Abordagem integrativa na prática de bioquímica: do laboratório à clínica / Integrative approach in biochemistry practice from laboratory to clinic

Objetivou-se relatar a experiência de discentes e docentes diante da aplicação de ferramentas de metodologia ativa para a integração dos temas de Bioquímica com os das disciplinas do eixo clínico-profissional. Inicialmente, as subturmas da aula prática foram divididas em equipes de trabalho. Os alunos receberam um protocolo contendo objetivos, princípios gerais e procedimentos na semana anterior à aula prática. Nos dias das aulas de "Preparo de Soluções" e "Capacidade Tamponante", um artigo científico relativo à Odontologia foi entregue para leitura e discussão em grupo. Como atividade prática, as equipes recebiam um desafio relacionado ao artigo e que exigiria aplicação dos objetivos de aula. Esta experiência demonstrou que a metodologia ativa pode funcionar como facilitadora para uma abordagem contextualizada e integrada da Bioquímica, refletindo em maior engajamento e rendimento dos alunos, além de contribuir para um aprendizado significativo (AU).

El objetivo fue relatar la experiencia de estudiantes y profesores en cuanto a la aplicación de herramientas metodológicas activas para la integración de los temas de Bioquímica con los de las disciplinas del eje clínico-profesional. Inicialmente, las subclases de la clase práctica se dividían en equipos de trabajo. Los estudiantes recibieron un protocolo con objetivos, principios generales y procedimientos en la semana anterior a la clase práctica. En los días de las clases de "Preparación de Soluciones" y "Capacidad Amortiguadora", se entregó un artículo científico relacionado con la Odontología para lectura y discusión en grupo. Como actividad práctica, los equipos recibieron un reto relacionado con el artículo y que requería la aplicación de los objetivos de clase. Esta experiencia demostró que la metodología activa puede funcionar como facilitadora de un abordaje contextualizado e integrado de la Bioquímica, reflejándose en un mayor compromiso y desempeño de los estudiantes, además de contribuir al aprendizaje significativo (AU).

The objective was to report the experience of students and professors regarding the application of active methodology tools aimed at integrating Biochemistry themes with those of the disciplines from the clinical-professional axis. Initially, subgroups forthe practical class were divided into work teams. The students received a protocol containing objectives, general principles and procedures the week before the practical class. On the days of the "Preparation of Solutions" and "Buffering Capacity" classes, a scientific article related to Dentistry was delivered for group reading and discussion. As a practical activity, the teams received a challenge related to the article,which would require application of the class objectives. This experience demonstrated that the active methodology can work as a facilitator for a contextualized and integrated approach to Biochemistry, reflecting in greater engagement and student performance, in addition to contributing to meaningful learning (AU).

Computers, carbohydrates and cola: Designing an online lab experience for undergraduate health sciences and non-majors in a pandemic paradigm.

Colleges and educational institutions throughout the globe have adapted a pseudo-online educational model. This is also evident in health sciences courses designed for biochemical and chemical education. Biochemistry (along with general, organic and analytical) education is significant in the basic prerequisite education of undergraduate health sciences and non-majors curriculum, including a selection of human physiology and nutrition courses. Providing practical and empirical experiences for students enrolled in chemistry for health professions course is essential, even in this time of uncertainty. Here an option for a simple and safe, comprehensive virtual learning experience on carbohydrates and chemistry topics in connection with healthcare was developed by complementing an existing virtual lab collection and implementing this approach in an undergraduate health sciences (non-majors) course. Student responses to this online learning approach were recorded in a post-lab survey.

Analysis of kombucha to teach biochemical concepts and techniques to undergraduate students.

Laboratory exercises for undergraduate biochemistry students are described in which changes in sugar content during fermentation of the trendy beverage kombucha are analyzed by three methods: thin layer chromatography, a 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid assay, and a standard commercial blood glucose meter. Each of the three analyses can be completed in a typical laboratory session lasting two to three hours. The exercises are designed to reinforce concepts typically covered in an undergraduate biochemistry course as well as to teach a variety of laboratory techniques. The exercises have been used with positive results in an upper level biochemistry laboratory course for junior/senior students majoring in chemistry or biology. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(4):459-467, 2019.

Analysis of lactase in lactose intolerance supplements.

Lactase is the enzyme responsible for the digestion of the disaccharide lactose, and deficiency in this enzyme causes the prevalent medical condition lactose intolerance. Management of lactose intolerance can be achieved through the administration of lactase supplements. Lactase is an appropriate platform for advanced enzymatic study because its medical application is a motivator for student learning. The following is an upper-level biochemistry laboratory sequence that integrates student inquiry and exposure to advanced laboratory techniques. Students investigate three different lactase supplements through experimentation that includes the Bradford assay, SDS-PAGE, continuous and discontinuous kinetic assays, and zymography. Upon completion of this project, students compile their results and conclusions in a scientifically formatted paper comparing supplement protein content and activity. This safe and inexpensive laboratory project enriches student understanding of key biochemical concepts while mirroring work performed in a realistic research setting. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(6):652-662, 2018.

31 P NMR of the pyruvate kinase reaction: An undergraduate experiment in enzyme kinetics.

Understanding how to perform an enzyme assay is a critical learning skill in the undergraduate biochemistry curriculum. Students in biochemistry typically have been exposed to the use of NMR spectroscopy as a tool to determine chemical structure, but rarely are they exposed to the utility of NMR to evaluate enzyme kinetics. Furthermore, coverage of NMR experiments utilizing "alternative nuclei", such as 15 N, 19 F, and 31 P may be neglected. Herein we report a simple 31 P NMR tube experiment that allows students to examine the enzyme kinetics and equilibrium constant of the reaction catalyzed by pyruvate kinase. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):509-514, 2017.

Biochemistry in an undergraduate writing-intensive first-year program: Seminar courses in drugs and bioethics.

The College of the Holy Cross offers a universal first-year program called Montserrat, in which first-year students participate in a living-learning experience anchored by a yearlong seminar course. The seminar courses are part of a thematic cluster of four to eight courses; students in the cluster live together in a common dormitory and participate in shared co-curricular events designed to engage the entire cluster in intellectual discourse related to the theme. A two-semester seminar within the "Natural World" cluster was offered using biochemical principles as the underlying content. In the first semester, students were introduced to drug design, activity and abuse via student presentations and guided readings on ethnobotany, drug laws, drug use in religion, and prescription drug costs. In the second semester, students discussed primary readings in ethics followed by case study analyses of assisted reproduction technologies, informed consent, genetic privacy, performance enhancing drugs and genetically modified organisms. Student learning outcomes were evaluated via rubrics and a College-facilitated survey.

Over the counter drugs (and dietary supplement) exercise: a team-based introduction to biochemistry for health professional students.

For successful delivery of basic science topics for health-professional students, it is critical to reduce apprehension and illustrate relevance to clinical settings and everyday life. At the beginning of the Biochemistry course for Physician Assistants, a team-based assignment was designed to develop an understanding of the mechanism of action, effectiveness, and toxicity of five common over the counter (OTC) drugs and dietary supplements, and place these familiar medicines in a political and historical context. The objectives of this exercise were to stimulate interest in biochemistry; to provide basic information on enzymes and enzyme inhibitors related to these drugs to be expanded upon later in the course; and to encourage active and interactive learning. Teams of five students were formed, and each student was given an information sheet on aspirin, alpha-galactosidase, orlistat, dextromethorphan, or simvastatin, a low dose statin, which was previously available without prescription at pharmacies in the UK. After each member of the team acquired information on one OTC drug/dietary supplement by reading an assigned information sheet, the team was asked to go through a series of questions, and then submit answers to a quiz as a group. A high rate of success on the quiz, an overwhelmingly positive response on formal course evaluations, and enthusiastic exchanges during class suggested this team-based session accomplished its goals.

Formulation of multiple choice questions as a revision exercise at the end of a teaching module in biochemistry.

The graduate medical students often get less opportunity for clarifying their doubts and to reinforce their concepts after lecture classes. Assessment of the effect of MCQ preparation by graduate medical students as a revision exercise on the topic "Mineral metabolism." At the end of regular teaching module on the topic "Mineral metabolism," graduate medical students were asked to prepare the stems of 15 MCQs based on the four discriminators given for each. They were told that one of the discriminators could be the answer for the MCQ and the remaining three could be the distracters. They were further guided in their task by providing few key word(s) in the stem of the expected MCQ. In the first phase of the exercise, the students attempted the MCQ preparation individually without peer consultation. In the second phase, the students participated in small group discussion to formulate the best MCQs of the group. The effects on low, medium, and high achievers were evaluated by pre and post-tests with the same set of MCQs. Both the individual endeavor in Phase 1 and small group discussion in Phase 2 for the formulation of MCQs significantly contributed to the gain from the exercise. The gains from the individual task and from small group discussion were equal among the different categories of students. Both phases of the exercise were equally beneficial for the low, medium, and high achievers. The high and medium achievers retained the gain from the exercise even after 1 week of the exercise whereas the low achievers could not retain the gain completely. Formulation of MCQs is an effective and useful unconventional revision exercise in Biochemistry for graduate medical students.

Proyectos Fisioma / Physione projects

Los proyectos fisioma están siendo desarrollados por diversa organizaciones y comunidades internacionales. Proponen innovadores enfoques investigativos, formas de organización y utilización de recursos para comprender integralmente, como sistemas, al ser humano y otros eucariotas, desde la concepción hasta la muerte, desde los genes hasta los organismos, a través de multiples escalas de espacio (rango: 10 elevado a 9 en la escala métrica), tiempo (rango: 3 x 10 elevado a 15 en segundos) y organización (moléculas, células, tejidos, organos, organismos). Se pone gran énfasis en el uso de modelos matemáticos/computacionales como herramientas para la integración del conocimiento, la experimentación virtual in sílico, el trabajo colaborativo de numerosos grupos multidisciplinarios internacionales, la creación de grandes bases de datos, ontologías, lenguajes estandarizados, metodologías, infraestructura, repositorios de instrumentos de trabajo; el entrenamiento de nuevos investigadores interdisciplinarios, el desarrollo de organizaciones y comunidades para obtener apoyo financiero, considerar aspectos éticos y legales, validar los modelos, facilitar la aplicación de resultados en la clínica, en la industria, en la enseñanza de los profesionales y en la educación del público, con el fin de maximizar los beneficios sociales. Presentamos el proyecto Fisioma de la Union Internacional de Ciencias Fisiológicas (UICF), y el "Humano Fisiológico Virtual", Eurofisioma, apoyado por la Union Europea. Mencionamos otros proyectos relacionados.

Physiome projects are being developed by several international organizations and communities. They propose innovative approaches to research, organization and resourse allocation aiming to fully understand, as systems, the human being and other eukaryotes, from conception to death, from genes to organisms, through multiple scales of space, time and organization (molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms). Great emphasis is placed in the of mathematical/computational modeling, in silico experimentation, international collaborative multidisciplinary work; the creation and share of large data bases, antologies standard languages, methodologies. infrastructures, tools; the training of new interdisciplinary investigators. New organizations are being developed to get funding, to consider ethical and legal aspects, to validate models, to facilitate the application of results from basic research to clinical practice, industry and education of professionals and the general public, in order to maximize social benefits. We will consider the Physiome Projects of the International Union Physiological Sciences (IUPS) and the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH), Europhysiome, supported by the European Union. Other related projects are mentioned.

Admission characteristics and academic performance of podiatric and osteopathic medical students at Des Moines University.

BACKGROUND: Podiatric and osteopathic medical students at Des Moines University take the same basic science medical curriculum. The first course students complete is medical biochemistry. The final common course is the second-year medical pharmacology course. Attrition typically occurs between these academic offerings. We sought to compare admissions data, retention rates, and academic performance between these two groups of medical students for the classes of 2008 to 2011. METHODS: Average admission scores, performance scores for the biochemistry and medical pharmacology courses, and retention rates for the 2008 to 2011 classes were obtained from the registrar and enrollment offices. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the scores of the two cohorts. Linear regression was used to identify changes across time. RESULTS: The DO students showed significantly better performance than the DPM students in matriculating overall and science grade point averages, total Medical College Admissions Test scores, retention rates, and the medical biochemistry course (P < .01). There was no difference in the performance of the student groups in the medical pharmacology course. The DPM student scores across the four classes increased for both academic courses, whereas the DO student scores remained at the same level for medical biochemistry, at a rate of 0.74% per year (R(2) = 0.50), and pharmacology, at a rate of 0.90% per year (R(2) = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Admissions data and initial academic performance of osteopathic medical students were higher than those of podiatric medical students. Once attrition occurred in year 1, the difference in academic performance between these groups of students was no longer statistically significant, and students in both medical programs at that time in the curriculum are equally academically qualified.

Memories: from protein synthesis to photosynthesis.

Emphasis herein is on the early years of my scientific life, primarily in graduate school and at the McCollum-Pratt Institute, Johns Hopkins University, as techniques learned and research performed then became the basis for future scientific endeavors. Studies on the mechanism of conversion of light energy into chemical free energy were a logical consequence of earlier investigations on enzyme-catalyzed hydrogen transfer reactions and pyridine nucleotide coenzyme biochemistry. Identification of several protein factors involved in pyridine nucleotide reduction by illuminated chloroplasts is described and, hopefully, adequately and honestly referenced to complementary research in other laboratories. Coupled with progress were changes in nomenclature of the protein factors and are so noted. In particular, David Wharton proposed the descriptive name, ferredoxin, for the non-heme iron and labile sulfide-containing proteins which serve as redox cofactors in a variety of energy conserving reactions. The inclusion of "Lessons" is adapted from Efraim Racker (1976, A new look at mechanisms in bioenergetics. Academic Press, NY). They are lessons that I learned and are included herein solely for graduate students.