Authentic Research in the Classroom Increases Appreciation for Plants in Undergraduate Biology Students.

Engaging students in authentic research increases student knowledge, develops STEM skills, such as data analysis and scientific communication, and builds community. Creating authentic research opportunities in plant biology might be particularly crucial in addressing plant awareness disparity (PAD) (formerly known as plant blindness), producing graduates with botanical literacy, and preparing students for plant-focused careers. Our consortium created four CUREs (course-based undergraduate research experiences) focused on dual themes of plant biology and global change, designed to be utilized by early and late-career undergraduates across a variety of educational settings. We implemented these CURES for four semesters, in a total of 15 courses, at four institutions. Pre- and post-course assessments used the Affective Elements of Science Learning Questionnaire and parts of a "plant blindness" instrument to quantify changes in scientific self-efficacy, science values, scientific identity, and plant awareness or knowledge. The qualitative assessment also queried self-efficacy, science values, and scientific identity. Data revealed significant and positive shifts in awareness of and interest in plants across institutions. However, quantitative gains in self-efficacy and scientific identity were only found at two of four institutions tested. This project demonstrates that implementing plant CUREs can produce affective and cognitive gains across institutional types and course levels. Focusing on real-world research questions that capture students' imaginations and connect to their sense of place could create plant awareness while anchoring students in scientific identities. While simple interventions can alleviate PAD, implementing multiple CUREs per course, or focusing more on final CURE products, could promote larger and more consistent gains in student affect across institutions.

Computational microscopy: Revealing molecular mechanisms in plants using molecular dynamics simulations.

plantcell;31/12/tpc.119.tt1219/FIG1F1fig1Structural biology has provided valuable insights and high-resolution views of the biophysical processes in plants, such as photosynthesis, hormone signaling, nutrient transport, and toxin efflux. However, structural biology only provides a few "snapshots" of protein structure, whereas in vivo, protein function involves complex dynamical processes such as ligand binding and conformational changes that structures alone are unable to capture in full detail. Here, we present all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as a "computational microscope" that can be used to capture detailed structural and dynamical information about the molecular machinery in plants and gain high-resolution insights into plant growth and function. In addition to the background information provided here, we have prepared a set of tutorials that allow students to run and explore MD simulations of plant proteins.(Posted December 10, 2019)Click HERE to access Teaching Tools ComponentsRECOMMENDED CITATION STYLE:Feng, J., Chen, J., Selvam, B., and Shukla, D. (December 10, 2019). Computational microscopy: Revealing molecular mechanisms in plants using molecular dynamics simulations. Teaching Tools in Plant Biology: Lecture Notes. The Plant Cell (online), doi/ /10.1105/tpc.tt1219.

Computational image analysis for microscopy (by Adrienne Roeder).

plantcell;31/10/tpc.119.tt0819/FIG1F1fig1The age of big data includes sophisticated imaging datasets. Computational image processing is essential for extracting quantitative information from these large image datasets. Computer scientists have been working for decades to build image analysis tools. It is critical for biologists to understand the concepts in image processing so that they can communicate with computer scientists in designing image processing pipelines and applying these tools to their own images. We focus on microscopy images, but the principles apply to other types of images as well. Furthermore, it is important to understand what manipulations are appropriate in preparing images for publication, what manipulations must be disclosed in the methods and the figure legends, and what manipulations are unacceptable. Here we introduce computational image analysis concepts and terms and illustrate them with Fiji and the COSTANZA (COnfocal STack ANalyZer) plugin. We provide a step by step, hands-on workshop with a sample image so that students can try some of these functions themselves.(Posted September xx, 2019)Click HERE to access Teaching Tool ComponentsRECOMMENDED CITATION STYLE:Roeder, A. (September xx, 2019). Computational image analysis for microscopy. Teaching Tools in Plant Biology. The Plant Cell doi/ 10.1105/tpc.119.tt0819.

Finding the Gaps: An Assessment of Concepts, Skills, and Employer Expectations for Plant Pathology Foundational Courses.

Foundational plant pathology courses, taught at the undergraduate level, serve students from a wide array of disciplines, and for most will be the only plant pathology course taken. This work examined the content, skills, and delivery modes of undergraduate plant pathology courses at a national scale, and assessed employer expectations for these courses and for students entering the workforce with degrees in plant science-related disciplines. While content knowledge coverage among plant pathology courses was generally consistent and aligned well with employers' knowledge expectations, delivery modes and skill development components were more variable and less aligned. Significant gaps were found between skills expected by employers and those emphasized by instructors, particularly in the areas of general laboratory skills (e.g., media preparation, molecular techniques, microscopy, and competence with other lab equipment) and recognition of plant problems that are not caused by pathogens. Employers also emphasized the value of (and frequent lack of) critical soft skills, such as teamwork, adaptability, communication, writing, and critical thinking. Results of this study will provide a foundation for course and curriculum development and evaluations. Recommendations are also discussed for enhanced interactions among educators and employers outside of academia.

Genetics of Floral Development (By Christine Fleet).

Summaryplantcell;29/11/tpc.117.tt1117/FIG1F1fig1A basic model for floral organ identity has been developed using model systems such as Arabidopsis thaliana, snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), and petunia (Petunia hybrida). In this model, different combinations of proteins known as ABCDE proteins, mostly MADS-domain transcription factors, activate the transcription of target genes to specify the identity of each whorl of floral organs. Changes in the regulation or activation of these target genes contribute to the wide variety of floral forms that we see within and across species. In addition, duplications and divergence of these genes in different groups of flowering plants have resulted in differences in gene function and expression patterns, contributing to differences in flower form across species. Posted December 8, 2017.Click HERE to access Teaching Tool Components.

Assessment of Nutrition Competency of Graduating Agriculture Students in Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of nutrition-sensitive agriculture competencies of graduating midlevel animal and plant sciences students in Ethiopia and identify factors associated with the attainment of competencies. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study design using structured skills observation checklists, objective written questions, and structured questionnaires was employed. SETTING: Two agriculture technical vocational education and training colleges in the 2 regions of Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 145 students were selected using stratified random sampling techniques from a population of 808 students with the response rate of 93%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nutrition-sensitive agriculture competency (knowledge and skills attributes) of graduating students. ANALYSIS: Bivariate and multivariable statistical analyses were used to examine the association between the variables of students' gender, age, department, institutional ownership, and perception of learning environment and their performance in nutrition competency. RESULTS: Combined scores showed that 49% of students demonstrated mastery of nutrition competencies. Gender and institutional ownership were associated with the performance of students (P < .001); male students and students at a federal institution performed better. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The study showed low performance of students in nutrition competency and suggested the need for strengthening the curriculum, building tutors' capacity, and providing additional support to female students and regional colleges.

Undergraduates achieve learning gains in plant genetics through peer teaching of secondary students.

This study tests the hypothesis that undergraduates who peer teach genetics will have greater understanding of genetic and molecular biology concepts as a result of their teaching experiences. Undergraduates enrolled in a non-majors biology course participated in a service-learning program in which they led middle school (MS) or high school (HS) students through a case study curriculum to discover the cause of a green tomato variant. The curriculum explored plant reproduction and genetic principles, highlighting variation in heirloom tomato fruits to reinforce the concept of the genetic basis of phenotypic variation. HS students were taught additional activities related to mole-cular biology techniques not included in the MS curriculum. We measured undergraduates' learning outcomes using pre/postteaching content assessments and the course final exam. Undergraduates showed significant gains in understanding of topics related to the curriculum they taught, compared with other course content, on both types of assessments. Undergraduates who taught HS students scored higher on questions specific to the HS curriculum compared with undergraduates who taught MS students, despite identical lecture content, on both types of assessments. These results indicate the positive effect of service-learning peer-teaching experiences on undergraduates' content knowledge, even for non-science major students.

High school students' learning and perceptions of phylogenetics of flowering plants.

Basic phylogenetics and associated "tree thinking" are often minimized or excluded in formal school curricula. Informal settings provide an opportunity to extend the K-12 school curriculum, introducing learners to new ideas, piquing interest in science, and fostering scientific literacy. Similarly, university researchers participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach activities increase awareness of college and career options and highlight interdisciplinary fields of science research and augment the science curriculum. To aid in this effort, we designed a 6-h module in which students utilized 12 flowering plant species to generate morphological and molecular phylogenies using biological techniques and bioinformatics tools. The phylogenetics module was implemented with 83 high school students during a weeklong university STEM immersion program and aimed to increase student understanding of phylogenetics and coevolution of plants and pollinators. Student response reflected positive engagement and learning gains as evidenced through content assessments, program evaluation surveys, and program artifacts. We present the results of the first year of implementation and discuss modifications for future use in our immersion programs as well as in multiple course settings at the high school and undergraduate levels.