As a cross-cutting and comprehensive subject, medicinal chemistry involves the knowledge of chemical, biological, medical, and pharmaceutical sciences. A comprehensive medicinal chemistry experience for undergraduates is expected to train various experimental skills and enhance their scientific research ability. Herein, a series of laboratory and…

To understand critical problems associated with solid waste and its consequences for the environment, a laboratory experiment is presented on the synthesis of aluminum-based metal-organic framework (MOF) MIL-53(Al) from household waste (PET bottles and aluminum foil/can), for undergraduate students of chemistry. This work is designed to teach…

Launching Your Research is a new course offering designed to engage undergraduate students in research at an early stage of their academic careers (sophomore-second year). This learning opportunity required students to identify research best practices and develop effective time, teamwork, and project management skills to succeed. With the aid of…

An original integrated course called "Chemistry: Magical Science" at Montpellier University (France) is presented. This approach mixes tutorials and practical work by using the pretext of high-tech materials synthesis to teach students knowledge, skills, and practical techniques. It also educates students about chemical risks and…

Sustainable practices in process chemistry are highlighted by a novel, 9 week team project of 8-12 students, in collaboration with AstraZeneca chemists, in an organic chemistry laboratory. Students synthesize the antiulcer medicine esomeprazole, which involves the asymmetric oxidation of pyrmetazole. To provide insight into the modern process…

A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) is a teaching approach aimed at developing students' ability to conduct novel research. Although students' perceptions of their learning during CUREs may not reflect actual student learning, such surveys provide a convenient and useful metric for course evaluation. Instructors can use survey…

Closing the university due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden shift from independent research projects in biochemistry to a virtual learning experience focused on essential research skills and an added community outreach activity. Here, pedagogical strategies and lessons learned on restructuring this upper-level biochemistry laboratory…

Undergraduate chemistry majors should be encouraged to consider chemistry-based solutions to issues that impact their daily lives as well as the lives of poor and marginalized populations worldwide. Some issues that disproportionately influence historically disadvantaged populations are also directly related to or could be impacted by chemistry.…

This study describes a new module design for teaching research skills to analytical chemists based on the use of a student-led, in-class experiment involving coffee. The module was redesigned in response to feedback from students, and aims to give them the skills they need to be productive in future research projects both within the institution…

Undergraduate research is an important capstone experience that provides students with the conceptual and technical aptitude for graduate or industrial research. However, this experience is often compressed into a single term in a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) or run by individual faculty members for select students on an…

Water quality is an important interdisciplinary environmental topic for project-based learning. An undergraduate summer research internship program at a public minority serving institution engaged environmental science majors in community-based research experiences. The research focused on the field monitoring of water quality for surface water…

Information literacy is of paramount importance to any successful research program. Information techniques and skills should be infused throughout a student's undergraduate curriculum rather than being the focus of a single course. To this end, we have created several courses, beginning in the first year, where students review current scientific…

Chemistry majors at Goucher College are now required to take a 1-credit course in their sophomore year entitled Chemical Information Literacy. Students in the course learn the structure and organization of the chemical literature, and how to carry out searches of various databases for topic, author, chemical compound, or structure. They learn…

A new graduate chemistry course was introduced in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Alabama. The new course, CH584-Literature and Communication in Graduate Chemistry, replaced a second year graduate student literature seminar requirement. Course topics included chemical information resources, critical analysis, scientific writing,…

The gap between graduate research and introductory undergraduate teaching laboratories is often wide, but the development of teaching activities rooted within the research environment offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to have first-hand experience with research currently being conducted and for graduate students to develop…