CourseSource: Resources

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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Sanger Sequencing by Hand: Using Paper Clips to Demonstrate Chain Termination

Sanger sequencing is commonly taught with a hands-on approach. Sanger sequencing involves chain termination by dideoxynucleotides, because they are missing the oxygen on the 3’ carbon atom, which is required for the addition of subsequent...

Courses: Genetics

nucleotidessequencingDNAgel electrophoresisChain Termination

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From Dirt to Streptomyces DNA

The purpose of this semester-long Lesson is to give students an authentic, course-based undergraduate research experience during which they learn basic and advanced microbiological and molecular biology techniques. This project begins with the...

Courses: Microbiology

MetabolismAntibiotic productionrRNA genesSecondary metabolitesStreptomyces

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A Kinesthetic Modeling Activity to Teach PCR Fundamentals

Most molecular biology and biological sciences students understand that the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to amplify DNA. However, we have found that some students experience conceptual misunderstandings, a lack of detailed comprehension...

Courses: Genetics Science Process Skills

PCR

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A Structured Inquiry-Based Module for the Undergraduate Cell Biology Laboratory That Teaches Fundamental Concepts of Cell Differentiation

Pedagogical research in science education has shown that students effectively learn science by doing science. As a result, there is increased interest in bringing research-like experiences into the classroom, particularly for laboratory courses....

Courses: Cell Biology

fluorescence microscopygene expressionpolymerase chain reactionCell Structurecell culturewestern blottingdifferentiationreverse transcription

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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: Microbiology

bacteriophagesLysogenic cycleLysogenyLytic cycle

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Using Raw Sequence Data to Analyze Tumor Suppressor Mutations

Learning to identify DNA sequence variants from raw sequencing data (electropherograms) is a basic molecular biology skill with applications to basic research and clinical practice. Yet learning to map DNA sequence variants to functional regions...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics

bioinformaticsmutationDNAgenomic visualizationparts of a geneclinical consequencesraw data

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A clicker-based case study that untangles student thinking about the processes in the central dogma

The central dogma of biology is a foundational concept that provides a scaffold to understand how genetic information flows in biological systems. Despite its importance, undergraduate students often poorly understand central dogma processes (DNA...

Courses: Genetics Introductory Biology

mutationtranscriptionphenotypecentral dogmatranslationDNA replication

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CRISPR/Cas9 in yeast: a multi-week laboratory exercise for undergraduate students

Providing undergraduate life-science students with a course-based research experience that utilizes cutting-edge technology, is tractable for students, and is manageable as an instructor is a challenge. Here, I describe a multi-week lesson plan...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Genetics Microbiology Science Process Skills

bioinformaticsPCRphenotypingCRISPR/Cas9gene editingcloningGenotypingRestriction enzyme

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My Fish Tank: An Active Learning Activity for Bacterial Nitrogen Metabolism

This active learning activity introduces students to the second part of the nitrogen cycle, nitrification. In terrestrial and aquatic environments, bacteria from the Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter genera oxidize ammonia first to nitrite (via a...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Ecology Ecology Microbiology

nitrogen cyclenitrificationnitrifying bacteria

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Evaluating the Quick Fix: Weight Loss Drugs and Cellular Respiration

One key to student success in introductory and cell biology courses is a foundational knowledge of cellular respiration. This is a content area in which students often harbor misconceptions that make cellular respiration particularly challenging...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology Introductory Biology

data analysisCellular RespirationElectron Transport ChainEnergy transformationsMitochondriaOxidative phosphorylationWeight loss drugs24-dinitrophenol (DNP)

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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Using Constructed Response Questions on High-Stakes Assessments in Large Classes With Limited Support

Large lecture courses often rely heavily, and sometimes exclusively, on Multiple Choice (MC) exams to assess student learning. Constructed Response (CR) questions, in which students generate their own answers, can provide more insight into student...

Courses: Genetics

assessmenttestexamLarge classconstructed responseshort answerscoring

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Integrating Manipulatives and Animations to Visualize Holliday Junctions

The complex molecular architecture of Holliday junctions is often challenging for undergraduate biochemistry students to conceptualize. In particular, they have difficulty translating from two-dimensional, linear representations shown in textbooks...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Genetics

dna structureDNA damageDNA recombinationGene crossoverHolliday junction

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Breaking Bricks: A Hands-On Model of Enzyme Kinetics and Inhibition

Enzyme kinetics and the impacts of inhibitors on the enzyme's maximal velocity and ability to bind substrates are important topics in cell biology and biochemistry. However, these topics can be difficult for students to grasp when instructed...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology

kineticsEnzymecompetitive inhibition

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Using Seafood Traceability to Teach the Complexities of Natural Resource Management and Sustainability

This lesson plan addresses the challenge of conveying to students the globalized nature and complexity of natural resource management. Specifically, it uses seafood traceability, or the ability to track seafood as it moves through the global...

Courses: Ecology Ecology

sustainabilityfisheriesaquacultureAnthropogenic ImpactsNatural Resource Management

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Unwrapping Enzyme Kinetics

Enzyme rates and kinetics are key components used by biochemists to understand how enzymes function. However, students often find it difficult to understand how these experiments are performed and how they reflect enzyme behavior in solution. The...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

kineticsstructure-functionenzymescatalysis

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The Three Sisters of Agriculture: An Active Learning Activity on Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation

This active learning exercise introduces students to the plant microbiome and the contributions that bacteria make to plant growth and food production. The Three Sisters are an ancient indigenous practice in which three plant crops and the...

Courses: Microbiology

SymbiosisPlant microbiomeNitrogen fixationNutritional content of foodElectron flowSociety impact of microorganisms

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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 Biology Introductory Biology

enzymescontrolsenzyme inhibition

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Mice, Acorns, and Lyme Disease: a Case Study to Teach the Ecology of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Ebola, Zika, the recall of contaminated lettuce - these are just a few recent outbreaks making headlines. Students should be able to connect what they learn in their biology courses to explain these events happening around them. Unfortunately,...

Courses: Microbiology

epidemiologyEcological changeInfectious disease ecologyReservoirsTransmission cycle

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The impact of diet and antibiotics on the gut microbiome

The goal of this article is to describe an active learning exercise that can be used in a variety of advanced microbiology courses, including bacterial physiology, ecology, or systems biology. The gut microbiome is a multi-species bacterial...

Courses: Microbiology

microbiomeenvironmental controlhost responsemetabolites

Teaching Tools and Strategies

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A How to Guide and Template for Designing a Puzzle Based Escape Room Game

Educational games are one active and effective way of engaging students with material while also providing additional motivation to tackle challenging concepts. A particularly popular game concept is the escape room, where students need to work in...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Ecology Ecology Evolution Genetics Science Process Skills