Hands-on, inquiry-based laboratory activities are excellent opportunities to introduce first-year undergraduate students to the lab environment and to catalyze new interest in topics they may not yet know or be as enthusiastic about studying. We describe a multisession introductory laboratory activity that couples the research areas of medicinal drug discovery and plant biology. Selecting from a diversity of native California plants and broadly recognized medicinal plants, students learn and apply an assortment of basic phytochemical assays, analyze preliminary data, and then formulate hypothesis-driven follow-up experiments. Working in small groups, students develop shared project management and collaboration skills, and present activity results to peers in multiple modalities. Furthermore, we summarize findings from 163 student experiments using 29 plant species into an Instructor’s Resource Table to facilitate guiding students through their preliminary and follow-up experiments. Lastly, we include student responses from pre- and post-activity surveys on their changing attitudes toward plant biology.
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April 2021
Research Article|
April 01 2021
Plant-Derived Drug Discovery in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course
Tatiana Kuzmenko,
Tatiana Kuzmenko
TATIANA KUZMENKO ([email protected]) is an Instructor and Laboratory Associate in the Biology Department, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
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Ashwarya Sharma,
Ashwarya Sharma
ASHWARYA SHARMA ([email protected]) is a recent biology graduate in the Biology Department, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
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Demian A. Willette
Demian A. Willette
DEMIAN A. WILLETTE ([email protected]) is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
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The American Biology Teacher (2021) 83 (4): 214–221.
Citation
Tatiana Kuzmenko, Ashwarya Sharma, Demian A. Willette; Plant-Derived Drug Discovery in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course. The American Biology Teacher 1 April 2021; 83 (4): 214–221. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2021.83.4.214
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