Lingfeng “Kitty” Liu
The spread of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites) presents a major public health threat. New resistance mechanisms are emerging and spreading globally, threatening our ability to treat common infectious diseases, resulting in prolonged illness, disability, and death. The rise and spread of antimicrobial resistance present a unique challenge to both science and medicine. Could our college students, as tomorrow’s major science driving force, be part of this battle?
At the Department of Chemistry, CHEM 0745 was developed as a research-based organic chemistry laboratory course to offer undergraduate students hands-on experiences in antimicrobial research. Designed for undergraduate students, this course provides an exceptional opportunity to engage in hands-on exploration in the fascinating realm of antimicrobials research. Chem 0745 collaborates with RIBBiTR, an NSF-funded Biology Integration Institute to study antimicrobial compounds in frog slime, which helps to understand how amphibian communities are achieving resilience to the disease caused by fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.
By employing advanced chemical separation techniques, students in Chem 0745 isolate and purify antimicrobial substances from frog microbiome. Additionally, students use state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques commonly applied in organic chemistry to characterize these compounds. By characterizing these compounds, derived from the frog microbiome, students help to unravel the secrets of Nature’s remedy. These antimicrobial substances, employed by frogs in their battle against the global amphibian pandemic triggered by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), hold not only the promise of new medicines but also offer crucial insights into how living systems adapt to our changing environment.
Course Goals:
• Hands-on Research: Gain practical experience by conducting genuine scientific research in a laboratory setting.
• Antimicrobial Exploration: Explore the world of antimicrobials, understanding their isolation, purification, and characterization.
• Critical Thinking: Develop critical thinking skills by designing strategies for antimicrobial compound analysis.
• Spectroscopy for Research: Familiarize yourself with the application of advanced spectroscopic techniques. Gain expertise in utilizing these tools to unravel chemical mysteries.
• Independent Inquiry: Foster independent research skills, encouraging students to explore, innovate and push boundaries.
Susan Maleckar
The General Chemistry course population is a very diverse group in terms of their educational background and skills. First year students often don’t know how to approach learning in the college setting that’s more independent than high school. It is common for freshmen enrolled in General Chemistry 1 to score poorly on the first few exams then struggle to pass the course with the remaining assessments. Even if they develop better study habits as their first term progresses, it is sometimes too late to result in a passing grade.
In 2022, Dr. Susan Maleckar formed a collaboration between the Chemistry Department and the Study Lab on campus that resulted in the formation of CoLab. CoLab is a weekly learning group, led by peer leaders, that focuses on Chemistry content but also on Math and study skills. It uses creative weekly activities in a collaborative environment to develop independent learning skills. All of the students in the course are given a MUST (Math Preparation Study from Texas) assessment during the first week of the term to determine their likelihood of passing the course. All students are ultimately invited to join a CoLab group with early invitations given to students with lower MUST scores. Group placement occurs early in the term so that groups start to meet during week 3. Establishing the groups early helps the students to have support throughout the entire term and also helps them prepare for even the first exam.
CoLab has been running for two years and is now offered for General Chemistry 1 and 2 and Engineering Chemistry 1 and 2. Currently each term there are approximately 25 total groups, each capped at 14 participants from the same course instructor. Dr. Carol Fortney meets with the group leaders on a regular basis to provide them with guidance on the Chemistry content. Analysis has shown a substantial decrease (~50%) in DFW rates among CoLab participants with low MUST scores as compared to students with low MUST scores who did not participate. These promising results reflect the very favorable feedback from the students who have greatly benefited from the program. CoLab students who pass General Chemistry 1 then move on to pass General Chemistry 2, whether they continue to participate in CoLab or not, indicating a sustained benefit from the program. CoLab is proving to be a valuable help to the students who participate, but particularly for those who are most at risk for failing the course. We continue to learn best practices from each term to optimize this promising program.
