Brewing science is an interdisciplinary course taught at many universities in both lecture- and lab-based modalities. The laboratory component of this class typically focuses on the brewing process from malted barley to beer. However, this ignores the malting process--an essential step in making beer, although one typically performed by maltsters…

Undergraduate-level laboratory experiments that integrate multidisciplinary chemistry concepts into a single activity are very appealing and thought-provoking for chemistry students. Here, we use the oscillating chemical reaction to introduce students to the analytical detection concept. The Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction is employed as a simple…

Investigating and understanding novel antibacterial agents is a necessary task as there is a constant increase in the number of multidrug-resistant bacterial species. The use of nanotechnology to combat drug-resistant bacteria is an important research area. The laboratory experiment described herein demonstrates that changes in the nanostructure…

Low-dimensional materials especially graphene-based are of high interest to a broad community. One of the most fundamental aspects in the biomedical field is material characterization, which helps understand their property and tune for application. Though the existing teaching curricula are well standardized to include basic principles and…

As data and protocols are increasingly generated, accessed, and manipulated electronically, many labs are shifting to storing data in electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs). ELNs provide clear advantages in readability, shareability, searchability, accessibility, and data security over their paper counterparts. Our interdisciplinary program…

The time-resolved detection of very low intensity light emission has become an essential capability in many areas of science including molecular biology, fluorimetry, DNA sequencing, virus detection, nanoparticle research, and optical materials development. Among the most basic techniques for the detection of rapidly fluctuating low-intensity…

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was implemented as a laboratory experiment by the undergraduate students majoring in chemical education using graphene (GR)/TiO[subscript 2] as a catalyst. These chemistry preservice teachers synthesized a GR/TiO[subscript 2] composite and used it to degrade wastewater containing methylene blue under…

Knowledge related to photochemistry has been gradually introduced as a part of chemistry courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, due to their complex conceptual principles, limited class time, and tedious experimental setup and methodologies, students tend to encounter difficulties in understanding the concepts and…

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique useful in chemical, pharmaceutical, and forensic sciences. It is essential to identify chemicals for reasons spanning from scientific research and academic practices to quality control in companies. However, in some university degrees, graduate students do not get the proficiency…

This research aims to examine the effect of integrating arts in a laboratory practice, concerning basic artistic stage, chemistry and art, dermocosmetics, and laboratory practice level dermocosmetics production, on the learning performance of students. The application process consisted of two stages, namely an experimental stage and an artistic…

We provide a protocol for rapid DNA extraction from spiders suitable for undergraduate practical sessions. Students who were previously naïve to the theory and laboratory technique of DNA barcoding were successfully able to extract and recover 29 DNA sequences from 16 species of small spiders in the family Linyphiidae. We anticipate that with…

There is a disconnect between the cutting-edge research done in academic laboratories, such as nanotechnology, and what is taught in undergraduate laboratories. In the current undergraduate curriculum, very few students get a chance to do hands-on experiments in nanotechnology-related fields, most of which are through selective undergraduate…

Biology students need analytical and critical thinking skills to analyze data and apply their knowledge to real-life situations. To meet this growing need while helping students to discover the relevance of learning through applications, we created an academic learning community (LC) between Ecology and Biostatistics courses. Selected case-studies…

An increased public knowledge of the health benefits of unsaturated fats has resulted in a surge of different cooking oils. Intense advertising of various oil brands claiming to provide the best dietary recommendations often leaves buyers unclear of what their best choices are. Herein, we describe a research-based project for upper-level…

Inspired by the approach first employed by C.S. Holling in his classic "disc experiment," this article provides a sequence of learning activities that increase students' understanding of the mechanisms behind saturating effects in predator-prey scenarios. The proposed lesson is recommended for inclusion in courses that address…