Undergraduate Laboratory Classes Research Articles

2011 Pellas‐Ryder Award for Andrew W. Beck

We are pleased to announce that this year the Pellas-Ryder Award for Best Student Paper is given to Andrew William Beck for his paper “Diogenites as polymict breccias composed of orthopyroxenite and harzburgite” (Beck A. W. and McSween H. Y., Jr. 2010. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 45:850–872). The Pellas-Ryder Award is jointly sponsored by the Meteoritical Society and the Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America, and recognizes the best planetary science paper of the year written by an undergraduate or graduate student. Andrew grew up in Granville, Ohio, and graduated cum laude from Albion College in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and a minor in geology. He then spent two additional years at Albion, working as a geological sciences technician and teaching assistant. During this time he collaborated with faculty and students on research projects ranging from fluvial geomorphology to vertebrate paleontology, and assisted in teaching undergraduate laboratory classes. During the summer of 2008 he was an assistant instructor at Albion’s geology field camp, where he helped students with mapping projects in a variety of geologic terranes throughout South Dakota and Wyoming, and instructed them in geologic field methods and advanced electronic mapping techniques (ArcGIS). In 2006 Andrew started graduate work at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, under the supervision of Professor Hap McSween; he will obtain his Ph.D. in the summer of 2011. His doctoral research has focused on understanding geologic processes acting in the early solar system through investigation of achondritic meteorites from differentiated parent bodies. Diogenites are ultramafic members of the HED (howardite-eucrite-diogenite) suite of meteorites generally thought to come from the asteroid 4 Vesta. Examination of the petrology and geochemistry of these rocks, and comparison with analogous terrestrial ultramafic terranes, can provide constraints on the processes taking place within the interior of their parent body. Most diogenites consist predominantly of orthopyroxene with minor amounts of other minerals and are traditionally thought to have crystallized from magmas in the lower crust of the parent asteroid. A few olivine-rich diogenites also exist and were originally interpreted as having a distinct origin as depleted peridotite residues from the mantle remaining after melt extraction. However, observations that some sections of olivine diogenites did not contain more olivine than normal diogenites, and that orthopyroxene compositions were similar in both types of diogenites, suggested the possibility of a closer petrogenetic relationship between the two types of meteorites than previously assumed. In the work for which Andrew Beck is receiving the Pellas-Ryder Award, he carries out a systematic study of the occurrence of olivine in both normal and olivine diogenites and investigates the relationship of olivine-rich diogenites to the rest of the HED meteorites. Andrew’s study shows that olivine in diogenites is exclusively associated with magnesian orthopyroxene, with which it is in chemical equilibrium. A second category of diogenite contains ferroan orthopyroxene and minor plagioclase, but no olivine. Trace element variations indicate that both types of diogenite probably formed by fractional crystallization in multiple plutons with varying source compositions emplaced within the crust of the parent body. This implies that the asteroid 4 Vesta may not have a uniform lower crustal layer, as previously assumed. Based on these observations, Beck and McSween (2010) also propose reclassification of all ultramafic meteorites from the HED parent body as diogenites, with prefixes of “dunitic” (≥90% olivine), “harzburgitic” (olivine + orthopyroxene), and “orthopyroxenitic” (≥90% orthopyroxene) to distinguish the three different lithologies present. Andrew has won several awards and recognitions in his graduate career to date, including a Mayo Educational Foundation grant for studies in mineralogy, two Professional Promise awards, an Outstanding Graduate Student award and an Outstanding Student Presentation award from the Earth and Planetary Sciences department at the University of Tennessee. His work on the ultramafic HED meteorites and recognition that there are two distinct kinds of diogenite, an observation overlooked in past studies of these meteorites, represent a major discovery, providing constraints on the composition of the lower crust of the HED parent body, and with important implications for analysis of the spectroscopic data obtained from the Dawn spacecraft mission to 4 Vesta. In closing, the members of the Pellas-Ryder Award Committee would like to join the officers and members of the Meteoritical Society and the Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America in congratulating Andrew Beck. His work stood out in a field of strong papers and his exemplary research attests to the high standards attained by students in planetary science.

Borrowing a little from research to enhance undergraduate teaching

Faculty members in typical teaching and research universities constantly feel pulled in three different directions –teaching, research and service. These constant demands and tug-of-war often leads us to unfortunately “cut corners” and not take our teaching as seriously and instead make us focus on our research activities. However, with a little bit of work and creativity, it is possible that we can “borrow a little from our various research activities to enhance our undergraduate teaching”. This poster will present three examples where the author has taken basic elements of three different biochemistry research projects and incorporated them into his undergraduate biochemistry laboratory classes. This not only gives students the opportunity to see latest topics in the faculty members’ research but to also see how chemistry (or biochemistry) actually addresses real-world issues and concerns. The three topics deal with 1) using GFP to study protein denaturation, 2) using Alkaline Phosphatase assays to study basic enzyme kinetics, and 3) use of Advanced Oxidation Processes to degrade organic pollutants. Experimental set-ups of each of these three undergraduate experiments will be presented in detail.

Two Undergraduate Experiments in Organic Polymers: The Preparation of Polyacetylene and Telechelic Polyacetylene via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization

The ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (COT) to produce polyacetylene and a telechelic polymer of polyacetylene is described in a series of two experiments for the undergraduate laboratory. In the first experiment, students plate-polymerize COT and dope the resulting polyacetylene with iodine to perform resistivity studies. In the second experiment, students mix COT with TBS-protected cis-2-butene diol as a chain transfer agent to produce a telechelic polyene, which is then studied via 1H NMR, IR, and UV–vis spectroscopy. Experimental details and the results of a test study of these experiments in an undergraduate laboratory class are discussed.

Current Trends in Laboratory Class Teaching in University Bioscience Programmes

AbstractStudents and academics agree that there is a need to make learning and teaching in the bioscience laboratory more challenging and engaging. During recent years there have been many published accounts of novel laboratory exercises designed to enthuse and stimulate students through active learning. The purpose of this review is to raise awareness of these innovative methods that exploit computer-based approaches, encourage enquiry-based learning and may even involve students in cutting edge research during scheduled undergraduate laboratory classes.

Application of ZigBee sensor network to data acquisition and monitoring

A ZigBee sensor network for data acquisition and monitoring is presented in this paper. It is configured using a commercially available ZigBee solution. A ZigBee module is connected via a USB interface to a Microsoft Windows PC, which works as a base station in the sensor network. Data collected by remote devices are sent to the base station PC, which is set as a data sink. Each remote device is built of a commercially available ZigBee module product and a sensor. The sensor is a thermocouple connected to a cold junction compensator amplifier. The signal from the amplifier is input to an AD converter port on the ZigBee module. Temperature data are transmitted according to the ZigBee protocol from the remote device to the data sink PC. The data sampling rate is one sampling per second; the highest possible rate is four samplings per second. The data are recorded in the hexadecimal number format by device control software, and the data file is stored in text format on the data sink PC. Time-dependent data changes can be monitored using the macro function of spreadsheet software. The system is considered a useful tool in the field of education, based on the results of trial use for measurement in an undergraduate laboratory class at a university.

Glycobiology, how to sugar‐coat an undergraduate advanced biochemistry laboratory

A second semester biochemistry laboratory has been implemented as an independent projects course at California State University, Sacramento since 1999. To incorporate aspects of carbohydrate biochemistry, or glycobiology, into our curriculum, projects in lectin isolation and purification were undertaken over the course of two semesters. Through this modification in course content, this class now offers a diverse, hands-on treatment of not only standard protein purification techniques but also carbohydrate techniques, specifically the study of carbohydrate-protein interactions through hemagglutination assays, a novel commercial assay known as the Instant™Chek assay, and the generation and use of appropriate affinity chromatography matrices. Throughout the semester, the students are in charge of all aspects of their projects, from planning to execution and completion. Specific examples of student projects are highlighted such that the breadth of protein-carbohydrate chemistry pursued in a 15-week semester can be appreciated. The feedback of the course was very favorable, indicating that the students came away with skills necessary for them to be successful in their future careers. Most importantly, however, aspects of glycobiology have now been incorporated effectively into a mainstream undergraduate biochemistry laboratory class.

Use of 1H NMR in Assigning Carbohydrate Configuration in the Organic Laboratory

This article describes a laboratory experiment suitable for an advanced undergraduate organic laboratory class that combines synthetic organic chemistry and 1H NMR in the determination of the identity of a simple carbohydrate. The focus of the laboratory course is the application of modern organic techniques and training in the use of high-resolution NMR in the undergraduate organic laboratory. The experiment described herein combines the cumulative knowledge of both lab technique and NMR sample preparation with data processing. Students are asked to acetylate an unknown methyl glycoside, to purify the product of the reaction by column chromatography, and to prepare and submit a sample for 1H NMR spectroscopy. Each student is required to process the raw FID data to determine the identity of their unknown sugar. The experiment demonstrates the use of the coupling constant in the determination of an unknown structure.

Células solares de TiO2 sensibilizado por corante

As células solares de Grätzel consistem de células fotovoltaicas de TiO2 nanocristalinas sensibilizadas por corante. Elas apresentam uma superfície nanoporosa de TiO2, um semicondutor de bandgap largo. A luz excita elétrons do corante que são então injetados na banda de condução do TiO2. Esse processo eletroquímico é regenerativo, com perda de parte da energia produzida através de recombinação de cargas. Compreender o processo de recombinação é um passo importante para o desenvolvimento de células mais eficientes. Uma experiência é sugerida para aulas de Laboratório de Física usando essas células solares, onde se mostra que o rendimento aumenta juntamente com o crescimento do valor da resistência interna de recombinação.

Graduate Teaching Assistants and Inquiry-Based Instruction: Implications for Graduate Teaching Assistant Training

This article examines the teaching environment and training program experienced by chemistry graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) at a large research–doctoral university through interviews and observations of the GTAs. Details of the chemistry training program and GTA evaluations of the training are discussed. The teaching styles of the introductory laboratory GTAs are discussed, particularly in light of inquiry-based instruction currently being introduced into undergraduate laboratory classes. The findings from this study suggest directions for chemistry GTA training programs. Specifically, training programs must meet the needs of chemistry GTAs, assisting them with instruction and assessment. In addition, chemistry GTAs need specific training to successfully implement reform-based instruction, such as scientific inquiry-based instruction, in their laboratory classes.

A Computer-Generated ‘Pseudo-Experiment’ in Fluid Mechanics

The paper presents experience in setting up and running a computer-based alternative to a traditional undergraduate laboratory class as part of an introductory course in fluid mechanics. The ‘pseudo-experiment’ is not a computer simulation but provides each individual student with a realistic set of experimental readings (including likely random errors) for a real set of apparatus on which they have earlier conducted a real ‘hands-on’ experiment, and which was available for them to inspect or operate in their own time. Students were expected to process the results supplied and then write the usual form of full report on the experiment, including of course a full discussion of the results obtained. The results the students obtained were very close to what would have been obtained by real measurement at the flow rate given, and the inclusion of a realistic level of random error ensured that these results varied slightly from student to student, thus inhibiting copying of work. The arrangement eased timetabling problems and provided a significant saving in academic resource while retaining many of the advantages of a real hands-on laboratory class, and enhanced the students' educational experience compared with earlier arrangements. An additional advantage of the system adopted was that each student's correct calculated output was exactly known so that marking could be undertaken by paid postgraduate assistants rather than academic staff.

A modern physics laboratory activity: Radio astronomical observations of recombination lines

The internet has made it possible to control the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Haystack Observatory in Westford, MA, from a distance. This capability allows undergraduate laboratory classes in physics and astronomy to acquire and analyze radio astronomical data that were previously unavailable. This paper describes an activity to observe recombination lines and compare them with theoretical predictions that would be appropriate for a modern physics class.

The pentose phosphate pathway in the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kloeckera apiculata, an exercise in comparative metabolism for food and wine science students

AbstractComparative cellular metabolism can be a difficult area of biochemistry to teach in the undergraduate laboratory class. Student practicals involving animal tissues generally require approval from animal ethic committees, and the relevance for students whose primary interest in biochemistry is in the area of food and wine sciences, is often questioned. In this report, we present an undergraduate practical exercise in which glucose catabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway is compared in two types of yeast with direct relevance to the wine and food industries, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kloeckera apiculata. The exercise is carried out as a demonstration to second year undergraduate students, studying metabolic biochemistry. It is of some value in that it illustrates comparative cellular metabolism in wine yeasts and introduces the students to the safe use of radioisotopes. © 2001 IUBMB. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The pentose phosphate pathway in the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kloeckera apiculata, an exercise in comparative metabolism for food and wine science students

Comparative cellular metabolism can be a difficult area of biochemistry to teach in the undergraduate laboratory class. Student practicals involving animal tissues generally require approval from animal ethic committees, and the relevance for students whose primary interest in biochemistry is in the area of food and wine sciences, is often questioned. In this report, we present an undergraduate practical exercise in which glucose catabolism via the pentose phosphate pathway is compared in two types of yeast with direct relevance to the wine and food industries, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kloeckera apiculata. The exercise is carried out as a demonstration to second year undergraduate students, studying metabolic biochemistry. It is of some value in that it illustrates comparative cellular metabolism in wine yeasts and introduces the students to the safe use of radioisotopes.

Microwave Ovens—Out of the Kitchen

We are all aware of the advantages cooking or heating meals in a microwave oven can offer, but we may be less familiar with what this technology brings to the field of chemistry. This paper reviews the applications of microwaves in the chemical laboratory, including their use in undergraduate laboratory classes. We show that microwave ovens have successfully made the transition from kitchens to laboratories and the story continues. Perhaps the greatest impact of microwaves in the laboratory over the past 20 years has been in analytical chemistry, where rapid and efficient heating of samples in closed vessels or flow-through systems has revolutionized sample preparation methodology. The use of microwaves in extraction procedures before chromatographic analysis has sharply reduced the total analysis time and has allowed larger numbers of samples to be analyzed. More recently microwave technology has expanded into other branches of chemistry and is now being used in the relatively new field of combinatorial chemistry for fast preparation of large numbers of similar compounds.

The competitive inhibition of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol

An experiment for undergraduate biochemistry laboratory classes demonstrating the competitive inhibition of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase by 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol is described. The experiment uses a convenient, rapid spectrophotometric assay and can be accomplished in one laboratory period. Students can measure the Michaelis-Menten constant for ethanol and determine the inhibition constant for 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol.

Simulação do processo Solvay no laboratório didático

The Solvay Process is an important route for the industrial preparation of sodium carbonate from brine and CO2. However, experiments illustrating such process are performed only in a few chemistry courses, mainly because of the difficulties to precipitate out the intermediate product NaHCO3 within the 3 or 4 hours generally available for laboratory classes. In this article we describe a method that properly simulates the Solvay process using glass apparatus that can be found in any chemistry laboratory. The good yields and purity attainable, associated with the short time (~3 hours) required to get the sodium bicarbonate, account for the suitability of our method for chemistry or chemical engineering undergraduate students laboratory classes.

Urodele (e.g., axolotl) embryos in the undergraduate laboratory class: an essay describing a multifaceted learning experience.

Urodele (e.g., axolotl) embryos in the undergraduate laboratory class: an essay describing a multifaceted learning experience.

Microprocessor design for nonelectrical engineers: an integrated project oriented approach

The instructional techniques used at Georgia Institute of Technology in the undergraduate microprocessor laboratory class in the School of Mechanical Engineering are described. The class stresses two nontraditional teaching methods. The class is taught in an integrated style with both software and hardware concepts being introduced and developed simultaneously. The class includes a final project in which groups of students are required to complete a design project that integrates hardware and software design with electronic interfacing design and mechanical systems analysis. An overview of the curriculum is presented as an introduction to the novel teaching methods. The methods are also illustrated by project descriptions drawn from the class archives. >

The nitration of phenacetin: A structured project approach to teaching organic chemistry in undergraduate laboratory classes

In this program students complete a basic synthesis and then initiate a related pseudo-research program that progressively challenges their experimental skills and their capacity to think as practicing organic chemists.

The synthesis of 1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines: An undergraduate organic laboratory experiment and class project

Uses the Pictet-Spengler route and gives students the opportunity to study the spectra of alkaloid-type materials.