Developing Science Curricula Since 1989
Biotechnology Training & Consulting, Inc.: Life Science Consulting and Training
Welcome to BT&C, Inc. We are please to offer the first stage of a set of contextual lessons with the objective of linking practical applications to the sciences. This website offers a set of lessons on applied science which will illustrate our approach to teaching. We hope you find them useful. Feedback is welcome.
For a Brief History of BT&C, Inc., click here.
Identification of Plant Diseases
These lessons using diseased plants as a vehicle to teach interdisciplinary science. Academia segregates the sciences, generally, into biology, chemistry, and physics. At times engineering could be added to that group. However, in practice, the sciences all work together to investigate and solve everyday problems. That is how this website is constructed, as an interdisciplinary learning tool. It is up to the student and teacher to use the material as desired.
This initial material focuses on plants as they are easy to work with in the lab and non-controversial (we hope). The pages associated with this topic are:
- Identification of Plant Diseases – An overview of the topic.
- A Survey of a Diseased Field – An exercise on information and data that could be collected when investigating a disease (in development).
- Isolation of Plant DNA – A safe and rapid method to isolate DNA, which examines the process and why it works.
- Testing Nucleic Acid Purity – A basic approach to evaluating isolated DNA and the importance of purity.
- Using PCR for Pathogen Detection – Information and method for using genetic information to detect specific disease causing agents.
- Using the Data – Lab work generates data, but doesn’t apply it. That is up to the scientists and farmers (in development).
In addition to the lesson materials, a supporting page, Notes on Applied Science in Identification of Plant Diseases, provides some details on the experiments and how they work.
Biotechnology Training & Consulting, Inc., is closely aligned with OPS Diagnostics, LLC. OPS Diagnostics designs and manufactures products used for life science analysis and sample preparation. For our sister company, OPS Diagnostics LLC, please click this link.