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Molecular biology, broadly defined as the investigation of complex biomolecules in the laboratory, is a rapidly advancing field and as such the technologies available to investigators are constantly evolving. This constant advancement has obvious advantages because it allows students and researchers to perform more complex experiments in shorter periods of time. One challenge with such a rapidly advancing field is that techniques that had been vital for students to learn how to perform are now not essential for a laboratory scientist. For example, while cloning a gene in the past could have led to a publication and form the bulk of a PhD thesis project, technology has now made this process only a step toward one of these larger goals and can, in many cases, be performed by a company or core facility. As teachers and mentors, it is imperative that we understand that the technologies we teach in the lab and classroom must also evolve to match these advancements. In this perspective, we discuss how the rapid advances in gene synthesis technologies are affecting curriculum and how our classrooms should evolve to ensure our lessons prepare students for the world in which they will do science.

Molecular biology aims to understand the details of life by focusing closely on biopolymers-DNAs, RNAs, and proteins-and how they interact with one another. Advances in this field have enabled dazzling achievements in virtually all areas of biological, biomedical, and clinical sciences. As we draw near to the conclusion of Cell's 50 th anniversary, we celebrate the wonders of molecular biology and look ahead to the exciting path forward for a branch of science that is driven by curiosity and has always been an integral part of the journal., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Engaging in research experiences as a high school or undergraduate student interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is pivotal for their academic and professional development. A structured teaching framework can help cultivate a student's curiosity and passion for learning and research. In this study, an eight-week training program was created to encompass fundamental molecular biology principles and hands-on laboratory activities. This curriculum focuses on using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) gene editing in the Caenorhabditis elegans model organism. Through pre- and post-program assessments, enhancements in students' molecular biology proficiency and enthusiasm for scientific exploration were observed. Overall, this training module demonstrated its accessibility and ability to engage inexperienced students in molecular biology and gene editing methodologies., (© 2024 The Author(s). Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

An integrated and projected-based laboratory course was described, integrating interconnected knowledge points and biochemistry and molecular biology techniques on a research project-based system. The program, which served as an essential extension of theoretical courses to practice, was conducted with a sophomore of basic medical science who had completed the course in medical biochemistry and molecular biology. This course engaged students in learning "genetic manipulation" and "recombinant DNA technology" to understand the target gene's role in disease mechanics, thus altering evaluation and treatment for clinical disease. Students could master applied and advanced techniques, such as cell culture, transfection, inducing exogenous fusion protein expression, purifying protein and its concentration assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western bot analysis. This laboratory exercise links laboratory practices with the methods of current basic research. Students need to complete the experimental design report and laboratory report, which could be advantageous for improving their ability to write lab summaries and scientific papers in the future. The reliability and validity analyses were conducted on the questionnaire, and we examined students' satisfaction with the course and their gains from the course. The student feedback was generally positive, indicating that the exercise helped consolidate theoretical knowledge, increase scientific research enthusiasm, and provide a powerful tool to be a better person and make informed decisions., (© 2024 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.)

Plant metabolite compounds have been applied on plant cellular metabolism, produces organic and inorganic compounds, primary and secondary bioactive molecules, such as glucose, amino acids, fat acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenoids. Undergraduate biology students learn about the plant terpenoid assisted by bioinformatics to store, manage, and interpret the molecular information about these compounds. This research aims to observe the students' understanding of terpenoid through implementing bioinformatics approach. Besides, to investigate how practice the bioinformatics technology in learning terpenoid may impact students' comprehension of plant metabolism domain and their acquisition of bioinformatics inquiry skills. Bioinformatics is a computational database that relies on digital repositories of molecular biology informations. Data analysis was in the form of quantitative and qualitative descriptive using module learning resources based on terpenoid research and assisted by bioinformatics. The results indicate that students' comprehension of learning and understanding terpenoid has improved, identification and analysis processes of article reviews showed that students were able to discuss and interpret research finding in silico bioinformatics using molecular docking procedures. Assessment of bioinformatics skills showed that all undergraduate biology students could follow the direct instructions well, answer the questions, practice the dry-lab experimental, and formulate the conclusion correctly.

algebraic concepts such as category are considered cornerstones on which logical consistency relies in any sophisticated study of natural phenomena. However, to the best of our knowledge, in molecular/genetic biology, their application is still severely limited because they capture neither the dynamics nor provide a visual form. The Petri net (PN) has often been used to illustrate visually parallel, asynchronous dynamic events in small data systems. A prototypal hybrid model combining both category theory and extended PNs may instead be indispensable for that purpose. This hybrid model incorporates 1) token-like elements of a group, 2) object-like places of a category, 3) square poles (rather than pentagon poles) that enable unique identifications of single-strand DNA sequences from the shape of its polygonal line, 4) creation/annihilation morphisms that generate/erase tokens, 5) Cartesian products 'Z5×Z2×…' that enable conversions between DNA and RNA sequences, 6) somatic recombinations (VDJ recombinations) for antibodies displayed concretely in category-theoretic form, 7) 'identity protein Δ' translated from a triplet of identity bases 'EEE' as an advanced concept from our previous display of the canonical central dogma, 8) illustrations of an incidence-matrix-like matrix A that includes operators as coordinates, and 9) basic topics concerning the canonical central dogma being displayed concretely using concepts of conventional category theory such as 'adjoint', 'adjoint functor', 'natural transformation', 'Yoneda's lemma' and 'Kan extension'. These ideas provide more advanced tools that expand our previous model concerning nucleic-acid-base sequences. Despite the nascent nature of our methodology, our hybrid model has potential in a variety of applications, illustrated using molecular/genetic sequences, in particular providing a simple dynamic/visual representation. With further improvements, this approach may prove effective in reducing the need for large data-storing systems., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Sawamura et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The aim of this research was to evaluate and compare the efficiency of the flipped learning strategy with that of a conventional teaching method with respect to learning outcomes, cognitive gain, and perception and satisfaction with regard to the methodology used. The research was carried out during the 2021-2022 academic year and focused on a molecular biology course within a primary education Bachelor's degree programme, which included a total of 146 students. In order to assess the students' comprehension of the mechanisms involved in DNA replication, transcription and translation, we employed two different methods: the multiple-select Central Dogma Concept Inventory (CDCI) and a concept-mapping activity. A three-point Likert-type scale questionnaire was used to investigate the pre-service teachers' perceptions of the methodological approach that we used. The results show that the flipped learning pedagogical approach not only increases pre-service teacher's performance but also enables them to develop higher level cognitive skills than with traditional methodology. However, several features of the central dogma processes remained poorly understood, probably because of the multilevel and invisible nature of the molecular biology, and the lack of knowledge of the molecular interactions that facilitate these processes. The preservice teachers had a more positive perception of the teaching approach and their own competence when they followed the flipped model.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TO THE MANAGEMENT OF COLORECTAL CANCER. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major public health problem affecting almost 43.000 people a year and causing 17.000 deaths. Advances in molecular biology have made it possible to identify some of the mechanisms involved in colorectal carcinogenesis and tumor proliferation. Some molecular alterations are now routinely investigated to adapt follow-up and therapeutic decisions in both localized and metastatic CRC., Competing Interests: A. Grancher déclare avoir participé à des interventions ponctuelles pour OncoDiag et avoir été pris en charge, à l’occasion de déplacements pour congrès, par Bayer et Roche.S. Cuissy déclare n’avoir aucun lien d’intérêts. D. Sefrioui déclare avoir participé à des interventions ponctuelles pour Ipsen, Roche, Bayer, Viatris, Servier, Pierre Fabre, Deciphera pharmaceuticals, et avoir été pris en charge, à l’occasion de déplacements pour congrès, par Servier, MSD, AstraZeneca, Ipsen, Roche. F. Di Fiore déclare avoir participé à des interventions ponctuelles pour Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, Incyte, Ipsen, Merck, MSD, Pierre Fabre, Roche, Servier, Viatris.

Growing evidence has come to suggest that model-based inquiry can improve student learning outcomes and attitudes toward STEM in the biological sciences and beyond. In our introductory biology laboratory course that focuses on cellular and molecular biology, we introduced model-based inquiry (MBI) labs to create a more student-focused course that provides a robust opportunity for students to learn about the research process itself. Prior to the intervention, our laboratory course was designed as a set of traditional lab classes. From 2019 to 2022, we implemented three iterations of the MBI lab structure. In order to assess learning and changes in attitudes toward science, we implemented a pre-course and post-course test that assessed knowledge of experimental design and graph analysis as well as students' attitudes toward science. Our data indicate that the modifications to the course maintained the level of learning gains seen in the traditional labs. One of the major challenges we encountered was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020, in the middle of the data collection period, just after our first iteration of the MBI labs. Upon return to regular room capacity and teaching schedules, we continued with further iterations of the MBI lab approach, however, impacts of COVID-19 to student learning likely persisted (and may continue to persist in the coming years). Despite the challenges to student learning, we did not find evidence of a decrease in learning gains. While further data are needed to fully assess the impact of MBI, our results suggest that the MBI labs may hold promise as a resilient structure on which to build student learning. Interviews with students also showed that feelings were overwhelmingly positive about the labs and the teamwork, but there was added stress when lab activities did not go according to plan. Altogether, our findings suggest that MBI may support laboratory and critical thinking skills while promoting self-efficacy in undergraduate students.

The ability to answer complex scientific questions depends on the experimental methods available. New methods often allow scientists to answer questions that were previously intractable, leading to discoveries that often dramatically change a field. Beginning with Max Delbrück's famous summer phage course at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1945, the Phage, Bacterial Genetics, and Advanced Bacterial Genetics courses have provided hands-on experiences to generations of scientists that facilitated the broad adoption of new experimental methods into laboratories around the world. These methods have led to discoveries that changed the way we think about genetics, bacteria, and viruses, transforming our understanding of biology. The impact of these courses has been further amplified by published laboratory manuals that provide detailed protocols for the evolving experimental toolkit. These courses catalyzed intensive and critical discourse about ideas that were previously intractable and provided novel experimental approaches to answer new questions-a process that epitomizes Thomas Kuhn's concepts of Scientific Revolution, spinning off the new field of Molecular Biology and dramatically changing the field of microbiology., (© 2024 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

Existing research has investigated student problem-solving strategies across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; however, there is limited work in undergraduate biology education on how various aspects that influence learning combine to generate holistic approaches to problem solving. Through the lens of situated cognition, we consider problem solving as a learning phenomenon that involves the interactions between internal cognition of the learner and the external learning environment. Using phenomenography as a methodology, we investigated undergraduate student approaches to problem solving in biology through interviews. We identified five aspects of problem solving (including knowledge, strategy, intention, metacognition, and mindset) that define three qualitatively different approaches to problem solving; each approach is distinguishable by variations across the aspects. Variations in the knowledge and strategy aspects largely aligned with previous work on how the use or avoidance of biological knowledge informed both concept-based and nonconcept-based strategies. Variations in the other aspects revealed intentions spanning complete disengagement to deep interest with the course material, different degrees of metacognitive reflections, and a continuum of fixed to growth mindsets. We discuss implications for how these characterizations can improve instruction and efforts to support development of problem-solving skills.

In November 2023, structural biologists from different countries and different disciplines gathered at the Cell Symposium: Structural biology from the nanoscale to cellular mesoscale to discuss recent breakthroughs, including structures of proteins and macromolecular complexes in a cellular context as well as virus structures obtained by using different techniques. At the symposium, Cell editor Jia Cheng and Karin Kühnel, editor-in-chief of Structure, spoke with Drs. Beili Wu, Mingjie Zhang, and Zihe Rao about their experiences doing structural biology research in China and about their perspectives for the future. An edited transcript of the conversation is presented below, and the full conversation is available with the article online., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no comepeting interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This article explores the emergence of molecular approaches in German genetic research during the 1958-1968 decade as a period of contingency and alternative possibilities. We introduce "Narratives of Contingency" as an analytical framework to examine how scientists construct a specific narrative - linking past experiences with expectations of future conditions - in order to outline and navigate pathway-decisions in the present. We apply this framework to Hans-Jörg Rheinberger's developmental model of molecular genetics and illustrate how the stages he identifies - the direction of the field, institutional developments, and epistemological demarcations - were already central themes in the comparative practices underlying narratives of contingency in this early period. Narratives of contingency can thus serve as a systematic framework for analyzing the processes through which new scientific fields, institutions, and epistemic horizons emerge, and possibly also for identifying historically plausible fork moments or alternative pathways not taken., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) Trainee Initiative aims to identify challenges experienced by biochemistry and molecular biology trainees and create programming to foster their growth and development as the next generation of scientists. Here, we highlight resources and events developed by the Trainee Initiative in their endeavor to support trainees around the world., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Understanding molecular processes and coordinating the various activities across levels of organization in biological systems is a complicated task, yet many curricular guidelines indicate that undergraduate students should master it. Employing mechanistic reasoning can facilitate describing and investigating biological phenomena. Biofilms are an important system in microbiology and biology education. However, few empirical studies have been conducted on student learning of biofilms or how students utilize mechanistic reasoning related to systems thinking to explain biofilm formation. Using mechanistic reasoning and the theory of knowledge integration as conceptual and analytical frameworks, we examined the features of 9 undergraduate biology students' mechanistic models of a specific transition point in biofilm development. From these data, we constructed a model of knowledge integration in the context of biofilms, which categorizes students' knowledge based on features of their descriptions (e.g., entities, correct connections, and the nature of connections). We found that 4 of 9 students produced a fragmented model, 4 of 9 students produced a transitional model, and 1 student produced a connected model. Overall, students often did not discuss cell-cell communication mechanics in their mechanistic models and rarely included the role of gene regulation. Most connections were considered nonnormative and lacked important entities, leading to an abundance of unspecified causal connections. We recommend increasing instructional support of mechanistic reasoning within systems (e.g., identifying entities across levels of organization and their relevant activities) and creating opportunities for students to grapple with their understanding of various biological concepts and to explore how processes interact and connect in a complex system.

Visual literacy, which is the ability to effectively identify, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media, is an important aspect of science literacy. As molecular processes are not directly observable, researchers and educators rely on visual representations (e.g., drawings) to communicate ideas in biology. How learners interpret and organize those numerous diagrams is related to their underlying knowledge about biology and their skills in visual literacy. Furthermore, it is not always obvious how and why learners interpret diagrams in the way they do (especially if their interpretations are unexpected), as it is not possible to "see" inside the minds of learners and directly observe the inner workings of their brains. Hence, tools that allow for the investigation of visual literacy are needed. Here, we present a novel card-sorting task based on visual literacy skills to investigate how learners interpret and think about DNA-based concepts. We quantified differences in performance between groups of varying expertise and in pre- and postcourse settings using percentages of expected card pairings and edit distance to a perfect sort. Overall, we found that biology experts organized the visual representations based on deep conceptual features, while biology learners (novices) more often organized based on surface features, such as color and style. We also found that students performed better on the task after a course in which molecular biology concepts were taught, suggesting the activity is a useful and valid tool for measuring knowledge. We have provided the cards to the community for use as a classroom activity, as an assessment instrument, and/or as a useful research tool to probe student ideas about molecular biology.

In Cell Biology, a sophomore/junior undergraduate-level high-enrollment core course, students areexpected to develop a broad and detailed understanding of the functioning of eukaryotic cells. Forexample, some of the more challenging biological concepts include machinery involved in thereplication and translational processes, protein trafficking/orientation in membranes, as well as bothG protein-coupled receptor and receptor tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathways. Inthis instructional article, we describe prior published reports of the use of interactive demonstrations of several of these key biological concepts in the classroom. Furthermore, we narrate our efforts tointegrate several of these disparate evidence-based techniques (EBTs) with supplementation of our own demonstrations into a common cell biology curriculum. We have adapted these EBTs to suit large lecture classrooms (200+) as well as extended it to an online course format. We expect the hands-onnature of these learning activities will facilitate active learning of these challenging concepts in the short-term, while helping narrow achievement gaps for marginalized students, increasing student retention in majors such as Cell and Molecular Biology, and lastly for enhancing student success inpost-graduate career goals over the long-term. Our overall goal is to share our own experiencesdeploying these approaches in-person and online that could potentially lead to a more widespreadadoption of these learning props in undergraduate cell biology education as well as to stimulate research interests in evaluating the effectiveness of this unique and expanded collection of prop demonstration activities for undergraduate cell biology courses.

In the past 2 decades, structural biology has transformed from a single technique used on single proteins to a multimodal integrative approach. Recently, protein structure prediction algorithms have opened new avenues to address challenging biological questions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Carugo, Djinović-Carugo. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The disciplinary identity of molecular biology has frequently been called into question. Although the debates might sometimes have been more about creating or debunking myths, defending intellectual territory and the distribution of resources, there are interesting underlying questions about this area of biology and how it is conceptually organized. By looking at the history of molecular biology, its origins and development, I examine the possible criteria for its status as a scientific discipline. Doing so allows us to answer the title question in such a way that offers a reasonable middle ground, where molecular biology can be properly viewed as a viable interdisciplinary program that can very well be called a discipline in its own right, even if no strict boundaries can be established. In addition to this historical analysis, a couple of systematic issues from a philosophy of science perspective allow for some assessment of the current situation and the future of molecular biology.

As an important anthropometric characteristic, human height not only contributes to the recognition of other anthropological characteristics and genetic risk factors, but also is an important part of forensic DNA phenotyping studies. Accurate estimation of height can provide more complete information about the phenotype of suspects and provide help to solve cases. In recent years, having benefited from the rapid development of molecular biological techniques and bioinformatics, height-related genetics research has made some progress. This paper describes the research progress of human height estimation from the genetic variation and the epigenetic inheritance perspectives and looks into the future research direction.

It is well established that a wide variety of phenomena in cellular and molecular biology involve anomalous transport e.g. the statistics for the motility of cells and molecules are fractional and do not conform to the archetypes of simple diffusion or ballistic transport. Recent research demonstrates that anomalous transport is in many cases heterogeneous in both time and space. Thus single anomalous exponents and single generalised diffusion coefficients are unable to satisfactorily describe many crucial phenomena in cellular and molecular biology. We consider advances in the field of heterogeneous anomalous transport ( HAT ) highlighting: experimental techniques (single molecule methods, microscopy, image analysis, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, inelastic neutron scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance), theoretical tools for data analysis (robust statistical methods such as first passage probabilities, survival analysis, different varieties of mean square displacements, etc), analytic theory and generative theoretical models based on simulations. Special emphasis is made on high throughput analysis techniques based on machine learning and neural networks. Furthermore, we consider anomalous transport in the context of microrheology and the heterogeneous viscoelasticity of complex fluids. HAT in the wavefronts of reaction-diffusion systems is also considered since it plays an important role in morphogenesis and signalling. In addition, we present specific examples from cellular biology including embryonic cells, leucocytes, cancer cells, bacterial cells, bacterial biofilms, and eukaryotic microorganisms. Case studies from molecular biology include DNA, membranes, endosomal transport, endoplasmic reticula, mucins, globular proteins, and amyloids., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

As we celebrate the 30 th anniversary of Structure, we have asked structural biologists about their expectations on how their respective fields are likely to develop in the next ten years in this collection of Voices., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests P.M.S. is a scientific co-founder and shareholder of Septerna Inc. D.W. is a shareholder of Septerna Inc. P.M.S. and D.W. consult for Septerna Inc. P.M.S. and D.W. are co-founders and shareholders in DACRA Therapeutics. P.M.S. and D.W. receive research funding from the following companies: AstraZeneca, Astex Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dimerix, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Septerna Inc., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We developed an advanced, year-long course sequence in eukaryotic cell and molecular biology in order to increase conceptual understanding. Three years of historical data from a one semester, traditional-lecture, senior cell and molecular biology course (n = 237) were compared with 3 years of data collected from the year-long course sequence (n = 176). There were significant content gains for the students who enrolled in the course sequence when pre- and post-assessments were compared (p < 0.0001). There was an association between earning a C or better in the course sequence and 70% or higher in the post-assessment instrument (p < 0.05). Final course grades for Bio 135A were calculated from three open ended exams and the percentage of correct answers on the clicker questions. For Bio135B, final grades were calculated from three open ended exams, clicker responses, a seven-page literature review on an environmental carcinogen and its effects on signal transduction pathways, and a formal presentation of one of the research articles they used in the literature review. The students who took the second semester of the course passed at higher rates than the students who enrolled in the traditional-lecture course (p < 0.05). Clicker answers to the research problem sets and the final course grades correlated significantly for both semesters of the course sequence (p < 0.01). We conclude that conceptually-connected learning gains can be obtained when the content is taught in a format that includes short lectures and group work to solve research questions.

Critical thinking is essential in academia and the workforce. Although writing can be used as a pedagogical tool for fostering deeper subject matter understanding, increased retention, and critical thinking, relatively few science courses are writing based. This writing-based introductory science course provided an opportunity for students to learn biology content through writing while also developing critical thinking skills. In this undergraduate introductory biology course, a learning progression framework was applied to writing assignments in order to promote critical thinking. Early course assignments focused on lower-order critical thinking, including information gathering and concept connecting activities, and served as the foundation for writing an evaluative research paper (REP) that required the application and analysis of biology content knowledge within different contexts. Based on the analysis of REP assignments using standardized criteria for assessing critical thinking, students were found to significantly increase their ability to demonstrate critical thinking. Students also became more aware of their critical thinking development, made stronger connections between concepts and applications in other contexts, and displayed measurable increases in critical thinking from their first to final drafts of their papers.

An integrated and projected-based laboratory course was described, integrating interconnected knowledge points and biochemistry and molecular biology techniques on a research project-based system. The program, which served as an essential extension of theoretical courses to practice, was conducted with a sophomore of basic medical science who had completed the course in medical biochemistry and molecular biology. This course engaged students in learning "genetic manipulation" and "recombinant DNA technology" to understand the target gene's role in disease mechanics, thus altering evaluation and treatment for clinical disease. Students could master applied and advanced techniques, such as cell culture, transfection, inducing exogenous fusion protein expression, purifying protein and its concentration assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western bot analysis. This laboratory exercise links laboratory practices with the methods of current basic research. Students need to complete the experimental design report and laboratory report, which could be advantageous for improving their ability to write lab summaries and scientific papers in the future. The reliability and validity analyses were conducted on the questionnaire, and we examined students' satisfaction with the course and their gains from the course. The student feedback was generally positive, indicating that the exercise helped consolidate theoretical knowledge, increase scientific research enthusiasm, and provide a powerful tool to be a better person and make informed decisions.

To evaluate the impact of active learning approaches in a basic molecular and cell biology course for undergraduate students, we assessed the effect of learning by teaching and peer review on the learning outcomes. A literature seminar activity with peer review and feedback was organized as a compulsory activity for all students, covering about 25% of the course content. The remaining 75% of the course was delivered as classical lectures. The students collaborated in groups to present the content of a review article complemented with a research article. For each group of students, an opponent group was assigned to challenge the presenting group by questions and contribute to the evaluation of the presentation together with the teacher. Based on the feedback survey, the students reacted positively to this active learning exercise, and they strongly recommended keeping it in the future editions of the course. The students' exam scores strongly indicated that the learning outcomes from the learning by teaching part of the course were consistently higher than from the classical lecture part of the course. Further optimization of the active learning part of the course is outlined based on student feedback.

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) significantly enhance the outcomes of students who participate. Unfortunately, students may face barriers to engaging in UREs, which creates challenges for students' development of essential research skills that may not be covered thoroughly in laboratory classes. Overall, there is a need for a curriculum that does not rely on the availability of lab resources and that allows students to gain more practice in developing laboratory critical-thinking skills such as troubleshooting. To address this challenge, we designed and implemented a student-initiated course (STIC) called A Primer on Research Techniques in Molecular Biology (PORT) at a large public university. Using mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, we evaluated the outcomes of PORT and students' perceived differences between regular courses and STICs. PORT was effective for teaching students how common molecular biology techniques work. Additionally, PORT helped students develop core research competencies and practice the critical-thinking skills they need to troubleshoot. Students described the STIC instructor as more relatable, approachable, and accessible, though less experienced in pedagogy compared with faculty in regular courses. The students also suggested that regular courses could benefit from additional focus on practical skills development and the inquiry-based learning model that was employed by PORT.

This study reports on the theoretical- and empirical-based design and evaluation of cell membrane biology learning activities within the Model of Educational Reconstruction and experiential realism. First, we designed analogy-based learning activities by considering students' and scientists' conceptions as described in the literature. Secondly, we carried out two video-taped teaching experiments to study students' learning processes when interacting with the learning activities. Interpreting students' conceptual development as thinking pathways enabled us to identify and understand the roots of their learning difficulties. Due to inherent ontological and epistemological presumptions, the students had difficulties in understanding that cell membrane structure determines their two-fold function: to separate and to connect environments in order to maintain living processes. The multiple analogies we employed helped foster conceptual development because they highlighted aspects of the concrete everyday experiences the students already had, but had not thought about. As a result of the learning activities, the students revised their conceptions regarding the terms "barrier," "gatekeeper" and "environment" and connected these to a more coherent conceptual structure of cell membrane biology. Methods and outcomes of the study may contribute to a better understanding of how this important concept can be brought to science classrooms.

National calls to improve science education include focusing on scientific practices coupled with learning disciplinary core ideas. Among the practices is constructing explanations. In the field of cellular and molecular biology, explanations typically include a mechanism and can be used to make predictions about phenomena. In this work, we developed an assessment item about transcription, a key process in the biology core concept of genetic information flow. We used a mechanistic framework to develop a rubric that identifies undergraduate explanations that leverage molecular or sub-molecular mechanisms, descriptions, or use unlinked ideas. We applied this rubric to categorize 346 undergraduate written explanations and compare five-item versions. We found that one version elicited sub-molecular mechanistic explanations from 20% of students, compared to between 2% and 13% from other versions. This version included the element of time, by indicating that a new RNA was formed as part of transcription. We also developed and applied a conceptual rubric to capture the context students used in their explanations and found a median of two context ideas in student explanations of transcription. Our work demonstrates that with careful item wording, undergraduates can explain molecular processes like transcription by leveraging sub-molecular mechanisms.

A primary goal of biomedical research is to elucidate molecular mechanisms, particularly those responsible for human traits, either normal or pathological. Yet achieving this goal is difficult if not impossible when the traits of interest lack tractable models and so cannot be dissected through time-honoured approaches like forward genetics or reconstitution. Arguably, no biological problem has hindered scientific progress more than this: the inability to dissect a trait's mechanism without a tractable likeness of the trait. At root, forward genetics and reconstitution are powerful approaches because they assay for specific molecular functions. Here, we discuss an alternative way to uncover important mechanistic interactions, namely, to assay for positive natural selection. If an interaction has been selected for, then it must perform an important function, a function that significantly promotes reproductive success. Accordingly, selection is a consequence and indicator of function, and uncovering multimolecular selection will reveal important functional interactions. We propose a selection signature for interactions and review recent selection-based approaches through which to dissect traits that are not inherently tractable. The review includes proof-of-principle studies in which important interactions were uncovered by screening for selection. In sum, screens for selection appear feasible when screens for specific functions are not. Selection screens thus constitute a novel tool through which to reveal the mechanisms that shape the fates of organisms., (© 2022 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Max Delbrück (1906-1981) attended the University of Gottingen, where he studied astrophysics initially, switching later to theoretical physics. He earned his PhD in physics from Gottingen in 1930. Delbruck then moved to England and Denmark. It was during this time that he met Niels Bohr and his argument that quantum mechanics might have a wider application to biology-inspired Delbruck to pursue biology., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)