Categorizing Student Learning about Research, Nature of Science, and Poster Presentation in a Workshop-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

This article examines student experiences in a workshop-based undergraduate research experience studying the activity and inhibition of salivary amylase that provides students with the chance to participate in authentic scientific research prior to the start of their undergraduate studies, following the structure of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE). Understanding student experiences at this point in their studies is important because research experiences at the beginning of university studies have been shown to increase retention in STEM. This study utilizes meaningful learning and situated cognition as theoretical frameworks and phenomenography as a methodological framework, applied to data from semi-structured interviews with six students. The student experiences were characterized as an outcome space detailing the degree of their meaningful learning with respect to their understanding of the research process, nature of science, and the poster creation and presentation process. The findings highlight that meaningful learning is achieved when research is connected to students' personal lives and/or future job interests. The research process and nature of science must also be made explicit to students by emphasizing the iterative nature of research and highlighting distinctions between science and non-science fields. All participating students displayed an understanding that anyone can partake in science anywhere. Implications for building on this work to develop an understanding of students' sense of belonging and self-identity are also discussed.

Exploring Electrosynthesis: Bulk Electrolysis and Cyclic Voltammetry Analysis of the Shono Oxidation

As electrochemistry continues to gain broader acceptance and use within the organic chemistry community, it is important that advanced undergraduate students are exposed to fundamental and practical knowledge of electrochemical applications for chemical synthesis. Herein, we describe the development of an undergraduate laboratory experience that introduces synthetic and analytical electrochemistry concepts to an advanced organic chemistry class. Experiments focus on the electrooxidative α-functionalization of carbamates, more generally known as the Shono oxidation, and include cyclic voltammetry analysis of two cyclic carbamates and a constant current bulk electrolysis reaction. The exercise offers students an authentic experience in organic electrochemistry, lays a practical and theoretical foundation for future engagement with concepts in electrochemistry and redox chemistry, and strengthens fundamental organic chemistry skills.

A Multidisciplinary Experiment to Characterize Antifouling Biocompatible Interfaces via Quantification of Surface Protein Adsorption

Novel biomaterial development is a rapidly growing field that is crucial because biomaterial fouling, due to rapid and irreversible protein adsorption, leads to cellular responses and potentially detrimental consequences such as surface thrombosis, biofilm formation, or inflammation. Therefore, biomaterial technology's fundamentals, like material biocompatibility, are critical in undergraduate education. Exposing undergraduate students to biomaterials and biomedical engineering through interdisciplinary experiments allows them to integrate knowledge from different fields to analyze multidisciplinary results. In this practical laboratory experiment, undergraduate students will characterize surface properties (contact and sliding angle measurements) for the antifouling polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer using a goniometer and a smartphone, as well as quantify protein adsorption on antifouling surfaces via a colorimetric assay kit to develop their understanding of antifouling surface characteristics, UV-vis spectroscopy, and colorimetric assays. The antifouling PDMS polymer is prepared by silicone oil infusion and compared to untreated control PDMS. The polymer hydrophobicity was demonstrated by static water contact angles of ~99° and 102° for control and antifouling PDMS surfaces, respectively. The control PDMS sliding angle (>90°) was significantly reduced to 9° after antifouling preparation. After 24 h incubation of polymer samples in a 200 mg/mL bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution, the surface adsorbed BSA was quantified using a colorimetric assay. The adsorbed protein on the fouling PDMS controls (29.1 ± 7.0 μg/cm²) was reduced by ~79% on the antifouling PDMS surface (6.2 ± 0.9 μg/cm²). Students will gain experience in materials science, biomedical engineering, chemistry, and biology concepts and better understand the influence of material properties on biological responses for biomaterial interfaces.

Incorporating LC-MS/MS Analysis and the Dereplication of Natural Product Samples into an Upper-Division Undergraduate Laboratory Course

Growth in the biomedical and biotechnology sectors requires a highly trained and highly skilled workforce to answer the next great scientific questions. Undergraduate laboratory courses incorporating hands-on training based in authentic research position soon-to-be graduates to learn in environments that mirror that of academic, industrial, and government laboratories. Mass spectrometry is one of the most broadly applied analyses carried out in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and thus it is essential that upper-division students gain hands-on experience in techniques and analytical workflows in mass spectrometry. Our pre-course assessments identified weaknesses in student experience and knowledge in the fundamentals of mass spectrometry, supporting that it was a necessary area for improvement. We incorporated a laboratory experiment focused on tandem mass spectrometry and database searching into a preexisting mini-semester project devoted to identifying metabolites from medicinal plants. Implementation of the experiment allowed students to make more confident metabolite identifications, introduced them to a cutting-edge database analysis platform (GNPS: Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking), and increased student experience and knowledge of mass spectrometry in addition to the principle of dereplication of samples derived from nature.

Linking Chemistry to Community: Integration of Culturally Responsive Teaching into General Chemistry I Laboratory in a Remote Setting

The COVID-19 pandemic redefined how chemistry laboratories were taught. It also introduced a racial health disparity for Black and Brown people. The General Chemistry I laboratory curriculum at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD, was redesigned to meet student needs during this challenging time. While surrounded by civil unrest and uncertainty, we wanted to reach our underrepresented students in a way that they felt seen and heard. "The Mystery of Mr. Johnson" series was designed to reinforce the role chemistry can serve in advancing equity in their community. This interconnected series of three experiments (Solutions, Titration, Spectroscopy) developed chemistry laboratory skills which were applied to diabetes, a COVID-19 comorbidity, and health disparity highly prevalent in Baltimore. "The Mystery of Mr. Johnson" series provided opportunities for students to gain exposure to the role of chemistry in addressing a health disparity that impacts their community. The culminating project was a public service announcement to communicate lifestyle changes and the prevalence of diabetes in the black community.

Fragment-Based Ligand Discovery Using Protein-Observed 19F NMR: A Second Semester Organic Chemistry CURE Project

Curriculum-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to increase student retention in STEM fields and are starting to become more widely adopted in chemistry curricula. Here we describe a 10-week CURE that is suitable for a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory course. Students synthesize small molecules and use protein-observed ¹⁹F (PrOF) NMR to assess the small molecule's binding affinity to a target protein. The research project introduced students to multistep organic synthesis, structure-activity relationship studies, quantitative biophysical measurements (measuring K_d from PrOF NMR experiments), and scientific literacy. Docking experiments could be added to help students understand how changes in a ligand structure may affect binding to a protein. Assessment using the CURE survey indicates self-perceived skill gains from the course that exceed gains measured in a traditional and an inquiry-based laboratory experience. Given the speed of the binding experiment and the alignment of the synthetic methods with a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory course, a PrOF NMR fragment-based ligand discovery lab can be readily implemented in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum.

Using NMR Spectroscopy To Measure Protein Binding Capacity on Gold Nanoparticles

A simple one-dimensional 1H NMR experiment that quantifies protein bound to gold nanoparticles has been developed for upper-division biochemistry and physical chemistry students. This laboratory experiment teaches the basics of NMR techniques, which is a highly effective tool in protein studies and supports students to understand the concepts of NMR spectroscopy and nanoparticle-protein interactions. Understanding the interactions of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with biological macromolecules is becoming increasingly important as interest in the clinical use of nanoparticles has been on the rise. Applications in drug delivery, biosensing, diagnostics, and enhanced imaging are all tangible possibilities with a better understanding of AuNP-protein interactions. The ability to use AuNPs as biosensors for drug delivery methods in cellular uptake is dependent on the amount of protein that is able to bind to the surface of the nanoparticle. This laboratory experiment solidifies concepts such as quantitative NMR spectroscopy while reinforcing precision laboratory titrations. Students learn how 1H proton NMR spectra can be used to measure free protein in solution and protein bound to AuNPs. A simple formula is used to determine the binding capacity of the nanoparticle. This analysis helps students to understand the impact of nanoparticle-protein interactions, and it allows them to conceptualize macromolecular binding using NMR spectroscopy.

Implementing a Hybrid Expression Method That Allows Upper-Division Biochemistry Lab Students To Engage in a Full Protein Production Experience While Allowing Ample Time for Characterization Experiments

Protein structure, function, and signaling are a large portion of biochemistry. Because of this, proteins are often used as model systems in biochemistry laboratory courses, where a course-long project might comprise protein expression, purification, and characterization. Two common protein expression methods are isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction, which utilizes easy-to-make media but requires extensive cell-growth monitoring that is time-intensive, and autoinduction, which employs multicomponent media that are time-consuming to make but require no cell-growth monitoring. A protein expression method that is a hybrid of IPTG induction and autoinduction is presented. The hybrid method utilizes the medium of IPTG induction and the no-cell-growth-monitoring induction process of autoinduction, saving hands-on time in the protein expression phase to allow more time for protein characterization while still having students execute each step.

Breaking Amide C-N Bonds in an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

An undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory experiment involving the breakage of amide C-N bonds is reported. Whereas amides are typically considered stable species due to well-established resonance effects, this experiment allows students to cleave the amide C-N bond in a nickel-catalyzed esterification process. Moreover, students perform the experiment on the benchtop using a commercially available paraffin wax capsule containing the necessary nickel precatalyst and N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. The laboratory procedure introduces students to several modern topics in organic chemistry that are not otherwise well-represented in typical undergraduate organic chemistry curricula, such as amide bond cleavage, transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, and nonprecious-metal catalysis.

Introducing Engineering Design and Materials Science at an Earlier Age through Ceramic Cold Casting

Elementary and middle school science curriculums typically focus on generating an interest in science and engineering through the use of hands-on activities that demonstrate specific concepts. Laboratory activities designed in this manner often circumvent some of the main challenges that engineers and scientists face, namely balancing advantages and disadvantages for a variety of potential solutions to solve a specific problem. This activity was designed to show students that different solutions for a given problem can exist, and engineers must manage priorities when choosing the best solution. This laboratory involves cold casting ceramics slurries with varying viscosities into a mold. The resulting casts have a varying final density, controlled by the initial viscosity. Students are presented with different outcome measures regarding the objects they cast: ease of manufacturing, cost, aesthetics, and mechanical properties. Based on the laboratory design, no single cast will perform the best in any of these categories. The students are then asked to choose the best mold, and justify their answers based on the initial problem presented to them by balancing which outcome measures they consider to be important for solving this specific problem. This laboratory teaches basic science concepts like viscosity and density, while addressing common industrial manufacturing issues, such as cost and ease of manufacturing. Through a combination of these features, this laboratory introduces engineering and design concepts using the scientific method to students at an earlier age.

Quantifying Protein Concentrations Using Smartphone Colorimetry: A New Method for an Established Test

Proteins are involved in nearly every biological process, which makes them of interest to a range of scientists. Previous work has shown that hand-held cameras can be used to determine the concentration of colored analytes in solution, and this paper extends the approach to reactions involving a color change in order to quantify protein concentration (e.g., green to blue). Herein, we describe the successful use of smartphone colorimetry to quantify protein concentration using two common colorimetric biochemical methods, the Bradford and biuret assays. The ease of the experimental setup makes these lab experiments accessible to a wide range of students and can be used as both high school and college level laboratory experiments.

Supplemental Learning in the Laboratory: An Innovative Approach for Evaluating Knowledge and Method Transfer

The Multi-Rule Quality Control System (MRQCS) is a tool currently employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate and compare laboratory performance. We have applied the MRQCS to a comparison of instructor and computer-led pre-laboratory lectures for a supplemental learning experiment. Students in general chemistry and analytical chemistry from both two- and four-year institutions performed two laboratory experiments as part of their normal laboratory curriculum. The first laboratory experiment was a foundational learning experiment in which all the students were introduced to Beer-Lambert's Law and spectrophotometric light absorbance measurements. The foundational learning experiment was instructor-led only, and participant performance was evaluated against a mean characterized value. The second laboratory experiment was a supplemental learning experiment in which students were asked to build upon the methodology they learned in the foundational learning experiment and apply it to a different analyte. The instruction type was varied randomly into two delivery modes, participants receiving either instructor-led or computer-led pre-laboratory instruction. The MRQCS was applied and determined that no statistical difference was found to exist in the QC (quality control) passing rates between the participants in the instructor-led instruction and the participants in the computer-led instruction. These findings demonstrate the successful application of the MRQCS to evaluate knowledge and technology transfer.

Utilizing Mechanistic Cross-Linking Technology to Study Protein-Protein Interactions: An Experiment Designed for an Undergraduate Biochemistry Lab

Over the past decade, mechanistic crosslinking probes have been used to study protein-protein interactions in natural product biosynthetic pathways. This approach is highly interdisciplinary, combining elements of protein biochemistry, organic chemistry, and computational docking. The development of an experiment to engage undergraduate students in multidisciplinary research is described that leverages mechanistic crosslinking probes to study protein conformations and protein-protein interactions. This experiment provides students with a platform to learn chemoenzymatic synthesis, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, biochemical assays, and computational docking all while exploring a contemporary biochemical topic.

Kinetics and Photochemistry of Ruthenium Bisbipyridine Diacetonitrile Complexes: An Interdisciplinary Inorganic and Physical Chemistry Laboratory Exercise

The study of ruthenium polypyridyl complexes can be widely applied across disciplines in the undergraduate curriculum. Ruthenium photochemistry has advanced many fields including dye-sensitized solar cells, photoredox catalysis, light-driven water oxidation, and biological electron transfer. Equally promising are ruthenium polypyridyl complexes that provide a sterically bulky, photolabile moiety for transiently "caging" biologically active molecules. Photouncaging involves the use of visible (1-photon) or near-IR (2-photon) light to break one or more bonds between ruthenium and coordinated ligand(s), which can occur on short time scales and in high quantum yields. In this work we demonstrate the use of a model "caged" acetonitrile complex, Ru(2,2'-bipyridine)₂(acetonitrile)₂, or RuMeCN in an advanced synthesis and physical chemistry laboratory. Students made RuMeCN in an advanced synthesis laboratory course and performed UV-vis spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The following semester students investigated RuMeCN photolysis kinetics in a physical chemistry laboratory. These two exercises may also be combined to create a 2-week module in an advanced undergraduate laboratory course.

An Inexpensive, Open-Source USB Arduino Data Acquisition Device for Chemical Instrumentation

Many research and teaching labs rely on USB data acquisition devices to collect voltage signals from instrumentation. However, these devices can be cost-prohibitive (especially when large numbers are needed for teaching labs) and require software to be developed for operation. In this article, we describe the development and use of an open-source USB data acquisition device (with 16-bit acquisition resolution) built using simple electronic components and an Arduino Uno that costs under $50. Additionally, open-source software written in Python is included so that data can be acquired using nearly any PC or Mac computer with a simple USB connection. Use of the device was demonstrated for a sophomore-level analytical experiment using GC and a CE-UV separation on an instrument used for research purposes.

Synthesis of a Fluorescent Acridone using a Grignard Addition, Oxidation, and Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution Reaction Sequence

A three-pot synthesis oriented for an undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory was developed to construct a fluorescent acridone molecule. This laboratory experiment utilizes Grignard addition to an aldehyde, alcohol oxidation, and iterative nucleophilic aromatic substitution steps to produce the final product. Each of the intermediates and the acridone product of the synthesis are analyzed by common techniques available in most undergraduate chemistry laboratories, such as melting point, TLC, IR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Yields for each transformation in the synthesis are generally moderately low to good (20-90%) and nearly all of the students (>90%) who attempted the synthesis were able to produce the final acridone product.

Nickel-Catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling in a Green Alcohol Solvent for an Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Laboratory

A modern undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory experiment involving the Suzuki-Miyaura coupling is reported. Although Suzuki-Miyaura couplings typically employ palladium catalysts in environmentally harmful solvents, this experiment features the use of inexpensive nickel catalysis, in addition to a "green" alcohol solvent. The experiment employs heterocyclic substrates, which are important pharmaceutical building blocks. Thus, this laboratory procedure exposes students to a variety of contemporary topics in organic chemistry, including transition metal-catalyzed cross-couplings, green chemistry, and the importance of heterocycles in drug discovery, none of which are well represented in typical undergraduate organic chemistry curricula. The experimental protocol uses commercially available reagents and is useful in both organic and inorganic instructional laboratories.

Assembly of a Cost-Effective Anode Using Palladium Nanoparticles for Alkaline Fuel Cell Applications

Nanotechnology allows the synthesis of nanoscale catalysts, which offer an efficient alternative for fuel cell applications. In this laboratory experiment, the student selects a cost-effective anode for fuel cells by comparing three different working electrodes. These are commercially available palladium (Pd) and glassy carbon (GC) electrodes, and a carbon paste (CP) electrode that is prepared by the students in the laboratory. The GC and CP were modified with palladium nanoparticles (PdNP) suspensions. The electrodes efficiencies were studied for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution using cyclic voltammetry techniques. The ethanol oxidation currents obtained were used to determine the current density using the geometric and surface area of each electrode. Finally, students were able to choose the best electrode and relate catalytic activity to surface area for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solution by completing a critical analysis of the cyclic voltammetry results. With this activity, fundamental electrochemical concepts were reinforced.

Undergraduate Laboratory Module for Implementing ELISA on the High Performance Microfluidic Platform

Implementing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in microchannels offers several advantages over its traditional microtiter plate-based format, including a reduced sample volume requirement, shorter incubation period, and greater sensitivity. Moreover, microfluidic ELISA platforms are inexpensive to fabricate and allow integration of analytical procedures, such as sample preconcentration, that further enhance the performance of the immunoassay. In view of the scientific potential of microfluidic ELISAs, inclusion of this technique into an undergraduate curriculum is valuable in preparing the next generation of scientists and engineers. Here, an experimental module is presented for this immunoassay method that can be completed in an undergraduate laboratory setting within two 3-h periods (including all incubation and data analyses procedures) using only a microliter of sample and reagents per assay. In addition to acquainting students with the microfluidic technology, the reported module provides training in quantitating ELISAs using the kinetic format of the assay. Furthermore, it offers a useful educational tool for introducing undergraduates to basic image analysis techniques, as well as signal-to-noise ratio and limit of detection calculations that are valuable in characterizing any analytical method.

Dual Studies on a Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange of Resorcinol and the Subsequent Kinetic Isotope Effect

An efficient laboratory experiment has been developed for undergraduate students to conduct hydrogen-deuterium (H-D) exchange of resorcinol by electrophilic aromatic substitution using D₂O and a catalytic amount of H₂SO₄. The resulting labeled product is characterized by ¹H NMR. Students also visualize a significant kinetic isotope effect (k_H/k_D ≈ 3 to 4) by adding iodine tincture to solutions of unlabeled resorcinol and the H-D exchange product. This method is highly adaptable to fit a target audience and has been successfully implemented in a pedagogical capacity with second-year introductory organic chemistry students as part of their laboratory curriculum. It was also adapted for students at the advanced high school level.

Microfluidics for High School Chemistry Students

We present a laboratory experiment that introduces high school chemistry students to microfluidics while teaching fundamental properties of acid-base chemistry. The procedure enables students to create microfluidic systems using nonspecialized equipment that is available in high school classrooms and reagents that are safe, inexpensive, and commercially available. The experiment is designed to ignite creativity and confidence about experimental design in a high school chemistry class. This experiment requires a computer program (e.g., PowerPoint), Shrinky Dink film, a readily available silicone polymer, weak acids, bases, and a colorimetric pH indicator. Over the span of five 45-min class periods, teams of students design and prepare devices in which two different pH solutions mix in a predictable way to create five different pH solutions. Initial device designs are instructive but rarely optimal. During two additional half-class periods, students have the opportunity to use their initial observations to redesign their microfluidic systems to optimize the outcome. The experiment exposes students to cutting-edge science and the design process, and solidifies introductory chemistry concepts including laminar flow, neutralization of weak acids-bases, and polymers.

A Research Module for the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Multistep Synthesis of a Fluorous Dye Molecule

A multi-session research-like module has been developed for use in the undergraduate organic teaching laboratory curriculum. Students are tasked with planning and executing the synthesis of a novel fluorous dye molecule and using it to explore a fluorous affinity chromatography separation technique, which is the first implementation of this technique in a teaching laboratory. Key elements of the project include gradually introducing students to the use of the chemical literature to facilitate their searching, as well as deliberate constraints designed to force them to think critically about reaction design and optimization in organic chemistry. The project also introduces students to some advanced laboratory practices such as Schlenk techniques, degassing of reaction mixtures, affinity chromatography, and microwave-assisted chemistry. This provides students a teaching laboratory experience that closely mirrors authentic synthetic organic chemistry practice in laboratories throughout the world.

Case-Study Investigation of Equine Maternity via PCR-RFLP: A Biochemistry Laboratory Experiment

A simple and robust biochemistry laboratory experiment is described that uses restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products to verify the identity of a potentially valuable horse. During the first laboratory period, students purify DNA from equine samples and amplify two loci of mitochondrial DNA. During the second laboratory period, students digest PCR products with restriction enzymes and analyze the fragment sizes through agarose gel electrophoresis. An optional step of validating DNA extracts through realtime PCR can expand the experiment to three weeks. This experiment, which has an engaging and versatile scenario, provides students with exposure to key principles and techniques of molecular biology, bioinformatics, and evolution in a forensic context.

Introductory Chemistry: A Molar Relaxivity Experiment in the High School Classroom

Dotarem and Magnevist, two clinically available magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, were assessed in a high school science classroom with respect to which is the better contrast agent. Magnevist, the more efficacious contrast agent, has negative side effects because its gadolinium center can escape from its ligand. However, Dotarem, though a less efficacious contrast agent, is a safer drug choice. After the experiment, students are confronted with the FDA warning on Magnevist, which enabled a discussion of drug efficacy versus safety. We describe a laboratory experiment in which NMR spin lattice relaxation rate measurements are used to quantify the relaxivities of the active ingredients of Dotarem and Magnevist. The spin lattice relaxation rate gives the average amount of time it takes the excited nucleus to relax back to the original state. Students learn by constructing molar relaxivity curves based on inversion recovery data sets that Magnevist is more relaxive than Dotarem. This experiment is suitable for any analytical chemistry laboratory with access to NMR.

A Modern Apparatus for Performing Flash Chromatography: An Experiment for the Organic Laboratory

A modern apparatus for performing flash chromatography using commercially available, prepacked silica cartridges has been developed. The key advantage of this system, when compared to traditional flash chromatography, is its use of commercially available silica cartridges, which obviates the need for students to handle silica gel. The apparatus has been tested for its ability to perform separations that are commonly found in organic chemistry teaching laboratories, and a laboratory module that combines the techniques of thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and flash chromatography is described. The performance of this new chromatography apparatus was comparable to a traditional flash chromatography column.

Oxidation of Ethidium using TAML Activators: A Model for High School Research Performed in Partnership with University Scientists

A chemical research program at a public high school has been developed. The full-year Advanced Chemical Research class (ACR) in the high school enrolls 20 to 30 seniors each year, engaging them in long-term experimental projects. Through partnerships involving university scientists, ACR high school students have had the opportunity to explore a number of highly sophisticated original research projects. As an example of the quality of experimental work made possible through these high school-university partnerships, this article describes the development of a novel method for the oxidation of ethidium bromide, a mutagen commonly used in molecular biology. Data collected from ACR alumni show that the ACR program is instrumental in encouraging students to pursue careers in scientific fields and in creating life-long problem-solvers.

Touring the Tomato: A Suite of Chemistry Laboratory Experiments

An eight-session interdisciplinary laboratory curriculum has been designed using a suite of analytical chemistry techniques to study biomaterials derived from an inexpensive source such as the tomato fruit. A logical progression of research-inspired laboratory modules serves to "tour" the macroscopic characteristics of the fruit and the submicroscopic properties of its constituent cuticular biopolymers by atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-visible, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods at increasingly detailed molecular levels. The modular curriculum can be tailored for specialty undergraduate courses or summer high school workshops. By applying analytical tools to investigate biopolymers, making connections between molecular and microscale structure, and linking both structural regimes to the functional properties of natural polymers, groundwork is established for further student investigations at the interface of chemistry with biology or chemical engineering.