Undergraduate Laboratory Course Research Articles

Introductory course-based research experience for university sophomores: Using testicular-feminized mice to identify genes underlying brain sexual differentiation

Like many educators, we are striving to incorporate more active learning and inquiry-driven exercises into our STEM curricula. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have become more common in undergraduate laboratory courses in many STEM fields. Here we detail a new CURE developed in a sophomore-level undergraduate molecular neuroendocrinology course at California State University Long Beach. The course centered on the mouse model carrying testicular feminization mutation ( Tfm). This mutation, resulting from a single base deletion, produces a nonfunctional androgen receptor (AR) protein. Thus, Tfm mice are insensitive to androgen through ARs, providing an excellent model to probe the physiological role of ARs in the development of the brain and behavior. Since AR is the main mediator of androgen activity by acting as a hormonal transcription regulator, gene expression profiling has been measured in the brains of Tfm mice and normal controls to identify the potential AR-regulated genes as downstream molecular effectors. Our CURE took a similar approach, aiming to determine (1) if the selected genes were expressed differentially between the sexes and (2) if their expression could be altered by loss of AR in specific brain regions. Three broad goals of having students think, communicate, and perform like scientists were organized in the learning objectives for the CURE. All participating students (n=21) were pursuing a biology or related major, and none had any experience conducting independent laboratory research. Here students first used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping to screen the mice carrying the Tfm mutation and their sexes. They next conducted a literature search and review, through which they learned how to select databases and how to combine key words to create a productive search string for identifying the potential AR-regulated genes. Last, students performed RT-qPCR in the wild-type and Tfm mouse hypothalamus and measured sex- and AR-dependent gene expression. These modules cover not only key concepts in genetics, molecular biology, and neuroendocrinology, but also the development of methods and techniques, including DNA/RNA extraction, electrophoresis, and RT-PCR/qPCR. We designed the CURE for a semester timeline with a single three-hour laboratory section meeting once a week for 15 weeks. All modules were taught and conducted in a research laboratory containing all materials and equipment necessary for research. At the end, students constructed and presented posters on their results. To assess how well students achieved the learning goals, we administered pre- and post-course surveys. Students reported striking gains related to the learning goals, with a high degree of satisfaction. Students also perceived the improved understanding of the scientific backgrounds and methods in the CURE. This CURE course illustrates that authentic research experiences, which use complex molecular techniques, can be offered to sophomore students. The course can serve as a template to ignite students’ intellectual curiosity and improve their understanding of the scientific process by engaging them in novel research. This work was supported by the Keck Undergraduate Research Experiences (KURE) Incubator funding. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Enhancing Learning Opportunities in Laboratory Science Using Virtual Reality Lessons: A Use Case

Animal dissections are a common approach to teaching anatomy and physiology, but they are costly, pose safety risks, and raise ethical concerns. Alternatives like computer simulations and synthetic specimens have been explored, but they lack the realism of live dissections. Virtual reality (VR) technology provides a promising solution by immersing learners in a virtual environment that closely mimics real-life dissections and allows for skill development and feedback. VR also removes ethical and emotional concerns associated with dissections and enhances learning opportunities. To explore the effectiveness of VR in anatomy and physiology education, we conducted a detailed survey of 48 students in an undergraduate physiology laboratory course. The survey, administered before and after students performed both a VR frog dissection and an in-person frog dissection, was designed to gauge their perceptions, preferences, and learning experiences with both methods. Results indicate that while no participants considered VR a perfect substitute, a majority (80%) still viewed animal dissections as an essential part of science laboratory courses. Interestingly, 43% of participants expressed a stronger preference for live dissections post-experiment, citing greater excitement and perceived informativeness. In contrast, 25% favored VR or alternative methods, highlighting increased comfort and reduced discomfort. A recurring theme was VR's role as a preparatory or alternative tool for those hesitant towards live dissection. This study underscores VR's potential in addressing traditional dissection methods' limitations and emphasizes the need for further research into VR's effectiveness in anatomy and physiology education. We aim to foster dialogue on the use of alternative technologies in enhancing learning opportunities within laboratory and clinical sciences. This project was funded by the Department of Physiology at Michigan State University. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Spectroscopic Monitoring and Modeling Drug Dissolution for Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum.

The pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry has become the largest industrial sector for the employment of chemists, indicating a need for experiments with a pharmaceutical sciences context in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. In the pharmaceutical industry, testing drug dissolution is a key analytical task for solid oral dosage forms that is performed in different phases of drug development to test the release behavior of new formulations, ensure consistency between manufacturing lots, and help predict the in vivo absorption of the drug substance after administration. However, there are a limited number of laboratory experiments in dissolution testing developed for the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. To help students obtain hands-on experience in dissolution testing, a protocol has been developed for an undergraduate chemistry laboratory course for students to build a dissolution apparatus, monitor dissolution processes, model the dissolution to extract kinetic parameters, and evaluate the consistency between dissolution curves with FDA regulated methods. Students successfully collected dissolution curves and completed the modeling analysis with nonlinear least-squares fitting. The designed dissolution protocol has been evaluated to have consistency and reproducibility to be implemented in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory curriculum.

Comparing Learning Outcomes and Student and Instructor Perceptions of a Simultaneous Online versus In-Person Biochemistry Laboratory Course.

This article compares the learning outcomes and student perceptions of a one semester undergraduate biochemistry laboratory course that was taught using either a fully online or a fully in-person teaching modality. The semester long biochemistry laboratory mimicked the work sequence a researcher would encounter when transforming a plasmid containing a gene for a recombinant protein (superfolder green fluorescent protein, sf-GFP) and then purifying, identifying, and characterizing that protein. The two modalities of the course were completed in the same semester, by the same instructor, in which students self-selected into which modality they preferred at the beginning of the semester. Students in the in-person section reported enjoying the laboratory course more than the online cohort of students and found it to be less time-consuming. Additionally, a survey of biochemistry laboratory instructors from across the United States, who had experience teaching both online and in-person biochemistry laboratories, indicated that the majority of instructors that responded to the survey preferred the in-person modality: believing them to be more effective and engaging for the students, more enjoyable, and less time-consuming for the instructor. Statistical analysis of formative and summative assessments indicated no significant difference in non-hands-on student learning objective and learning goal scores between the two groups, but the small number of students and instructors in this study limits the generalizability of these results.

Modules for teaching and applying single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in an undergraduate lab course

Modules for teaching and applying single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy in an undergraduate lab course

Increasing universal accessibility in undergraduate laboratory courses

Increasing universal accessibility in undergraduate laboratory courses

A simple state-of-the-art spectrometer for student labs: Cost-efficient, instructive, and widely applicable

We present a simple, cost-effective, yet instructive spectrometer for use in undergraduate instructional laboratory courses. Deliberate design choices are made to enhance the learning experience provided by the setup, where every component is accessible to students, allowing them to fully understand the function of each individual item. The result is a state-of-the-art spectrometer, built from commercially available components, which balances pedagogical simplicity with the potential for a wide range of applications. Our setup prepares students for future spectroscopy work in research labs. Furthermore, data-taking by means of a CCD camera and the subsequent analysis teach students fundamental computational skills. Within one image, the spectrometer can cover a spectral range of 40 nm and its spectral resolution is about 0.1 nm, limited by the imaging optics. Systematic uncertainties arising from mechanical play of the grating's rotation stage limit the reproducibility of the setup to 0.65 nm. While these parameters can be improved, we decided to maintain the pedagogical and straightforward nature of the presented setup, as any increase in cost or complexity would undermine its educational benefits. Using the spectrometer in an undergraduate instructional laboratory makes possible a variety of valuable experiments, such as calibration measurements, investigation of different types of uncertainties and measurements errors, and historically important measurements (e.g., the Balmer series or solar spectrum). We are convinced that the presented spectrometer will greatly benefit the learning experience of students for many years to come.

Pavement ant extract is a chemotaxis repellent for C. elegans.

Ant behavior relies on a collection of natural products, from following trail pheromones during foraging to warding off potential predators. How nervous systems sense these compounds to initiate a behavioral response remains unclear. Here, we used Caenorhabditis elegans chemotaxis assays to investigate how ant compounds are detected by heterospecific nervous systems. We found that C. elegans avoid extracts of the pavement ant ( Tetramorium immigrans ) and either osm-9 or tax-4 ion channels are required for this response. These experiments were conducted in an undergraduate laboratory course, demonstrating that new insights into interspecies interactions can be generated through genuine research experiences in a classroom setting.

The impact of co-design-based formative assessment practices on preservice science teachers’ understanding of chemical concepts in a general chemistry laboratory course

Recently, scholars have suggested a co-design collaboration with instructors and students to effectively implement formative assessment (FA) practices because it ensures a high-quality design that considers users’ needs, values, and goals in a specific learning context. This study examines the effect of co-designed FA practices, in which preservice science teachers (PSTs) are co-designers of FA practices, on promoting their conceptual understanding of chemistry topics in a first-year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course. Sixteen randomly selected PSTs participated in the study for two consecutive semesters. At the end of the first semester, a co-design of the FA practices was developed collaboratively with the PSTs upon the approach of conjecture mapping. Then, the second semester was devoted to examining the impact of the co-design-based FA environment on overcoming the PSTs’ alternative conceptions regarding selected four chemistry laboratory topics: thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases. This study employed a conversion mixed research design. To evaluate the co-design-based FA practices, PSTs’ alternative conceptions were identified through pre- and post-laboratory concept maps. The results obtained from both qualitative and quantitative data analyses showed that implementing the co-designed FA practices had a significant impact on overcoming most of the alternative conceptions held by the PSTs in all topics of laboratory investigations. This study strongly implies the inclusion of undergraduate students as active co-participants of the iterative reasoning process of the FA design to promote their understanding of chemical concepts in laboratory courses.

Students’ perspectives and experiences with equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in online and in-person undergraduate science laboratory courses

Inclusive education strengthens the capacity of academic systems and addresses the needs of all learners. Although colleges and universities are embracing diversity and introducing inclusive principles into higher education policies and practices, there is scarcity in research exploring undergraduate university students’ participation and engagement in science laboratories, especially among underrepresented and equity-deserving groups. Accordingly, this study explores students’ perspectives on undergraduate laboratory courses and investigates best practices for creating equitable and accessible laboratory environments, both in-person and online. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) How accessible are online and in-person undergraduate laboratory courses to students? 2) What equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) barriers exist in laboratory courses? and 3) What support structures are recommended to ensure inclusion of all students in laboratory courses? A mixed methods design was employed to gather data using an online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with 58 students in undergraduate laboratory science courses from diverse cultural, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds at a Canadian university. Findings highlight that students considered online labs to be flexible, convenient, self-paced, relaxed, and inclusive with respect to aspects involving physical disabilities and language barriers. In-person labs were deemed fast-paced, yet valuable for technical skills and inclusive considering elements pertaining to collaboration, academic support, and communication with peers and faculty members. Students highlighted the following as common inclusion barriers in both online and in-person delivery formats: accessibility (physical and language), financial, and stereotypical barriers. Recommendations for improving lab accessibility were also included. This research has significant implications for the design of laboratory courses and other experiential learning environments in higher education, particularly considering recent transitions and modifications in education. This paper will discuss implications related to the following sub-themes in the special issue: instructors’ professional development, digital education, and quality enhancement.

Capturing the Precise Structure of Liquids: The Crystalline Sponge Method for an Undergraduate Laboratory Course

Capturing the Precise Structure of Liquids: The Crystalline Sponge Method for an Undergraduate Laboratory Course

Molecular spectroscopy as a laboratory experiment: Measurement of important parameters of sodium diatomic molecules

We present an inexpensive sodium molecular spectroscopy experiment for use in an advanced undergraduate laboratory course in physics or chemistry. The molecules were excited predominantly from the ground X1Σg+(v″ = 15) state to the B1Πu(v′ = 6) state using a commercially available 532-nm broadband diode laser. The laser-induced molecular fluorescence was measured using a miniature fiber-coupled spectrometer at a resolution of 0.5 nm. The spectral peak assignments were done by comparing the observed spectrum with the calculated Franck–Condon values. Important molecular constants such as fundamental frequency, anharmonicity, bond strength, and dissociation energy of the ground electronic state were determined by using the Birge–Sponer extrapolation method. The presence of highly visible blue glowing molecules along the green laser beam creates an engaging laboratory experience. Emphasis is placed on students developing their understanding of the molecular structure, practicing molecular spectroscopic techniques, and applying knowledge of light–matter interactions to a physical system.

A Comprehensive Inquiry-Based Comparative Experiment for an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course: Elucidating the Formation Process of N-Phenylbenzamide

A Comprehensive Inquiry-Based Comparative Experiment for an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory Course: Elucidating the Formation Process of <i>N</i>-Phenylbenzamide

Transforming undergraduate laboratory courses with interlinked real-world challenges

Undergraduate laboratory course components often provide training in various techniques without connections to an interlinked real-world scenario. This article emphasizes the benefits of longitudinal integration of research techniques to enhance learning and emphasize societal relevance. An example of a biomedical engineering challenge involving a new pandemic is described.

An alternative method for the preparation of vismodegib: A tool for an undergraduate laboratory course

Vismodegib is the first hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of basal-cell carcinoma. The reported methods for the preparation of vismodegib mostly require the employment of precious metal catalysts and phosphine ligands. An alternative low-cost method avoiding the employment of precious metal catalysts and phosphine ligand is developed to prepare vismodegib in a laboratory. The reported method is applied in an undergraduate experimental course to verify its reproducibility and to develop the experimental skills of students. Moreover, the teaching practice experiences are summed up to provide suggestions for the development of exploratory and further experimental courses.

A simple calibration experiment for light dependent resistors using Malus law

We demonstrate the use of polarization to characterize the nonlinear response of a light dependent resistor (LDR). Previous experiments use the inverse square-dependence of the irradiance to calibrate the LDR’s response. In our study, we employ cross-polarizers to vary the irradiance incident on the surface of the LDR. We integrate the LDR into a simple voltage divider circuit and measure the voltage response as we rotate one of the cross-polarizers. We derive expressions that relate the voltage measurements to the angle between the polarizers. Our analytical predictions greatly match with the results obtained from the experiments; we then apply least squares method to get the calibration constants associated with the LDR’s nonlinear response. Finally, we discuss the advantages of our technique and emphasize its pedagogical benefits for high school and undergraduate laboratory courses.

Examining the link between oral and written reasoning within a generative learning environment: the impact of the Science Writing Heuristic approach

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the relationship between written and oral reasoning in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory course as part of an argument-based inquiry approach, which is also a generative learning environment, known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH). The study employed the data-transformation variant of convergent design of mixed-method research. Data sources included 180 laboratory reports from nine Pre-service Science Teachers (PSTs) and 20 video recordings across two semesters. Using Walton’s argument schemes, PSTs’ development, utilisation and correlation of written and oral reasoning and an argument cycle of premise-justification-conclusion were examined. A Friedman test and a Spearman-Brown correlation were conducted for statistical analysis. The results revealed that there is a positive correlation between written and oral reasoning. While the quality of PSTs’ written reasoning significantly increased from the first time phase to the following time phases, this pattern was not observed in oral reasoning. An argument cycle of premise-justification-conclusion occurred in each phase of oral arguments. However, this cycle did not occur in every facet of the SWH process across all time phases in written arguments. The study suggests that pre-service science teachers should be provided with learning environments that will allow them to make external evaluations and engage in talking, reading and writing activities for learning purposes.

Authentic Scientific Research through an Undergraduate Ecology Course

Undergraduate science students who volunteer within a research laboratory group, or participate in funded research opportunities, in general are those who have the opportunity to engage in authentic research. In this article, we report the findings from two different iterations of a semester-long collaboration between a biology faculty member and a science education faculty member at a major research institution in the Southeastern United States. Specifically, the faculty members designed an ecology laboratory course for upper-level undergraduate students (primarily biology majors) where they would engage in an original and highly authentic ecological research project. The goal of this course was to have students explicitly learn about the nature of science (NOS), and authentic scientific practices such as inquiry and experimentation in the context of their own research. In the second year of the course, the global COVID-19 pandemic forced us to modify our approach to accomplish the same goals, but now in a remote and online format. Using questionnaires, concept inventories, and semi-structured interviews, the impact of the course on students’ understandings of NOS, inquiry, and experimentation, in addition to their perspectives on the experience within the course compared to prior laboratory coursework, was investigated. We found that students showed modest gains in each of the aforementioned desirable outcomes. These gains were generally comparable in both face-to-face and remote course settings. Additionally, students shared with us their preference for authentic laboratory work as compared with the typical laboratory work with its given research question and step-by-step instructions. Our research demonstrates what is possible in both face-to-face and remote undergraduate laboratory courses in biology and the positive impact that was observed in our students. We hope it serves as a model for other scientists and science educators as they collaborate to design authentic research-based coursework for undergraduate biology students.

Copper(I)-Catalyzed Kinugasa Reactions in an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

A β-lactam, the core structure unit of clinically important antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporin, is one of the most commonly encountered four-membered heterocycles in organic chemistry and is widely used in medicine and biochemistry. The Kinugasa reaction, a copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of a terminal alkyne with a nitrone, is a straightforward and atom economic approach to 2,3-disubstituted β-lactams. This paper describes a comprehensive chemistry experiment involving the Kinugasa reaction in an advanced undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory course. Undergraduate students perform the Kinugasa reaction on the benchtop and isolate and characterize the β-lactam product. An understanding of this named reaction and the connection of organic chemistry with medicinal chemistry are specially emphasized in the class. Several modern chemistry concepts that are missing from traditional organic courses such as β-lactam chemistry, [3 + 2] cycloaddition, atom economy, and the important role of transition metal catalysis in organic reactions are introduced to students in this course.

Simple Preparation Method of Silica Core–Shell Spheres for HPLC in Undergraduate Chemistry

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) experiments are an important part of the undergraduate analytical instrumentation laboratory courses and usually use commercial C18 silica-packed reversed-phase columns. In this experiment, a simple method of preparing SiO2 core–shell packed columns was developed to enable students to master the whole process of HPLC experiment from stationary phase preparation and column packing to separation experiments, just as they do for gas chromatography. Nonporous SiO2 particles with a particle size of approximately 2.2 μm were prepared by a three-step dilution reaction using the sol–gel method. The product yield was 92.1%. Monodisperse and spherical SiO2 core–shell particles (SiO2@dSiO2) with a particle size of about 2.4 μm were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method using the prepared SiO2 spheres as the core. The product yield was 83.3%. The prepared SiO2@dSiO2 particles were derivatized with n-octadecyldimethylchlorosilane and then packed into a stainless steel chromatography column. A high column efficiency of 83,188 theoretical plates per meter was obtained for fluorene in reversed-phase mode for the separation of a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The column efficiency obtained with this method is the same as that of a commercial column packed with fully porous particles of the same particle size. The SiO2 core–shell stationary phase preparation method developed in this experiment has the advantages of simple process, high yield, and good repeatability. The experiment can be designed to be completed over a period of 1–3 weeks. Inorganic material synthesis is another important aspect of this experiment.