Open educational resources for distributed hands-on teaching in molecular biology

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology Education
• Open Science
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Capacity building in biotechnology is crucial for an equitable bioeconomy, yet hindered by limited resources in low- and middle-income countries.
• Traditional educational approaches face challenges with reagent, equipment, and documentation access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate Open Educational Resources (OER) for teaching fundamental biotechnology techniques.
• To reduce the cost of biotechnology education through locally produced reagents and open-source hardware/software.

Main Methods:

• Created OER including locally sourced biological reagents, open-source hardware, and free software for techniques like LAMP DNA amplification and RT-PCR.
• Distributed "lab-in-a-box" kits for remote learning during pandemic lockdowns.
• Assessed resource effectiveness with 93 undergraduate students and through workshops with high school teachers in Chile.

Main Results:

• Up to a tenfold reduction in costs achieved by using locally produced reagents and devices.
• High success rates in undergraduate practical courses: ~87% for PCR and ~90% for LAMP reactions.
• Positive feedback from high school teachers, indicating broadened perspectives and facilitated molecular biology teaching.

Conclusions:

• The developed OER effectively facilitate the teaching of molecular biology techniques, significantly reducing costs.
• Open Educational Resources and community collaborations are vital for advancing low-cost biotechnology training globally.
• Protocols and design files are openly available, promoting wider adoption and adaptation.