From bench to biotech: how a CURE cultivates student self-efficacy, gains in scientific thinking, and career aspirations

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have well-documented benefits, including increasing students' access to research, fostering science identity, and improving retention in STEM. However, CUREs in biotechnology education remain underexplored, despite the field's strong focus on real-world research applications and career pathways. This study examines the impact of an upper-division Molecular Biotechnology CURE offered at a diverse, primarily undergraduate institution. We assessed changes in students' self-efficacy as a scientist, gains in scientific thinking, and future educational and career aspirations using pre- and post-CURE course assessments over a 3 year period (<i>n</i> = 92 students). To contextualize these findings and explore students' experiences in greater depth, we also conducted focus groups (<i>n</i> = 20 students). The Molecular Biotechnology CURE led to significant increases in students' self-efficacy and gains in scientific thinking across all demographic groups. Although we did not detect shifts in students' future educational aspirations, we found a significant increase in their interest in pursuing careers in the biotechnology industry. Focus groups revealed that students perceived the lab as strengthening their practical research skills and expanding their career aspirations to include biotechnology careers. Students also described an appreciation for the collaborative, scaffolded learning environment the course provided, where mistakes were seen as a natural and valuable part of the research process. Our findings demonstrate that CUREs can support student development in biotechnology education and might also help to broaden participation in biotechnology careers.