A Novel General Chemistry Experiment for Freshmen: Transgenic Soybean Detection Based on Microfluidic Molecular Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis

Abstract

In this experiment, we present a microfluidic-based molecular fluorescence spectroscopy method for analyzing nucleic acids to identify transgenic soybeans. This method is integrated into a General Chemistry Experiment course tailored for freshmen. The primary goals of this course are to deepen student’s understanding of some important knowledge points of general chemistry, introduce students to experimental techniques at the micro- and nanoscale, help students understand the principles of molecular fluorescence spectroscopy and enzyme reaction kinetics, elucidate the relationship between chemistry and its practical applications, stimulate their interest in chemistry, and provide multidisciplinary perspectives and thinking. Over the period from 2021 to 2023, more than 180 freshmen enrolled in this course, and over 30 universities in China have initiated the advancement of this course. Most students successfully completed the experiment, achieving high completion rate and promising results. Participating students improved their practical skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a laboratory setting, which led to numerous innovative ideas and insights in related areas. Positive feedback from the students confirmed that the predetermined learning objectives were successfully achieved.