The central dogma of molecular biology describes the transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins and stipulates that the system cannot work in the reverse direction. As a fundamental principle in biology, the dogma is as influential as it is controversial. Some commentators have debated the central dogma's empirical accuracy…

Heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, exhibit intrinsic contractility in vitro. We found that commercially-available mammalian cardiomyocytes serve as an excellent model system for studying the cytoskeleton and cellular contractility, fundamental topics in undergraduate cell and molecular biology courses. Embryonic rat cardiomyocytes were plated…

Understanding the details of how scientific breakthroughs and discoveries emerge from prior work, knowledge, and collaboration is fundamental to science history. Traditional methods of collecting such relevant information and transforming it into rich narratives have existed since the inception of the scientific method. These typically involve…

Undergraduate students of a molecular cell biology laboratory class learn basic recombinant DNA (rDNA) technology by engaging in a Genomic Library Construction Project. Significantly, in this lab project students learn experimental design strategy. The challenge for students is to determine the strategy that they can take to efficiently screen for…

This study reports on the theoretical- and empirical-based design and evaluation of cell membrane biology learning activities within the Model of Educational Reconstruction and experiential realism. First, we designed analogy-based learning activities by considering students' and scientists' conceptions as described in the literature. Secondly, we…

Perturbation of gene expression using RNA interference (RNAi) or CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) is a useful strategy to explore the function of essential genes. In the archaeon "Haloferax volcanii," the CRISPR-Cas system has been adapted as a CRISPRi tool to silence the expression of specific genes. We developed a laboratory class (LC) to…

Molecular Cell Biology (MCB) should be taught according to the scientific practices, avoiding cumulative and memory knowledge construction, but favoring scientific thinking. A way to achieve this goal is to apply activities involving scientific news, which construct knowledge through significant learning and the development of critical thinking.…

This study aimed to enhance students' experimental skills and laboratory techniques in cell and molecular biology. A trifold intervention involving a Gene Screen Worksheet, a Gene Screen Flowchart, and a laboratory manual were used, along with a mixed methods approach to data collection. The trifold intervention was grounded in constructivism,…

Research shows that when students use core concepts to guide their reasoning, they are able to construct more accurate, mechanistic explanations. However, there is scant research exploring student's perceptions of the usefulness of core concepts. Knowing students' perceptions could be influential in encouraging faculty to adopt core concept…

Online engagement, or the use of online supplementary instruction and assessment, in high-structure courses is gaining popularity as a useful tool to facilitate instruction, assignments, and examinations. High-structure courses, which include regular pre- and post-class assessments and significant active learning during class, have been shown to…

Experimental teaching is an important part of postgraduate training in basic and clinical medicine. While primary cell isolation and identification are among the most important research techniques for medical graduate students, most graduate students do not understand and master these techniques before starting their research experience. In…

Purpose: This study isolates the effect of immersion on players' learning in a virtual reality (VR)-based game about cellular biology by comparing two versions of the game with the same level of interactivity and different levels of immersion. The authors identify immersion and additional interactivity as two key affordances of VR as a learning…

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a mandatory online supplemental instruction program in an introductory cell and molecular biology course at a community college in Northern Nevada. To accomplish this, the study focused on the dependent variable of course GPA, and the issuance rate of "D" or "F" letter…

Views of obesity as a consequence of "lack of willpower" or other behavioral choices, rather than a complex array of biological and other factors, are quite common among undergraduate students. Many undergraduates in prenursing or biology programs have little exposure to the physiology and pathophysiology of obesity, including learning…

While zinc (Zn[superscript 2+]) is a vital ion for cell function and human health, we are still learning about how Zn[superscript 2+] concentration and localization is regulated and the role that Zn[superscript 2+] fluctuations may play in regulating cell signaling and cell fate. Here, we use fluorescent tools to study the interaction between…