| Summary: | The ability to manage the constantly growing information in genetics available<br />on the internet is becoming crucial in biochemical education and medical<br />practice. Therefore, developing students skills in working with bioinformatics<br />tools is a challenge to undergraduate courses in the molecular life sciences.<br />The regulation of gene transcription by hormones and vitamins is a complex<br />topic that influences all body systems. We describe a student centered activity<br />used in a multidisciplinary “Functional Organ System“ course on the Endocrine<br />System. By receiving, as teams, a nucleotide sequence of a hormone or<br />vitamin-response element, students navigate through internet databases to find<br />the gene to which it belongs. Subsequently, student’s search how the<br />corresponding hormone/vitamin influences the expression of that particular<br />gene and how a dysfunctional interaction might cause disease. This activity,<br />proposed for 4 consecutive years to cohorts of 50-60 students/year enrolled in<br />the 2nd year our undergraduate medical degree, revealed that 90% of the<br />students developed a better understanding of the usefulness of bioinformatics<br />and that 98% intend to use them in the future. Since hormones and vitamins<br />regulate genes of all body organ systems, this web-based activity successfully<br />integrates the whole body physiology of the medical curriculum and can be of<br />relevance to other courses on molecular life sciences.
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