Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education最新文献

{"title":"Developing tools for learning immunology using diffusion-based salt precipitation assays: A low-cost alternative for college laboratories","authors":"Abhay Pal,&nbsp;Subhojit Sen","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21900","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21900","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion technique is used as a teaching tool for studying immune responses and exemplifying differences in antigen–antibody reactions. Although commonplace in undergraduate labs, standardized commercial kits limit learning experiences because they have fixed modalities of use, a low shelf-life, and impose budgetary constraints in the long-term, collectively posing an economic challenge. To mitigate these problems, this study attempts to simulate various types of ‘antigen–antibody’ reactions using combinations of Mg, Mn, Cu and Ag salts that form a precipitate with BaSO₄. Using an optimized format of thin agar plates, different salts precipitation reactions were monitored over a time course of “immunodiffusion”. These reactions were demonstrably versatile towards simulating (i) quantitation of differential titer among antibodies, (ii) determining serological-identity versus non-identity, (iii) quantitative demonstration of the prozone phenomenon, and finally; (iv) using double precipitin reactions to simulate combinations of antibodies in the same sample. As part of a laboratory exercise, these parameters were used to design an open-ended query aimed to check the effectiveness of student engagement and learning outcomes. Undergraduate students were able to conduct the experiment in a shorter time frame, and interpreted their observations in a multidimensional manner. This allowed teachers to add to the discussion leading to an efficient model of collaborative learning. The salt-precipitation format of “immunodiffusion” is thus not only economical and quick, but allows for flexibility to simulate problems that are of immediate relevance.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"336-343"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bmb.21900","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144156015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the effectiveness of virtual laboratory simulations for graduate-level training in genetic methodologies","authors":"Johanna S. Carroll,&nbsp;Hedieh Najafi,&nbsp;Martina Steiner","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21898","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21898","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Virtual Labs (vLabs) have been gaining popularity in high school and undergraduate education, but there are few studies looking at their use in graduate-level courses. In this study, we investigated the use of six Labster vLabs assigned as homework in a graduate-level in-person Genomic Methodologies course at the University of Toronto. This course teaches the theory and practice of molecular biology relevant to genetic testing, focusing on computational techniques used to analyze genetic data. The course does not contain a wet-lab component; therefore, we evaluated whether vLabs could complement the dry-lab course components to provide a realistic experience of laboratory techniques and improve content understanding. We evaluated the addition of vLabs with one cohort of 14 students using assessment-informed data, student perception questionnaires, and think-aloud interviews. We found that engaging with vLabs resulted in a knowledge gain for most (89%) graduate students. Students (85%) found vLabs to be useful to understand the theory behind advanced laboratory concepts; however, many students (54%) were critical of vLabs ability to provide a realistic laboratory experience. We also investigated whether the student experience differs when performing Labster vLabs on a laptop versus a virtual reality headset and found that the headset provided no additional benefits to students. We show that vLabs can be effectively used in graduate-level courses to provide students with background relevant to laboratory techniques; however, the level of material could be enhanced to provide a more detailed and advanced understanding of the concepts for students with prior knowledge of the topic.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"422-432"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bmb.21898","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144141405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Creating A Course Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Genetics Yeast Laboratory Course at Xavier University of Louisiana","authors":"Joanna E. Haye-Bertolozzi,&nbsp;Cecily B. DeFreece,&nbsp;Christopher Bolden,&nbsp;Kalila Daveron,&nbsp;Hector Biliran","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21910","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21910","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are important for providing undergraduates with authentic research experiences. At Xavier University of Louisiana, a Genetics Laboratory CURE course was developed and implemented. The goals of developing this Genetics CURE laboratory course were: (1) to provide a large number of students the opportunity to participate in a hypothesis-driven research project, (2) to determine the effect of different Msh6 missense variants on DNA mismatch repair (MMR), and (3) to provide opportunities to develop scientific communication skills. In the first 3 years of implementation, 595 students completed the course and participated in a project of evaluating DNA MMR utilizing the model organism, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>. Students analyzed previously uncharacterized <i>MSH6</i> alleles and summarized their findings by drafting a report in the style of a primary research article. Additionally, students communicated their findings in PowerPoint presentations, and some participated in poster presentations on campus. Examination of course evaluations indicated that students appreciated learning science theory and acquiring scientific skills in the context of a research project instead of as individual unconnected experiments.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 5","pages":"478-488"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12354009/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144126473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Problem-Based Learning in Higher Education in the Field of Biochemistry","authors":"Andreja Lavrič,&nbsp;Petra Zrimšek,&nbsp;Breda Jakovac Strajn","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21908","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21908","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Problem-based learning (PBL) is an innovative pedagogical method that promotes active learning by solving complex problems and transforms traditional teaching into a dynamic environment. The overall research aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and perceived value of PBL in the Biochemistry 2 course within the veterinary curriculum, focusing on student satisfaction, preferences in terms of case content and format, and the impact of structural elements on learning outcomes and the development of key professional competencies. In the Biochemistry 2 course, which is part of the veterinary curriculum at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, for Uniform Master's Degree Study of Veterinary Medicine, problem-based learning is combined with lectures, laboratory practices, and independent work by students. The evaluation for the academic years 2022/23 and 2023/24 showed a high level of student satisfaction with PBL. The most popular example of PBL was associated with the clinical work of veterinarians in practice. When examining the scope of PBL examples, it was found that an appropriate amount of content is provided with 10 to 15 pages of links to websites and articles accompanied by videos, images, and explanations. Support for seminar preparation has increased significantly, suggesting that students are more aware of the value of PBL. The increased satisfaction and positive responses from students confirm that PBL is an effective method that helps improve the quality of education and prepares students to solve complex problems in the real world.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"413-421"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Idea to Explore: Analysis of Datasets on Diseases Associated With Protein Glycosylation as a Pedagogical Approach Using Free Software to Teach the Biochemistry of Diseases","authors":"Abhiru Chathurma Elaphatha,&nbsp;Meran Keshawa Ediriweera","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21909","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21909","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>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. Glyco-bioinformatics facilitates the exchange of glyco-specific information among students and researchers using computers. The need for glyco-bioinformatics tools is rapidly increasing because glycoproteins are increasingly attracting clinical attention due to the potential to help in the early diagnosis of diseases. Functional enrichment analysis is used to identify the functions of a set of genes and proteins. This report attempts to illustrate how freely available bioinformatics tools can be used as pedagogical approaches to study or teach protein glycosylation in diseases for biochemistry graduates who are interested in continuing their careers in glycomics and glycoproteomics.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 5","pages":"463-477"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144118696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining the Influences of Educational Computer-Gaming Play on Older Adults' Learning Using the Biochemistry Video Game Foldit","authors":"Menglong Cong,&nbsp;Ariana Cohn,&nbsp;Carolyn Black,&nbsp;Megan Pesansky,&nbsp;Robyn Thomas Pitts,&nbsp;Kimberly J. Cortes,&nbsp;Kim A. Gorgens,&nbsp;Leslie Hasche,&nbsp;Scott Horowitz","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21906","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21906","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lifelong learning is essential for healthy aging, and education can positively influence the older population's quality of life and cognition. Foldit (www.fold.it) is a free academic citizen science video game designed to help scientists with biochemistry problems. Foldit also has educational potential for different levels of learners—including many older adults. This study examines the effectiveness of playing Foldit on older adults' learning and cognition outcomes. Using a randomized controlled trial explanatory mixed-method approach, learning and cognitive complaints were assessed among 24 (13 in Foldit group) older adults across pre- and post-test biochemistry assessment and cognitive symptom tracking. Additional feedback was drawn from qualitative interviews with the Foldit group. Older adult participants (54–81 years old, mean = 67.67) were randomized into either: (1) a learning group that used Foldit and traditional learning materials, or (2) a learning group using traditional reading and lecture materials regarding biochemistry. The quantitative results showed that Foldit players significantly improved their learning outcomes compared with counterparts engaged in more traditional learning methods. Qualitative results suggest that Foldit players used it as a supporting tool for biochemistry learning. Meanwhile, Foldit enticed participants to play and made them enjoy the learning process due to its game nature. These results indicate that Foldit is an effective educational tool to support older adults' learning in science and provides a roadmap for developing new educational gaming options for older adults. We conclude by speculating on lessons learned for the practical usage of Foldit in classes and for scientific outreach.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"400-412"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Learning Tools Using ChatGPT in the Biochemistry Class: Creating Notes and Performance on Exams","authors":"Ana Roman,&nbsp;Maria Simaitis,&nbsp;Kate Sheely,&nbsp;Yotam M. Roth,&nbsp;John T. Tansey,&nbsp;John Cogan","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21904","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21904","url":null,"abstract":"<p>ChatGPT has emerged as a popular choice in education that has transformed the experience for both teachers and students. This study investigates the performance of ChatGPT in aiding learning in the biochemistry classroom in two ways. We sought to determine how effective ChatGPT 3.5 was in generating study materials for an introductory biochemistry course. A lecture was delivered in class and transcribed. The resulting transcript was curated, then submitted to ChatGPT 3.5 to generate a summary, a set of notes, and an outline. Each artifact was verified and given to students to help prepare for a quiz. Students were asked about the use of AI-generated materials compared to other study materials. Results were bimodal for the AI-generated materials, with some students indicating that the materials were useful while others preferred traditional study materials such as the text or class notes. We also compared the performance of ChatGPT on open-note biochemistry exams that students had taken. The exams were completed by ChatGPT in two modes: with and without access to external tools. Performance metrics were used to evaluate ChatGPT performance and student responses. The results showed that ChatGPT was unable to pass the exams. This research provides valuable insights into the potential of ChatGPT in educational settings, highlighting strengths and limitations. The implications of these findings may inform the design of future AI-assisted tools and contribute to the ongoing discussions surrounding the integration of AI in education.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"381-388"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bmb.21904","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144075733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Precision and Genomic Medicine Among Biology Students in Taiwan and Germany","authors":"Yi-Ning Kelly Huang,&nbsp;Matthias Winfried Kleespies,&nbsp;Liu Shiang-Yao","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21905","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21905","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Artificial intelligence (AI) in biomedicine has gained significant attention, and its fusion with biology offers exciting possibilities. Understanding students' perspectives on AI is crucial for developing appropriate lessons. This study surveyed biology undergraduates and postgraduates in Taiwan (<i>n</i> = 71) and Germany (<i>n</i> = 51) to explore their perspectives on AI in precision medicine and life sciences and its integration into their education. Exploratory Factor Analysis identified dimensions such as perception of benefits, risks, ethics, acceptance, and willingness to learn AI. The findings revealed that about 70% of students were aware of AI discussions in the field, but 35% admitted lacking basic knowledge of the technologies. Notably, there was a positive correlation between perceiving benefits and the willingness to learn AI in both countries. Interestingly, Taiwanese students expressed more concerns about AI risks than German students but showed greater acceptance and willingness to learn AI. Additionally, a negative correlation between risk perception and willingness to learn AI was found among German students but not among Taiwanese students. This difference may relate to variations in AI education between the countries. Given the high willingness to incorporate AI into biology curricula, the field of biology should lead in educating students about these technologies.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"389-399"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143975621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using ChatGPT as a tool for training nonprogrammers to generate genomic sequence analysis code","authors":"Haley A. Delcher,&nbsp;Enas S. Alsatari,&nbsp;Adeyeye I. Haastrup,&nbsp;Sayema Naaz,&nbsp;Lydia A. Hayes-Guastella,&nbsp;Autumn M. McDaniel,&nbsp;Olivia G. Clark,&nbsp;Devin M. Katerski,&nbsp;Francois O. Prinsloo,&nbsp;Olivia R. Roberts,&nbsp;Meredith A. Shaddix,&nbsp;Bridgette N. Sullivan,&nbsp;Isabella M. Swan,&nbsp;Emily M. Hartsell,&nbsp;Jeffrey D. DeMeis,&nbsp;Sunita S. Paudel,&nbsp;Glen M. Borchert","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21899","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21899","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Today, due to the size of many genomes and the increasingly large sizes of sequencing files, independently analyzing sequencing data is largely impossible for a biologist with little to no programming expertise. As such, biologists are typically faced with the dilemma of either having to spend a significant amount of time and effort to learn how to program themselves or having to identify (and rely on) an available computer scientist to analyze large sequence data sets. That said, the advent of AI-powered programs like ChatGPT may offer a means of circumventing the disconnect between biologists and their analysis of genomic data critically important to their field. The work detailed herein demonstrates how implementing ChatGPT into an existing Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience curriculum can provide a means for equipping biology students with no programming expertise the power to generate their own programs and allow those students to carry out a publishable, comprehensive analysis of real-world Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) datasets. Relying solely on the students' biology background as a prompt for directing ChatGPT to generate Python codes, we found students could readily generate programs able to deal with and analyze NGS datasets greater than 10 gigabytes. In summary, we believe that integrating ChatGPT into education can help bridge a critical gap between biology and computer science and may prove similarly beneficial in other disciplines. Additionally, ChatGPT can provide biological researchers with powerful new tools capable of mediating NGS dataset analysis to help accelerate major new advances in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"433-444"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/bmb.21899","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143956163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The multitiered evaluation of teaching based on improved case-based learning: A continuous survey in biochemistry and molecular biology","authors":"Weiwei Zhang,&nbsp;Liang Li,&nbsp;Kejian Pan,&nbsp;Luo Zuo,&nbsp;Yiran Sun,&nbsp;Quekun Peng","doi":"10.1002/bmb.21901","DOIUrl":"10.1002/bmb.21901","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Contemporary undergraduate medical education has been exploring ways to effectively link basic medical curricula with clinical practice. Despite the variety of approaches, there is still no effective model or assessment method. This study examines an improved case-based learning (CBL) model that attempts to bridge the transition between basic and clinical medicine curricula. This study implanted an improved case-based learning approach in a biochemistry and molecular biology course in a clinical specialty class and evaluated the pedagogical effectiveness of this integrated approach. This study utilized a “three-tiered” teaching evaluation to assess satisfaction with teaching at three different stages of undergraduate education and to collect constructive feedback from students. We found that the satisfaction of the students in the class was significantly higher than 70% in all three dimensions of “knowledge acquisition, clinical thinking training, and comprehensive literacy”, and the satisfaction gradually increased with the growth of students' performance, exceeding 80% and 90% in the second and third stages, respectively. This fully demonstrates that the iCBL model can construct students' clinical thinking system and provide an important attempt for “early clinical practice”. In addition, the constructive comments from the students made us realize the shortcomings of the method, and we will continue to improve it in the future teaching of biochemistry courses. In conclusion, the integration of interdisciplinary knowledge helps students to synthesize and apply multiple aspects of knowledge to analyze and deal with complex clinical problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":8830,"journal":{"name":"Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education","volume":"53 4","pages":"344-357"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143961014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}