Microbiology Course Research Articles

Evaluating COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Among the Students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-sectional Survey

Background: With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in December 2019, healthcare systems faced an unprecedented challenge. Medical and paramedical students are the front-line warriors in this combat. Objectives: This study aimed to assess COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practice among the students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2020. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 329 students who passed the microbiology course from October 2020 to March 2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic data, COVID-19-related knowledge, attitudes towards COVID-19, and participants’ practice. Finally, statistical analysis was performed in SPSS software version 19, and a significance level of 0.05 was considered in all tests. Results: A total of 329 medical, dentistry, pharmacy, and laboratory sciences students participated in this study. The mean score of COVID-19 knowledge was 10.26 ± 1.21 (out of 12). Among the participants, 103 (31.3%) individuals expressed being in crowded places in recent days, and 324 (98.5%) of them confirmed wearing masks. More than half of the students had positive attitudes towards COVID-19 control. The average knowledge was higher in females and medical and laboratory sciences students (P = 0.008). Also, the students' knowledge was inversely related to their practice of wearing a mask (P = 0.015). Conclusions: While students had a high level of COVID-19 knowledge, they had some misconceptions that should be included in educational programs. Students of medical sciences should be responsible for preventive behaviors and strive to be good role models for others.

Announcement of the 2022 winners of the Spychala and Women in Science Awards

Announcement of the 2022 winners of the Spychala and Women in Science Awards

A Retrospective Cohort Study of Acute Epiglottitis in Adults.

IntroductionAdult epiglottitis is a disease process distinct from pediatric epiglottitis in microbiology, presentation, and clinical course. While traditionally considered more indolent and benign than in children, adult epiglottitis remains a cause of acute airway compromise with a mortality rate from 1–20%. Our objective was to characterize the disease course and evaluate the rate and type of airway management in this population at a tertiary, academic referral center.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult patients (age ≥ 18) who were definitively diagnosed with infectious “epiglottitis,” “supraglottitis,” or “epiglottic abscess” by direct or indirect laryngoscopy during a nine-year period. Double data abstraction and a standardized data collection form were used to assess patient demographic characteristics, presenting features, and clinical course. The primary outcome was airway intervention by intubation, cricothyroidotomy, or tracheostomy, and the secondary outcome was mortality related to the disease.ResultsSeventy patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 50.2 years (standard deviation ± 16.7), 60% of the patients were male, and 14.3% were diabetic. Fifty percent had symptoms that were present for ≥ 48 hours; 38.6% had voice changes, 13.1% had stridor, 12.9% had fever, 45.7% had odynophagia, and 47.1% had dysphagia noted in the ED. Twelve patients (17.1%) received an acute airway intervention including three who underwent emergent cricothyroidotomy, and one who had a tracheostomy. Two patients died and one suffered anoxic brain injury related to complications following difficult airway management.ConclusionIn this case series the majority of patients (82.9%) did not require airway intervention, but a third of those requiring intervention (5.7% of total) had a surgical airway performed with two deaths and one anoxic brain injury. Clinicians must remain vigilant to identify signs of impending airway compromise in acute adult epiglottitis and be familiar with difficult and failed airway algorithms to prevent morbidity and mortality in these patients.

General microbiology teaching adaptation in the covid-19 period: Pre-service teacher perspectives and experiences

As a result of the COVID-19 global pandemic, teaching activity for pre-service teachers enrolled in the second year of a teacher education program from mid-March of 2020/2021 at the Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa were changed in a remote learning setting. This study's objective was to investigate pre-service students' perceptions and personal experience toward the transition of General microbiology lecture to online learning during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The results described the efforts and adaptation to an online teaching model of the General Microbiology course using both online synchronous and asynchronous learning. The perspectives of the Pre-Service Teacher about this strategy were analyzed and showed positive responses. Despite some challenges, they could adapt to the new learning methods. In addition, the study also provided an analysis of faculty readiness and experiences through a process that can use as a foundation to tackle the pandemic situation in the future.

Using a Mock Trial to Teach Science and the Law

Over the course of 3 years, the Political Science and Biology Programs at a regional HBCU have built a curricular learning community centered on a mock trial competition, where a microbiology course was paired with an introductory legal studies course. Over the course of a semester, students enrolled in both courses studied a real appellate case that dealt with some aspect of forensic science (DNA evidence for example). The legal studies students were to act as prosecution and defense and the microbiology students played the role of expert witnesses and consultants. To be successful, students had to build an interdisciplinary team, outline their side’s case, and learn scientific and legal principles. This paper evaluates the impact of this experience on student learning using a mixed-methods approach. Students completed a self-reported knowledge survey and participated in a focus group debriefing session. Students report important gains in understanding the legal system and aspects of forensic science.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Medical Science Students Regarding Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Emerging infectious diseases are contagious illnesses made of a newfound lineage of a microorganism.
 Objectives: This survey aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of health science students regarding emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
 Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 462 randomly selected students from several constituent colleges of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, including nursing, medicine, dentistry, and paramedical colleges (from October to March 2019) who had just passed their microbiology courses. A simple random sampling method was used to avoid bias that could influence the validity of the results. Moreover, participation was entirely voluntary. For data collection, a structured knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire was used, whose validity was checked by experts. In the end, the collected data were analyzed by SPSS V.19 using the independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).
 Results: Totally, 462 medical science students (mean age = 20.27 ± 3.69 years) participated in this survey. According to the collected data, the mean scores for KAP were at a medium level, which was not ideal, and showed that there were several weaknesses in the curriculum. The mean knowledge scores for medicine, dentistry, laboratory science, and nursing students were 42.53 ± 15.78, 46.24 ± 20.99, 39.63 ± 15.35, and 40 ± 19.43, respectively. The mean attitude scores were 60.25 ± 6.13, 59.68 ± 5.86, 58.60 ± 5.06, and 57.77 ± 6.59, and the practice mean scores were 58.99 ± 25.11, 67.80 ± 25.72, 62.46 ± 24.48, and 62.29 ± 21.08, respectively.
 Conclusions: According to the collected data, paying more attention to the microbiology courses is recommended in all medical and paramedical disciplines. Moreover, it is necessary to provide further education for the students to prepare them to take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of infection.

Morfocitologia das bactérias

A suggestion for the instruction of bacterial morphocitology in microbiology courses. Study and description of bacteria morphocitology in a self-instructional program. Auxiliary and study materials for students of dentristry.

Heterogeneity of non-cystic-fibrosis bronchiectasis in multiethnic Singapore: A prospective cohort study at a tertiary pulmonology centre

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is a highly heterogenous disease. We describe the clinical characteristics of NCFB patients and evaluate the performance of Bronchiectasis Severity Index (BSI) in predicting mortality. Patients attending the bronchiectasis clinic between August 2015 and April 2020 with radiologically proven bronchiectasis on computed tomography were recruited. Clinical characteristics, spirometry, radiology, microbiology and clinical course over a median period of 2.4 years is presented. A total of 168 patients were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. They were predominantly women (67.8%), Chinese (87.5%) and never-smokers (76.9%). Median age of diagnosis was 64 years (interquartile range 56-71) and the most common aetiology was "idiopathic" bronchiectasis (44.6%). Thirty-nine percent had normal spirometries. Compared to female patients, there were more smokers among the male patients (53.8% versus 8.5%, P<0.001) and a significantly larger proportion with post-tuberculous bronchiectasis (37.0% vs 15.8%, P=0.002). Fifty-five percent of our cohort had a history of haemoptysis. Lower body mass index, presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ever-smoker status, modified Reiff score, radiological severity and history of exacerbations were risk factors for mortality. Survival was significantly shorter in patients with severe bronchiectasis (BSI>9) compared to those with mild or moderate disease (BSI<9). The hazard ratio for severe disease (BSI>9) compared to mild disease (BSI 0-4) was 14.8 (confidence interval 1.929-114.235, P=0.01). The NCFB cohort in Singapore has unique characteristics with sex differences. Over half the patients had a history of haemoptysis. The BSI score is a useful predictor of mortality in our population.

Bioentrepreneurship Ability Profile of Students in Microbiology Learning

Graduates from undergraduate education contributed 6.31% to the unemployment rate. The Higher Education is expected to develop curriculum and learning not only scientifically oriented, but also facilitate life skills for its graduates. This study aims to analyze the profile of students about microbiology learning based on bioentrepreneurship. The research method is descriptive exploratory. The research subjects were 60 students who had taken microbiology courses in the Biology Education Study Program at FPMIPATI, Universitas PGRI Semarang, which consisted of semesters 7, 9, and 11. The instrument was a closed questionnaire with a choice of answers using the Guttman scale. A questionnaire on student perceptions of microbiology learning based on bioentrepreneurship was developed referring to perceptual indicators, namely knowledge and interest in entrepreneurship, knowledge of microbiology, relevance of microbiology concepts, bioentrepreneurship. Indicators developed in 25 questions and validated by experts and valid. The results showed that overall, the average score was 2.17. From each element, the highest average score is the Innovation element (3,4) and the lowest score from organizational creation and growth (1). Based on the data, the bioentrpreneurship profile is still low. Therefore, it is necessary to recommend the development of a learning program oriented towards bioentreprenurship in microbiology lectures.

Analysis of university student responses to the pandemic in a formal microbiology assessment.

ABSTRACTDuring the coronavirus pandemic, second-year students on the B.Sc. molecular biology and genetics degree at Istanbul Technical University sat an open-ended online exam for a microbiology course in which one of the compulsory questions asked how the course had helped them during the first phase of the pandemic (April–July 2020). Fifty of 69 students gave consent for their (anonymous) responses to be analysed in order to discern any key ways in which their knowledge had been applied. The aim of the study was to investigate whether taking an advanced microbiology course increases understanding of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and has a positive impact on student behaviours with respect to public health practices. Findings were divided into four major themes: course content (information), application of course content to behavioural change (practice), professionalism and their ‘audience’ whilst at home in lockdown (family and friends). Social distancing, wearing face masks, and hand and surface hygiene were described as important behaviours, with this practice informed by their basic microbiology knowledge. This paper describes a scenario where rote assessment can be used to assess wider scientific literacy with respect to application in society, providing students with an opportunity to incorporate and apply their learning into real-life situations, whilst tutors can assess constructivist learning, conceptual understanding and impact on student behaviour.

Rethinking Assessment: Replacing Traditional Exams with Paper Reviews

ABSTRACTThe abrupt shift to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic left faculty at a loss of how to administer exams, which are common methods of summative assessment in college courses. This study evaluates students’ perceptions of an alternative assessment method in which they complete Paper Review Forms on relevant primary literature in a majors microbiology course. Students indicated that they felt that Paper Reviews made microbiology content relevant to them, increased their engagement with the course content, and overall were a better way of assessment of their understanding of microbiology content than traditional exams. The format of Paper Reviews for assessment purposes makes them a good option for remote learning.

Using practice tests as a vaccine to desensitize test anxiety in vulnerable students during pandemic induced lock-down.

Abstract Field of education psychology seeks bridging gap between research and theory on teaching and classroom practice. Students’ struggle when content matter gets increasingly intense especially when subjects need plenty of rote memory. Covid-19 took a heavy toll on students who were already prone to test anxiety. The current research hypothesized that utilization of practice tests for first-year pharmacy microbiology and immunology course will enhance students learning, understanding and comprehension of complicated material. Since pandemic anxiety added to pre-existing anxiety among pharamacy students we used this measure to mitigate. A cohort of sixty students taking a 4-credit course of Microbiology/Immunology were recruited in this study. Students’ voluntarily declared their fears of superadded anxiety levels because of pandemic. A pool of exam ‘questions collected over the last five years were accurately screened and 300 questions were selected based on the criteria of lectures topics, difficulty level and meeting the specific objectives for every lecture that was presented to students and covered in the exams. Two groups were analyzed based upon their use of practice exams offered and their willingness to utilize them. The data based upon their performance was collected at the end of final examination to assess the benefit of study guide to students. Likert-type Ordinary Scale data analysis was used to determine if hypothesis was supported. The analysis of primary endpoint indicated that majority of students (69.87%) who used the practice exams performed better. In the feedback they reportedly strongly agreed that it helped them to make their study more focused and improved their pre-existing anxiety levels during pandemic.

Identification of Problems and Learning Media Needed by Biology Students in Learning Implementation in Microbiology Subjects

Abstract. This research is a step to improve the lecture system through identification of problems experienced by students and the learning media needed in the Microbiology course. The initial stage carried out was identifying the constraints and learning media needed by students in the Microbiology course. The research subjects were lecturers of Microbiology and Biology Department students at Padang State University (N = 25). Collecting data using the observation method by distributing questionnaires covering the difficulties experienced in the learning process and identifying the needs of learning media. Based on the data from the questionnaire, it was found that the learning process was still constrained by students' understanding of the concept of microbiology which was fairly abstract and needed better supporting media such as animated videos to be able to describe the learning material more clearly. Keyword: Identificaton, Problems, Media, Micobiology

Genomics of Environmental Salmonella: Engaging Students in the Microbiology and Bioinformatics of Foodborne Pathogens.

We have developed and implemented an undergraduate microbiology course in which students isolate, characterize, and perform whole genome assembly and analysis of Salmonella enterica from stream sediments and poultry litter. In the development of the course and over three semesters, successive teams of undergraduate students collected field samples and performed enrichment and isolation techniques specific for the detection of S. enterica. Eighty-eight strains were confirmed using standard microbiological methods and PCR of the invA gene. The isolates’ genomes were Illumina-sequenced by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA and the Virginia state Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services as part of the GenomeTrakr program. Students used GalaxyTrakr and other web- and non-web-based platforms and tools to perform quality control on raw and assembled sequence data, assemble, and annotate genomes, identify antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes, putative plasmids, and other mobile genetic elements. Strains with putative plasmid-borne antimicrobial resistance genes were further sequenced by students in our research lab using the Oxford Nanopore MinIONTM platform. Strains of Salmonella that were isolated include human infectious serotypes such as Typhimurium and Infantis. Over 31 of the isolates possessed antibiotic resistance genes, some of which were located on large, multidrug resistance plasmids. Plasmid pHJ-38, identified in a Typhimurium isolate, is an apparently self-transmissible 183 kb IncA/C2 plasmid that possesses multiple antimicrobial resistance and heavy-metal resistance genes. Plasmid pFHS-02, identified in an Infantis isolate, is an apparently self-transmissible 303 kb IncF1B plasmid that also possesses numerous heavy-metal and antimicrobial resistance genes. Using direct and indirect measures to assess student outcomes, results indicate that course participation contributed to cognitive gains in relevant content knowledge and research skills such as field sampling, molecular techniques, and computational analysis. Furthermore, participants self-reported a deeper interest in scientific research and careers as well as psychosocial outcomes (e.g., sense of belonging and self-efficacy) commonly associated with student success and persistence in STEM. Overall, this course provided a powerful combination of field, wet lab, and computational biology experiences for students, while also providing data potentially useful in pathogen surveillance, epidemiological tracking, and for the further study of environmental reservoirs of S. enterica.

Impact of COVID-19 Curricular Shifts on Learning Gains on the Microbiology for Health Sciences Concept Inventory.

As a validated assessment, the Microbiology for Health Sciences Concept Inventory (MHSCI) is a valuable tool to evaluate student progress in health sciences microbiology courses. In this brief analysis, we survey MHSCI faculty users and report student MHSCI scores to determine the impact on student learning gains of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine in spring 2020. Although a majority of students reported moving to a fully online lecture and lab microbiology course in the spring 2020 semester, there was no statistically significant impact on student outcomes reported by the MHSCI, and by some measures, student learning gains increased in the semester students moved to online learning. Further research is necessary to determine the continuing impact of online lecture/lab courses on student outcomes on the MHSCI. Our analysis of data from spring 2020 shows that the MHSCI is still a statistically reliable measure of student misconceptions and overall difficulty scores for each item on the MHSCI was unchanged due to the pandemic.

Remote Online Project: Traveling in a Virtual World, Researching Microbes.

The undergraduate general microbiology course-based research projects were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Therefore, we developed a remote online research project that combines aspects of microbiology lectures and laboratory techniques. The project allows students to virtually travel to environmental sites to research different microorganisms. This virtual project successfully replaced the in-person laboratory experience for the duration of the semester. We revised the project with assistance from undergraduate students enrolled in the spring course. Our revised virtual project helps students develop their scientific writing and presentation skills while applying microbiology course and laboratory knowledge. The project is designed to create a more equal and equitable assessment process by including detailed guidelines and rubrics. Projects are easy to implement and can be completed within 5 to 6 weeks. The project will promote students’ understanding of the process of scientific research and enrich academic development.

Maintaining Student Engagement during an Abrupt Instructional Transition: Lessons Learned from COVID-19.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities announced an abrupt transition to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. In this report, we discuss the instructional changes that were implemented in an undergraduate microbiology course at a small liberal arts college as a result of this transition. The effectiveness of these curricular changes was assessed using a standard course feedback instrument to understand student attitudes and perceptions. Our results indicate that the switch to a thematic focus enhanced the course and specific instructional changes, including the use of preclass introductory videos and electronic forums, were useful and informative. Based on these findings, we propose that relatively minor changes to instructional strategies may enhance remote learning. Moreover, these same changes could be used to improve in-person classes.

Relationship between Scientific Attitude and Student Learning Outcomes In the Microbiology Course

One of the educational problems faced by Indonesia is the low critical thinking skills of students. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between scientific attitudes and student learning outcomes (critical thinking) in the Microbiology course. The method used in this research is correlation. The sample in this study were 28 students. Analysis of the data used in this study using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov data normality test and the Pearson product moment correlation test. The results of this study indicate a relationship between scientific attitudes and learning outcomes which can be seen from the sig value. equal to 0, 343. Meanwhile, the relationship between scientific attitudes and learning outcomes is 46.3%.

Introducing Weekly Themes to Engage Students in a Microbiology Class.

ABSTRACT Providing variety in course assignments and activities is one way to engage students and promote learning for students from diverse backgrounds and with different learning preferences. I add variety and energy to my upper-division microbiology lecture course through the use of “theme weeks.” Assignments and class activities are designed to correlate with the theme of the week. Themes are chosen that align well with the course content and address institutional or program student learning outcomes. Examples of themes I use in my microbiology course include Art, Relevance to Life, and Analogies. Several theme ideas and examples of assignments and activities are provided in this article. Many of these themes are not discipline-specific and can be integrated into a variety of science courses. Since using theme weeks in my microbiology class, I have observed an increase in student participation and interest in the course.

THE USE OF GROUP TESTS TO PROMOTE COLLABORATION AND LEARNING: DO THEY WORK?

The research was carried out to determine whether the use of group tests for undergraduate science students to augment lecture material in a second-year core course in microbiology would improve the retention of material on a subsequent regular mid-term/final exam. On three separate occasions, the students were asked to complete short multiple-choice tests individually and then were asked to get together in groups of 4 to re-answer the same questions. The discussions they had in the groups improved their individual marks by 10.9% in the first test, 14.5% in the second test and 20.9% in the third test. Overall, the class average was 2.5% better than the previous year. The majority of the students indicated that the group tests improved their understanding and helped them to learn the lecture material.