Utilizing<i>Saccharomyces</i>in the classroom: a versatile organism for teaching and learning

Marshall, Pamela A.

doi:10.1080/00219266.2018.1469530

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 77 publications

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“…Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is a versatile and useful organism in science classrooms (Marshall, 2019). In Hong Kong, high school biology students (grades 10-13) are required to understand the metabolic process of yeast fermentation (Curriculum Development Council, 2007).…”

Section: ¡ Organism Of Study and Its Relevance For The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Yeast Fermentation as a Context for Meaningful Learning of Procedural Understanding

Chan¹,

West-Pratt²,

Ng³

2021

The American Biology Teacher

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Students need procedural understanding—that is, knowledge of the procedures that scientists use to establish scientific evidence (also known as “concepts of evidence”), to successfully perform scientific investigations, and to evaluate public and scientific claims. However, concepts of evidence are seldom explicitly targeted in routine practical activities in secondary school science classrooms. We describe how a commonly used practical activity, yeast fermentation, can be modified to provide a meaningful context for developing students’ understanding of concepts of evidence associated with measurement, as well as more difficult-to-learn scientific ideas, such as rates of reaction. The modified practical activities give students opportunities to exercise their creativity in assembling setups; brainstorm solutions to design problems in teams; reflect on their decisions related to concepts of evidence associated with measurement when designing their setups; compare the validity and reliability of data produced using different setups; and develop their understanding of difficult-to-learn scientific ideas.

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Section: ¡ Organism Of Study and Its Relevance For The Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Yeast Fermentation as a Context for Meaningful Learning of Procedural Understanding

Chan¹,

West-Pratt²,

Ng³

2021

The American Biology Teacher

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An Integrated Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise to Demonstrate Microbial Evolution

Qi,

Stacey,

Wright

et al. 2024

The American Biology Teacher

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Understanding that evolution progresses through generation of DNA variants followed by selection is a key learning outcome for biology students. We designed an integrated and innovative undergraduate laboratory exercise using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to demonstrate these principles. Students perform in vitro experimental evolution by repeatedly propagating large or small yeast colonies on a weekly basis. Small-colony variants known as petites arise by mutations that disrupt aerobic respiration. To demonstrate the effects of increased mutation rates, half of the selection lines are exposed to ultraviolet irradiation. To understand how the petite phenotype arises, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is performed to examine mitochondrial DNA, while biochemical assays are used to assess the ability of petites to undergo aerobic respiration. This exercise demonstrates evolution by artificial selection over a suitably short timeframe and links the results to a critical biochemical process: the role of mitochondria in aerobic respiration and ATP production. By implementing these experiments, we successfully demonstrated that the frequencies of petite mutants in evolved populations varied according to the selection pressure we applied, and that petite mutants carried deletions in mitochondrial DNA as anticipated. Through an integrated learning context, this practical exercise promotes fundamental understanding of evolutionary processes and fosters critical thinking skills.

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UtilizingSaccharomycesin the classroom: a versatile organism for teaching and learning

Cited by 2 publications

References 77 publications

Using Yeast Fermentation as a Context for Meaningful Learning of Procedural Understanding

Using Yeast Fermentation as a Context for Meaningful Learning of Procedural Understanding

An Integrated Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise to Demonstrate Microbial Evolution

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