Since antibiotics have become routinely used to treat infections, antibiotic resistance is now an emerging concern for public health. To understand how bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, many students draw from the common misconception that bacteria gain resistance upon antibiotic exposure. We have designed models and a corresponding lab that explores how a population of bacteria can evolve antibiotic resistance, with emphasis on dispelling common misconceptions surrounding the mechanism of antibiotic resistance. Using an antibiotic disk diffusion assay, students compare the antibiotic resistance level of a harmless E. coli strain of bacteria over time. Then, students compare their lab data to the models, which together illustrate the roles that initial genetic variation and random mutation play in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. In this guided investigation, basic microbiology concepts and techniques are made accessible to students in a high school classroom. The models developed here are in line with the practices of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The models, together with the lab, are used to guide students through the process of argumentation using a claim, evidence, and reasoning (CER) format to explain the evolutionary mechanisms of antibiotic resistance.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
March 2018
Research Article|
March 01 2018
Modeling the Emergence of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Populations
Michelle A. Williams,
Michelle A. Williams
4MICHELLE A. WILLIAMS is a PhD candidate in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; email: maw2q3@mail.missouri.edu.
Search for other works by this author on:
Patricia J. Friedrichsen,
Patricia J. Friedrichsen
3PATRICIA J. FRIEDRICHSEN is a Professor of Science Education in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; email: friedrichsenp@missouri.edu.
Search for other works by this author on:
Troy D. Sadler,
Troy D. Sadler
2TROY D. SADLER is Director of the ReSTEM Institute and Professor of Science Education with joint appointments in the Department of Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum and the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; email: sadlert@missouri.edu.
Search for other works by this author on:
Pamela J. B. Brown
Pamela J. B. Brown
1PAMELA J. B. BROWN is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; email brownpb@missouri.edu.
Search for other works by this author on:
The American Biology Teacher (2018) 80 (3): 214–220.
Citation
Michelle A. Williams, Patricia J. Friedrichsen, Troy D. Sadler, Pamela J. B. Brown; Modeling the Emergence of Antibiotic Resistance in Bacterial Populations. The American Biology Teacher 1 March 2018; 80 (3): 214–220. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2018.80.3.214
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.