Curated OER
Superbugs: An Evolving Concern
Students investigate the growth of bacteria in the presence of antibiotics. They write a hypothesis, conduct an experiment to test their hypothesis, analyze the results of their bacterial growth experiment, and describe the results on a...
Curated OER
Determining the Effectiveness of Handwashing
Students participate in an experiment in which they grow bacterial colonies. They examine the effects of antibiotics killing the germs. They discuss their findings to end the lesson.
Curated OER
DNA Transformation of Bacteria-Ampicillin
Students demonstrate how genes can be transferred from one bacteria to another. In this experiment, they take a plasmid with a gene for resistance to the antibiotic ampicillin which is used to transfer the resistance gene into a...
Curated OER
PHENOTYPIC AND GENOTYPIC CHANGES IN BACTERIA
Students use a rapid method to render the bacterium Escherichia coli "competent" in order to uptake plasmid DNA. They also have growth on the plain LB plates by the untransformed cells (which serve as controls). Students perform a cell...
Curated OER
Sex and the Single Bacterium
Students become familiar with microbiology and biotechnology laboratory techniques and observe the results of antibiotic resistance transfer from one bacteria to another via conjugation. They then calculate the "mating efficiency" by...
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis and Spectroscopy
Certain materials do not always maintain the same physical properties when they exist in the nanoscale. Help your classes to explore this idea through an experimental lesson plan. Scholars use spectroscopy with samples of silver solution...
Curated OER
Bacterial Transformation
Students explore DNA recombination. In this biology lesson, students observe the growth of microscopic species. They predict the phenotype of the transformed colonies.
Curated OER
Germ Warfare
Students research superbugs. In this personal health lesson plan, students visit selected websites to investigate the use of antibiotics and the prevalence of staphylococci.
Curated OER
Transcription, Translation, and the Genetics of Microbes
Students construct various virus models using Fruit loops and Alphabits to represent nucleotides and molecules. They constructs capsomeres using shoes as the capsomeres and discuss various viruses.
Curated OER
Genetic Engineering/Biotechnology
Pupils create a paper model of a plasmid and insert a DNA molecule that contains a specific gene into the plasmid. They complete an actual transformation involving E. coli bacterium and relate the two activities to one another.
Curated OER
Exploring Vaccines
Students explain in a written format how vaccination works and how it draws upon the natural immunity. They differentiate between vaccinations and immunizations. Students identify a number of illnesses that can be prevented by the use of...