Many departments in colleges and universities require a capstone course that involves the students conducting a research project. This author has had over 20 years of experience teaching such a capstone course and describes a flexible research method for student research projects -- the vignette study (an experiment embedded in a survey). She also…

An understanding of structure-function relationships in proteins is essential for modern biochemical studies. The integration of common freely accessible bioinformatics tools available online with the knowledge of protein-engineering tools provide a fundamental understanding of the application of protein structure-function for biochemical…

This publication presents a series of experiments in the field of nanomedicine for high school chemistry education and student laboratories, developed as a collaborative project between chemistry didactics and chemical research. In this context, polymeric nanocarriers represent a promising approach for drug delivery, acting as "smart…

Astronomy is one of the few sciences where the data (star-light) can be seen by all. Yet, there is a disconnect between a typical undergraduate lecture and, for example, where a planet may be in the sky and how to observe it. With the advent of moderate cost, high-quality 'back-garden' astronomy, and standard computers powerful enough to produce…

We describe a project implemented in the honors section of an upper-level analytical chemistry undergraduate course, in which students designed an experiment to compare the performance of two analytical techniques to determine the amount of ascorbic acid in a commercial sample. This project designed for 18 students is composed of three stages. In…

Accuracy and precision are measures of experimental error and are fundamental to most chemical analysis laboratory classes. Assessment of accuracy and precision is often based on the comprehension of the results generated by students rather than on the quality of the data generated. This activity focused on developing a chemical analysis…

Using smartphones in experimental physics teaching offers many advantages in terms of engagement, pedagogy and flexibility. But it presents drawbacks such as possibly endangering the device and also facing the heterogeneity of available sensors on different smartphones. We present a low-cost alternative that preserves the advantages of…

A new project-based laboratory (PJBL) was developed for general chemistry students to tackle the steps involved in chemical water quality analysis using an accessible, real-world hydrologic system (the lakes of the Lower Grand Coulee, Washington). This PJBL was developed in a joint general chemistry and environmental geology course by a…

Immersive research opportunities allow students to take ownership of their learning, explore based on curiosity, and engage in the scientific process while developing confidence and skills. However, research positions for biology undergraduates are limited, and conventional teaching labs are often restricted to pre-designed experiments without…

This article describes the implementation of a student-generated open educational resource project into a majors' organic chemistry laboratory. This scaffolded semester-long project was organized into six phases and designed to promote the goals of teaching students about both green chemistry and real-life applications of the reactions covered in…

The Clemmensen reduction is a common example of a reaction demonstrating the deoxygenation of carbonyl groups, which is a topic that has been widely studied in the field of organic chemistry. The use of trimethylchlorosilane, as a substitute for concentrated hydrochloric acid, allows for the reduction of carbonyl groups. The Clemmensen reduction…

Traditional laboratory courses involve students following detailed weekly experimental procedures, culminating in either a laboratory report or handout at the end of each experiment. While this setup teaches basic laboratory skills, it usually does not encourage students to think critically or independently. Therefore, many laboratory instructors…

When student projects require an analytical step that is robust and sufficiently selective, high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) is a method to be considered. However, for student laboratories not equipped for HPTLC, sample application as a sharp narrow band is a hurdle. The low eluting power of water on reversed phase plates can be…

Loss of 7 weeks of organic chemistry laboratory work, including 3-4 weeks that would have been used for a CURE, prompted the creation of a literature review project in which students investigated synthetic routes to drug molecules of molecular weight 180 g/mol or less. The students wrote a 5-10 page paper and then made videotaped presentations…

The Hofmeister series is a recurring trend that ranks ions' abilities to influence various aqueous processes in solution. Herein, a set of project-based experiments was developed for students in an upper-level physical chemistry laboratory to investigate the specific ion effects on the thermodynamics of caffeine partitioning between aqueous and…