Association for Biology Laboratory Education

RABLE 2019 Workshops

Major Workshops 9 am – 11:50 am

Primer of experimental design: learning in Mimosa pudica

Presenter: Gail Drus, Saint Francis University

The overarching goal of the lab titled “Primer of experimental design lab: learning in Mimosa pudica” is to familiarize the students with the scientific method and the components of experimental design. Part 1 of the lab (~45 minutes) begins by defining hypotheses, predictions, dependent variables, independent variables and control treatments. The students then skim through Gagliano 2014 (a primary literature article) and answer questions about the paper. There are notes in the paper to direct the students’ focus. It is expected that the students have read the paper in its entirety before coming to class. The students must report the actual hypotheses, variables, constants, treatments etc. of Gagliano’s experiment. During part 2 of the lab (~1 hour 15 minutes), the students carry out a simplified version of Gagliano’s experiment to determine whether Mimosa plants are able to learn. Mimosa plants have the ability to fold their leaves when touched to avoid herbivory and/or to protect their leaves from heavy rain. Galiano’s experiment tests whether Mimosa plants can “learn” not to fold their leaves in response to being dropped in high light and low light environments (the light treatments are a proxy for resource availability). Students record the maximum width of the same leaf after a series of drops (with a 5 minute recovery time in between) to determine whether the leaves fold less over time. The control treatment is only dropped at the beginning and the end of the experiment, and “dishabituated” at the end of the experiment. The most exciting aspect of this lab is that a learning response is almost always observed within a single lab period. When the experiment is carried out with the same plants over several lab periods, the learning response becomes more pronounced. The greatest learning response is generally seen in the low light treatments because they must risk opening leaves faster to acquire more limited resources. The lab provides students with a hands-on way to familiarize themselves with the scientific method and the components of experimental design, as well as providing the students with experience reading and interpreting a scientific paper. The interactive nature of the Mimosa plant makes the lab exercise interesting and memorable.

MS Excel for teaching quantitative concepts in biology: An introduction and case study examining climate data

Presenter: Robert Smith, Lycoming College

Instruction in biology and ecology courses must include quantitative concepts as part of curricula examining applications of modern methods in medicine, genetics, conservation, environmental science, and other sub-disciplines of these fields. Teaching quantitative concepts requires students to have at least a cursory understanding of statistical, data summary, and data visualization techniques and be comfortable applying these techniques to large-scale (temporal or spatial) datasets (i.e., ‘big data). Statistical programs such as R are powerful tools for performing this type of analysis, and gaining knowledge of these programs is important for undergraduate training. However, numerous barriers exist for effectively teaching quantitative concepts using advanced statistical programs in introductory courses. Limited experience with coding and a lack of familiarity with the program’s interface can inhibit learning by underclassman in introductory courses focused on foundational concepts. Microsoft Excel is typically familiar to students, and it can also be an effective tool for teaching introductory concepts in preparation for advanced instruction. I present a 2 part workshop that a) demonstrates the basic functionality of MS Excel as it relates to learning quantitative concepts (and how to incorporate it into an introductory course) and b) demonstrates the use of a ‘live-coding’ exercise to support inquiry-based learning examining climate data. Instructor knowledge of MS Excel’s limits and capabilities for data summary and visualization is key for conducting inquiry-based learning in the classroom using this program. The workshop will present standard strategies for data summary and visualization and will cover functions, keyboard shortcuts, and graphing protocols. The examination of climate data will demonstrate the benefits and drawbacks of ‘live-coding’ exercises for the classroom using MS Excel. A discussion about these approaches will follow the exercises if time permits.

Pig Dissection

Presenters: Laurel Rodgers and Beth Cantwell, Shenandoah University

This workshop was developed to provide non-major students detailed instructions on how to dissect a fetal pig and identify components of the major organ systems. The lab instructions include many pictures of a dissection, tips to avoid common pitfalls, and information about each organ system. This lab can easily be adapted to use for a Biology major course.

Water supplementation and its effects on bean beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus) reproduction: Reflections on 10 years of teaching an inquiry-based lab

Presenter: Joanna R. Vondrasek, Piedmont Virginia Community College

In this presentation, I will introduce an easy, inexpensive, inquiry-based lab suitable for introductory majors/non-majors biology using bean beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus). In addition, I will share the lessons learned from nearly 10 years of implementation of this lab in a majors-level biology course at a community college. I will lead a discussion about the pedagogical benefits of allowing students to generate methodology for the experiment, even if this means small sample sizes and limited statistical power for analysis of results. Specifics of the lab exercise (from Vondrasek & Hauser 2012): Although bean beetles do not require water as adults, water access for females appears to positively affect reproductive success, as measured by the number of eggs laid and the number of offspring produced, and water-limited females will mate multiply to acquire additional liquid from spermatophores. It is unclear whether access to water for males affects the reproductive success of their mates. Typical experiments include comparing the reproductive success of females mated to males with prior water access to the mates of males with no water access, as measured by counting number of eggs laid and measuring the size of eggs laid. Multi-week extensions to this project can also evaluate whether emergence rate is affected by water availability. A laptop computer is highly recommended.

Macroinvertebrate Magic!  Using simple stream sampling to teach stream health, animal adaptations, food webs, and ecological niches.

Presenter: Faith Weeks, Towson University

This lab takes the students out of the classroom and gives them real world context for understanding stream health, including healthy food webs, exploring ecological niches, and the impact of pollution – all while helping them learn more about their own local environment.  Macroinvertebrates can tell us much about a stream’s health over time, not just a snapshot of that day.  We will demonstrate various monitoring methods and sampling techniques for locating and capturing stream macroinvertebrates, as well as simple identification methods (even if you do not have a clue what you are looking at!) and observing key anatomical adaptations.  Stream sampling can be inexpensive, easy to set up, and give students hands-on experience conducting their own research.  We will also discuss the pros and cons of teaching in a stream, and different teaching strategies to have a safe and successful stream sampling.

Learning from the World Around You: How to incorporate citizen science into introductory laboratories

Presenters: Deborah A. Lichti and Jennifer Sykes , University of Delaware

While science programs across the country are moving to incorporate CURE courses, students must be prepared for the science investigative skills involved in CUREs. We developed a pre-CURE module for Undergraduates in their first year using the citizen science project, Budburst. Each group develops a question based on tree phenology (e.g. first bud, leaf senescence) for Greenville, NC, and another location throughout the country incorporating one abiotic variable (e.g. temperature, rain fall). Students then collect local data and pull data from databases that meets their research question needs. The data are analyzed, and graphs are developed using a statistical program (e.g. R markdowns in RStudio). Finally, each group presented their findings with a group scientific poster and individual scientific paper. This research project allowed higher order thinking with the students learning how actual research occurs, and the trials and tribulations of working in groups, and collecting field- and web-based data. In this workshop, we will cover how to pick a citizen science project that will for your classroom or laboratory. We will take you through the process of students creating their research question to the poster presentation. During the workshop, we will take participants out to collect data around the campus about tree phenology and download data from Budburst website. Finally, the participants will have implement citizen science into their introductory or ecology laboratory.

Medium Workshops first session 1:30 pm – 2:50 pm

This Lab Is for Real: Planning, Running and Trouble-shooting an Authentic Research based Lab

Presenter: Cheng Huang, McDaniel College

Have you been pondering for a long time over the idea of constructing a teaching lab based entirely on an authentic research project, yet never done it because it seems daunting? Then this workshop is precisely for you. Have you been fed up with students who treat the lab component of a course as something utterly irrelevant and simply a grade-booster for the lecture component? Re-construct your lab so that it becomes an authentic research experience can dramatically change their attitude. Whether you belong to the first camp or the second, this workshop will focus on the needs of you, the lab instructor. I will first use my own example of a teaching lab based on my research work, to illustrate how such a lab can be envisioned, planned, and executed. Though this is a Developmental Biology Lab, it utilizes a great deal of molecular biology and gene expression methodology, and can serve as the blueprint for a broad collection of biology lab courses. While this workshop is not categorized as a wet lab, microscopes will be set up so that workshop participants will be able to gain a first-hand insight into the high impact educational experience a research-based lab delivers. Importantly, a significant amount of workshop time will be dedicated to a hands-on group exercise for each individual workshop participant to construct her/his own research-based lab plan, followed by a highly interactive discussion focusing on trouble-shooting scientific and logistic issues that often arise because of the highly challenging nature of such labs.

Using a Laboratory Simulation Program to Assist Wet Lab Experiences

Presenters: Wooram Lee and Eric Hogan, Virginia Tech

Laboratory simulation programs have gained increasing attention in recent years because of the many apparent benefits they provide to course curriculum and student learning.  Laboratory simulations eliminate safety risks associated with contagious pathogens, flammable or corrosive reagents or radioactive materials.  Lengthy processes such as cell-culturing and organismal growth occur instantaneously, and simulations also provide an affordable alternative for students with disabilities who may not be able to perform certain tasks.  However, questions remain about the effectiveness of laboratory simulations in terms of student learning. Initial student interest and engagement with the software may not always correlate with concept comprehension.

In our introductory laboratory course for majors, we used two simulation packages from Labster to supplement the curriculum of existing in-class wet labs.  Bacterial Isolation and Eutrophication simulations were used as pre-lab assignment for Microbial Diversity and Algal Growth in-class laboratory exercises, respectively, in an effort to enhance student engagement and promote understanding.  In this workshop, we will share our experience with using the laboratory software and participants will have an opportunity to try some of the laboratory simulations from Labster. A laptop computer is highly recommended.

Using C. elegans thrashing assays to teach experimental design

Presenter: Janet Ugolino, Roanoke College

The model organism Caenorhabditis elegans is a small free-living roundworm that is found in soil. Their low cost, ease of maintenance, and short generation time make them an ideal organism for use in the undergraduate classroom. They also exhibit several easily observed behaviors that can be measured with a standard dissecting microscope. One such behavior is known as thrashing, which is a swimming motion that the worms adopt when they are placed in liquid. Studying the thrashing rate, which can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, can provide students with the opportunity to practice experimental design and data collection. This assay has the added benefit of appealing to a variety of student interests from medicine to environmental toxicology. In this workshop, thrashing assays will be used in an inquiry-based activity where participants can investigate the effect of various chemicals on the thrashing rate of C. elegans. Workshop participants will formulate a hypothesis, design an experiment, and collect data to determine the effect of a chemical of their choosing on the thrashing rate. We will discuss ways to analyze and present the data and how this activity can be easily adapted to fit a wide variety of courses.  General C. elegans maintenance will also be discussed.

History of Life on Earth Timeline: Where do these dates come from?

Presenter: Beth Surlow, Carlow University

The evolutionary history of life on Earth is a unifying theme encountered in many, if not all, biology courses. This lab activity is designed to introduce students to the history of life in the first lab session of the general biology course. By using this timeline activity at the start of the course, students are provided a preview of topics to come, and the instructor can gauge student’s prior knowledge. Students construct a scaled timeline of key events in the history of life. Before seeing dates associated with the various events, students predict the order of selected events. A list of events with dates is then provided to construct the timeline. However, students must do their own research to identify the time frame for a few of the events. Along with researching the dates, students are asked to describe the types of sources where they found the dates. Students further explore some of the scientific evidence that led to the dating of these events in a post lab assignment. The post lab includes guided questions pertaining to a HHMI Biointeractive Click and Learn module and questions about a primary scientific paper as an introduction to the peer-reviewed literature. The overarching theme that evidence is needed to support scientific theories is emphasized in this activity.

Reactants and pH conditions That Favor the Maillard Reaction Happening at Low Temperatures

Presenter: Steven Heninger, Allegany College of Maryland

Do you like the color/flavors beer, chocolate, roasted coffee or meats?  Thank the Maillard reaction.  This is a complex reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids.  It is one of a several reactions responsible for the color and flavor associated with “browning” foods. 

The Maillard reaction normally happens above 140 oC.  We will be looking at various combinations of sugars and amino acids, to see if they brown when cooked an autoclave at only 120oC.  We will also look at the effect of the new fad of using baking soda in marinades to help promote browning. 

Using Essential Oils from Plants to Repel Insects

Presenter: Michael Hands, Community College of Baltimore County

Many commercial products are derived from natural sources, but introductory students generally do not know what is involved in discovering them.  This multi-week laboratory project simulates basic research to explore the effectiveness of essential oils from different plants as insect repellents.  In general, students identify a plant of interest, extract the essential oil, test its effectiveness compared to a commercially available insect repellent, and obtain some basic chemical data to help identify the molecule(s) that they extracted.  However, this laboratory project is highly adaptable and could be made longer or shorter to suit your needs.  This workshop will demonstrate various aspects of the laboratory project, as well as discuss options for implementing it to best suit the needs of your students.

Medium Workshops second session 3:40 pm – 5:00 pm

Ecology Tour Using Google Maps

Presenter: Stacie Rafter, Allegany College of Maryland

Students use hand-held computer data-collecting units, ( Labquest) to collect data at several sites on a nearby conservation site or other area ecosystems chosen by the instructor. Student groups collect and store the data on the units, as well as record observations and photograph plants and animals (or signs of animals) at the different locations at the site. Students research the names of the plants and animals they photographed as well as determine the niche for each organism in the ecosystem. Once all of the required information has been gathered, as instructed by the teacher, the students then create a virtual tour using Google Tour builder. The students create a Google Map Tour by placing markers, photographs with organism’s identity and descriptive information, and then insert physical/chemical data for each marker. They save the tour as public to later share with the instructor for grading. Students can work in groups of 3 to 4, to gather the intial information. Once they are in the computer lab, each student creates a map with their information, their own photos, and check for completion with the use of a rubric. The map with data, photographs, as well as completed questions that were also provided is then electronically mailed to the instructor for grading.

Histological Preparation of Tissues for Microscopy

Presenter: Karen Keller, Frostburg State University

Probably one of the most difficult topics that human anatomy and physiology students cover in their courses is the microscopic identification of various human tissues—known by students as the dreaded histology section. Looking through the microscope at clusters of stained cells is very different from identifying bones or muscles on models or specimens. Conceptually, it is difficult for many students to understand how the 2-D section of tissue belongs in the 3-D organ. By incorporating a lab that demonstrates and explains the steps of tissue processing, students are better able to understand how the 2-D tissue sections and 3-D organs are related and helps them to understand what they are seeing on the microscope slides. This workshop will cover the steps of the most frequently used histological protocol, which includes preserving the tissue, sectioning the tissue using a microtome, and staining the tissue using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). With the understanding that most laboratories do not have access to every piece of equipment needed to complete the histological protocol, a combination of hands-on activities and photographic examples will be used to demonstrate each of the basic steps of the histological procedure.

Using the Sea Anemone Aiptasia pallida to understand symbiosis and coral bleaching.

Presenter: Sara Sawyer, Glenville College

This session will focus on introducing the sea anemone Aiptasia sp to participants.  This is a tropical symbiotic anemone that is easy to grow in aquaria or even dishes in a window sill.  It is a model organism used to understand the dynamics of coral-algal symbiosis and coral bleaching.  Participants will be given information on caring for the anemones and be able to handle them. Participants will be able to investigate how to use the anemones in inquiry-based lessons on how symbiotic and non-symbiotic anemones respond to light leading to further questions and investigations on the role of symbiosis.  Additional inquiry-based lessons will deal with the anatomy of the anemones, their feeding behavior, asexual reproduction and coral bleaching. Information provided will help participants develop plans for using this anemone to contribute topics ranging from photosynthesis, organismal diversity, and climate change.

A CURE: Analyzing local tick populations for Lyme disease pathogens

Presenter: Rebekah Taylor, Frostburg State University

A trend has emerged in biology education that replaces the “cookbook” variety of laboratory instruction with a course-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE.  Students involved in CUREs get the chance to practice science in a real-world setting and collect novel data that could lead to further exploration and publication.  Here I describe a CURE that is in development at Frostburg State University, a primarily undergraduate institution in rural Western Maryland.  For this CURE, students will conduct a scientific study involving field-based and laboratory techniques with the end goal of identifying ticks that are carrying the bacterium that causes Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi). Students will use the flag-and-drag method to collect ticks in the Frostburg State University Arboretum, an on-campus green space. Students will then isolate DNA from the collected ticks and test for the presence of B. burgdorferi by amplifying specific genes with polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results of the study will enable students to understand host-vector-pathogen relationships in their own environment and to engage the community in Lyme disease prevention by presenting their findings to the public.  This CURE will initially be offered to honors students in a 100-level General Biology course with the hope that the offering will expand to non-honors students in future years.  The goal of this presentation is to share this CURE with an audience of biological educators in the hopes that pitfalls will be identified and assessment strategies will be suggested.  Participants will engage in mock versions of each step of the CURE and work out the “kinks” through hands-on lab/field work and curriculum design. 

A Hard Day’s Write: Teaching writing in the lab with a minimum of pain and suffering

Presenter: Suzanne Thuecks, Washington College

Washington College, a small liberal arts college of approximately 1400 students, has designated introductory biology as a course that can fulfill part of our undergraduate writing requirement. To fulfill this responsibility, we have incorporated changes in assignments, grading, and small lab activities that have resulted in better quality writing. This article reviews the facets of our current program to support students in their writing before, during, and after the writing process. These approaches can be used separately or together to improve student writing quality. This workshop will introduce Washington College’s approach and provide time for discussion and sharing of ideas about teaching writing.

Using Hydrogen NMR to Detect Percents of Saturated and Unsaturated Fats in Food

Presenter: Steven Heninger, Allegany College of Maryland

1H NMR’s can differentiate between hydrogens bonded to single bonded carbons and hydrogens bonded to double bonded carbons.  It is the later that make a fat “unsaturated”.  The new wave of “cheap” NMR’s now allows their use in introductory chemistry and biology labs.  We will be using a 60 MHz NMR to analyze the extracted fats.  This is a modification of a published procedure by Aaron M. Hartel and Amy C. Moore for determining the fraction of mono and poly unsaturated fats in food but using a 300 MHz NMR (“Extraction and 1H NMR Analysis of Fats from Convenience Foods:  A Laboratory Experiment for Organic Chemistry”, Aaron M. Hartel and Amy C. Moore, Journal of Chemical Education. 2014, 91, 1702−1705, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ed400753d#). 

In this session you will crush up various foods, extract the fat with hexane, evaporate off the hexane then analyze the fat using an NMReady™ 60 MHz NMR.  Plugging the areas of certain peaks in the NMR spectra will allow us to determine the fraction of types of fats in that food.