We are five faculty members who teach in Frontiers of Science, the Columbia College science core course. Like most of our colleagues around the world, we turned to online teaching in mid-March. To stay true to our name – Frontiers of Science, we modified our curriculum to make room for teaching about the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 using genomic data. After an introduction on the evolution of coronaviruses and genomics studies, we conducted an online activity, where students worked in teams to investigate the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 using the Nextstrain.org website.
First, students thoroughly examined phylogenetic graphs and discussed how these trees are created. Next, students calculated the virus’ substitution rates per site and compared it to that of the other pathogens, such as Influenza. The class ended with discussions revolving around infectious diseases and the role of genomics in treatment and vaccine development.
We hope that other faculty may be able to use or adapt the activity that we have developed on SARS-CoV-2 and some of the ideas that have guided our modified online curriculum. If there ever was a topic that all students would deem to be relevant to their lives, this is certainly one.