CourseSource: Resources

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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: Neurobiology

neuron physiologyspatial summationsynaptic integrationtemporal summationthreshold

Lesson

2992

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549

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2

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A Fun Introductory Command Line Lesson: Next Generation Sequencing Quality Analysis with Emoji!

Radical innovations in DNA sequencing technology over the past decade have created an increased need for computational bioinformatics analyses in the 21st century STEM workforce. Recent evidence however demonstrates that there are significant...

Courses: Bioinformatics

bioinformaticsgenomicscodingJupyter notebookcommand lineCyVersescriptingnext generation sequencing analysis

Teaching Tools and Strategies

750

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66

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A Journal Club Project to Promote Interpreting and Presenting Information From the Primary Scientific Literature

Many undergraduate students receive little guidance on how to critically read, interpret data within, or present information from the primary scientific literature before they begin senior independent research experiences or enter professional or...

Courses: Developmental Biology Neurobiology

primary literaturejournal clubScience CommunicationfeedbackPeer reviewgroup workOral presentationProcess skillsPeer evaluationDevelopmental neurobiology

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1221

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556

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Understanding Gastric Acid Secretion: An Active Learning Approach

The human digestive system is a diverse network of cells, tissues, and organs that is regulated by systemic (e.g., nervous and endocrine systems) and local factors (e.g., secretions, pH, and the microbiome). Given the volume of content and the...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology

diseasesignal transductionAcid SecretionAutonomic Nervous SystemEndocrineGastric PhysiologyGPCRHistology of Gastric Pit

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1598

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344

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Investigating Gene Expression and Cell Specialization in Axolotl Embryos

The process of cell specialization is critical to the formation and function of tissues in animals and plants. Although gene expression, including the regulation of transcription, is taught in most introductory cell biology courses, the...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology Developmental Biology Science Process Skills

developmenttranscriptiongene expressionmodel organismembryo

Lesson

2129

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665

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Sequence Similarity: An inquiry based and "under the hood" approach for incorporating molecular sequence alignment in introductory undergraduate biology courses

Introductory bioinformatics exercises often walk students through the use of computational tools, but often provide little understanding of what a computational tool does "under the hood." A solid understanding of how a bioinformatics...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Introductory Biology

BLASTmultiple sequence alignmentsequence similarityphylogramZika virusAlgorithmScoring Matrix

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4806

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737

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A simple way for students to visualize cellular respiration: adapting the board game MousetrapTM to model complexity

Lecture-based introductory biology courses are typically content-heavy as instructors strive to provide students with foundational knowledge in a broad range of topics. One topic traditionally covered is cellular respiration, the series of...

Courses: Introductory Biology

ATPGlycolysisCellular RespirationElectron Transport ChainKrebs Cycle

Lesson

7962

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397

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Investigating Cell Signaling with Gene Expression Datasets

Modern molecular biology is a data- and computationally-intensive field with few instructional resources for introducing undergraduate students to the requisite skills and techniques for analyzing large data sets. This Lesson helps students: (i)...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology

genomicstranscriptionsignaling

Lesson

3549

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SEAS CURE: Exploring Coral Biology Across Scales

Complex biological concepts (like symbiosis and coral biology) that span multiple scales and cross disciplinary boundaries are often difficult for students to understand. This complexity is compounded by the challenges inherent to teaching and...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Cell Biology Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology Science Process Skills

microscopyAnatomySymbiosisMetabolismbleachinginvertebratedinoflagellate

Teaching Tools and Strategies

1736

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326

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SCIENCE/Fiction: Modular Template for Class Design

We present a modular scaffold for designing an introductory seminar using speculative fiction and science papers to welcome university undergraduates to the biology major. A list of twelve possible topics is included, such as Memory, Parasites,...

Courses: Anatomy-Physiology Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Cell Biology Evolution Genetics Introductory Biology Neurobiology

geneticscell biologyneurosciencesystems biologyScience Fiction

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1281

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169

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Central Dogma, Dictionaries, and Functions: Using Programming Concepts to Simulate Biological Processes

Technologies like next-generation sequencing, proteomics, and high-throughput phenotyping have transformed the way we do biology. There is a continued need for scientists with computational skills to analyze biological data while understanding the...

Courses: Bioinformatics

computationpythonJupyter notebookFunctionscentral dogmaDictionaries

Lesson

3288

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547

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A Student-Led Hearing on the Use of HeLa Cells in Research

In this role-playing case study, students will learn about the HeLa cell line and its origins while examining multiple perspectives surrounding the cell line and its uses. The goal of this case study is for students to use guided questions to...

Courses: Cell Biology Science Process Skills

bioethicsscience policycell culturedebateHeLa cellsinformed consentrole playsocial justice issues

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5476

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2552

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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

Lesson

6521

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1118

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Mapping a Mutation to its Gene: The "Fly Lab" as a Modern Research Experience

Although genetics is an invaluable part of the undergraduate biology curriculum, it can be intimidating to students as well as instructors: Students must reduce their reliance on memorization and dive deep into quantitative analysis, and...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

geneticsbioinformaticsdrosophilachi-square analysiscomplementation mappingmode of inheritancethree-point mapping

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An active-learning lesson that targets student understanding of population growth in ecology

Effective teaching and learning of population ecology requires integration of quantitative literacy skills. To facilitate student learning in population ecology and provide students with the opportunity to develop and apply quantitative skills, we...

Courses: Ecology Ecology Introductory Biology

population growthexponential growthlogistic growthpopulation ecologygrowth rateDensityAbundancecarrying capacitylinear growth

Lesson

2929

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362

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Bacteria to Brains in Backyard Coyotes: An Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Case Study

Our interdisciplinary pedagogical case study explores the differences between rural and urban coyotes at the levels of organismal and community ecology. The focus is on how coyotes’ gut microbiomes could affect their behavior via...

Courses: Cell Biology Ecology Ecology Evolution Immunology Introductory Biology Microbiology

dietanimal behaviorimmune systemmicrobiomeNervous systemgut-brain axisImmunoReachdysbiosisCoyoteCytokines

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4196

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Using Bioinformatics and Molecular Visualization to Develop Student Hypotheses in a Malate Dehydrogenase Oriented CURE

Developing student creativity and ability to develop a testable hypothesis represents a significant challenge in most laboratory courses. This lesson demonstrates how students use facets of molecular evolution and bioinformatics approaches...

Courses: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Bioinformatics Science Process Skills

bioinformaticsNoncovalent InteractionsEnzyme CatalysisProtein Structure/function

Essay

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An Active Textbook Converts "Vision and Tweak" to Vision and Change

Multiple reports over more than a century have documented the problems with the way introductory biology has been taught in most colleges and universities. An influential recent report, Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education, has...

Courses: Introductory Biology

Vision and Changeactive learningintroductory biologyFlipped classroomUndergraduatecore competenciescore conceptsactive textbookcurriculum reform

Lesson

2045

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890

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Exploration of the Human Genome by Investigation of Personalized SNPs

Students often shy away from tedious bioinformatics approaches to exploring their genomes. However, in our expanding digital world these skills are some of the most relevant and valuable. To increase students' interest in their own genomes, I...

Courses: Bioinformatics Genetics Science Process Skills

UCSC genome browsersingle nucleotide polymorphismGenome wide association studiesGenomic organization

Lesson

680

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534

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Cross-Course Public Health Project on Infectious Disease

The need for collaborative, public health education has never been more important. Students increasingly require necessary skills in effectively communicating critical information to the general public and in working strategically in...

Courses: Microbiology

infectionpublic healthVaccinespathogenesisantibiotics