Unearthing new learning opportunities: adapting and innovating through the 'Antibiotics under our feet' citizen science project in Scotland during COVID-19.

'Antibiotics under our feet' is a Scottish citizen science project that aimed to raise science capital in primary school learners and their teachers through measurement of microbial diversity in urban soil samples in the search for novel antimicrobial compounds. Resistance to antibiotics is rising, posing a global threat to human health. Furthermore, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills are in crisis, jeopardising our capacity to mobilise as a society to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Originally conceived as a response to the AMR and STEM emergencies, our project was hit by the unprecedented challenge of engaging with schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe how we adapted our project to enable remote participation from primary schools and youth groups, utilising COVID-19 response initiatives as opportunities for multi-level co-creation of resources with learners in primary, secondary, and higher education. We produced portable kit boxes for soil sample collection with learning activities and videos linked to the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. We also addressed glaring project specific content gaps relating to microbiology on English and Simple English Wikipedia. Our hybrid model of working extended our geographical reach and broadened inclusion. We present here the inception, implementation, digital resource outputs, and discussion of pedagogical aspects of 'Antibiotics under our feet'. Our strategies and insights are applicable post-pandemic for educators to develop STEM skills using soil, microbes, and antibiotics as a theme.

In Vivo Biosynthesis of a ß-Amino Acid-Containing Protein.

It has recently been reported that ribosomes from erythromycin-resistant Escherichia coli strains, when isolated in S30 extracts and incubated with chemically mis-acylated tRNA, can incorporate certain ß-amino acids into full length DHFR in vitro. Here we report that wild-type E. coli EF-Tu and phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase collaborate with these mutant ribosomes and others to incorporate ß(3)-Phe analogs into full length DHFR in vivo. E. coli harboring the most active mutant ribosomes are robust, with a doubling time only 14% longer than wild-type. These results reveal the unexpected tolerance of E. coli and its translation machinery to the ß(3)-amino acid backbone and should embolden in vivo selections for orthogonal translational machinery components that incorporate diverse ß-amino acids into proteins and peptides. E. coli harboring mutant ribosomes may possess the capacity to incorporate many non-natural, non-α-amino acids into proteins and other sequence-programmed polymeric materials.