We discuss the successful creation and implementation of a biotechnology track within the chemical engineering unit operations course. The track focuses on engineering principles relevant to brewing. Following laboratory modules investigating heat transfer processes and yeast fermentation kinetics, student groups design and implement a project to…

Iron metabolism is an important subject of study for undergraduate students of chemistry and biochemistry. Relevant laboratory exercises are scarce in the literature but would be very helpful in assisting students grasp key concepts. The experiment described here deals with different iron release mechanisms of two protagonists in iron metabolism:…

The Hofmeister series is a recurring trend that ranks ions' abilities to influence various aqueous processes in solution. Herein, a set of project-based experiments was developed for students in an upper-level physical chemistry laboratory to investigate the specific ion effects on the thermodynamics of caffeine partitioning between aqueous and…

The purposes of this study were to determine pre-service physics teachers' TPCK related to Calculator-Based Laboratory and to examine influences of some contextual factors on their TPCK. This research was based on the transformative model of TPCK that conceptualizes TPCK as a unique body of knowledge. Multiple case study design was used. Both…

"Beer Brewing: Chemical and Biochemical Principles" is a 15 week laboratory and lecture course specifically designed for nonscience majors as an introduction to science literacy via structured laboratory experiments that encourage student engagement. It provides students with a foundation in chemical and biochemical principles using a…

A discovery-based undergraduate organic chemistry lab experiment has been developed in which students establish the diastereoselectivity of hydride reduction of the a-chiral ketone (±)-benzoin isopropyl ether to erythro and threo diastereomeric alcohols by two different reducing agents. Students achieve this goal by working collaboratively and…

We report a series of experiments based upon cinnamon oil that were developed to provide a practical integration of green and sustainable chemistry concepts for the organic chemistry laboratory. Five experiments centering around cinnamaldehyde as a green, plant-based chemical were performed by undergraduate students in a second-year organic…

The ability to visualize chemical processes can be an asset in a teaching laboratory. Despite the advances in laboratory technology, apparatuses used in the teaching of simple thermodynamics concepts, such as exothermic/endothermic reactions, historically remain unchanged and can benefit from a fresh perspective. The recent incorporation of…

The ability to separate, identify, and quantify proteins from complex mixtures are key foundational methods across biochemistry teaching and research. In particular, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is an important technique that is used to measure antigen concentrations in both industry and academia. There are four categories of ELISA,…

The Fourier transformation (FT) is a mathematical process frequently encountered by chemistry students. However, it remains an automated background process perceived by many students as difficult to understand. In this paper we present a simple open-source web application, which can help students to understand the basics of the FT applied to…

We report the findings of an empirical study that investigated whether the source of data--firsthand or secondhand data gained from lab work experiments--has an influence on students' learning outcomes. Results indicate that students' choice of a correct or incorrect hypothesis for a pendulum lab experiment on the influence of the mass of the bob…

The so-called Diet Coke and Mentos experiment is initiated by dropping Mentos candies into a bottle of Diet Coke or other carbonated beverage. This causes the beverage to rapidly degas, causing foam to stream out of the bottle. Simple application of the gas laws leads to the straightforward prediction that ejection of greater foam volume is…

The abstract nature of electric potential difference (voltage) can make it a difficult concept to grasp, but understanding the relative nature of voltage is central to developing a conceptual understanding of electric circuits. In laboratory situations, I see these conceptual difficulties manifest when students have difficulty placing voltmeter…

Considering the large number of magnetic stirring hot plates that are damaged or unused in chemical laboratories, this Technology Report presents guidelines for students to be able to diagnose problems, and repair and maintain magnetic stirring hot plates using common and low-cost parts, or even repurposed materials. In addition, this paper…

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is the most classical technique favored worldwide for resolution of macromolecules in many biochemistry laboratories due to its incessant advanced developments and wide modifications. These ever-growing advancements in the basic laboratory equipments lead to emergence of many expensive, complex, and tricky…