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    Transitioning Two-Stage Exams to an Online Class
    Students often find biology courses to be very difficult and isolating, particularly if they identify as part of a group that has been historically excluded from STEM. Some of this anxiety and isolation comes from high-stakes exams. We decided to...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology

    lower division STEMupper division STEM
    Lesson
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    Sequences and Properties of Gluten Proteins From Different Grains: A Virtual-Friendly Protein Laboratory
    The COVID-19 pandemic has forced much university instruction into virtual modes. As a result, many laboratory courses have either dropped content altogether or replaced hands-on activities with simulations and “dry” labs. Our goal was...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology BioinformaticsBioinformatics

    protein structure and functionProtein sequenceintermolecular forcesBiomacromolecules
    Lesson
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    Investigating Enzyme Structure and Function Through Model-Building and Peer Teaching in an Introductory Biology Course
    A foundational knowledge of the relationship between structure and function is critical to understanding how enzymes work. The seemingly invisible nature of these molecular interactions makes it challenging for undergraduate students to...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    structure-functionEnzymeallosteric regulationcompetitive inhibitionfeedback inhibitionnoncompetitive inhibitionproductsubstrate
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    328

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    Understanding Protein Domains: A Modular Approach
    An understanding of protein structure, function, and interaction is central to biochemistry. One angle into this topic is to engage students in considering protein domains as modules that develop form and execute function semi-independently. Here,...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell BiologyCell Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    Protein Structure
    Lesson
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    527

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    Investigating the Function of a Transport Protein: Where is ABCB6 Located in Human Cells?
    One of the challenges of teaching Cell Biology is helping students understand important research methods used to study cells.  The goal of understanding cell biology methods is especially challenging in courses without a laboratory...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology

    ABC transporter familyDifferential centrifugationImmunoblottingImmunofluorescence assayProtein localizationPurifying organellesSDS-PAGE
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    Using Synthetic Biology and pClone Red for Authentic Research on Promoter Function: Introductory Biology (identifying new promoters)
    Students often memorize the definition of a transcriptional promoter but fail to fully understand the critical role promoters play in gene expression. This laboratory lesson allows students to conduct original research by identifying and...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    bacteriasynthetic biologygene regulationtranscriptionstudent researchcentral dogmacloningpromoterreporter gene/protein
    Lesson
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    705

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    Electron Location, Location, Location: Understanding Biological Interactions
    Introductory Biology courses typically introduce the structure and function of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. To understand biomolecules fully, students require knowledge of fundamental chemistry concepts such as covalent...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    hydrogen bondshydrophobicity/hydrophilicitypolar and non-polar covalent bonds
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    289

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    Using QIIME to Interpret Environmental Microbial Communities in an Upper Level Metagenomics Course
    Metagenomics is rapidly evolving due to advances in sequencing technologies and bioinformatics, but without proper training to interpret these datasets, student understanding remains limited. Aimed at undergraduate juniors and seniors and graduate...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology BioinformaticsBioinformatics EcologyEcology MicrobiologyMicrobiology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    microbiome
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    Exploring the Lytic and Lysogenic Life Cycles of Bacteriophages
    The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to the lytic and lysogenic cycles of T4 and lambda bacteriophages, respectively, using student-centered pedagogies. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and are either virulent or...

    Courses: MicrobiologyMicrobiology

    bacteriophagesLysogenic cycleLysogenyLytic cycle
    Essay
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    131

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    Going Remote: An Online Adaptation to Using a Primary Cell Culture Model to Study the Neural Extracellular Matrix
    In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, instructors have modified materials to transition to a remote learning platform. The challenge for science instructors has been to design lab exercises that incorporate both active and experiential learning. In...

    Courses: Cell BiologyCell Biology NeurobiologyNeurobiology

    remote learningExtracellular matrixNeural extracellular matrixPerineuronal net
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    163

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    To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate
    To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is the question. Much of the recent trend in society against vaccination is that the general population does not understand 1) how vaccines work and 2) how one's vaccination status can influence others....

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology MicrobiologyMicrobiology

    pathogenELISAimmunityantibodyAntigen
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    Fruit Fly Genetics in a Day: A Guided Exploration to Help Many Large Sections of Beginning Students Uncover the Secrets of Sex-linked Inheritance
    Moving beyond the basic concepts of autosomal Mendelian inheritance to sex-linkage can be difficult for introductory biology students. Although crosses with Drosophila fruit flies have long been a mainstay of genetics units that teach these...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics

    Mendelian Geneticsfruit fly biologysex-linked inheritance
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    The Avocado Lab: An Inquiry-Driven Exploration of an Enzymatic Browning Reaction
    Typical biochemistry labs exploring basic enzyme activity rely on costly, time-consuming protein purification and rarely explore enzyme function in situ. Further, complex purification procedures leave little room for novelty in experimental...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    enzymescontrolsenzyme inhibition
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    Building Trees: Introducing evolutionary concepts by exploring Crassulaceae phylogeny and biogeography
    Teaching evolutionary theory is foundational for all biological sciences and a key aspect of overall science literacy. The conceptual framework for understanding evolution relies on thinking clearly about evolutionary trees (phylogenetics) and how...

    Courses: EvolutionEvolution Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    EvolutionphylogeneticsTree thinkingbiogeography
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    A Muscular Dystrophy Case Study Illustrating the Phenotypic Effects of Mutation
    Mutations in genes can lead to a variety of phenotypes, including various human diseases. Students often understand that a particular mutation in a single gene causes a disease phenotype, but it is more challenging to illustrate complex genetic...

    Courses: Developmental BiologyDevelopmental Biology GeneticsGenetics

    mutationProtein Structureethicscentral dogmahuman disease
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
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    A Team-Based Approach to Course Development Involving Undergraduate Researchers
    Development of an undergraduate laboratory course can be a challenge, because of the need to balance both logistical and pedagogical considerations. We piloted a team-based approach to developing this type of course and found it to be advantageous...

    Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiochemistry and Molecular Biology BioinformaticsBioinformatics GeneticsGenetics MicrobiologyMicrobiology Science Process SkillsScience Process Skills

    student researchcourse development
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
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    Casting a Wide Net via Case Studies: Educating across the undergraduate to medical school continuum in the biological sciences
    This article seeks to help bridge undergraduate and medical educators by describing shared educational goals and strategies, highlighting resources relevant for both groups, and exemplifying shared interests through a demonstration resource. Both...

    Courses: GeneticsGenetics

    genetic testingdirect-to-consumer genetic testinginformed consentprenatal screeningsecondary findingswhole genome sequencing
    Teaching Tools and Strategies
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    In-class peer grading of daily quizzes increases feedback opportunities
    Educators are familiar with evidence of the benefit that frequent and immediate feedback provides to our students, regardless of class size. We also often find ourselves in a situation where we do not have enough time planned or TA support...

    Courses: Introductory BiologyIntroductory Biology

    foundational knowledgegraphical interpretationtechnical terms
    Lesson
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    301

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    Learning R for Biologists: A Mini Course Grab-Bag for Instructors
    As biology becomes more data driven, teaching students data literacy skills has become central to biology curriculum. Despite a wealth of online resources that teach researchers how to use R, there are few that offer practical laboratory-based...

    Courses: Anatomy-PhysiologyAnatomy-Physiology BioinformaticsBioinformatics EcologyEcology GeneticsGenetics

    Rdata analysisRStudio
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    The Leaky Neuron: Understanding synaptic integration using an analogy involving leaky cups
    Students have difficulty understanding synaptic integration in neural circuits, and how spatial and temporal summation combine in a target neuron to reach threshold.  This Lesson uses small cups of water to represent excitatory postsynaptic...

    Courses: NeurobiologyNeurobiology

    neuron physiologyspatial summationsynaptic integrationtemporal summationthreshold