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The case has been made that the-gene-centric approach to biology, which has prevailed over the past ~100 years, should be replaced by a fundamental framework based on the cell being a far from equilibrium complex dissipative system, regulated and governed by its phenotype (1, 2), the metaphor for which is a brain. This independent attractor (IA) model is a radical departure from the conventional view based on Wilhelm Johannsen's genotype-conception which has prevailed since 1910. In this prevailing paradigm the gene and the genotype are fundamental in accounting for inheritance, evolution, development, and morphogenesis: the phenotype, upon which natural selection is deemed to act, plays little or no role in these crucial aspects of biology. Here I discuss how the process of evolution might be viewed under the IA model. Based on empirical evidence, evolution can be seen as a two-part process, one part based on thermodynamics and resulting in increased resilience to perturbation of the cellular phenotype (conditioning), and the other part, based on agency exhibited by the evolving organisms. A crucial open question is: should we view the realisation of the phenotype as a matter for biochemistry, or physics., (Copyright: © 2022 by Fabrizio Serra editore, Pisa · Roma.)

Specifications grading is a relatively recent approach to assessing student learning. In this approach, students make progress toward completion of a course by demonstrating mastery of specific skills or material. The assessment tools are short, frequent exercises that can be attempted multiple times until mastered. This contrasts with the traditional, exam-based assessment of student learning. There are multiple benefits to the specifications grading-based strategy, including reduced test anxiety, better knowledge retention, and increased flexibility. In this study, specifications grading was implemented into an upper-level biochemistry course at a private, liberal arts university. The student cohort consisted almost exclusively of junior and senior biochemistry, biology, and chemistry majors. Students earned points for demonstrating mastery on each of 12 short quizzes in addition to points earned from laboratory exercises and on the cumulative final exam. Student attitudes were assessed using three surveys that were administered at the beginning, middle, and end of the course. The survey results indicated that the students had overall favorable opinions of the specifications grading approach and its use in this course. A comparison of student performance on the quizzes to their performance on the final exam showed that the students learned and retained the course material. Combining the survey and performance data, we demonstrated that the students' perceptions of their learning correlated well with their performances on the specifications grading tools. Together, these results indicated that specifications grading is an effective approach to assessing student learning and to maintaining student enthusiasm in an upper-level biochemistry course.

Student ethnicity is one of the internal factors that influence student learning. Bacteriology is a course that examines prokaryotic unicellular living things and is practiced in laboratories that need to implement projects. The aim of this research is to know the distribution of students based on their ethnicity. The research sample was students who programmed the bacteriology course in the Biology Education Study Program at Mulawarman University, in the even semester of the 2022/2023 academic year. The sampling technique is purposive sampling. The research instrument is a questionnaire. The data analysis technique is percentage. The results of the data analysis show that there are various student ethnicities. There are four ethnic groups that dominate other ethnic groups, namely: Javanese (25.5%), Bugis (18.8%), Kutai (16.4%), and Banjar (14.9%). Completion of projects in groups whose members are heterogeneous based on ethnicity allows the participation of every member of the group. The conclusion is that there are various student ethnicities who program bacteriology courses, namely those consisting of ethnic Javanese, Bugis, Kutai, Banjar, Berau, Toraja, Paser, Mandar, Batak, Palembang, and Dayak. It is necessary to add a larger sample size for similar research in order to obtain more information.

As a strategy to carry out a better achievement in the Biochemistry course, undergraduate dentistry education manage a traditional course on the basic concepts of general chemistry necessary in the understanding of Biochemistry. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of learning outcome, we aimed to develop an evaluation tool that was applied to first-year dental students before and after receiving the general chemistry classes. Randomized trial consisted of 50 items distributed in 10 categories. The evaluation was applied to the students who took the Oral Biology course in the periods comprising 2020, 2021, and 2022 to a population of 109 students. Our results showed that after receiving the course the improvement rate was 20.71% with significant differences in each category. In conclusion, the introductory course allows students coming from different school systems to attend Biochemistry with similar knowledge of general chemistry.

Providing hands-on practical education without access to laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic has required creativity and innovation. In this paper, co-authored by academic staff and students, we describe an at-home mobile phone-based 'spectrophotometer' experiment used in an introductory undergraduate biology course. Using colour picker apps, a smartphone can be used to quantify concentration, which was used to compare the strengths of different brands of tea. The protocol is designed to be low-cost and safe to perform outside of a laboratory. Students used the methods to learn important biochemical methods such as preparing dilutions, constructing calibration curves, normalising data and testing a hypothesis. We reflect on the experience of developing and using the protocol from a staff and student perspective, which highlights the advantages of this approach in terms of student independence and inclusivity. We also suggest alternative experiments that could be performed using the protocol. We encourage biology educators to think creatively about the possibilities for using mobile phones or at-home experiments in their teaching. Our experience suggests that at-home experiments like this protocol will have value even after the pandemic is over, particularly in terms of inclusivity.

Sex and fertility education is essential to enable people to make informed choices. School is an important source of education, so we examined the current curriculum relating to sex and fertility education in England and compared it with students' accounts of their experiences. We analysed the Awarding Body GCSE science and biology specifications (for 14-16 year-olds) and the A-level biology specifications (for 16-18 year-olds), as these related to relationships, sexuality and fertility. An online survey was conducted with 221 16-17 year-old school students to evaluate their views about their sex and fertility education. We found significant variation between the specifications of the Awarding Bodies at both GCSE and A level. Most of the specifications specify sexually transmitted infections (STIs), hormonal aspects of reproduction and contraception. In the school survey, students indicated that topics such as puberty, contraception and STIs were more likely to be learnt in school. However, topics such as endometriosis, menopause and miscarriage were more likely to be learnt outside school. From both our curriculum analysis and student survey we conclude that there are significant gaps in the curriculum with many important topics being neglected.

Misconceptions are a major problem in learning biology and their emergence may potentially increase during online lectures. The purpose of this study was to identify student misconceptions in Department of Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang during online biochemistry lectures. This quantitative study involved 39 respondents. Two-tier questions were used as data collection instruments and descriptive statistics were chosen as data analysis techniques. As a result, the average percentage of students who mastered the concepts delivered correctly was 40.4%. Meanwhile, the average percentage of students who experienced misconceptions was 53.0%. The high level of misconceptions found in this study needs to be followed up by improving the quality of online lectures during the pandemic.

Background: The goals of laboratory experiences include developing knowledge base, research skills, and scientific communication abilities. Objective: The aim was to assess an inquiry-based laboratory activity using the model organism "Caenorhabditis elegans" in relation to learning goals. Method: Students in a "Biopsychology" laboratory course worked in groups to test the effect of various drugs (e.g., nicotine, ethanol, fluoxetine, and melatonin) on "C. elegans" behavior. The activity included literature review, experimental design, and a final lab report. A cumulative final exam included a synaptic communication question related to the content of the activity. Results: Students showed better retention of laboratory-related content compared to other topics from the course, as demonstrated through performance on the final exam and were able to replicate previous research demonstrating effects of drug on locomotion. However, students did not improve writing ability compared to performance on a previous American Psychological Association style lab report. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that using a student-designed, multi-week laboratory assignment in an undergraduate Biopsychology course supports the growth of psychology knowledge and the development of research skills. Teaching Implications: Instructors should consider using the described laboratory activity for biopsychology or behavioral neuroscience classes or consider similarly designed laboratory formats for other courses in Psychology.

In an academic semester, living in social isolation and under restrictions of the pandemic, we organized weekly multidisciplinary seminars from a postgraduate course program in Curitiba, Southern Brazil, integrating students from different regions of Brazil and South America. Outstanding researchers from Brazil, Germany, France, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, England, and United States' institutions gave seminars on chronic and infectious diseases with immunological, pharmacological, biochemical, cellular, and molecular biology point of views. The meetings were longer than traditional seminars, containing a part with scientific debate and other with a humanization or deconstruction of the researcher including trajectory, hobbies, scientific, and social thoughts. To facilitate learning and conceptualization, the seminars were available through YouTube and we applied weekly questionnaires to be answered rescuing scientific and motivational topics to give companionship and support to the students in pandemic times. Here, we are defending the creation of permanent platforms for scientific diffusion, with higher accessibility, connecting centers of different levels and giving academic excellence and opportunities for young researchers. Feedback received from participants indicates that this seminar structure can increase confidence and improve their perception of scientific processes and inspire researchers with development trajectories. We have discussed multidisciplinarity, scientific excellence, regional isolation and economic inequality, integration, humanization, and the value of science in society.

We present here two accessible ways for enhanced understanding of complex biological structures and their function in undergraduate Biology and Biochemistry classrooms. These methods can be applied for in-class instruction as well as for remote lessons, as they are cheap, easily available and easy to implement. LEGO® bricks and MERGE CUBE based augmented reality can be applied to make three-dimensional representation for any structure available on PDB. We envisage these techniques to be useful for students when visualizing simple stereochemical problems or complex pathway interactions.

This article describes a comprehensive practical laboratory method for developing an enzyme to more easily measure glyphosate levels in solution. Through this article, undergraduate students of biology majors can conduct research experiments in critical fields by utilizing various techniques, such as chemiluminescence (CL) biosensors with engineered enzymes and are guided in molecular biology laboratories. A glyphosate oxidase mutant library was constructed by DNA shuffling, and a glyphosate oxidase variant with increased glyphosate degradation activity was selected by using a high-throughput screening assay. Following protein overexpression in "Escherichia coli" (DE3) and purification by affinity chromatography, the glyphosate oxidase variant protein combined with luminol-H[subscript 2]O[subscript 2] reaction was constructed as a new CL biosensor for detecting glyphosate in soils.

Effectively teaching scientific reasoning requires an understanding of the challenges students face when learning these skills. We designed an assessment that measures undergraduate student abilities to form hypotheses, design experiments, and interpret data from experiments in cellular and molecular biology. The assessment uses intermediate-constraint free-response questions with a defined rubric to facilitate use with large classes, while identifying common reasoning errors that may prevent students from becoming proficient at designing and interpreting experiments. The assessment measured a statistically significant improvement in a senior-level biochemistry laboratory course, and a larger improvement between the biochemistry lab students and a separate cohort in a first-year introductory biology lab course. Two common errors were identified for forming hypotheses and using experimental controls. Students frequently constructed a hypothesis that was a restatement of the observation it was supposed to explain. They also often made comparisons to control conditions not included in an experiment. Both errors were most frequent among first-year students, and decreased in frequency as students completed the senior-level biochemistry lab. Further investigation of the absent controls error indicated that difficulties with reasoning about experimental controls may be widespread in undergraduate students. The assessment was a useful instrument for measuring improvement in scientific reasoning at different levels of instruction, and identified errors that can be targeted to improve instruction in the process of science.

Many STEM disciplines are underrepresented to High School students. This is problematic as many students' decisions for college are shaped by their experiences and achievements in high school. Short content-oriented modules have been shown to encourage science identity and otherwise benefit the students' learning. Following the ASBMB's outreach protocol, we developed a short content-oriented module aimed at a high school biology classroom. Students interacted with 3D models of DNA and transcription factors while exploring structure-function relationships and introductory biochemistry topics. The high school teacher was impressed with the students' response to the module, specifically the ease with which students learned, their enthusiasm, and their recall of the experience. We provide all materials necessary to use this module, including student worksheet and printable model coordinates. We encourage both high school instructors and professional biochemists to consider similar module using physical models.

Academic food security aims to provide students with sufficient access to knowledge (one key academic nutrient) in order to limit intellectual hunger. In this analogy, the student is seen as a consumer of knowledge. Academic food sovereignty, on the other hand, aims to shift the focus from student knowledge consumership to student knowledge producership. Our efforts to democratize authentic undergraduate research experiences and our computational biology approach to the discovery and analysis of sea star ovarian gene expression aim to shift the paradigm to sustainably realize "academic food sovereignty." Essential for this paradigm shift is the realization that faculty of community colleges and primarily undergraduate institutions can be valued in equal partnership with research-intensive institutions. In this article, we report how a genuine, sustainable inter-institutional partnership formed; developed into a community-college centric, authentic course-based undergraduate research experience (aCURE); and evolved into a pandemic-resilient small tri-institutional networked aCURE. Qualitative and quantitative data on the impacts of our efforts are presented, and the broader impacts of this academic bridging and learner-autonomy-respecting bidirectional partnership are discussed. Sustainability is essential for "academic food sovereignty," and we emphasize the many legs of the proverbial stool for stability in the future.

One of the overlapping curriculum designs indicates the mismatch of teaching materials with the cognitive level process and student development, impacting the unstructured qualification of mastery of the material. On the other hand, the breadth and depth of teaching materials in the curriculum must be following students' mental development and level of cognitive processes. This study aims to collect the opinions of science teachers in junior high schools and biology teachers in high schools about the learning continuum design on reproducing living things. The method used is a survey. The study population is a hypothetical population with a convenience sample. The sample involved in this study were 111 teachers in Bantul Regency and Yogyakarta City. The data collection method used a questionnaire distributed through four subject teachers' conference (MGMP). The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The results showed several sub-aspects of reproduction of living things that cannot be taught in elementary schools. The material for propagating fungi, protists, bacteria, and viruses starts in grade VII with a cognitive level of C1 (remembering), after previously students received material about types of animals and plants in grade VI (elementary school). Furthermore, the material on reproductive anatomy and physiology can only be given to class IX with cognitive level C2 (understanding) and continued in class X and XI with cognitive level C4 (analyzing). Especially for reproductive anatomy and physiology, fungi were introduced to class VII with C1 level cognitive processes (remembering). This teacher opinion generates a learning continuum grid that can help policymakers improve educational curriculum.

To meet complex ethical challenges in the engineering profession, students need ethics learning experiences that are integrated systematically across the engineering curriculum. Sustaining systematic changes in the engineering curriculum also calls for processes that respect and engage the engineering faculty. This paper reports the work to date of creating a faculty-driven process for infusing ethics across an undergraduate biological engineering curriculum. To illustrate this emerging change process, we report the generation of program level ethics learning objectives, the identification of an ethics course sequence, and the design, implementation, and assessment of an ethics module in a junior engineering biochemistry and microbiology course. Our project to date highlights a number of lessons for enabling a change process for program-wide ethics education in engineering. These lessons include strategies for disrupting existing curriculum patterns and encouraging novel ideas, engaging the faculty adopters of new curriculum, as well as seeking and maintaining leadership and support for ethics education in the discipline.

In conditions of the current development of society which is characterized by mounting social, economic and political crises, the problem of destructive behavior of an individual acquires special significance and topicality. The paper presents the results of a theoretical and methodological analysis of this problem in foreign and domestic literature in several areas: analysis of the attitude of society towards destructive behavior in its historical aspect; philosophical and theological approach; sociological and demographic areas in the study of destructive behavior, biological and biochemical; genetic approaches; psychological and sociopsychological aspects in the study of destructive behavior of a person. In view of the analysis of various approaches and areas in the study of destructive behavior, the conclusions have been drawn that destructive behavior is represented as a complex phenomenon, caused by biological factors (genetic predisposition, constitutional features of the body structure, the use of psychoactive substances, etc.), social (economic and social crises ), psychopathological (connection with mental disorders), psychological (especially the system of needs and motives of activity), socio-psychological (the impact of socio-psychological maladaptation and characteristics of the values and meaning sphere of an individual) plans. These factors are interconnected and each of them has its own specific role in the complex of destructive behavior, and therefore it is impossible to obtain a holistic view of the phenomenon under consideration taken separately from the entire system of interconnected components.

Evolution has been recognized as a key concept for biologists. To enhance comprehension and motivate biology undergraduates for the contents of central energetic metabolism, we addressed the Krebs cycle structure and functions in an evolutionary view. To this end, we created a study guide that contextualizes the emergence of the cyclic pathway, in light of the prokaryotic influence since the early anaerobic condition of the Earth to increase oxygen in the atmosphere. The study guide is composed of three interrelated sections: (1) a problem, designed to arouse curiosity, inform and motivate students, (2) a text about life evolution, including early microorganisms and the emergence of the Krebs cycle, and (3) questions for debate. The activity consisted on individual reading and peer discussion based on this written material, under the guidance of the instructors. The questions were designed to foster debate in an ever-increasing level of complexity and to strengthen the main contextual aspects leading to emergence, evolving, and permanency of a complex metabolic pathway. Based on classroom observation, analysis of student's written responses, and individual interviews, we noticed they were engaged and motivated by the task, especially during group discussion. The whole experience suggests that the study guide was a stimulus to broaden the comprehension of the Krebs cycle, reinforcing the evolutionary approach as an important subject for learning purposes. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:288-296, 2016., (© 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

The purpose of this study is to introduce an activity which has been designed in accordance with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education within the scope of 5E learning model and to present the implementation steps of it. The activity plan is on the topics of Nerves, Hormones and Homeostasis in Human Physiology Unit in 11th grade biology curriculum. The activity was implemented with the participation of 49 students at a public high school. For the implementation of the activity, the students were divided into groups of five and they tried to complete the activity in four class hours. The participant students stated that they both learned and enjoyed learning while they were creating their model. Moreover, the teachers who implemented the activity stated that the equipment used in the activity is easy to access, which creates an advantage for the activity to be done in class.

Quantitative analysis in analytical chemistry is divided into semi-,relative, and absolute analysis. An example of each analysis is pH test paper, internal standard, and standard addition, respectively. However, their definition and differences have not yet been explained to students sufficiently in classes as well as textbooks. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a good demonstration of quantitative analysis because it covers all three methods of quantification listed above. For example, traditional PCR can perform semi quantification; real-time PCR includes both relative and absolute quantitation. Therefore, in this tutorial article, we take PCR as an example to explain the kinds of methods of quantification to students. The basic principle and theories of the three PCR techniques for quantification are demonstrated and derived in detail. This will help students obtain comprehensive knowledge of quantitative analysis by studying the theoretical principles of different PCR techniques and further understanding their applications by comparing the characteristics of semi-, relative, and absolute quantification. This report is an attempt to combine teaching of chemistry with biology and present theoretical principles in a new way, which will be a helpful complement to teaching theoretical concepts in analytical chemistry and biochemistry courses.

To examine the implications of the transition from face-to-face to online learning from a psychobiological perspective, this study investigated potential differences in physiological stress parameters of students engaged in online or face-to-face learning and determined whether these can be identified as possible mediators between learning experience and achievement emotions. In a randomized experimental field study, medical students (n = 82) attended either regular face-to-face classes of the microscopic anatomy course or the same practical course online using Zoom videoconferencing platform. The present study investigated Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and salivary cortisol concentration as stress correlates, within the contexts of online and face-to-face learning and compared these parameters with a control group that was measured at rest. Additionally, participants completed a standardized questionnaire about their experienced emotions in relation to task achievement and subjective stress levels. A significant reduction in HRV was found in face-to-face learning, suggesting stronger stress responses in the face-to-face learning environment ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.421, P < 0.001). Furthermore, participants engaged in face-to-face learning showed significantly higher cortisol concentrations ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.115, P = 0.032). Additionally, increased sympathetic activation correlated with the discrete positive emotion of enjoyment exclusively within the face-to-face condition (r = 0.365, P = 0.043). These results indicate that the transfer of a face-to-face practical course in microscopic anatomy to an online learning environment is associated with decreased sympathetic and enhanced vagal cardiovascular influences, together with lower cortisol concentrations in healthy medical students.

Enzymes are organic molecules known for their catalytic nature because they accelerate metabolic reactions in organisms. The study of enzyme functions and modes of action is essential to understand Biochemistry. This study aimed to analyse the acetylcholinesterase enzymatic activity, as well as the enzymatic inhibition mechanism in practical classes. The enzyme was obtained from the cockroach ("Nauphoeta cinerea") head, an alternative model to the use of vertebrates in practical classes. For this study, practical classes were carried out in two undergraduate courses: Biology and Veterinary Medicine. It was observed the knowledge consolidation through the analysis of the answers given to the questionnaire. The students' enthusiasm to work with animals was evident. This fact led to a better understanding about the subject and more attractive classes.

Project-based (research-driven) laboratory courses stimulate student involvement, improve critical thinking and initiate cooperative learning. To this end, a 7-week laboratory project was designed for a sophomore cell biology course to reinforce the fundamental relationship between genotype and phenotype using yeast alcohol dehydrogenase I (ADH1). Working in pairs, students used site-directed mutagenesis to create a H44R mutation in the ADH1 gene sequence inserted into a YEp13 shuttle vector. These plasmids were propagated in E. coli, sequenced, and reintroduced into a yeast strain expressing no ADH1 activity. The growth patterns on selective media were determined. As the mutation allows for growth in the presence of allyl alcohol, students make the connection between DNA sequence and protein function. Student performance was assessed with pre- and post-tests, with improvement observed across all learning objectives. In addition to meeting the learning outcomes, 98% of the students thought that this experience allowed them to see how the scientific process can encompass multiple techniques to answer a single question. Eighty-four percent of the students thought that this experience was more engaging than other lab experiences they have had. Our multi-week laboratory examining the phenotypic changes in yeast alcohol metabolism successfully developed students' understanding of the scientific process, knowledge of molecular techniques and the relationship of gene sequence to protein function in an engaging manner.

Biochemistry primarily focuses on the non-metal chemical elements carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus in the four groups of building blocks (sugars, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides) and the corresponding macromolecules. However, at least 10 essential chemical elements of life are metals. This article discusses the consequences of such a bias, presents current knowledge that over 20 chemical elements are required for life, and makes a case for--and suggests benefits of--teaching "elemental biology" alongside molecular biology and biochemistry, and inorganic chemistry in addition to organic chemistry. A relatively new interdisciplinary field, metallomics, has the potential to be a platform for integration when added to glycomics, lipidomics, proteomics, and genomics. It would fill a major gap in contemporary education, be relevant for many areas of science, and facilitate the teaching of important principles of chemistry in the biological sciences, thus helping students to gain a broader understanding of life processes from the molecular to the systemic biology level.

This study analyzed the effect of a learning philosophy assignment on students' intellectual development and mastery of first-year biology and second-year biochemistry course content. We used pre- and post-surveys to assess students' cognitive complexity, and compared students' midterm and final exam marks to assess mastery of course content. The learning philosophy assignment rescued students in the biology course from a decrease in cognitive complexity. Additionally, second-year students were rescued from performing poorly on the biochemistry final exam relative to the midterm, and also showed increases in cognitive complexity. These results suggest that a learning philosophy assignment may be an effective way of engaging students in metacognition of their learning to promote their intellectual development and mastery of course material.

The purpose of education is to actualise meaningful learning. Therefore, researching the issues on how students process information and how they configure it is important for meaningful learning. The issue of protein synthesis contains a number of abstract topics and concepts. Hence, it is important in biology teaching to be informed of students' cognitive structures concerning protein synthesis. This research aims to analyse prospective teachers' cognitive structures about protein synthesis and their degree of understanding the subject. The research group was composed of 17 volunteering prospective teachers who had been chosen through purposeful sampling. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Flow maps and content analysis were used in analysing the data. The results demonstrated that prospective teachers had too many misconceptions about protein synthesis and that their knowledge extent and rich connection are inadequate. The prospective teachers' degree of understanding protein synthesis was divided into three categories. The results obtained in this research suggested that teachers should be careful in teaching the subject of protein synthesis. Students' prior knowledge and their misconceptions should be determined and content or contexts to facilitate them to learn an abstract subject such as protein synthesis should be presented.

The ability to use covalent chemistry to label biomolecules selectively in their native habitats has greatly enhanced our understanding of biomolecular dynamics and function beyond what is possible with genetic tools alone. To attain the exquisite selectivity that is essential in this covalent approach a "bottom-up" two-step strategy has achieved many successes recently. In this approach, a bioorthogonal chemical functionality is built into life's basic building blocks-amino acids, nucleosides, lipids, and sugars-as well as coenzymes; after the incorporation, an array of biophysical probes are selectively appended to the tagged biomolecules via a suitable bioorthogonal reaction. While much has been accomplished in the expansion of non-natural building blocks carrying unique chemical moieties, the dearth of robust bioorthogonal reactions has limited both the scope and utility of this promising approach. Here, we summarize the recent progress in the development of bioorthogonal reactions and their applications in various biological systems. A major emphasis has been placed on the mechanistic and kinetic studies of these reactions with the hope that continuous improvements can be made with each reaction in the future. In view of the gap between the capabilities of the current repertoire of bioorthogonal reactions and the unmet needs of outstanding biological problems, we also strive to project the future directions of this rapidly developing field.

The interplay of chemistry and biology that occurred after Lavoisier's revolution gave the possibility of analysing the first organic molecules present in animals and plants. The will of learning of the first biologists enabled them to gain the biological meaning of many organic molecules and, towards the mid-19th century, to introduce the concept of "metabolism" for explaining the transformation of food into heat and products for both animal and plant tissues. This concept changed the course of both the experimental biology and medicine and made official, almost in an obvious way, the success of biochemistry as the most appropriate discipline for studying cell metabolism. After the discovery of proteins and nucleic acids as the macromolecules of the genetic code, the words "molecular biology" replaced the word biochemistry but this replacement was nominalistic, because the molecular mechanisms involved in growth and development of the organisms are fundamentally of biochemical nature. In this context, life represents a biochemical phenomenon endowed with a specific internal coherence, resting on two fundamental processes: i) a program, expressed by the genetic code, and ii) a modulation of the complex cell metabolism, with the production of chemical work, heat and homeostasis. This conception of life excludes any external planning design, as well as any deterministic and teleological interpretation, and may be considered of validity for the whole evolutionist span, from the formation of the first protocells to the appearance of man.

Learning progressions (LPs) are descriptions of students' growing sophistication in the understanding of a particular construct through a curricular sequence. They are particularly useful for organizing complex constructs for which students do not necessarily connect concepts as taught in different courses. However, they are challenging to construct, because they attempt to linearize students' inherently nonlinear learning. As a result, it is essential to have methods to assess students' arrival at particular steps along the progression. One tool readily available to instructors is concept inventories (CIs). We have mapped published CIs to LPs for acid-base chemistry. The alignment not only provides an assessment that professors can use to pinpoint student learning, but also creates another tool to verify hypothetical LPs. We have compared the types of questions asked on CIs in chemistry, biology, and biochemistry, as well as in some standardized test banks. The mapping of questions from CIs to steps on the LPs allows refinement of the LPs and reveals gaps in assessment tools for sophisticated concepts. This alignment is a novel addition to the cycle of validation of an LP.

Approximately one percent of the human genome encodes proteins that either regulate or are regulated by direct interaction with members of the Rho family of small GTPases. Through a series of complex biochemical networks, these highly conserved molecular switches control some of the most fundamental processes of cell biology common to all eukaryotes, including morphogenesis, polarity, movement, and cell division. In the first part of this review, we present the best characterized of these biochemical pathways; in the second part, we attempt to integrate these molecular details into a biological context.

The origin of life is one of the most interesting and challenging questions in biology. This article discusses relevant contemporary theories and hypotheses about the origin of life, recent scientific evidence supporting them, and the main contributions of several scientists of different nationalities and specialties in different disciplines. Also discussed are several ideas about the characteristics of the most recent common ancestor, also called the "last universal common ancestor" (or LUCA), including cellular status (unicellular or community) and homogeneity level.

While metabolism is a fundamental process in physiology, the measurement of metabolism by living animals often requires specialized and expensive equipment. In 2016, I developed a novel laboratory exercise for animal physiology students where students were able to observe the effects of temperature and long-term temperature acclimation on the physiology of the Eastern grass shrimp, "Palaemonetes paludosus." In this lab, grass shrimp were housed for 1 week at one of three temperatures, 20°C, 24°C, and 28°C. While grass shrimp encounter temperatures considerably colder than this in the wild, we were limited by the temperatures we could achieve without access to aquarium chillers. The students then moved shrimp into water of different temperatures and measured metabolic rates indirectly using heart rate and oxygen consumption. The initial results showed noticeable shifts in baseline metabolic rate over a relatively short, 2 week long acclimation period. In both heart rate and oxygen consumption, metabolic rates climbed predictably with temperature, consistent with the literature on responses in ectotherms. Also, consistent with the literature, the shrimp that were acclimated to warmer temperatures downregulated their metabolism to compensate, showing the lower metabolic rate at all three temperatures.

Contemporary research suggests an urgent need for educators to improve the quality of STEM teaching and learning. We developed a semester-long model curriculum for STEM teaching and learning. The overarching goal of this study was to establish an authentic inquiry approach to advanced laboratory courses that is interdisciplinary, collaborative, and utilizes algorithm-generated student grouping strategies. We assessed the effects of the model curriculum on student understanding of scientific concepts and processes, perceptions of their learning, and attitudes toward science and research. Students in a biology laboratory course collaborated with students in biochemistry and mathematics courses. The differences between pre- and post-Participant Perception Indicator (PPI) survey responses (relative to the baseline semester) indicated that, when paired with similarly-performing students, higher-performing students are more likely to report improvements in "understanding," "skills," "integration of learning," and "meeting learning objectives." Mid-level performing students report significant improvements in "understanding," "attitudes," "integration of learning," and "meeting learning objectives." Lower-level performing students report regressions. Performance quiz data reveal improvements in understanding of scientific concepts following the implementation of our model curriculum. Our findings warrant future studies on the relationships among grouping, student perceptions, and academic performance.

Ethics dumping is the practice of undertaking research in a low- or middle-income setting which would not be permitted, or would be severely restricted, in a high-income setting. Whilst Kenya operates a sophisticated research governance system, resource constraints and the relatively low number of accredited research ethics committees limit the capacity for ensuring ethical compliance. As a result, Kenya has been experiencing cases of ethics dumping. This article presents 11 challenges in the context of preventing ethics dumping in Kenya, namely variations in governance standards, resistance to double ethics review, resource constraints, unresolved issues in the management of biological samples, unresolved issues in the management of primary data, unsuitable informed consent procedures, cultural insensitivity, differing standards of care, reluctance to provide feedback to research communities, power differentials which facilitate the exploitation of local researchers and lack of local relevance and/or affordability of the resultant products. A reflective approach for researchers, built around the values of fairness, respect, care and honesty, is presented as a means of taking shared responsibility for preventing ethics dumping.

Although research and new technologies have introduced different ways of observing microorganisms, including scanning and electron microscopy, these methods are expensive and require equipment that is typically not found in a middle school classroom. The transmission-through-dye technique (TTD; Gregg et al., 2010), a new optical microscopy method that can be used with current basic light microscopes, relies on the fairly simple mechanism of filtered light passing through a dyed medium to produce an image that reflects cell thickness. With this technique, living microorganisms look bright red against a dark background, and movement can be seen easily among dead microorganisms and debris that show up black. Since the technique is low-cost and easy to implement, it addresses the needs of practitioners and is appropriate for a wide array of school contexts. We describe a three-week, hands-on, inquiry-based unit on TTD microscopy for middle and high school students.

Reports of the results of research within the emerging field of biochemistry education are appearing at an ever-increasing rate. Capturing an image of the landscape of Biochemistry Education Research (BCER) is complicated, however, by the interdisciplinary nature of biochemistry courses that may be taught at different levels and in different departments, even at the same institution. To develop a model that provides a sense of what research has been done, so far, we have investigated the literature on biochemistry education research within the contexts of the traditional biochemistry lecture and laboratory environments as well as courses taught within the health sciences, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and molecular biology, as well as courses that combine biochemistry with other topics in chemistry, such as general chemistry and organic chemistry. We found that existing BCER has focused primarily on the lecture/classroom environment. Only about one-fourth of the BCER literature has been based on research in the laboratory setting. We also noted that the primary focus of research done so far has been on the structure/function properties of proteins. The goal of this review was a holistic understanding of the results of BCER that could be used by instructors to shape classroom practice as well as to provide BCER practitioners with an idea of the gaps in the existing literature that could be filled by future research. To transform the results of our analysis into a publishable form, we have used a format in which brief summaries of the topics of the BCER papers are presented.

Carbohydrates, or in strictly chemical terms, polyhydroxy-aldehydes or ketones represent enormous structural diversity in terms of the arrangement of atoms in space, resulting in hundreds of stereoisomers. Although the chemical properties of most stereoisomers may not be very different, their metabolic fate and utilization in biological systems is significantly different and known to influence the overall carbohydrate metabolism. This dictates the importance of understanding the structures of various stereochemical structures for a biochemist. At graduate level teaching, it is really a challenging task to correlate, connect, and recall all the structures. Conventional teaching methods and standard textbook illustrations seldom enable the learners and instructors to sustain the information for a prolonged period. We, in this article, present a unique approach and introduce sigma notation rules for the correlation of stereochemistry of carbohydrates in order to enhance the understanding of stereochemical structures.

Biology and biochemistry students must learn to visualize and comprehend the complex three-dimensional (3D) structures of macromolecules such as proteins or DNA. However, most tools available for teaching biomolecular structures typically operate in two dimensions. Here, we present protocols and pedagogical approaches for using immersive augmented reality (AR) visors, specifically the Microsoft HoloLens, to reinforce learning with large scale 3D holographic structures. We developed a novel workflow to render vividly colored custom biomolecules in AR visors. In addition, we developed AR exercises to review concepts relevant to protein or DNA structure and then implemented the exercises in four different biology and biochemistry courses. Surveys showed that students reported greater interest in biomolecular structures after the exercise. We also highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages of the software and hardware of this upcoming technology.

Programmed cell death, or apoptosis, is a cellular pathway by which individual cells self-destruct for the benefit of the organism. In this practical paper, we describe laboratory exercises with an inquiry-based learning (IBL) approach in which undergraduate students compared apoptosis among different types of cultured cells. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation was used to induce apoptosis in mouse primary cells and in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) tumor cells. Students hypothesized that, because tumor cells evade apoptosis, CHO cells would exhibit less apoptosis compared to primary cells. Treated and control cells were labeled for two hallmarks of apoptosis, fragmented DNA and active caspase-3 enzyme, and all nuclei were visualized with DAPI. Cell counts were conducted using fluorescence microscopy. Exposure to UV light induced apoptosis in both cell types compared to controls, but no significant difference in the proportions of labeled cells was observed between UV-treated primary and CHO cells. Optimal parameters for UV exposure and labeling techniques are presented. This exercise provides instructors with methodology for allowing students to use a basic cell culture system and microscopy to formulate a hypothesis and design experiments related to apoptosis. Students incorporated their work into a research paper, which served as the main mode of assessment.

A fundamental property of extinction is that the behavior that is suppressed during extinction can be unmasked through a number of postextinction procedures. Of the commonly studied unmasking procedures (spontaneous recovery, reinstatement, contextual renewal, and rapid reacquisition), rapid reacquisition is the only approach that allows a direct comparison between the impact of a conditioning trial before or after extinction. Thus, it provides an opportunity to evaluate the ways in which extinction changes a subsequent learning experience. In five experiments, we investigate the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms of postextinction reconditioning. We show that rapid reconditioning of unsignaled contextual fear after extinction in male Long--Evans rats is associative and not affected by the number or duration of extinction sessions that we examined. We then evaluate c-Fos expression and histone acetylation (H4K8) in the hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. We find that in general, initial conditioning has a stronger impact on c-Fos expression and acetylation than does reconditioning after extinction. We discuss implications of these results for theories of extinction and the neurobiology of conditioning and extinction.

Wesley College is a private, primarily undergraduate minority-serving institution located in the historic district of Dover, Delaware (DE). The College recently revised its baccalaureate biological chemistry program requirements to include a one-semester Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences course and project-based experiential learning courses using instrumentation, data-collection, data-storage, statistical-modeling analysis, visualization, and computational techniques. In this revised curriculum, students begin with a traditional set of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics major core-requirements, a geographic information systems (GIS) course, a choice of an instrumental analysis course or a statistical analysis systems (SAS) programming course, and then, students can add major-electives that further add depth and value to their future post-graduate specialty areas. Open-sourced georeferenced census, health and health disparity data were coupled with GIS and SAS tools, in a public health surveillance system project, based on US county zip-codes, to develop use-cases for chronic adult obesity where income, poverty status, health insurance coverage, education, and age were categorical variables. Across the 48 contiguous states, obesity rates are found to be directly proportional to high poverty and inversely proportional to median income and educational achievement. For the State of Delaware, age and educational attainment were found to be limiting obesity risk-factors in its adult population. Furthermore, the 2004-2010 obesity trends showed that for two of the less densely populated Delaware counties; Sussex and Kent, the rates of adult obesity were found to be progressing at much higher proportions when compared to the national average.