Here, we propose a laboratory exercise to quickly determine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human "alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B)" and "aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)" genes involved in alcohol metabolism. In this exercise, two different genotyping methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), namely…

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…

This short paper presents an educational approach to teaching three popular methods for encoding DNA sequences: one-hot encoding, binary encoding, and integer encoding. Aimed at bioinformatics and computational biology students, our learning intervention focuses on developing practical skills in implementing these essential techniques for…

Southern blot analysis is an important molecular biology technique for identifying a specific sequence in DNA samples. Although it is no longer used extensively in recent years, the steps and underlying principles of Southern blot are applicable to modern biology. High sensitivity and limited background are keys to successful Southern blots,…

Transcription is the critical first step in expressing a gene, during which an RNA polymerase (RNAP) synthesizes an RNA copy of one strand of the DNA that encodes a gene. Here we describe a laboratory experiment that uses a single assay to probe two important steps in transcription: (1) RNAP binding to DNA, and (2) the transcriptional activity of…

Plant metabolite compounds have been applied on plant cellular metabolism, produces organic and inorganic compounds, primary and secondary bioactive molecules, such as glucose, amino acids, fat acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Undergraduate biology students learn about the plant terpenoid assisted by bioinformatics to store, manage,…

Proteopedia (proteopedia.org) is an open resource to explore the structure--function relationship of proteins and other biomolecules. This guide provides practical advice on how to incorporate Proteopedia into teaching the structure and function of proteins and other biomolecules. For 11 activities, we discuss desired outcomes, setting…

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…

Our climate is changing due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases from the production and use of fossil fuels. Present atmospheric levels of CO[subscript 2] were last seen 3 million years ago, when planetary temperature sustained high Arctic camels. As scientists and educators, we should feel a professional responsibility to discuss major…

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.…

Proteins are essential for cell function, and their biological performance depends on three-dimensional (3D) structures. Insulin is made up of 51 amino acids and is a critical hormone involved in glycaemia regulation. In basic education, concepts involving proteins (synthesis, structure, interactions, and function) are abstract and difficult for…

Both nanopore-based DNA sequencing and CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing represent groundbreaking innovations in molecular biology and genomics, offering unprecedented insights into and tools for working with genetic information. For students, reading, editing, and even writing DNA will be part of their everyday life. We have developed a laboratory…

Existing research has investigated student problem-solving strategies across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; however, there is limited work in undergraduate biology education on how various aspects that influence learning combine to generate holistic approaches to problem solving. Through the lens of situated cognition, we…

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of the 5E model on the understanding of the molecular genetics concepts taught in general biology. The research had a quantitative focus and a quasi-experimental design, and the participants were 40 undergraduate students from a private university in the west of Puerto Rico, which were…

It has been well documented that for many students science is difficult to learn. Thus, as a food chemistry teacher, it has been my mission to continually search for and implement better ways to help my students learn chemistry. One strategy for improved learning, based on Johnstone's Triangle, that has been shown to be exceedingly effective, is…