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Remote laboratory training for high school students: grocery store based hands-on project in protein crystallography.

ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic measures forced students to stay home and confined them to remote learning. This had a large impact on laboratory experiments, which are often impossible to complete from home. This article is a resource for instructors/educators to introduce the topic of structural biology and crystallographic methods. The main focus is to describe a hands-on crystallization laboratory exercise that can be carried out remotely at home with safe household products. X-ray crystallography is a vital technique for determining protein structure and function. This information can be used to understand fundamental biological processes and to help in the design of life-saving medications. Here, a method was developed to teach crystallography using reagents and equipment that can be found in grocery stores. The steps involved in a crystallography experiment are detailed with links and references to additional resources.

SUBMITTER: Fox AL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10543669 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Remote laboratory training for high school students: grocery store based hands-on project in protein crystallography.

Fox Ali Lillian AL Teteris Alyssa R AR Mathews Irimpan I II

Journal of applied crystallography 20230818 Pt 5

The COVID-19 pandemic measures forced students to stay home and confined them to remote learning. This had a large impact on laboratory experiments, which are often impossible to complete from home. This article is a resource for instructors/educators to introduce the topic of structural biology and crystallographic methods. The main focus is to describe a hands-on crystallization laboratory exercise that can be carried out remotely at home with safe household products. X-ray crystallography is ...[more]

PMID: 37791367

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Project description:BackgroundHealth-promoting education is essential to foster an informed society able to make decisions about socio-scientific issues based on scientifically sustained criteria. Antibiotic resistance is currently a major public health issue. Considering that irrational antibiotic use has been associated with the development and widespread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, educational interventions to promote prudent antibiotic consumption are required.Methodology/principal findingsThis study focuses on the outcomes of an interventional program implemented at the University of Porto, Portugal, to promote awareness about antibiotic resistance at high school levels (15-17 year old). The project Microbiology recipes: antibiotics à la carte articulates a set of wet and dry lab activities designed to promote the participants' understanding of concepts and processes underlying antibiotics' production and activity, such as the notion of mechanisms of action of antibiotics. Following a mix-method approach based on a pre-/post design, the effectiveness of this project was assessed by gathering data from surveys, direct observation and analysis of artifacts of 42 high school students (aged 15 and 16 years). The results indicate that the participants developed a more comprehensive picture of antibiotic resistance. The project was shown to promote more sophisticated conceptualizations of bacteria and antibiotics, increased awareness about the perils of antibiotic resistance, and enhanced consciousness towards measures that can be undertaken to mitigate the problem. The participants regarded their experiences as enjoyable and useful, and believed that the project contributed to improve their understanding and raise their interest about the issues discussed. Furthermore, there were also improvements in their procedural skills concerning the laboratory techniques performed.Conclusions/significanceThis study evidences the possibility of increasing high school students' awareness about the consequences of antibiotic resistance and the importance of judicious antibiotic use. The findings inform about the educational benefits of incorporating hands-on activities in science education programs.

Project description:BackgroundThe health benefits related to intake of whole grain foods are well established. Consumption of whole grains in the US population is low, and whole grain content can vary greatly depending upon the specific products that are purchased.ObjectivesTo examine the proportion of products purchased by US households containing whole grain and refined grain ingredients using time-specific food composition data, and examine whether purchases differ between income, race or ethnicity, and household make-up.MethodsNationally representative Nielsen Homescan 2018 data were used. Each barcoded product captured in Nielsen Homescan 2018 was linked with ingredient information using commercial nutrition databases in a time-relevant manner. Packaged food products containing whole grain ingredients, refined grain ingredients, neither, or both were identified. The percentage of packaged food products containing whole grain and refined grain ingredients purchased by US households was determined overall, by demographic subgroup, and by food category.ResultsThe proportion of packaged food purchases containing refined grain ingredients was significantly higher than whole grain ingredients (30.9% compared with 7.9%; P < 0.0001). Lower income households and households with children purchased a significantly higher proportion of products containing refined grain ingredients, with no nutritionally meaningful racial or ethnic differences observed. Concerningly, across all demographic subgroups >90% of bread purchases contained refined grain ingredients, and the 5 categories with the largest proportion of whole grain ingredients contributed to <20% of overall US household packaged food purchases.ConclusionsUS households are purchasing a significantly higher proportion of packaged food products containing refined grain ingredients than whole grain ingredients. Future policy changes are needed to provide incentives and information (e.g., front-of-pack labels) to aid in encouraging manufacturers to increase whole grain product offerings while decreasing refined grain offerings, and to encourage consumers to substitute away from refined grain products toward whole grain products.

Dataset Information

Remote laboratory training for high school students: grocery store based hands-on project in protein crystallography.

Publications

Remote laboratory training for high school students: grocery store based hands-on project in protein crystallography.

Similar Datasets

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