In this study, we analyzed data of heart rate and pulse amplitude collected by undergraduate students in a physiology lab course during and after the diving reflex. On average, heart rate was reduced 21% at 15 seconds and 29% at 30 seconds during diving. Pulse amplitude generally decreased but with greater individual variation. There is no…

Compared to aerobic catabolism, the theories and experiments of anaerobic catabolism are not covered in depth in biochemistry education curricula. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a feasible method for converting common organic compounds to renewable energy-methane that has drawn a great deal of attention in practical applications. In this study, we…

Project-based (research-driven) laboratory courses stimulate student involvement, improve critical thinking and initiate cooperative learning. To this end, a 7-week laboratory project was designed for a sophomore cell biology course to reinforce the fundamental relationship between genotype and phenotype using yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH1).…

Laboratory courses should cultivate enthusiasm for research and an appreciation for real-world scientific challenges to retain undergraduate students and encourage them to pursue STEM-related careers. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) have emerged as an inclusive pedagogical model that facilitates laboratory skill development,…

This laboratory exercise demonstrates the use of an immunoassay for studying kinase enzyme activity in living cells. The advantage over the classical method, in which students have to isolate the enzyme from cell material and measure its activity in vitro, is that enzyme activity is modulated and measured in living cells, providing a more…

Here we present the development of a 13 week project-oriented biochemistry laboratory designed to introduce students to foundational biochemical techniques and then enable students to perform original research projects once they have mastered these techniques. In particular, we describe a semester-long laboratory that focuses on a biomedically…

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of changing a laboratory physiology course for undergraduate students from a traditional step-by-step guided structure to an inquiry-based approach. With this aim in mind, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of learning outcomes (individual subject-specific tests and group interviews)…

Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most common human respiratory pathogens and is responsible for the majority of upper respiratory illnesses. Recently, a phylogeny was constructed from all known American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) HRV sequences. From this study, three HRV classifications (HRVA, HRVB, and HRVC) were determined and techniques…

Much of our understanding of metabolic pathways has resulted from the use of chemical and isotopic labels. In this experiment, a heavy isotope of carbon, [superscript 13]C, is used to label the product of the well-known RuBisCO enzymatic reaction. This is a key reaction in photosynthesis that converts inorganic carbon to organic carbon; a process…

Microbial fuel cells are a current research area that harvests electricity from bacteria capable of anaerobic respiration. Graphite is an electrically conductive material that bacteria can respire on, thus it can be used to capture electrons from bacteria. When bacteria transfer electrons to graphite, an electrical potential is created that can…

Dilated canine hearts were used to teach undergraduate students internal and external cardiac anatomy. The specimens were dilated using hydrostatic pressure and then fixed using 5% formalin. These specimens provided the students with an alternative to prepackaged embalmed hearts and anatomical models for studying the external and internal cardiac…

We describe an undergraduate laboratory experiment that combines the advantages of problem-based learning with the need for biochemistry students to become proficient in practical laboratory skills. It also avoids the need to obtain ethical approval for recruiting volunteers and eliminates any possible biosafety issues with the handling and…

Metabolism, the sum of all chemical reactions within a living organism, is one of the most fundamental concepts presented in introductory microbiology courses. However, it is often difficult for instructors to effectively translate perfunctory diagrams of glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain in a way that is meaningful to…