Chemistry experiments involving biological aspects are in high demand. This laboratory exercise blends biochemistry and physical chemistry, illustrates key concepts of the virus capsid surface, and is designed for a chemistry laboratory course for students majoring in biology in college. The experimental part provides a mastery of…

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced in the gut as a result of microbial action on ingested dietary fiber and have been associated with several health benefits. Herein an undergraduate student experiment that uses gas chromatography equipped with either a flame ionization detector or mass spectrometer for the analysis and quantitation of…

As research of benefits and detriments of pesticides and biocides progresses, people's knowledge needs to be updated. This study takes an audience perspective on how practitioners may improve communication. Through online focus group discussions of how and why Danes acquire knowledge of pesticides and biocides, we find that focusing on improving…

One of the most widely used solutions to fix and preserve organic tissues is formaldehyde, despite reservations regarding its toxicity and the fact that formaldehyde-embalmed bodies lose their original characteristics. Anatomy laboratories have been replacing formaldehyde with solutions that retain the characteristics of fresh tissue. For this…

Identification of novel fermenting yeast is beneficial to the brewing industry to develop innovations in flavor or processes. In addition, there is a growing interest in sour beers, which are traditionally produced with bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. Here, we characterize a novel yeast, lab strain 'GY7B', and its ability to…

This study explored the relationships between English language proficiency and performance in online, asynchronous science courses. Each participant completed a Language Background Questionnaire (LBQ) to indicate if English was not their native language, thus categorizing them as an English Language Learner (ELL). The Combined English Language…

Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) incorporate research opportunities into the existing curriculum often by providing alternatives or replacing the traditional cookbook-based laboratory courses. Over the past 50 years, CURE courses have been shown to benefit both students and faculty members alike. Despite the large number of…

There is evidence that education levels have an impact on people's attitudes toward vaccination. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to maximize vaccinations - one of the most efficient ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Young individuals play a major role in disease transmission due to their intense social life…

The Prospect Park Biodiversity Project was a SENCER collaboration project between the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Mathematics at the New York City College of Technology. The goal of this project was to enhance students' participation and learning in STEM disciplines through a civically engaged framework. The project utilized…

Pigments are light-absorbing substances that are abundant in nature, serving roles in coloration, camouflage, mate/pollinator attraction and photosynthesis among higher life forms. Among microbial organisms, pigments can also be found in a wide range of phyla. While some of these pigments function in photosynthesis, namely among algae and some…

Computer vision (CV) is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) that trains computers to understand our visual world based on digital images. There are many successful applications of CV including face and hand gesture detection, weather recording, smart farming, and self-driving cars. Recent advances in computer vision with machine learning…

An environmental chemistry service-learning project was implemented by Greenville University in coordination with the local county health department to test the quality of well water for residents in a five-county region of southern Illinois. Well owners attended a student run well water testing "kickoff meeting", received testing kits,…

Herein, we present an experience-based learning approach that uses the COVID-19 pandemics knowledge about virus spread and epidemics to establish an analogy between a simple epidemics model--the SIR model (susceptible--infected--removed), and a second-order autocatalytic reaction with subsequent catalyst deactivation. Our approach provides a…

Connecting the public to concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an essential for technological advancement and inspiring future scientists, impacting both the communicator and the audience's understanding of scientific topics. Without proper communication of scientific knowledge, acceptance and implementation of…

The convenient synthesis of dihydroberberine by the reduction of berberine is described as an experiment for an upper-division undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Students obtained up to 74% yield of the desired pure product without the use of chromatographic techniques. The antimicrobial activities of both compounds against…