Isolation and purification of bacterial siderophores: a multidisciplinary educational approach

Bacteria promote environmental iron uptake by the production and secretion of siderophores, which sequester iron and are subsequently internalized to provide this essential metal for cellular metabolism. In this study, we describe a didactic sequence that will enable undergraduate students to isolate, partially purify, and classify siderophores produced by bacteria from different environments. This proposal was evaluated with students of professional master's in science teaching approaching methodological parameters and conceptual learning associated with the methodology. Results shows that this didactic sequence can work biochemical contents in tandem with a multidisciplinary and low-cost approach, allowing for the discussion of key issues in different areas of biological knowledge, which is often neglected in university studies.