Infrared (IR) spectra of biologically derived materials display distinct absorption bands correlating to individual macromolecules: protein, polysaccharide, lipid, and nucleic acids. A series of experiments aimed at teaching qualitative bioorganic spectroscopy using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (IR) with biological…

The great development of high-throughput molecular biology techniques and the consequent generation of massive data have made Bioinformatics essential for undergraduate Bioscience students. The importance of this scientific discipline is evidenced by the huge number of specialized publications, tools, and databases available. Training in…

Purpose: Hands-on training in tissue engineering is often associated with specialized labs and expensive equipment, such as CO[subscript 2] incubators. To minimize the use of costly commercial incubators and provide a more vivid engineering experience in a biology lab, we present a hands-on project that introduces medium to large groups of…

It is a controversial issue in education that students perform dissection experiments. Different opinions have been noted in studies on this subject, and various applications are recommended according to education levels. This case study aimed to determine pre-service science teachers' views of hands-on dissection and virtual dissection. The study…

In response to the shifting modalities of laboratory-based education, particularly amidst the rise of virtual and at-home instruction, we introduce a novel hybrid laboratory module for undergraduate biochemistry and biology courses. Central to this innovative approach is the use of sourdough as a versatile and accessible model organism, enabling a…

Sustaining a broad diversity of plants is key for a sustainable future. For instance, providing a variety of flowering plants in urban and agricultural landscapes mitigates the current decline of pollinators and biodiversity in general. Therefore, educating about the diversity of flowering plants has high current relevance for biology and…

Concepts relating to enzymes and energy are central to understanding chemical and biological processes at the molecular level. Student learning of these crosscutting concepts can be challenging, so it is important to identify misconceptions and remediate them early, especially in introductory classes. Here we describe an activity in which…

Providing hands-on practical education without access to laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic has required creativity and innovation. In this paper, co-authored by academic staff and students, we describe an at-home mobile phone-based 'spectrophotometer' experiment used in an introductory undergraduate biology course. Using colour picker…

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,…

Nanoparticle synthesis is an important area of nanotechnology and has been performed by undergraduate students from various universities across the globe. Due to the availability of massive data on the synthesis of a wide variety of metallic nanoparticles, including silver, gold, selenium, zinc, copper, iron, palladium, platinum, titanium, etc.,…

Student enrollments in online college courses have grown steadily over the past decade, and college administrators expect this trend to continue or accelerate. Despite the growing popularity of online education, one major critique in the sciences is that students are not trained in the hands-on skills they may need for the workforce, graduate…

Immunology, a complex and rapidly evolving biological field, serves dual educational goals: training healthcare professionals and immunologists as well as promoting immune literacy among laypeople. This study conducted a scoping review of the literature to explore different aspects of immunology education, examining various contexts, levels, and…

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for practical teaching within the sciences. While many instructors adopted innovative alternatives to conventional practicals, many relied on digital approaches that did not give students hands-on experience. In this study we evaluate the use of 'at home' practical kits used in first year physics…

Exposure to nature can improve mental health and cognitive abilities, while creating enhanced engagement with biological course material through interactions with organisms and ecosystems. Remote biology education was suddenly implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at many universities, and such distance education continues to provide broadened…

Bioinformatics is the use of computers in biology, particularly to analyse DNA and protein sequences and associated data. Bioinformatics has become crucial to most areas of life sciences research. However, bioinformatics education has not kept up with the pace of these advances. To help address this problem, we have designed an open-access…