A Multiweek Project Examining the Chemotactic Behavior of Tetrahymena in an Undergraduate Biology Laboratory

Hongo, Rachel; Grammer, Robert T.; Barton, Christopher E.

doi:10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.1805

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 10 publications

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“…Existing lab modules studying invertebrate behavior are often qualitative and do not incorporate computational image analysis (35)(36)(37)(38)(39), or they require more expensive equipment such as microscopes to track Caenorhabditis elegans (40) or Daphnia (41) and may use specialized tracking software (42,43), which makes it challenging to implement such modules in a large introductory biology class. Furthermore, the use of specialized tracking software may require some amount of programming literacy, making them more suitable for advanced courses.…”

Section: A Scientific and Pedagogical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying Planarian Behavior as an Introduction to Object Tracking and Signal Processing

et al. 2021

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Answers to mechanistic questions about biological phenomena require fluency in a variety of molecular biology techniques and physical concepts. Here, we present an interdisciplinary approach to introducing undergraduate students to an important problem in the areas of animal behavior and neuroscience—the neuronal control of animal behavior. In this lab module, students explore planarian behavior by quantitative image and data analysis with freely available software and low-cost resources. Planarians are ∼1–2-cm-long aquatic free-living flatworms famous for their regeneration abilities. They are inexpensive and easy to maintain, handle, and perturb, and their fairly large size allows for image acquisition with a webcam, which makes this lab module accessible and scalable. Our lab module integrates basic physical concepts such as center of mass, velocity and speed, periodic signals, and time series analysis in the context of a biological system. The module is designed to attract students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds. It challenges the students to form hypotheses about behavior and equips them with a basic but broadly applicable toolkit to achieve this quantitatively. We give a detailed description of the necessary resources and show how to implement the module. We also provide suggestions for advanced exercises and possible extensions. Finally, we provide student feedback from a pilot implementation.

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Section: A Scientific and Pedagogical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying Planarian Behavior as an Introduction to Object Tracking and Signal Processing

et al. 2021

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Tetrahymena

Cole¹

2022

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

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The Tetrahymena genus is composed of mostly free‐living ciliated protozoa that have helped researchers gain insight into fundamental problems of cell biology. As all ciliates, Tetrahymena contain separate germline and somatic nuclei known as the micronucleus and macronucleus, respectively. The macronucleus is derived from a copy of the micronucleus through a process that involves extensive whole‐genome rearrangement and that is under intensive study. Tetrahymena thermophila can be readily manipulated using the tools of genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry. Recently, next‐generation, whole‐genome sequencing has made possible the identification of previously unidentified genes responsible for a rich gallery of mutant phenotypes. Notable discoveries made using Tetrahymena include the structure of telomeres and telomerase, self‐splicing RNA, the first microtubular motor, and the link between histone acetylation and gene regulation. The approximately 104 Megabase macronuclear genome of T. thermophila has been sequenced and annotated; the micronuclear genome has been sequenced as well. Key Concepts Tetrahymena are large, complex eukaryotic cells well‐suited both for university research and for the undergraduate teaching‐laboratory. Tetrahymena, have been studied for nearly a century and have been the source of numerous ground‐breaking discoveries. Applying modern tools of genomics, proteomics, and next‐generation, whole‐genome sequencing has ushered in a new era of research to such topics as the assembly of basal bodies and cilia, pattern formation, novel roles for small ribonucleic acids ( RNAs ), membrane trafficking, secretion, phagocytosis, pinocytosis, cytoskeletal motility and chromosome dynamics including studies on the origins of deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA ) replication, telomere synthesis, meiosis, recombination, apoptosis and the regulation of gene expression through epigenetic chromatin marking. Tetrahymena offer special insights into cell biological processes due to their many original and extraordinary capabilities including the use of a unique genetic code, novel twists on metabolism and protein trafficking, self‐splicing RNA, programmed genome rearrangement involved in genome surveillance, cortical patterning and cellular regeneration. Tetrahymena exhibit both conserved and evolutionarily divergent solutions to fundamental cell biological problems.

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A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations

Costabile,

Bailey,

Denyer

2024

Immunol Cell Biol

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A hemocytometer is a key piece of laboratory equipment typically used in diagnostic and immunology research laboratories to enumerate white blood cells. The accurate quantification of cell density is essential to ensure accurate numbers of cells are added to assays to generate valid data. Hence, learning to correctly use a hemocytometer is a critical skill for all undergraduate immunology students. However, this skill can be challenging to learn because of students’ unfamiliarity with correct cell identification, differentiating viable versus dead cells and mathematical proficiency in calculating cell density and viability. To address these issues, we developed an interactive computer simulation that replicated all aspects of a Neubauer‐style hemocytometer. This simulation was used to teach second‐year undergraduate immunology students before a face‐to‐face (F‐2‐F) laboratory exercise where these skills were applied. Using a mixed methods approach, student performance and feedback were collected on broad aspects of the intervention and its benefits to the F‐2‐F setting. The approach was found to be extremely successful with all measures indicating a significant impact of the virtual hemocytometer on student learning, understanding and confidence. We suggest that integrating an online simulation to teach students the fundamentals of hemocytometer use and calculations is a valuable educational aid for learning this important skill.

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A Multiweek Project Examining the Chemotactic Behavior of Tetrahymena in an Undergraduate Biology Laboratory

Cited by 3 publications

References 10 publications

Quantifying Planarian Behavior as an Introduction to Object Tracking and Signal Processing

Quantifying Planarian Behavior as an Introduction to Object Tracking and Signal Processing

Tetrahymena

A combined interactive online simulation and face‐to‐face laboratory enable undergraduate student proficiency in hemocytometer use, cell density and viability calculations

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