Expanding Opportunities for Student Inquiry and Research

Student Inquiries in Research (SIR) Students perform research either on or off campus on “I” days (usually Wednesdays) during the academic year Some students also do SIR summer research It is not required, however about 2/3 of the students will do an SIR project The goal of the program is to teach students how to carry out authentic research Every student will give a presentation on their research at IMSAloquium in Apri

VWR Final Grant Report

The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and goal number three is to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” Target 3.3 is “By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases.” IMSA’s scientific inquiries in research (SIR) program provides opportunities for students to perform research either on or off campus. In an attempt to offer more opportunities for on campus SIRs, two research projects began in January; one involving malaria and the other tuberculosis. In the malaria research, the enzyme HGXPRT from Plasmodium falciparum, a parasite that causes malaria, was chosen as a drug target, because of its importance in de novo DNA synthesis. In the tuberculosis research, the enzyme isocitrate lyase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was chosen as a target because this enzyme is important for tuberculosis to be able to survive inside of white blood cells

Session E-2: Sharing Analogies and Demonstrations to Reinforce Chemistry Concepts

Chemistry concepts can often be difficult for students to understand, in part due to the fact that we are discussing with students things that cannot be seen (atoms and molecules!). Analogies that relate chemistry concepts to things that students are more familiar with can be a powerful way to help them understand concepts, as can demonstrations that make concepts come to life visually. We will share a few of our favorite analogies/demos, and ask that each participant share one of their favorite analogies or demos. As we realize it would be difficult for visiting teachers to bring what they need to actually perform a demonstration, it could simply be shared in written form or explained

VISUALIZATION TOOLS AND ANALOGIES TO MODEL STRONG VS. WEAK ACIDS

We will present two different ways to introduce the difference between a strong acid and a weak acid. The first one uses a Phet simulation where the students can change different parameters in an inquiry based approach. The second one is a hands-on activity using a guided packet and manipulatives to model the differences between strong and weak acids. Attendees must bring a computer

Discussion Board Ideas for High School Science

This session will share some ideas for bringing online discussion board assignments into your classroom. We will share a few examples of assignments including components such as infographics, diversity and equity, and intermolecular forces, as well as give ideas for how to transition a traditional assignment into a discussion board assignment. Feel free to bring examples of discussion board assignments that have worked for you, and/or an assignment that you would like to transition into a discussion board assignment

Session 1f: Daphnia Magna And Water Monitoring

Daphnia Magna, also known as water fleas, are commonly used in water toxicity studies since they are very sensitive to chemical changes in their environment, which make them good organisms to use in water quality testing. We will be testing the effect of six environmental pollutants on the Daphnia heart rate using a microscope, and then measuring their response to each of these pollutants

Session 3d: Wind Energy

Design, construction, and testing will occur in two stages involving blade shape and number followed by wind tracking and generator gearing. Three NGSS Engineering Standards (Global Issue, Problem Breakdown, and Optimization) are directly addressed. Scientific concepts include circuitry, power, mechanical advantage, and rotational motion

pH dependence of cyanide and imidazole binding to the heme domains of \u3cem\u3eSinorhizobium meliloti\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eBradyrhizobium japonicum\u3c/em\u3e FixL

Equilibrium and kinetic properties of cyanide and imidazole binding to the heme domains of Sinorhizobium meliloti and Bradyrhizobium japonicum FixL (SmFixLH and BjFixLH) have been investigated between pH 5 and 11. KD determinations were made at integral pH values, with the strongest binding at pH 9 for both ligands. KD for the cyanide complexes of BjFixLH and SmFixLH is 0.15 ± 0.09 and 0.50 ± 0.20 μM, respectively, and 0.70 ± 0.01 mM for imido-BjFixLH. The association rate constants are pH dependent with maximum values of 443 ± 8 and 252 ± 61 M−1 s−1 for cyano complexes of BjFixLH and SmFixLH and (5.0 ± 0.3) × 104 and (7.0±1.4) × 104M−1 s−1 for the imidazole complexes. The dissociation rate constants are essentially independent of pH above pH 5; (1.2 ± 0.3) × 10−4 and (1.7 ± 0.3) × 10−4 s−1 for the cyano complexes of BjFixLH and SmFixLH, and (73±19) and (77±14) s−1 for the imidazole complexes. Two ionizable groups in FixLH affect the rate of ligand binding. The more acidic group, identified as the heme 6 propionic acid, has a pKa of 7.6 ± 0.2 in BjFixLH and 6.8 ± 0.2 in SmFixLH. The second ionization is due to formation of hydroxy-FixLH with pKa values of 9.64± 0.05 for BjFixLH and 9.61 ± 0.05 for SmFixLH. Imidazole binding is limited by the rate of heme pocket opening with maximum observed values of 680 and 1270 s−1 for BjFixLH and SmFixLH, respectively