The Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI) program at Princeton University allows first generation and low-income students an opportunity to take two courses for credit during the summer preceding their freshman year. As part of this bridge program we developed a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that allows students to gain conceptual knowledge and technical skills while also promoting a sense of belonging, identity and self-efficacy in research. The course runs for 7 weeks and students are in lab 12 hours per week. The research project uses RNAi to investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate cell migration of the distal tip cell in C. elegans. The course is designed with a parallel project structure that allows the students to develop project ownership. Target genes were selected from an RNAi screen (Cram et al, 2006) that identified 99 genes required for distal tip cell migration. The selected genes are involved in G-protein signaling (
unc-73,
rab-8,
arf-3,
gex-3 and
trya-3), cell architecture (
erm-1,
ina-1,
zen-4,
unc-112 and
ifc-1) or function as transcription factors (
icd-1,
cbp-1, and
hlh-12). Students investigated novel combinations of these genes and analyzed the resulting gonad migration defects. Based on the results of their first experiment, students were able to plan two follow up experiments during the course. Integrated into the course were opportunities for guided reading of primary literature related to the project, as well as coverage of topics needed to understand the project (for example, transcription and translation). Students wrote lab reports and delivered oral presentations to report their results and the course culminated with the publication of a Princeton version of Worm Breeder's Gazette.