Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM
Biochemistry teaching requires many laboratory sessions where theoretical knowledge may be put on test. At the same time, there is always some risk due to exposure to toxic materials, dangerous chemicals storage and waste disposal. Compliance with new regulations to prevent environmental contaminati...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Universitat Politècnica de València
2015-02-01
|
Series: | Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/MUSE/article/view/2205 |
_version_ | 1826911487540592640 |
---|---|
author | Araceli García-del Valle María Teresa Corona-Ortega Margarita Cruz-Millán Antonia Guillermina Rojas-Fernández Miguel Aguilar-Santelises Leonor Aguila-Santelises |
author_facet | Araceli García-del Valle María Teresa Corona-Ortega Margarita Cruz-Millán Antonia Guillermina Rojas-Fernández Miguel Aguilar-Santelises Leonor Aguila-Santelises |
author_sort | Araceli García-del Valle |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Biochemistry teaching requires many laboratory sessions where theoretical knowledge may be put on test. At the same time, there is always some risk due to exposure to toxic materials, dangerous chemicals storage and waste disposal. Compliance with new regulations to prevent environmental contamination may also constitute a real hindrance for biochemistry teaching as experimental science. Therefore, we have designed microscale techniques, in order to reduce costs as well as the negative impact of laboratory practical sessions due to risk and environmental contamination. To develop microscale techniques does not only mean to reduce equipment size and amount of the reagents that are required for the usual experiments. Microscale techniques serve particularly well as a motivating approach to experimental biochemistry teaching that produces highly motivated students at the same time that requires minor costs, decreases working time, laboratory space, reagents volume and diminishes the generation of dangerous waste. We have demonstrated all these positive effects in biochemistry teaching and prompted the formal implementation of microscale techniques into the formal activities from the Cell and Tissue Biochemistry Laboratory I (BCT-I) from the Chemistry, Pharmacy and Biology (QFB) curricula at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). First, we reviewed the BCT-I manual, choosing all the laboratory practices that might be microscaled. Then, we elaborated and validated all necessary protocols to analyse linearity, accuracy and reproducibility of the determinations, demonstrating that microscale techniques allow truthful results, comparable to full scale techniques. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-23T23:04:23Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-e701c74cd8f347b5a85ab659bd0bbb7e |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2341-2593 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2025-02-17T10:15:23Z |
publishDate | 2015-02-01 |
publisher | Universitat Politècnica de València |
record_format | Article |
series | Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences |
spelling | doaj.art-e701c74cd8f347b5a85ab659bd0bbb7e2025-01-02T00:07:11ZengUniversitat Politècnica de ValènciaMultidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences2341-25932015-02-0121789110.4995/muse.2015.22052829Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAMAraceli García-del Valle0María Teresa Corona-Ortega1Margarita Cruz-Millán2Antonia Guillermina Rojas-Fernández3Miguel Aguilar-Santelises4Leonor Aguila-Santelises5Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoInstituto Politécnico NacionalUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoBiochemistry teaching requires many laboratory sessions where theoretical knowledge may be put on test. At the same time, there is always some risk due to exposure to toxic materials, dangerous chemicals storage and waste disposal. Compliance with new regulations to prevent environmental contamination may also constitute a real hindrance for biochemistry teaching as experimental science. Therefore, we have designed microscale techniques, in order to reduce costs as well as the negative impact of laboratory practical sessions due to risk and environmental contamination. To develop microscale techniques does not only mean to reduce equipment size and amount of the reagents that are required for the usual experiments. Microscale techniques serve particularly well as a motivating approach to experimental biochemistry teaching that produces highly motivated students at the same time that requires minor costs, decreases working time, laboratory space, reagents volume and diminishes the generation of dangerous waste. We have demonstrated all these positive effects in biochemistry teaching and prompted the formal implementation of microscale techniques into the formal activities from the Cell and Tissue Biochemistry Laboratory I (BCT-I) from the Chemistry, Pharmacy and Biology (QFB) curricula at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). First, we reviewed the BCT-I manual, choosing all the laboratory practices that might be microscaled. Then, we elaborated and validated all necessary protocols to analyse linearity, accuracy and reproducibility of the determinations, demonstrating that microscale techniques allow truthful results, comparable to full scale techniques.http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/MUSE/article/view/2205Biochemistry teachingMicroscale techniquesExperimental biochemistryEnvironment protection |
spellingShingle | Araceli García-del Valle María Teresa Corona-Ortega Margarita Cruz-Millán Antonia Guillermina Rojas-Fernández Miguel Aguilar-Santelises Leonor Aguila-Santelises Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM Multidisciplinary Journal for Education, Social and Technological Sciences Biochemistry teaching Microscale techniques Experimental biochemistry Environment protection |
title | Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM |
title_full | Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM |
title_fullStr | Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM |
title_full_unstemmed | Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM |
title_short | Instrumentation of Microscale Techniques for Biochemistry Teaching at FES Zaragoza, UNAM |
title_sort | instrumentation of microscale techniques for biochemistry teaching at fes zaragoza unam |
topic | Biochemistry teaching Microscale techniques Experimental biochemistry Environment protection |
url | http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/MUSE/article/view/2205 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT araceligarciadelvalle instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam AT mariateresacoronaortega instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam AT margaritacruzmillan instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam AT antoniaguillerminarojasfernandez instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam AT miguelaguilarsantelises instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam AT leonoraguilasantelises instrumentationofmicroscaletechniquesforbiochemistryteachingatfeszaragozaunam |