You need to log-in or subscribe in order to use Student access.

Option B - Biotechnology and bioinformatics

Lesson Plans for Option B - Biotechnology and bioinformatics

The ideas for learning activities on this page cover the IB guide for this topic. There is a mix of laboratory work, theory lessons, and assessment materials with model answers.

Microbiology: in industry - planning sheet B1

This simple sheet sets out the learning objectives, essential questions and some ideas for assessment for the following activities.

Fermentation

Time: 1 hour Students get an opportunity to consider data from a set of fermentation experiments and to analyse the importance of the different elements in the process.

Biotechnology in agriculture - planning sheet B2

This simple sheet sets out the learning objectives, essential questions and some ideas for assessment for the following activities.

Cryptic messages - bioinformatics introduction

Time: 1 hour  Before looking at database searches using BLAST or FASTA and the six different ORFs it is important for students to have an understanding of the terminology used in the databases of protein structures and genetic code.  This activity uses a 'geeky' cryptic message to introduce students to amino acids, their three letter codes single letter codes as well as protein structures and DNA sequences.

Open reading frame (ORF) activity

Time: 1 hour  The concept of Open Reading Frames seems quite complex at first, but this activity with it's practial approach helps students to understand the idea that reading DNA from a position one base later will give a totally different protein. Through the example of green fluorescent protein students learn how biologists use informatics to help locate new genes of interest which is important in the development of new breeds and varieties.

Environmental protection - planning sheet B3

This simple sheet sets out the learning objectives, essential questions and some ideas for assessment for the following activities

Examples of environmental remediation by micro-organisms

Time: 1 hour Students study a range of different metia reports to evaluate the data within and to illustrate the examples of the uses of microorganisms in these cases.

Medicine - planning sheet B4

This simple sheet sets out the learning objectives, essential questions and some ideas for assessment for the following activities

Microarrays & Biopharming

Time: 1 hour  This activity begins with an interesting case study of the powerful analytical capability which microarrays bring to medicine. Not only is the prospect of personalised medicine very exciting but so in the future of biopharming.

Bioinformatics - planning sheet B5

This simple sheet sets out the learning objectives, essential questions and some ideas for assessment for the following activities

Introducing the use of protein databases

Time 1 hour  This is an inquiry based activity where student use online databases to identify a couple of polypeptides and to investigate their occurance in proteins in different species and their function.

All materials on this website are for the exclusive use of teachers and students at subscribing schools for the period of their subscription. Any unauthorised copying or posting of materials on other websites is an infringement of our copyright and could result in your account being blocked and legal action being taken against you.