Exploring Miracle Fruit: An Undergraduate Laboratory Exercise on Experimental Design

In recent years, undergraduate biology and biochemistry curricula have seen an increase in the use of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). CUREs maximize potential student gains when students take an active role in experimental design. Here we propose an activity that can either complement CUREs or function as a stand-alone activity that develops students’ abilities to design an experiment. While most active-learning interventions are designed for the purpose of teaching content, with experimental design skills as a secondary concern, this activity was created primarily to develop experimental design skills, while concurrently teaching important biochemistry concepts. The activity, designed to occur during a single three-hour lab meeting, allows students to experimentally explore the mechanisms of the taste-altering miraculin protein, found in the fruit of Richadella dulcifica, commonly known as miracle fruit. Students in an advanced biology class reported increased understanding of important experimental design concepts and increased knowledge of receptor binding and structural dynamism of proteins. Students also reported learning the importance of identifying nested variables that are difficult to tease apart, particularly when resources, time, or subjects are limited. While intended to develop experimental design skills in an upper-level undergraduate biology course, instructors can adapt the activity to suit biochemistry and introductory biology courses. Primary image: Miracle Fruit: The image depicts the fruit of Richadella dulcifica, commonly known as Miracle Fruit. This fruit contains the pH-dependent, taste-modifying miraculin protein, which is the subject of this laboratory exercise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synsepalum_dulcificum#/media/File:MiracleBerry.jpg (Public Domain)