Bootleg Biology: a Semester-Long CURE Using Wild Yeast to Brew Beer.

Laboratory exercises for undergraduates that involve authentic discovery and research have been shown to increase student learning and engagement. To bring these advantages into the microbiology curriculum, we developed a semester-long course-based undergraduate research experience for a laboratory based on brewing beer with wild yeast. This set of lab exercises uses many of the same protocols found in traditional microbiology lab curricula-isolating and maintaining pure cultures, staining and microscopy, use of aseptic technique, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and media preparation-and integrates them into a novel and exciting project that enables students to be active participants in the scientific method.