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Enzyme kinetics and inhibition studies are crucial in biochemistry education and research. Conventional methods often require expensive equipment and reagents, potentially limiting their accessibility in limited resource settings. Our approach sought to develop a cost‐effective experimental design for studying enzyme kinetics and inhibition. Lactase was chosen as a protein model and its activity was investigated by measuring glucose production from lactose hydrolysis. In the study, commercially available lactase pills were used as an enzyme source, while milk was used as a substrate. Instead of scientific equipment, glucometers were used to measure lactase activity. Enzyme kinetics were evaluated using Michaelis–Menten and Lineweaver–Burk plots. In the study, the effects of temperature, pH, and inhibitors were also investigated. The results of our study aligned with established enzyme kinetics theories and previous studies. Lactase showed temperature and pH‐dependent activity, with decreased activity observed at both low and high extremes. Results also showed that galactose acts as a competitive inhibitor of lactase. The approach presented here offers a cost‐effective procedure for studying enzyme kinetics and inhibition. It can act as a valuable tool for educational purposes and for preliminary research in settings with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a study on the implementation of a virtual escape‐room game as a novel teaching methodology in biochemistry education. The game aimed to engage students in producing monoclonal antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 while reinforcing theoretical concepts and fostering teamwork. Three versions of the game were tested, incorporating modifications to address student feedback on and improve the overall experience. The study employed a satisfaction survey to gather insights from students regarding their perception of the game. Results showed that the implementation of answer flexibility using RegEx had a significant positive impact on student satisfaction and motivation. The introduction of RegEx allowed for a more realistic and immersive gaming experience, as students could provide varied answers while still being evaluated correctly. Overall, the findings highlight the effectiveness of the game's design, the suitability of the Google Forms platform for distance learning, and the importance of incorporating answer flexibility through RegEx. These results provide valuable guidance for educators seeking to enhance student engagement and satisfaction through the use of escape‐room games in biochemistry education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of University Chemistry is the property of Peking University, College of Chemistry & Molecular Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Competency-based physiology and biochemistry education can benefit from the creative integration of imaginative narratives into traditional teaching methods. This paper proposes an innovative model using a pen and palm analogy to visualize enzyme function theories. The pen (substrate) must fit snugly into the palm (enzyme's active site) for catalysis to occur, akin to induced-fit theory. Pressing the pen's top button with the thumb represents the strain needed to convert substrate (pen with nib inside) into product (pen with nub out, ready to write). By leveraging everyday objects creatively, students can enhance their understanding and engagement with enzymatic reactions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Understanding how enzymes work can be tricky, but a new teaching method using everyday objects like pens and palms helps make it easier. Two main theories explain this: the induced-fit model and the substrate-strain model. To visualize this, imagine a pen as the substrate and your palm as the enzyme. When you hold the pen with your fingers (induced-fit), it's like the enzyme changing shape to hold the substrate. Pressing the pen's button with your thumb (substrate-strain) is like the enzyme applying pressure to make the pen ready to write. This simple analogy helps students better understand these complex processes, making learning more engaging and accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual Reality (VR) involves the coupling of visual communication hardware and software. The technology is capable of offering transformative educational practice and is increasingly being adopted within the biochemistry domain to better understand complex biochemical processes. This article documents a pilot study for the efficacy of VR in biochemistry education at undergraduate university level, focusing on the citric acid cycle: a central process for extracting energy in most cellular life forms. 10 participants were equipped with a VR headset and electrodermal activity (EDA) sensors, then immersed within a digital environment where they were able to learn the 8 main steps of the citric acid cycle within a virtual lab by completing 8 levels of activity. Post and pre surveys were taken, along with EDA readings throughout the students' interaction with VR. Research findings support the hypothesis that VR increase students' understanding, particularly if students feel engaged, stimulated and intend to use the technology. Moreover, EDA analysis indicated that the majority of participants demonstrate enhanced engagement in the education-based VR-experience as measured by elevated levels of skin conductance, a marker for autonomic arousal and a measure of engagement in an activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being a traditional coursework for pre‐medical and medical students around the globe, biochemistry education suffers from a lack of positive appreciation due to the nature of the subject combined with deficiency of teaching modalities. A first semester biochemistry course was designed to include four different teaching modalities: lectures, recitations, case studies, and student presentations. A multi‐item, anonymous, and voluntary questionnaire was distributed to students who had just completed the course and to those who had taken it the previous year. The questionnaire asked students to evaluate the course and how the different modalities affected their learning. These questionnaires took place in a two‐year period between 2020 and 2021. Eighty‐six (46%) of 186 total students responded. The vast majority of respondents agreed with the use of multimodal teaching techniques with respect to its impact on overall preparedness for future coursework, understanding, and enjoyability. Lectures and recitations were found to be the most useful in information retention and learning, although the same were found to be less enjoyable than other modalities. Although case studies and presentations were found to be enjoyable, most students ranked them low in terms of information retention and were the most voted to be removed from the course. There was general agreement between premedical and medical students' perception on the usefulness of the multimodal teaching techniques with respect to medical biochemistry modules and standardized exams. The agreement between cohorts suggests the premedical students accurately evaluated the usefulness of the course for the following year and validates the usefulness of the premedical student surveys. Use of multiple modalities in biochemistry education can be of substantial benefit in engaging and preparing students for further education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was to teach metabolic syndrome (MetS) disease through a scenario developed according to the problem‐based learning (PBL) approach in the biochemistry class. The study was designed as a single group pre‐test and post‐test research. The study group consisted of first‐year students (N = 183) from the nursing department within the health sciences faculty of a state university in Turkey. The study findings indicated that PBL increased students' understanding and learning performances about MetS. It may be suggested that those learned by the scenario developed according to the PBL are effective in learning about the MetS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, schools were forced to shift teaching from face-face to online. During this period, a large number of studies on how to better carry out online teaching emerged. However, these studies were basically conducted with domestic students as teaching objects. The research on transnational online education conducted by overseas students is very limited. Methods: We first conducted a questionnaire survey on the obstacles of transnational online learning of 64 international students from our school who were staying abroad at the beginning of the fall semester of 2020, analyzed the results using the two-tailed student's t-test and changed the teaching platform accordingly and compared the results of the biochemistry exams conducted for 2018 spring class with those of 2018 fall class and the 2019 fall class, so as to verify the superiority of the DingTalk as a transnational online education platform. Results: The results showed that the main difficulties of overseas students in transnational online learning are poor network conditions and time difference. By using DingTalk as an online teaching platform, these difficulties were overcome. In the spring class of 2018, the results of online study students' biochemistry were significantly lower than those of students in face-face study (t-test, p = 0.01). However, after the switch to the DingTalk platform, online students' results in the 2018 fall class (t-test, p = 0.35) and the 2019 fall class (t-test, p = 0.7) were equivalent to the academic performance of face-face students. Conclusion: Our exploration and application of DingTalk software in transnational online education successfully solved the dilemma of overseas students' online learning, and provided a feasible method to guarantee the efficacy of online teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current initiatives to transform undergraduate STEM education in the United States advocate for the use of multidimensional learning, wherein instruction provides opportunities for students to gain competency with fundamental or cross-disciplinary concepts and practices. To achieve this goal, the discipline-based education research (DBER) community is drawing on theories and approaches from the cognitive sciences to better understand how instructional choices may influence student cognition and performance. In this study, we investigate the extent to which adding visual representation to exam questions may alter the cognitive demand placed on the learner, thereby affecting exam performance. Exam questions were crafted in pairs – one form embedded some necessary information within a visual representation, while the other comprised only text – and distributed on exams across an undergraduate molecular life sciences curriculum. Comparison of analogous questions indicates that visual representation does affect performance on most questions; however, the nature of that effect depends on other features (e.g., format, cognitive level) of the task. Adding a visual representation to difficult open-response questions often decreased performance further, while adding a representation to similarly difficult forced-response items was more likely to increase performance. Drawing on cognitive theories of learning, we rationalize how the presence and interactivity of these elements may affect the cognitive load of the task and working memory efficiency. The findings of this study have implications for instructors regarding the design and interpretation of student assessments and call on researchers for deeper investigation of the relationship between student cognition and multidimensional assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochemistry encompasses a broad range of life science disciplines. Unlike more vocational disciplines such as pharmacy or medicine, the career path associated with biochemistry is less clearly defined. An important question is whether the skills set provided by post‐graduate biochemistry education, defined as BSc (Hons.), MSc, or PhD degrees, is aligned with the requirements of a career in academia or industry. This article reports on former post‐graduate biochemistry students and their careers and aims to establish whether former post‐graduate students perceive a post‐graduate qualification in biochemistry as useful for entry into the job market. This article is based on responses of 64 former post‐graduate biochemistry students from South African universities who have graduated between 2010 and 2019. Findings show that most post‐graduate biochemistry graduates continue a career in academia after graduating. Some pursue a career in the industry, while a very small number of biochemistry post‐graduates are currently unemployed. These findings suggest that a post‐graduate degree in biochemistry provides the necessary scientific and research skills sought after by the employment sector in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Fatec Zona Sul (REFAS) is the property of Revista Fatec Zona Sul (REFAS) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this study was to map the research literature on Biochemistry education, covering the scientific production indexed on the Web of Science over the past 66 years. The open‐source Bibliometrix R‐package, an R‐tool, was used to carry out the bibliometric analysis. Our results describe (1) how many articles were published per year and what is the annual average growth rate; (2) which are the core journals, authors, and publications in the field; (3) which countries and funding agencies contribute most to the development of research in the area; (4) the leading collaborative research and co‐citation networks; (5) which articles were the most cited in the past 10 years; and (6) which are the trending topics in the field. Our main contribution is offering insights into the evolution of the field. Also, the use of a quantitative methodological design, which covers a large volume of publications, and could identify possible gaps in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student feedback from an undergraduate biochemistry lab course suggested the use of visibly traceable proteins may assist learning. Based on this feedback, we used guided inquiry lab exercises where students developed and characterized a suite of fluorescent protein‐dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) fusions as tools for a biochemistry teaching lab. In contrast to the unfused versions, members of this suite are well‐expressed, soluble, visible, highly stable, and easily characterized. The color of mCherry and EGFP fluorescent fusions with microbial DHFR allows students to visibly track their target protein from expression through purification under ambient light, while fusions with BFP are visible under UV‐light. Fusions were made to both wild‐type and kinetically enhanced DHFR variants. Importantly, we found that fluorescent protein fusions with DHFR did not kinetically interfere as the KM and kcat values were not remarkably altered from the unfused variant. With these fusions, students can easily measure kinetic parameters under steady‐state conditions with readily available substrate and common laboratory spectrophotometers. Additionally, students also determined IC50 values of trimethoprim for DHFR. These exercises can be completed in a series of up to six lab periods and we have included the protocols for instructors who wish undertake a similar series of experiments in their biochemistry teaching labs. Using these visible fusion enzymes with subsequent students, we observed potential learning gains on a course assessment and received positive student feedback. We suggest that the often over‐looked element of visual cues in a biochemistry lab may be an exploitable component of learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to aerobic catabolism, the theories and experiments of anaerobic catabolism are not covered in depth in biochemistry education curricula. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a feasible method for converting common organic compounds to renewable energy‐methane that has drawn a great deal of attention in practical applications. In this study, we designed an AD laboratory experiment for use in undergraduate biochemistry courses to supplement the knowledge of metabolic networks in biochemistry and extend the information presented in biochemistry textbooks. In this laboratory experiment, students explored the methane production performance of wheat straw (WS; a representative and commonly available agricultural waste) and mastered a reasonable method for utilizing this new biochemical reaction to convert organic wastes from renewable resources to methane. Basic experimental procedures, such as a biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay, data analysis, and graphic presentations were organized to provide students with abundant hands‐on experience. Furthermore, calculations of significant parameters, such as total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), experimental methane yield (EMY), maximum theoretical methane production (MMP), and biodegradability (BD), were also performed. From this AD experiment, students learned not only a new series of biochemical reactions but also a novel strategy to achieve cleaner methane production from organic wastes, exhibiting a positive impact for students' learning in biochemistry course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring currency with trends, knowledge, and understanding of teaching and learning is essential for all educators. Researching learning and teaching is an enormous field which can range from examining the practical impact of new classes to research into the processes of learning. The "Publishing in Education" conference session discussed some of the approaches and outcomes of researching and publishing in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conference session on Postgraduate Education in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology consisted of wide‐ranging presentations and discussions. Approaches, issues, and solutions for postgraduate education and training in countries ranging from the Philippines to Mongolia and the United States were covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to learning and teaching have been undergoing massive changes. Technology has enabled many innovations while other methods have embedded authentic research approaches or looked to other disciplines. The tools in education session of the conference looked at tools being used to teach biochemistry and molecular biology ranging from online platforms, authentic research experiences to the use of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science requires that we are always current with research, techniques, and tools but what are the best approaches for continuing education? The presenters in this session described a range of approaches used in universities, government bodies, and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many health‐related programs biochemistry and molecular biology are core subjects, but these subjects are often not the students main focus. This challenges educators to develop curriculum that demonstrates the relevance of biochemistry and molecular biology and engages these students. This conference session discussed the value of biochemistry and molecular biology education in the health sciences and the methodologies which can be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although science education, including biochemistry and molecular biology education, starts before students commence university, for many students, undergraduate programs are their first real introduction to biochemistry and molecular biology. Students often report that biochemistry and molecular biology are relatively difficult topics hence the use of varied and well‐thought‐out approaches are critical to fully engage students. This session provided insights into undergraduate curriculum design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory classes are a central element of all biochemistry and molecular biology programs. These play a role in developing students' hands‐on and technical skills and also offer much more. The design of laboratory classes depends on many factors including the programs the students are enrolled in, the level they are at, employment destinations, and learning outcomes. This conference session considered the design and outcomes of laboratory experiences for undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Harnessing Interdisciplinary Education in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" education conference was held on November 13–15, 2019 in Manila, Philippines. The conference was sponsored by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular (IUBMB). With over 400 attendees from 22 countries themes discussed by the speakers and enthusiastic participants ranged from teaching biochemistry and molecular biology at all levels and to students in a range of disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remarks from the keynote presentation 2019 IUBMB Education Conference, held in conjunction with the 46th Annual Convention of the Philippine Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. William G. Padolina, 13 November 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochemistry is about structure and function, but it is also about data and this is where computers come in. From my time as a graduate student and post doc, whenever I encountered data I thought, "I can work this up by hand, but I think a computer could do a better job." Since that time, I have been working at the interface of biochemistry and computers, by attracting talented students and collaborating with colleagues with complementary skills. This has resulted in several exciting projects: a simulation of 2D electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry, the human visualization project, and two different programs that enable biochemists to search protein structures for enzyme active sites: ProMOL (promol.org) and Moltimate (moltimate.appspot.com). The human side of software development for education involved finding the right students and colleagues, communicating effectively across disciplines, building and managing effective teams and the importance of serendipity throughout the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) simulations for education have been found to increase affective outcomes compared to traditional media, but the effects on learning are mixed. As reflection has previously shown to enhance learning in traditional media, we investigated the efficacy of appropriate reflection exercises for IVR. In a 2 × 2 mixed‐methods experiment, 89 (61 female) undergraduate biochemistry students learned about the electron transport chain through desktop virtual reality (DVR) and IVR (media conditions). Approximately, half of each group engaged in a subsequent generative learning strategy (GLS) of teaching in pairs (method conditions). A significant interaction between media and methods illustrated that the GLS of teaching significantly improved transfer (d = 1.26), retention (d = 0.60) and self‐efficacy (d = 0.82) when learning through IVR, but not DVR. In the second part of the study, students switched media conditions and the experiment was repeated. This time, significant main effects favoring the IVR group on the outcomes of intrinsic motivation (d = 0.16), perceived enjoyment (d = 0.94) and presence (d = 1.29) were observed, indicating that students preferred IVR after having experienced both media conditions. The results support the view that methods enable media that affect learning and that the GLS of teaching is specifically relevant for IVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important skills for a biochemist these days is to be able to visualize a protein, find a ligand binding site, and show the three-dimensional interactions with the coordinated amino acid residues. It is important to educate a modern student how to benefit from the up-to-date scientific data and software. It is known that the primary structure of protein is of primary information content; however, the tertiary structure is more conserved. Biochemistry students are educated in a traditional way giving an importance to developing fundamental skills as well as critical thinking. In this article, we demonstrate educational approaches that incorporate computational methods in the course Biochemistry A–CHEM 370. This approach is developed at Loyola University Chicago and is based on a pedagogical method developed at Orenburg State Medical University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation in assessment of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses in subjects such as biology and biochemistry is a widely discussed topic. We report the use of a novel, research-integrated course assessment designed to increase students' self-motivation and improve their learning outcomes. We encouraged submissions to peer-reviewed journals, supported by stepwise supervision on writing by the instructor, which led to possible publication of some student-written articles. We compared the results from two classes in 2015 and 2016, assessing the quality of the published articles on the basis of journal impact factor, journal Scopus score, and number of citations of each article, using supervised assignments to fulfill this goal. Assessment of research-integrated biology learning via potential publishing may motivate students to actively learn a biochemistry topic and encourage early-career professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how the organizational capabilities of academic spin-off firms in new industries are shaped by the organization of the research communities in universities from which these spin-off firms emerge. Contrasting the organization of research in the biochemistry departments of the University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley), Stanford University (Stanford), and the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and key biotech firms spun-off from these departments, this article attempts to explain the central role UCSF scientists played in comparison with their Berkeley and Stanford counterparts, in the formation and development of the biotech industry in the San Francisco region during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It is demonstrated how the research environment at UCSF during this period positioned UCSF scientists comparatively well to identify in the context of their research new technological opportunities in therapeutic product markets and pursue these opportunities in the industrial research environment of the biotech industry. Finally, drawing parallels between this study on the role of UCSF in the formation of the San Francisco biotech industry and other studies on the role of Stanford in the formation of the Silicon Valley high-tech electronics industry, this article attempts to infer some general insights into the institutional dynamics that give rise to new science-based industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major goal of education is to help students retain as much meaningful information as possible for long periods of time. The learning process by which students acquire new knowledge and behaviors is closely related to memory, which is the core of cognition. In a previous study, we developed virtual reality visualization model (VRVM) that can be applied to address difficulties with learning medical biochemistry. Validation and evaluation studies are necessary to assess the usefulness of VRVM. The purpose of the present study is to apply VRVM and evaluate its effectiveness in a real educational environment. We modeled and verified the concept of spatiotemporality of information obtained through VRVM, which augments memories in linkage with hippocampal-centered networks while helping students to transition to higher-order thinking. The effectiveness of VRVM of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, an onerous topic for medical students, was compared with that of traditional educational methods. The experimental group used VRVM to learn the TCA cycle, while the control group learned from PowerPoint (Microsoft Co., Redmond, WA, USA) presentations using 2-dimensional (2D) diagrams. Evaluations of short-term and long-term memory indicated that learning using VRVM was more effective than learning through traditional lecture-based methods, and that VRVM resulted in better recall compared to traditional methods. Our findings suggest that VRVM can be applied when teaching students about the complicated TCA cycle, and that it helps medical students to improve their recall of carbohydrate metabolism in the context of medical biochemistry studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This laboratory experiment describes the production and purification of plasmid DNA for undergraduate biochemistry and biotechnology courses. This experiment performed in a one‐week period includes the protocols for plasmid pVAX1‐LacZ production in Escherichia coli DH5α cells and subsequent purification of supercoiled pVAX1‐LacZ. Firstly, the students use a growth medium that favors the replication of the plasmid resulting in a higher plasmid production during exponential growth. Afterwards, alkaline lysis is done to disrupt the bacterial cells and recover pVAX1‐LacZ plasmid. Lastly, they perform the purification of pVAX1‐LacZ supercoiled isoform by L‐histidine chromatography, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis to characterize the separation of supercoiled isoform from contaminants. The proposed experiment provides an opportunity for students to acquire these skills that are routinely used in biochemistry and biotechnology laboratories. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(6):638–643, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Biochemistry / Turk Biyokimya Dergisi is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The bibliometric analysis of the Brazilian periodical Journal of Biochemistry Education (JBE) covered the 117 articles published in 15 volumes in the period 2001–2017. Our results showed a positive trend in JBE publications with a significant increase in the number of articles since 2014, which can be related to the increase in research groups working in this area. The Southeast region of Brazil was the most productive one mainly due to the contribution of papers from institutions located in the State of São Paulo. Only four articles aimed the undergraduate courses (87.0%) showing methodological approaches to teach biochemistry (51.3%) and laboratory exercises (18.8%) among others. Most of the 332 authors contributed to a single article (87.7%) and just 3% of them published more than twice in JBE. The majority of the JBE articles had at least one citation in Google Scholar. There is also a great variety in the references used by the authors. Our analysis showed that JBE is an important peer reviewed publication aimed to improve teaching and learning of Biochemistry in Brazil. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(3):249–256, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The computer game Foldit is currently widely used as a biology and biochemistry teaching aid. Herein, we introduce a new feature of Foldit called "custom contests" that allows educators to create puzzles that fit their curriculum. The effectiveness of the custom contests is demonstrated by the use of five distinct custom contests in an upper‐level biochemistry class. The new custom contest feature can be implemented in classes ranging from middle school to graduate school to enable educators to best complement their current curriculum. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(2): 133–139, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A homologous pair of stereospecific NAD‐dependent enzymes, (R)‐ and (S)‐hydroxypropyl‐coenzyme M dehydrogenase, are part of a bacterial pathway of short‐chain alkene and epoxide metabolism. Their discovery and study, which spans multiple publications over more than a decade, is a data rich story that combines both classical and contemporary experimental biochemistry. A subset of the data for characterization of the recombinant enzymes was used as a case study to augment the teaching of enzyme kinetics and stereoselectivity in an undergraduate biochemistry course at California State University‐Chico. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(2): 124–132, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of phospholipase activity is often taught in undergraduate biology and biochemistry classes and reinforced in laboratory exercises. However, very rarely does the design of these exercises allow students to directly gain experience in the use of modern instruments such as digital imaging systems and fluorescence spectrophotometers. The laboratory exercise described here involves the use of fluorescent lipids to evaluate phospholipase activity. Students use thin layer chromatography (TLC) to understand how lipids change under different conditions (i.e. abiotic and biotic stress). They explore strategies to separate, visualize and quantify lipids by TLC, digital imaging, and fluorometry. They also have increased opportunities for hands‐on practise with experimental design, liposome sample preparation, and implementation of instrumentation commonly used by experienced researchers; all while learning and applying fundamental concepts about lipids. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):100–105, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational techniques have great potential to improve the teaching‐learning. In this work, we used a computational strategy to visualize three‐dimensional (3D) structures of proteins and DNA and help the student to comprehend biochemistry concepts such as protein structure and function, substrate, and inhibitors as well as DNA structural features. The practical classes included tutorials to be done in the computer using structures from Protein Data Bank and a free 3D structure visualization software, Swiss PDB Viewer. The activity was done with 76 students from biology and pharmacy undergraduate courses. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate the knowledge regarding specific biochemistry contents before and after the activity and the opinion of the students. An overall increased percentage of correct answers post‐classes (75.91%) were observed in comparison to pre‐classes (35.53%). All the students indicated that it could contribute to the learning of DNA and protein structure contents; approximately 90% stated that it enables structures visualization or makes the learning and understanding easier. Therefore, the strategy has shown to be effective, allowing the contextualization of biochemistry themes and may complement theoretical classes. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):76–84, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team based learning (TBL) is a time tested teaching–learning (T–L) tool involving collaborative learning but has hardly been tested for teaching clinical biochemistry to undergraduate medical students. The present study was designed to (a) compare problem solving skills of first year MBBS students after attending a TBL session on 'organ function test' with that of the students taught the same topic by didactic lecture, (b) assess their perception towards TBL and (c) evaluate if difference in academic standing and gender influence the learning outcome of TBL.One Hundred first professional MBBS students were divided by stratified randomization into two groups. Group I was exposed to TBL to teach 'organ function tests', while group II was taught the same topic by traditional lecture. The outcome of the T–L sessions was assessed by a test for problem solving skills. Student perception towards TBL was assessed from students' response to a questionnaire. No significant difference between the two groups in problem solving skills could be discerned. High achievers performed better after TBL session, while the low achievers were more benefited by traditional lecture method. The female students showed better academic performance after TBL in comparison to male students. The students gave positive feedback for TBL as an instructional technique. We conclude that TBL gives satisfaction, is not inferior to lecture in effectiveness and hence should be used as a T–L method for undergraduate medical students. Moreover, being more effective for female students and high achievers, it is judicious to utilize TBL more frequently for them in an attempt to provide the best individualized teaching. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):58–66, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzyme kinetics is an essential topic in undergraduate Biochemistry courses. A laboratory work that covers the principal basic concepts of enzyme kinetics in steady state is presented. The alkaline phosphatase catalyzed reaction of phenyl‐phosphate hydrolysis was studied as a model. The laboratory experience was designed to reinforce the concepts of initial velocity dependence on substrate and enzyme concentration, and to highlight the importance of the accurate determination of initial reaction rate. The laboratory work consists in two parts, in which students first determine the enzyme concentration and the time to be used in the following session to obtain the kinetic parameters (KM and Vmax) by non‐lineal fitting of the Michaelis–Menten equation to the initial velocity dependence with substrate concentration results. The experimental methodology is robust, the cost per student is low and the equipment and reagents used are of easy access. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):93–99, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding redox reactions in biochemistry requires a clear grasp of three definitions: electron exchange, oxidation number, and oxygen atom insertion. Here, the electrochemical cell is explained for redox‐active ions, introducing a new comparison between the measurement of midpoint potential and the measurement of initial velocity for enzymes. Oxygen atom insertion is shown to be of use in readily classifying oxidation states. Finally, the use of several of these ideas is combined into an explanation of proton motive force development in the mitochondrial respiratory chain. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(1):25–28, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This laboratory activity was designed to strengthen our Food and Nutritional Science students' knowledge of biochemistry concepts and the relationship between these concepts and food science. The result was a laboratory experience in which biochemistry concepts are taught using yogurt as a model, in order to link those concepts to food safety, an important area of food science. The students employed a colorimetric method to measure the lactase activity of bacterial strains found in commercial yogurts and were encouraged to relate the activity to bacterial lactic acid production, fermentation, and food safety. Students were assessed with pre‐ and post‐test exams, laboratory reports, class performance rubrics, and the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The result demonstrated that the students successfully completed the learning objectives and were motivated during the activity. This exercise could be used as a template for a simplified and engaging way to introduce food science majors, as well as other students, to complex biochemistry and molecular biology concepts using food, particularly yogurt, as a model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Experimental Technology & Management is the property of Experimental Technology & Management Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of RBPG. Revista Brasileira de Pós-Graduação is the property of Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biochemistry and molecular biology education starts before our students get to university. From a very early age, they start learning informally about science beginning with the basics of science and as they progress through their school years they should be exposed to more advanced topics such as biochemistry and molecular biology. This session at the conference focused on three very different examples of engaging school students with biochemistry and molecular biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development and popularization of smart phones and mobile internet has created a new social lifestyle, and correspondingly prompts the transformation of network teaching from desktop computer to mobile teaching. This article has compared the pros and cons of Tsinghua Education Online and WeChat official account (WOA) in fulfilling teaching functions. We also described the construction of WOA platform with the example of WOA‐based teaching in biochemistry and molecular biology. The platform can establish nearly 75 menu catalogs and 2,250 items, which is capable for the publication of any types of teaching materials and information. The WOA teaching is well accepted and becomes popular in China due to the free, interactive, attractive, adaptable, portable, sustainable, and more participatory teaching styles. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(5):555–560, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several course‐based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been published in the literature. However, only limited attempts have been made to rigorously identify the discovery‐type research abilities that students actually develop during such experiences. Instead, there has been a greater focus on technical or procedural‐type knowledge or general CURE skills that are too comprehensive to effectively assess. Before the extent of discovery‐type learning outcomes can be established in students (termed verified learning outcomes or VLOs), it is important to rigorously identify the anticipated learning outcomes (ALOs) and to then develop student assessments that target each ALO to reveal the nature of such student learning. In this article we present a matrix of 43 ALOs, or course‐based undergraduate research abilities (CURAs), that instructors anticipate students will develop during a recently‐developed biochemistry CURE focusing on the prediction of protein function from structure. The CURAs were identified using the process for identifying course‐based undergraduate research abilities (PICURA) and classified into seven distinct themes that enabled the characterization of the CURE and a comparison to other published inventories of research competencies and CURE aspects. These themes and the CURE protocols aligning to the CURAs were used to form the ALO matrix that was, in turn, used to inform the design of an assessment that revealed evidence that a student had developed some of the targeted CURAs. Future research will focus on further assessment development that targets other identified CURAs. This approach has potential applications to other CUREs both in biochemistry and other science disciplines. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(5):478–492, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]