Both lecture and laboratory courses of biochemistry are important professional courses for undergraduates with biology related majors. Course optimization and update is crucial but challenging, especially for the laboratory course. Although taught separately, here we showed a strategy to bridge the two courses and promote the improvement of both.…

Metabolism is always a challenging topic in biochemistry. In our project, a courseware called "Metabolism Metro" was developed. "Metabolism Metro" is a self-learning tool which aims to facilitate students learning of metabolic pathways in an interactive and easy-to-understand manner. The courseware includes both pre-class and…

In response to the shifting modalities of laboratory-based education, particularly amidst the rise of virtual and at-home instruction, we introduce a novel hybrid laboratory module for undergraduate biochemistry and biology courses. Central to this innovative approach is the use of sourdough as a versatile and accessible model organism, enabling a…

This study aimed to look into the effectiveness of a 6-month health coaching intervention on kidney function in treating patients with type 2 diabetes and early-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). It was conducted via a two-armed, randomized-controlled trial involving 92 diabetic patients who were regularly followed under the shared care system at…

For STEM faculty to approach teaching as a scientist, they must develop tools for data collection and analysis of student learning outcomes. Here, we report a methodology for the development of a learning outcomes assessment instrument and statistical analysis of that instrument that can be undertaken in a short amount of time by a few faculty…

Glycosylation is a biologically significant post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins that involves the covalent attachment of a sugar molecule (a glycan) to a peptide sequence, resulting in the formation of glycoproteins. Glycomics and glycoproteomics involve the complete mapping of glycans of a cell, tissue, or organism.…

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the activities of heart rate variability (HRV) and cortisol secretion as markers of the autonomous nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) during the menstrual cycle in female athletes. Method: Saliva samples of the participants (n = 28) were collected successively at 0, 15, 30,…

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…

Objective: This study examined the liking of fruits and vegetables among college students and the relationship between skin carotenoid levels and liking of fruits and vegetables. Participants: Sixty-six undergraduate students enrolled at a university in the southeastern United States participated in this study beginning August 2019. Methods: Skin…

The central focus of my dissertation concerns the issue of representation. The issue of representation is important for science education research for two reasons: (1) the use of external representation in science teaching and learning, particularly in chemistry education, is ubiquitous as microscopic entities are not directly visible, and (2) the…

The central focus of my dissertation concerns the issue of representation. The issue of representation is important for science education research for two reasons: (1) the use of external representation in science teaching and learning, particularly in chemistry education, is ubiquitous as microscopic entities are not directly visible, and (2) the…

An experiment for the upper-level biochemistry laboratory is described in which students isolate a wild yeast from environmental sources and characterize the strain for its potential in the brewing industry. In addition to providing valuable experience in important biochemical techniques, this study also illustrates key principles of…

Background: Personal Health literacy (PHL) is essential in cardiovascular risk management. Hindrances in PHL can lead to poor cardiovascular outcomes. Purpose: To investigate whether limited PHL is associated with lower likelihoods of i) overall cardiovascular health and ii) individual cardiovascular health components as defined by the American…

An approach for incorporating preliminary drug discovery research into a biochemistry laboratory is described. During a total of 42 hr (one 3-hr laboratory section a week for 14 weeks), students were exposed to bioinformatics; molecular cloning; protein expression, purification, and characterization; and enzymatic kinetic assays. This…

The literature on scientific modelling practices in science education has provided a fruitful discussion on how learners tend to view models vs. how and what they should think about them. One approach is to teach students that models are abstractions so that they do not view them as a copy of phenomena they represent. Although teaching students…