducreyi chromosome with a meningococcal fur probe indicated that H. ducreyi might contain a fur homolog. This putative fur homolog was cloned into the E. coli vector pACYC184. This clone was capable of repressing expression of a normally Fur-regulated lacZ fusion in the fur -background of E. coli strain H1780. The deduced amino acid sequence shows H. ducreyi fur to be 54% identical and 73% similar to E. coli fur , containing putative DNA-binding and metal-binding domains. These data demonstrate that H. ducreyi has a functional fur system.}, number={1-2}, journal={Gene}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Biegel Carson, Susan D. and Thomas, Christopher E. and Elkins, Christopher}, year={1996}, month={Oct}, pages={125–129} }
 @article{zylstra_sandoli_basham_biegel_didolkar_1993, title={Isolation and Molecular Characterization of microbial strains with aromatic dioxygenase pathways}, volume={53}, number={S17C}, journal={Journal of Cellular Biochemistry}, author={Zylstra, G.J. and Sandoli, R.L. and Basham, E.J. and Biegel, S.D. and Didolkar, V.A.}, year={1993}, pages={194} }