Fluorescence-related experimental techniques play an important role in biochemistry, molecular biology, and cell biology. However, fluorescence-related experiments are rarely included in the laboratory courses of most Chinese universities. This is mainly due to the conflict between large class size (50-60 students in one room) and funding/space…

The CRISPR/Cas9 system opens new horizons (M. Adli, Nat Commun, 2018) regarding genetic modifications of living organisms but also as an in vitro tool in laboratory protocols. Therefore, it boosts possibilities in research and future medical treatments. As the controversial claim of genomically edited babies by He Jiankui (Cyranoski D., Nature,…

Coagulation is an important process in the context of water purification; and the seed protein of the moringa tree ("Moringa oleifera") is a remarkably effective coagulant. The laboratory course described here is designed to provide high-school students with a stepwise, hands-on experience in investigating the protein-rich coagulant…

The teaching of laboratory skills to undergraduate students is central to all experimental sciences. In this setting, students must understand the experimental procedures as well as the fundamental principle(s) being demonstrated, all while learning within a limited time. Other limiting factors include access to equipment and reagents, resulting…

A high variety of experimental model organisms have been used in developmental biology practical lectures. The work with developing embryos is crucial to make students aware of the multiple biological phenomena underlying normal animal embryogenesis and morphogenesis and represent a unique experimental platform to analyze the impact of molecular…

The COVID-19 pandemic related measures had augmented the rise of online education. While online teaching had mitigated the negative impacts from educational institutional closures, it was unable to displace hands-on biomedical laboratory practical lessons effectively. Without practical sessions, there was concern over the imparting of laboratory…

The concepts of phospholipase activity is often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry classes and reinforced in laboratory exercises. However, very rarely does the design of these exercises allow students to directly gain experience in the use of modern instruments such as digital imaging systems and fluorescence spectrophotometers. The…

Undergraduate biology laboratories emphasize hands-on skills. Typically, descriptions of manual techniques are delivered via written instruction. Custom-produced prelab instructional videos, which augment prelab instruction, have come into wider use in recent years. However, institutional and economic barriers can interfere with video production…

Recent advancements in biochemical sciences have helped the researchers to explore the molecular logic of life inclusive of its multifarious expressions and explain many facts about the structure and functions of cellular macromolecules. Due to its simple and cost-effective nature, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) has become the most…

Suspended on-site instruction during the COVID-19 created an exceptional challenge for teaching hands-on laboratory classes. We designed an online laboratory activity using computational biology techniques to overcome this issue. This set of online exercises introduces bioinformatics skills into existing curricula in the form of guided tutorials…

Undergraduates learn that gene editing in diverse organisms is now possible. How targeted manipulation of genes and genomes is utilized in basic science and biomedicine to address biological questions is challenging for undergraduates to conceptualize. Thus, we developed a lab experience that would allow students to be actively engaged in the full…

The enrichment of plant foods with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is currently an interesting issue in the field of nutraceuticals and can be used as an experiment for upper-division undergraduate students. Here, an interdisciplinary hands-on experiment to produce GABA-enriched mung bean sprouts using common household reagents is described. Based…

At the University of South Australia (UniSA), Biochemistry is a second year undergraduate course. The student cohort is diverse, with students enrolled in courses with a laboratory focus, such as Laboratory Medicine, Medical Science, Nutrition and Food Science and Pharmaceutical Science. The course is taught in a traditional manner, with weekly…

The development of new medicines holds particular fascination for chemistry, biochemistry, and biology students interested in a career in medicine or the life sciences. The identification and refinement of lead compounds to treat diseases requires researchers to be facile in a number of different disciplines including organic synthesis,…

We have developed an integrated, project-oriented curriculum for undergraduate molecular biology and biochemistry laboratory courses spanning two semesters that is organized around the "ldhA" gene from the yogurt-fermenting bacterium "Lactobacillus bulgaricus," which encodes the enzyme d-lactate dehydrogenase. The molecular…