PARE - Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment

PARE is a series of course-based research modules designed for students to address the rise in antimicrobial resistance around the world through environmental surveillance. In collaboration with researchers at Tufts University and UC Berkeley, we created PARE-Seq - a virtual short course on identification of antimicrobial resistance using sequencing approaches. The short course is comprised of six 15-minute lecture videos taught by Scarlet Bliss and Eve Abraha (graduates of Tufts University), an experiment in which students analyze soil and water sequencing data for the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, and a final lab report or poster presentation promoting hypothesis-driven inquiry relating to antimicrobial resistance. The PARE-Seq program and evaluation surveys were piloted by 600 college students at 24 universities nationwide. Through feedback received from teachers and students, we continue to improve upon on the module.