FERMENTOR AS A TEACHING AID IN BIOLOGY

In this era of modern biotechnology and scientific wonders and discovery, it is high time that those involved in teaching biology to the students or in designing the biological curricula for secondary schools to restock and start reviewing how the subject of biology should be repackaged.

For so many years the teaching of biology in schools and even in universities have tried to resist the 'winds of change' that is sweeping globally on how modern biology or biotechnology should be taught. Maybe in the past during decades of stagnation the importance of teaching biology is still bent on the fundamentals of taxonomy and classification and structure and function. The basic syllabus still do not change. In fact there is no significant improvement in the teaching of biology between university courses and biology taught at the university level.

We cannot still stick on with the rigidity of the old biology syllabus on one hand and yet demanded the graduates of these schools to acquire the knowledge of modern biotechnology without making the necessary changes and paradigm shift in how modern biology should be taught!

We are not advocating that we chuck or throw off mundane biology into the trash bin! We are only asking that the syllabus be changed, reduced according to the present importance and new emphasis be given to the subjects of modern biotechnology in schools! The old traditional biology need overhauling with new approaches in the teaching biology by exploiting the new tools of modern biotechnolofy such as using fermentors in explaining the various biological principles and experiments

THE FERMENTOR AS A TEACHING TOOL
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I have downloaded the following for attention National Centre of Biotechnology Education of their efforts to promote the teaching and education of biotechnology especially in the use of fermentors in classroom

					Microbial fuel cell Bubble counter Bacterial transformation kit Bioreactor Individual cultures Oyster mushroom culture Microbiology DVD Price list 2007 DOWNLOAD
			A range of fermenters designed for schools has been available in the United Kingdom over the last 15 years. These have varied considerably in price, complexity and ease-of-use.
			In response to numerous requests from teachers and our own concerns about classroom practice (particularly with regard to safety) we decided, in 1990, to design a cheap and simple fermenter or bioreactor for use in the school laboratory and indeed, in our own lab. Much to our surprise, more than 1,000 NCBE Bioreactors have been sold over the last five years. We never imagined that this basic 'kit of parts' would prove so popular (we had always thought that teachers would look at our design, then develop their own based on it).

			Details of this SGM-NCBE practical guide can be found in the 'Publications' section.
	Points to consider before buying any fermenter system for use in schools include:
	Is the system safe to use (both electrically and microbiologically)? What additional equipment is needed (e.g., a computer or autoclave)? How easy is it to prepare the fermenter for use (or clean it afterwards)? How time-consuming are the preparation, disposal and cleaning processes? How much will the system cost to run (both in broth and other reagents)?
			Safety guidelines for practical work with microbes in schools can be found here.

	DESCRIPTION

	The NCBE Bioreactor consists of a borosilicate 500 mL conical flask with a wide neck. The flask is plugged with a large, autoclavable, silicone rubber bung through which several holes have been drilled. Through these holes, the following items pass:

	a sintered glass sparger (to introduce air into the vessel and mix its contents); an aseptic sampling device (made from a glass bulb pipette); an inlet port (for introducing starter cultures or antifoam); an 'air out' tube.

	Both the air inlet and outlet have 'Hepavent' air filters to prevent microbes from entering or leaving the vessel. One or two other ports are provided in the bung to take, for example, a pH electrode or thermometer. The assembled Bioreactor is autoclavable (although you need a tall autoclave to accommodate it). You will also need an aquarium air pump to aerate and mix the Bioreactor's contents, and a thermostatically-controlled water bath to regulate the temperature.

	DOCUMENTATION

	The Bioreactor comes with a 36-page, illustrated instruction booklet. This booklet is beginning to show its age. However, a major revision is currently underway, and the development of an accompanying practical package has recently been completed (see 'Practical fermentation' in the Publications section).

	NCBE BIOREACTOR (SELF ASSEMBLY)

	NCBE Bioreactor ..... £110.00 (GBP)

	REPLACEMENT ITEMS

	The following replacement parts are available for the NCBE Bioreactor: Pre-bored silicone rubber bung ...... £21.00 (GBP) Two micropore air filters ..... £11.50 (GBP) Sampling pipette ..... £10.00 (GBP) Silicone antifoam ..... £6.00 (GBP)

	Please note: All the prices on this page are in GBP and do not include Value Added Tax (VAT). This tax applies within the European Union only. Postage and packing must also be paid on orders from outside the United Kingdom. Please note: We do not currently accept orders via eMail.

	Copyright © National Centre for Biotechnology Education, 2007 | www.ncbe.reading.ac.uk

PRACTICALS THAT CAN BE RUN USING FERMENTOR
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The extent you can use the laboratory fermentor for teachings depends on the limits of your own imagination and creativity. We can carry out simple experiments such as:

1 Growth curve studies
2 Enrichment of cultures
3 Biochemical inhibitor studies
4 Physiological groups of microorganisms
5 Microbial ecoloogy
6 Nutritional studies and many more