Plant blindness refers to the tendency of people to overlook and undervalue plants in their environment, which can have negative consequences for both the environment and human well-being. As pre-service teachers play a key role in shaping the environmental attitudes and knowledge of future generations, it is important to assess their level of…

Plant extracts and their components have been reported to have antimicrobial properties against phytopathogens. Although such properties could be harnessed for the development of new pathogen control strategies, there are no standardised methods for their assessment in different extracts. The laboratory exercise presented here involves the use of…

This study explores the influence of science and plant interest, alongside emotional responses, on the learning experiences of prospective primary education teachers during a botanical inquiry trail. Conducted at the University of Extremadura (Spain), the research involved 137 participants and valued their science and plant interest, knowledge…

The research base on students' knowledge of plants has established that misunderstandings develop in the early years of formal education and can persist through middle, secondary, and tertiary education. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that a lack of emphasis on teaching biology from an organismic perspective helps explain the range…

An undergraduate laboratory experiment has been developed for the synthesis of a reactive cross-linker that is useful in various highly visual demonstrations of organic reactivity, click chemistry, and biobased polymer synthesis. A triazolinedione-based cross-linker, which is known as a useful reagent for click chemistry, can be obtained from…

Triterpenic acids (TA), a class of triterpenoids, are widely distributed as secondary metabolites in plants. They have a pentacyclic structure and show high structural diversity. In this work, a simple but efficient method for extraction and detection of TA derivatives from apple peels is described. The method is technically straightforward and…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide students with valuable opportunities to engage in research in a classroom setting, expanding access to research opportunities for undergraduates, fostering inclusive research and learning environments, and bridging the gap between the research and education communities. While…

Biodiversity is a multidimensional concept, and its integration into school curricula is essential for promoting sustainable development. Plants are central to the biodiversity of ecosystems; however, student teachers often fail to recognize them and understand their importance. This phenomenon, known as "plant blindness," was first…

This descriptive qualitative case study aims to find out the pre-service science teachers (PST)' confidence about instructional practice in outdoor setting, their knowledge about the plants and it explores the two research questions: To what extent do the preservice science teachers have confidence to teach in the outdoor settings? (1) and What…

Knowledge about plant nutrition and photosynthesis is key to the scientific literacy of citizens. However, numerous studies have shown the existence of about 50 alternative ideas related to this content. In this work, carried out based on a reflection-action process, two studies based on the ideas of our 12-18 year old students are presented, as…

In the past few decades, chemistry has evolved to interact with various disciplines to synergistically help tackle global challenges. This, in turn, requires that newer generations of chemistry students are trained to be more flexible in accepting and coordinating new concepts. In this experiment, pineapple was used as a key model to allow for the…

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is widely used for editing genes in various organisms and is a very useful tool due to its versatility, simplicity, and efficiency. To teach its principles to post-graduate students we designed a laboratory activity to obtain and analyze PDS3 mutants in "Arabidopsis thaliana" plants consisting of: 1) Design of…

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to adapt to and rebound from unexpected change and uncertainty. The increasing climate chaos of the Anthropocene additionally underscores the necessity of resilient societies and individuals. Individuals able to problem-solve in emergent situations are integral to a resilient society, and science…

The aroma volatile compounds in tomatoes are strongly linked to taste and flavor. Commercial tomato varieties, however, generally lack flavor. Tomato breeding programs have therefore started to focus on increasing the flavor-enhancing volatiles, which can be more easily altered than the sugar content. Analytical efforts that identify key flavor…

Humanity has existed in special living conditions since March 11, 2020 when WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. This coronavirus disease has already taken more than 6.55 million of people's lives from almost 625 million of officially confirmed cases of people infected around the world at the beginning of October 2022. Lot of university…