The Folch method is a commonly employed, simple biochemical procedure used to extract fat from food items and biological samples in biochemistry laboratories. The iodine number of fat reflects its degree of unsaturation. In the present study, the iodine number of fat extracted using the Folch method from cow milk, goat milk, chicken egg yolk and…

Determining cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a foundational procedure in soil science education. Traditional introductory soil science CEC laboratory methods, both qualitative and quantitative, vary in complexity, resource requirements, and time constraints. Qualitative methods often rely on visual indicators such as cloudiness in solutions or…

Bacteria have developed a cell-to-cell communication system called quorum sensing (QS), allowing them to regulate group behavior and synchronize the expression of virulence factors, responsible for increasing their infection capacity and resistance to antimicrobials. Although the control of microbial infections through the inhibition of microbial…

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…

We created a novel laboratory experience where undergraduate students explore the techniques used to study protein misfolding, unfolding, and aggregation. Despite the importance of protein misfolding and aggregation diseases, protein unfolding is not typically explored in undergraduate biochemistry laboratory classes. Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase…

Owing to the critical role of stereochemistry in biotechnology, medicine, and industry, it must be well represented in undergraduate lab curricula. To achieve these stereochemical laboratory requirements without sacrificing existing lab techniques, we modified two standard laboratory experiments to include chiral GC analysis as follows. (1) The…

This study assessed chemical safety management in academic laboratories in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Hence, this study aims to assess the level of chemical laboratory safety practices, chemical inventory and record management, and chemical waste procedures in laboratories. This study collected data from three academic institutions using a mixed method…

The ability to elucidate the structure of organic compounds from their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), and mass spectrometry (MS) spectra is an essential skill, particularly for those engaged in the fields of synthetic and analytical organic chemistry. Spectral analysis constitutes a fundamental component of the curriculum for all…

By hosting a college students' laboratory skills contest, we provide an interesting activity for students to cultivate good laboratory practices and thereby improve their laboratory skills. The substance of this contest is the detection of the hardness of water, which involves numerous laboratory skills such as solution preparation, weight by…

We present the development and evaluation of "da Vinci's Curse", a chemistry escape room experience designed to consolidate laboratory skills in a fun and interactive setting. Inspired by the maestro, Leonardo da Vinci, the escape room challenges students to complete a series of puzzles in teams to escape "da Vinci's Curse".…

Understanding potentiometry is a difficult task when students in initial courses of Analytical Chemistry are first introduced to instrumental techniques. The closest instrument to them is a pH meter, which is frequently used as a "black box", without a real understanding of how it works. Here we present the assembly of jelly modules that…

Lakes are artists' pigments made from colorants bound to an inert substrate, usually hydrated aluminum oxide. Before the late 19th century, lakes were made from natural pigments extracted from plants and insects, extracted either directly from the dyestuff or indirectly from waste materials generated in the manufacture of dyed textiles. The first…

Affect and emotions matter to science learning. They also matter because they are integral to science identity formation and sense of belonging. This study aims to foreground the epistemic and affective character of laboratory work in higher science education by conceptualizing it as epistemic practice, in which students activate their body and…

Colloidal stability is one of the most important criteria in the application strategy of colloidal nanoparticles in the continuous phase. The branches include ecology, involving coagulation as a purification method; medicine as nanocarriers; biology as blood coagulation, etc. A chemist versed in these concepts is a high-performing chemist in…

Chemometric techniques such as partial least-squares (PLS) regression have been applied with huge success to a wide array of chemical problems including multicomponent analysis of analytes in complex mixtures. Despite this, there are few examples of laboratory pedagogical exercises that involve students in the acquisition of chemical data from…