MESA, Arizona -- November 10, 2015 -- In 2012, the National Science Foundation awarded Mesa Community College a grant to study the chemical compounds of native Sonoran Desert plants.
“The grant was to assist with modifying the organic chemistry laboratory curriculum to incorporate more research-based activities using chemicals found in the native plants of the Sonoran Desert as a starting point,” said Tim Minger, organic chemistry professor at Mesa Community College.
“I was fortunate to have the 2014-15 academic year to work on our grant project,” added Minger, who is working with colleagues Valentina Nedelkova and John Zikopoulos, fellow chemistry professors at MCC, on the NSF research grant. “It was productive.”
Minger continued to develop lab experiments during his sabbatical, following up on lab exercises created as a result of the NSF grant. “One of the things I worked on was an experiment that allows students to investigate the antioxidant properties of chia seed, which is really popular right now and draws student attention,” he said. “Our students are doing our new jojoba biodiesel and chia antioxidant experiments every semester now.”
The NSF grant also called for MCC’s team to develop experiments for the University of New Mexico and University of Colorado using plants native to those regions. In New Mexico the antioxidant properties of chili peppers are forming the basis for a new experiment, and in Colorado students will use spectroscopy to examine a chemical reaction of a compound found in pine needles.
In the New Mexico experiment, which can also be used at MCC, students will use a commercially available enzyme to perform an organic chemistry reaction. “It’s common now to use enzymes for chemical transformations,” Minger explained. “The advantage to using enzymes is you can use them over and over again because they regenerate themselves.”
Desert lavender and brittlebush, two other Sonoran desert native plants, were already being used in experiments in the MCC labs. The MCC professors are still investigating plants for possible inclusion in the new labs, including creosote bush, though Minger called creosote bush complicated. "It takes a long time to develop an experiment that’s suitable and practical for undergraduates because of all the different compounds it contains," Minger explained.
Minger said he gained more knowledge about natural products in chemistry through his sabbatical work, and has already incorporated those lessons into his lecture classes in organic chemistry. He presented the results of MCC’s grant project at the American Chemical Society meeting and at the Two-Year College Chemistry Consortium meeting in March 2015. He also had a paper on the jojoba biodiesel experiment published in the July edition of the Journal of Chemical Education that describes work performed in part by an MCC honors student, Lisa Daconta. (Daconta has gone on to major in biochemistry at the University of Arizona and is using her research experience to become involved in undergraduate research at the University.)
The sabbatical findings will benefit students now and in the future. Minger said, “Students like working with local and native plants they’re familiar with. They are more engaged and it enhances their thinking skills, and this is what we hoped to accomplish with the grant.”
“We wanted to get them more engaged in the subject, and it’s why we decided to use local and native plants,” he added. “Using activities that are more inquiry-based and research-oriented will improve their critical thinking and problem solving skills, and help them learn how research works in the real world. It’s rare for community college students to get scientific research opportunities, and this project opens doors for that to interested students.”
Minger said he learned a lot out of the classroom as well during his sabbatical. “It’s helped me be a better teacher, and to better relate to the perspective of students,” he laughed. “When you’re trying to figure things out that you’ve never seen or done before and experiencing that frustration, you really remember what it’s like to learn something for the first time.”
“Overall, it refreshed me. I love desert plants, and it’s one of the things I like about living in this area. It was the inspiration for this whole project.”
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Contacts
Dawn Zimmer, 480-461-7892,dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu
Sally Mesarosh, 480-461-7283, sally.mesarosh@mesacc.edu
Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for its service-learning, civic engagement and innovative educational programs, which include university transfer, career and technical, workforce development, and life-long learning. Host to 40,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 195 degrees and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. MCC’s student body hails predominantly from the East Valley of Phoenix and includes Veteran, American Indian and International students who enrich the learning experience. Award-winning faculty are dedicated to student success providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to compete locally and globally. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, MCC is one of 10 colleges that comprise the Maricopa County Community College District. The District also includes the Maricopa Corporate College and two skill centers. For additional information, visit mesacc.edu.
Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) http://www.ncahlc.org, 800-621-7440.
The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution and an
equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.