Bioluminescence transformation experiments show students the excitement and power of recombinant DNA technology. This laboratory experiment utilizes two plasmids of "Vibrio fischeri" in a transformation experiment. (LZ)

Discusses the effects of expectancy on learning in a life science instructional laboratory exercise. Contends that prior knowledge directs the act of observing. Investigates the role of prior conceptions on secondary school students' ability to observe scientific phenomena. (Contains 30 references.) (YDS)

Describes an experiment in which the incubation time to observe denitrification and other processes of the nitrogen cycle is reduced from 7-14 days to 24-48 hours. Presents calculations of processes in the nitrogen cycle in the form of a dichotomous key. (SAH)

Describes an alternative to teaching ecology by using bacteria to test competitor survival. Students observe a time-dependent selective killing of other unrelated bacteria by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (SAH)

Presents a microbiology experiment on how to make soft pretzels with different flours and analyze the results using regression models. (Contains 12 references.) (ASK)

Introduces a chemical model illustrating the aspects of the second law of thermodynamics which explains concepts such as reversibility, path dependence, and extrapolation in terms of electrochemistry and calorimetry. Presents a thought experiment using an ideal galvanic electrochemical cell. (YDS)

Describes a simple laboratory activity illustrating the chemiosmotic principles of active transport in yeast cells. Demonstrates the energy coupling mechanism of active a-glucoside uptake by Saccaromyces cerevisiae cells with a colorimetric transport assay using very simple equipment. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/YDS)

Describes an experiment on the use of problem-based learning. (Author/YDS)

Explains a physics experiment on the dynamics of impact cratering. Measures the spreading velocity of the impact wave and the acoustic signal. (YDS)

Describes a laboratory experiment on surface tension. (Contains 14 references.) (YDS)

In recent years, interest has been growing in policy applications of different auction systems. This paper reports a series of experiments that were used to design and implement an auction in a unique policymaking environment. In April 2000, the Georgia legislature passed a law that mandated that the state hold an auction in drought years to pay…

This article describes a practical experiment for teaching basic spectroscopic techniques to introduce the topic of protein conformational change to students in the field of molecular biology, biochemistry, or structural biology. The spectroscopic methods employed in the experiment are absorbance, for protein concentration measurements, and…

Good quality scientific teaching depends on the ability of researchers to translate laboratory experiments into high school and undergraduate classes, bridging the advanced and basic science with common knowledge. A fast-growing field in biomedical sciences is oxidative stress, which has been associated to several diseases, including cancer and…

Human salivary [alpha]-amylase is used in this experimental approach to introduce biology high school students to the concept of enzyme activity in a dynamic way. Through a series of five easy, rapid, and inexpensive laboratory experiments students learn what the activity of an enzyme consists of: first in a qualitative then in a semi-quantitative…

A group of techniques aimed at synthesizing a large number of structurally diverse compounds is called combinatorial synthesis. Synthesis of chemiluminescence esters using parallel combinatorial synthesis and mix-and-split combinatorial synthesis is experimented.