In nature, bacteria exist in and adapt to different environments by forming microbial communities called “biofilms.” We propose simple, inquiry-based laboratory exercises utilizing a biofilm formation assay, which allows controlled biofilm growth. Students will be able to qualitatively assess biofilm growth via staining. Recently, we developed a biofilm assay exercise for a high school biology class and found success in increasing students' interest in biology and explaining ecological concepts. Because of this success, we feel that biofilm assay laboratory exercises would be an excellent addition to any science teacher's curriculum.

The discovery of a Victorian-era microscope slide tided “Grouped Flower Seeds” began an investigation into the scientific and historical background of the antique slide to develop its usefulness as a multidisciplinary tool for PowerPoint presentations usable in contemporary biology classrooms, particularly large-enrollment sections. The resultant presentation was intended to engage students in discussing historical and contemporary biology education, as well as some of the intticacies of seed biology. Comparisons between the usefulness and scope of various seed identification resources, both online and in pant, were made.

Since biomedical science has become increasingly data-intensive, acquisition of computational and quantitative skills by science students has become more important. For non-science students, an introduction to biomedical databases and their applications promotes the development of a scientifically literate population. Because typical college introductory biology laboratories do not include experiences of this type, we present a bioinformatics module that can easily be included in a 90-minute session of a biology course for both majors and nonmajors. Students completing this computational, inquiry-based module observed the value of computer-assisted analysis. The module gave students an understanding of how to read files in a biological database (GenBank) and how to use a software tool (BLAST) to mine the database.

Recent research has identified a karrikin (a butcnolide derative) known as 3-methyl-2H-furo[2,3-c]pyran-2-one, formed from burning cellulose, that stimulates seed germination. Here, I present ideas on how to investigate the influence of karrikins on seed germination in the laboratory.

The progression of the taxonomic organization of life from Linnaeus's original two kingdoms to the traditional five-kingdom system to today's widely accepted three-domain system is explored in a group-learning activity. Working with a set of organisms, students organize them into each system. Discussion after each step focuses on viewing classification schemes as hypotheses about the relatedness of organisms and how hypotheses are altered with accumulation of new data. Finally, the connection between phylogenetic trees and the hierarchal system of biological classification is emphasized by using tree-thinking to analyze the universal phylogenetic tree as the basis of the three-domain system.

The Virtual Genetics Lab II (VGLII) is an improved version of the highly successful genetics simulation software, the Virtual Genetics Lab (VGL). The software allows students to use the techniques of genetic analysis to design crosses and interpret data to solve realistic genetics problems involving a hypothetical diploid insect. This is a brief outline of the program and its new features; details are available at  http://intro.bio.umb.edu/vgl/.

Evaluating the strength of evidence in noisy data is a critical step in scientific thinking that typically relies on statistics. Students without statistical training will benefit from heuristic models that highlight the logic of statistical analysis. The likelihood associated with various coin-tossing outcomes gives students such a model. There is a point at which a majority of students will doubt the underlying fairness of a coin-tossing game, and that student-generated cutoff can be used as a critical value in a nonparametric analysis of paired data. Following this approach, student lab reports come to more closely model scientific thinking.

Predicting phenotypic outcomes from genetic crosses is often very difficult for biology students, especially those with learning disabilities. With our mathematical concept, struggling students in inclusive biology classrooms are now better equipped to solve genetic problems and predict phenotypes, because of improved understanding of dominance and recessiveness. Furthermore, this new concept has gained popularity among our dyslexic biology students who usually have difficulty in conceptualizing alleles and genes with alphabetical letters. In addition to giving these students the option of using numerical representations, this method minimizes confusion that is often caused by alphabetical representations.

The boiling point of water is 300°C higher than expected because of hydrogen bonds.