Visualizing Biosynthesis at the Nanoscale: An Immersive Microscopy-Based Learning Experience for Undergraduate Chemistry Education

Understanding the relationship between microscopic structures and macroscopic phenomena remains challenging in undergraduate chemistry education, because nanoscale processes are often introduced through abstract models. Here, we present an immersive laboratory module developed in the interdisciplinary general education course Beauty of Microscience at Tongji University, integrating microbial nanoparticle biosynthesis with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) visualization. Implemented across two semesters with 48 undergraduate students, the module emphasizes the interpretation of nanoscale evidence and evidence-based scientific reasoning rather than microscopy operation. Through a learning sequence connecting microbial activity, nanoparticle formation, and microscopic visualization, students explored how biological processes generate nanoscale structures and how microscopic observations reveal the chemical phenomena. Postmodule questionnaire responses revealed a positive student reception of the learning experience, specifically highlighting the perceived value of correlating macroscopic experimental observations with nanoscale structural details and of considering how experimental conditions influence microscopic data. This work provides an implementation model for integrating research-grade cryogenic microscopy with microbial biosynthesis and guided the interpretation of scientific evidence in an interdisciplinary undergraduate setting.