Most textbooks and lecturers present Michaelis-Menten kinetics using the equation v = V[subscript max][S]/(K[subscript m] + [S]). There are advantages to presenting this relationship in a slightly different form, namely v = V[subscript max]/{1 + (K[subscript m]/[S])}. We articulate advantages for single-substrate reactions and extend the formalism…

The COVID-19 pandemic affected a large range of in-person education activities in Colombia. This created great limitations in academic performance for students with reduced access to communication technologies and deepened the educational gaps in the country. This was particularly true for sciences such as biochemistry. In Colombia, molecular…

A strong understanding of molecular structure is key for mastering structure-function concepts in life sciences and is based on the visualization of biomolecules. Therefore, various approaches to help students translate between the 2D space of a textbook figure to the 3D space of a molecule have been developed. Object-based learning is an approach…

In collaboration with educators and researchers, we created an online resource called Phase Separation 101 to help undergraduate students understand the basics of liquid-liquid phase separation, an emerging and complex concept in cell biology for which visual resources are still scarce. This work presents the workflow and visual communication…

The Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion technique is used as a teaching tool for studying immune responses and exemplifying differences in antigen-antibody reactions. Although commonplace in undergraduate labs, standardized commercial kits limit learning experiences because they have fixed modalities of use, a low shelf-life, and impose budgetary…

Innovative approaches to teaching genetics are essential for improving student engagement and comprehension in this challenging field. Laboratory-based instruction enhances engagement with the subject while fostering the development of practical competencies and deepening comprehension of theoretical concepts. However, constraints on time and…

Analogies are used to make abstract topics meaningful and more easily comprehensible to learners. Incorporating simple analogies into STEM classrooms is a fairly common practice, but the analogies are typically generated and explained by the instructor for the learners. We hypothesize that challenging learners to create complex, extended analogies…

Students tend to think of their science courses as isolated and unrelated to each other, making it difficult for them to see connections across disciplines. In addition, many existing science assessments target rote memorization and algorithmic problem-solving skills. Here, we describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of an activity…

Due to its distinct phenotype and relatively simple inheritance pattern, the phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) loci is frequently utilized in teaching laboratories to demonstrate genetic concepts such as Mendelian inheritance and population genetics. We have developed a next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics approach to analyze the PTC gene locus…

Biochemistry and molecular biology students are asked to understand and analyze the structures of small molecules and complex three-dimensional (3D) macromolecules. However, most tools to help students learn molecular visualization skills are limited to two-dimensional (2D) images on screens and in textbooks. The virtual reality (VR) App Nanome,…

Biochemistry curricula present a particular challenge to undergraduate students with abstract concepts which can lead to misconceptions that impede learning. In particular, these students have difficulty understanding enzyme structure and function concepts. Targeted learning activities and three-dimensional (3D) physical models are proposed to…

A flexible and modular peptide modeling set was designed using freely available software tools. The set consists of space-filling models of all 20 naturally occurring amino acid side chains and a modular kit for constructing peptides employing C-alpha carbons and amide bond groups. Connectors that allow free rotation about phi and psi angles on…

Many biology students struggle to learn about the process of meiosis and have particular difficulty understanding the molecular basis of crossing over and the importance of homologous pairing for proper segregation. To help students overcome these challenges, we designed an activity that uses a newly developed Chromosome Connections Kit® from 3-D…

Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has become an important tool in the biological sciences and has a growing number of applications across medical fields. Currently, few undergraduate programs provide training in the design and implementation of NGS applications. Here, we describe an inquiry-based laboratory exercise for a college-level molecular…

The real time PCR (qPCR) method provides a powerful method to assess levels of particular species of DNA. When combined with reverse transcription (RT-qPCR) it is the predominate technique to measure expression of gene transcripts. While this approach is very powerful, particular care must be taken in the design of the primers to facilitate…