Shaffer, C.D., C. Alvarez, C. Bailey, D. Barnard, S. Bhalla, C. Chandrasekaran, V. Chandrasekaran, H.-M. Chung, D.R. Dorer, C. Du, T.T. Eckdahl, J.L. Poet, D. Frohlich, A.L. Goodman, Y. Gosser, C. Hauser, L.L.M. Hoopes, D. Johnson, C.J. Jones, M. Kaehler, N. Kokan, O.R. Kopp, G.A. Kuleck, G. McNeil, R. Morris, R. Moss, J.L. Myka, A. Nagengast, P.J. Overvoorde, E. Shoop, S. Parrish, K. Reed, E.G. Regisford, D. Revie, A.G. Rosenwald, K. Saville, S. Schroeder, M. Shaw, G. Skuse, C. Smith, M. Smith, E. Spana, M. Spratt, J. Stamm, J.S. Thompson, M.Wawersik, B.A. Wilson, J. Youngblom, W. Leung, E.R. Mardis, D. Lopatto, and S.C.R. Elgin. 2010. "The Genomics Education Partnership: Successful Integration of Research into Laboratory Classes at a Diverse Group of Undergraduate Institutions " CBE—Life Sciences Education 9(1):55–69.

Genomics is not only essential for students to understand biology but also provides unprece- dented opportunities for undergraduate research. The goal of the Genomics Education Partner- ship (GEP), a collaboration between a growing number of colleges and universities around the country and the Department of Biology and Genome Center of Washington University in St. Louis, is to provide such research opportunities. Using a versatile curriculum that has been adapted to many different class settings, GEP undergraduates undertake projects to bring draft-quality genomic sequence up to high quality and/or participate in the annotation of these sequences. GEP undergraduates have improved more than 2 million bases of draft genomic sequence from several species of Drosophila and have produced hundreds of gene models using evidence-based manual annotation. Students appreciate their ability to make a contribution to ongoing research, and report increased independence and a more active learning approach after participation in GEP projects. They show knowledge gains on pre- and postcourse quizzes about genes and genomes and in bioinformatic analysis. Participating faculty also report professional gains, increased access to genomics-related technology, and an overall positive experience. We have found that using a genomics research project as the core of a laboratory course is rewarding for both faculty and students.