(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Pikes Peak State College (PPSC), in partnership with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS), has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to develop an undergraduate research program with gene-editing technology. PPSC said the grant comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF), and aims to help develop course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). The CUREs will use CRISPR-Cas gene-editing technology. “This project is unique because it brings research opportunities directly to community colleges. By training our partners in CRISPR techniques, they can offer the experience to all their students, providing equal access and inspiring more to pursue careers in science,” said Dr. Amber Marean. Students will have the opportunity to disable a gene in yeast and investigate the resulting physical or metabolic changes, making complex molecular biology techniques accessible in a classroom setting while allowing for diverse research questions, according to PPSC. Over the next five years, PPSC and UCCS will host annual summer workshops for two-year college faculty across the Midwest region. Participants will learn how to implement the research experience at their institutions, offering more students the chance to explore scientific research early at their college.