ME Journal TOC-Volume 5-May 2004

Table of Contents

The entire Microbiology Education journal is available in pdf format in the MicrobeLibrary.  Viewing the pdf or individual articles requires a subscription.

To view individual papers within this volume of the journal, click on a title below:

Three-Dimensional Visualizations in Teaching Genomics and Bioinformatics: Mutations in HIV Envelope Proteins and Their Consequences for Vaccine Design
Kathy Takayama

Efficacy of MedMyst: an Internet Teaching Tool for Middle School Microbiology
Leslie Miller, Janette Moreno, Vicky Estrera, and David Lane

Learning Partnerships Between Undergraduate Biology Students and Younger Learners
Lee Abrahamsen

A Web-Based Comparative Genomics Tutorial for Investigating Microbial Genomes
Michael Strong, Duilio Cascio, and David Eisenberg

Teaching Phagocytosis Using Flow Cytometry
John Boothby, Ruthann Kibler, Sabine Rech, and Robert Hicks

Message from the Chair

Each year as the Microbiology Education Editorial Board meets to discuss the submitted papers, we marvel at the creative ideas that are presented in the manuscripts. This year we noticed multiple manuscripts designed to reach a younger student population and novel mechanisms to achieve this goal. In the article by Abrahamsen, service learning is presented as a mechanism to enhance undergraduate education while taking the discipline to a younger audience. Abrahamsen relates her experiences partnering her students at Bates College with middle and high school students, creating a mutually beneficial learning experience for both the undergraduate and precollege students. Additionally, the paper by Miller et al. discusses the use of the Internet in teaching middle school microbiology. While this paper does not directly discuss service learning, one could certainly envision undergraduates pairing with middle school students to discuss the microbial adventures the students encountered in the program. Service learning is taking on a greater sense of importance in the education of undergraduates at various institutions, and I am pleased that Microbiology Education is playing a role in this transformation by providing mechanisms to enhance this type of education.

As with all aspects of life, new technology (e.g., the web and state-of-the-art equipment) is providing many opportunities for educators. In addition to the paper by Miller et al., the papers by Takayama and Strong relate educational strategies that utilize the web and web-based programs to teach microbiology. Since we, as educators, are always looking for good examples of how to best utilize this important and ever-growing resource in our teaching, I am happy that Microbiology Education is able to provide some quality activities. Along with the web, state of the art equipment, such as the flow cytometer, is finding its way into the undergraduate classroom. The paper by Booth et al. demonstrates how to use flow cytometry for educational purposes.

Enjoy this fifth volume. May it help you to view your teaching and learning in ways not previously considered and stimulate you to consider your own research in microbiology education.

Respectfully,
Jeffrey J. Byrd