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Both nanopore-based DNA sequencing and CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing represent groundbreaking innovations in molecular biology and genomics, offering unprecedented insights into and tools for working with genetic information. For students, reading, editing, and even writing DNA will be part of their everyday life. We have developed a laboratory procedure that includes (i) the biosynthesis of a guide RNA for, (ii) targeting Cas9 to specifically linearize the pBR322 plasmid, and (iii) the identification of the cutting site through nanopore DNA sequencing. The protocol is intentionally kept simple and requires neither living organisms nor biosafety laboratories. We divided the experimental procedures into separate activities to facilitate customization. Assuming access to a well-equipped molecular biology laboratory, an initial investment of approximately $2,700 is necessary. The material costs for each experiment group amount to around $130. Furthermore, we have developed a freely accessible website (https://dnalesen.hs-mittweida.de) for sequence read analysis and visualization, lowering the required computational skills to a minimum. For those with strong computational skills, we provide instructions for terminal-based data processing. With the presented activities, we aim to provide a hands-on experiment that engages students in modern molecular genetics and motivates them to discuss potential implications. The complete experiment can be accomplished within half a day and has been successfully implemented by us at high schools, in teacher training, and at universities. Our tip is to combine CRISPR/Cas gene targeting with nanopore-based DNA sequencing. As a tool, we provide a website that facilitates sequence data analysis and visualization.

Inspired by the positive impact of serious games on science understanding and motivated by personal interests in scientific outreach, we developed "Bacttle," an easy-to-play microbiology board game with adaptive difficulty, targeting any player from 7 years old onward. Bacttle addresses both the lay public and teachers for use in classrooms as a way of introducing microbiology concepts. The layout of the game and its mechanism are the result of multiple rounds of trial, feedback, and re-design. The final version consists of a deck of cards, a 3D-printed board, and tokens (with a paper-based alternative), with all digital content open source. Players in Bacttle take on the character of a bacterial species. The aim for each species is to proliferate under the environmental conditions of the board and the interactions with the board and with other players, which vary as the play evolves. Players start with a given number of lives that will increase or decrease based on the traits they play for different environmental scenarios. Such bacterial traits come in the form of cards that can be deployed strategically. To assess the impact of the game on microbiological knowledge, we scored differences in the understanding of general concepts before and after playing the game. We assessed a total of 169 visitors at two different university open-day science fairs. Players were asked to fill out a brief survey before and after the game with questions targeting conceptual advances. Results show that Bacttle increases general microbiology knowledge on players as young as 5 years old and with the highest impact on those who have no "a priori" microbiology comprehension.

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.

The current and ongoing challenges brought on by climate change will require future scientists who have hands-on experience using advanced molecular techniques, can work with large data sets, and can make correlations between metadata and microbial diversity. A course-embedded research project can prepare students to answer complex research questions that might help plants adapt to climate change. The project described herein uses plants as a host to study the impact of climate change-induced drought on host-microbe interactions through next-generation DNA sequencing and analysis using a command-line program. Specifically, the project studies the impact of simulated drought on the rhizosphere microbiome of Fast Plants rapid cycling "Brassica rapa" using inexpensive greenhouse supplies and 16S rRNA V3/V4 Illumina sequencing. Data analysis is performed with the freely accessible Python-based microbiome bioinformatics platform QIIME 2.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the importance of mRNA vaccines. The mechanism for how such vaccines work is related to the core biology topic of the central dogma, which students often misunderstand despite its importance. Therefore, we wanted to know whether students can apply their biology knowledge of central dogma to the real-world issue of how mRNA COVID vaccines work. Accordingly, we asked college biology students of different expertise levels how the COVID vaccine worked. Later, we cued them by telling them the vaccine contains mRNA and asked them what the mRNA does. We used thematic analysis to find common ideas in their responses. In the uncued condition, fewer than half of the students used central dogma-related ideas to explain what was in the vaccine or how the vaccine worked. Inaccurate ideas were present among all groups of biology students, particularly entering biology majors and non-biology majors, including the idea that the COVID vaccines contain a weakened, dead, or variant form of the COVID virus. After students were cued, many more students in all expertise groups expressed central dogma-related themes, showing that students could apply the knowledge of central dogma if prompted. Advanced biology majors were much more likely to state that the vaccines code for a viral protein, indicating their advanced application of central dogma concepts. These results highlight inaccurate ideas common among students and show changes in the ability to apply knowledge with student expertise level, which could inform future interventions to support student learning about vaccines and central dogma.

Field-Based Practicum (FBP) about Pterydophyta diversity material in Low plant botany learning is very important, even though the facts in the field show that FBP is still minimally carried out. This research aims to utilize the potential diversity of Pterydophyta in the Tuban-Lamongan Pantura area as a support for FBP about low plant botany learning. The type of research is descriptive exploratory with a transect method, which divides the research area into five plots. Data collection techniques involve observing abiotic parameters and fern morphology in each plot and counting the number of individuals of each species. Data analysis used the Shannon & Wiener index for diversity and qualitative descriptive analysis for morphology. The research results showed 19 species of ferns with 210 individuals divided into two classes, namely Polypodiopsida and Psyotopsida. The fern diversity index is in the medium category (H´=2.10). The diversity of ferns obtained shows that the Tuban-Lamongan Pantura area has a high potential to support FBP about low plant botany learning to provide insight and direct experience to students about the diversity of ferns in the surrounding environment.

Mendelian genetics are essential for students seeking to comprehend the complexities of inheritance; although fundamental, these biology concepts are difficult for students to understand. This study examined the effectiveness of task-based learning (TBL) in enhancing the students' conceptual understanding of the Patterns of Mendelian Genetics. A pretest and posttest quasi-experimental research design involved an experimental and a control group. An Intrinsic Motivation Inventory questionnaire was utilized to assess the level of intrinsic motivation for task evaluation for the experimental group. Paired t-test was used to compare the pretest and post-test results. Before the intervention, both groups had a low conceptual understanding of the topic. At the end of the intervention, both groups had significantly increased their performances from pretest to posttest scores. The study revealed that TBL is more effective than Traditional Lecture-Based Instruction (TLI), as seen in their enhanced student performance, implying the effectiveness of the TBL as an innovative instructional approach. Participants from the experimental group expressed enjoyment, competence, and ownership of their task activities, and they did not feel nervous and anxious about doing the tasks. Pearson r-correlation was used to establish a relationship among the variables. Perceived choice, pressure/tension, and student performance in the experimental group have low positive correlations, and perceived choice, interest/enjoyment, and performance have a negligible correlation. This approach is highly commendable for biology instruction. By illuminating the effectiveness of active learning in improving student's conceptual understanding, this study bridges the gap between theoretical-practical gap in genetics via active learning effectiveness.

This study aimed to investigate research trends related to socio-scientific issues (SSI). The SSI articles analysed were from highest-rating five science education journals with the highest impact ratings, published between 2011 and 2022, including "Science Education" [SE], "Journal of Research in Science Teaching" [JRST], "Science and Education" [S&E], "International Journal of Science Education" [IJSE], and "Research in Science Education" [RSE]. A total of 87 selected relevant SSI articles were analysed to determine research types, research topics, research sample groups, research sites, and authors with the most citations. According to the research findings, IJSE articles are the most widely published articles compared to other articles of similar journals. It is revealed that the most discussed issues in those articles of IJSE are argumentation and decision-making, followed by the nature of science. Pupils in middle and high schools constitute the largest sample groups. The continent that has been widely selected as research sites is European continent. Meanwhile, the country with the most research sites is the United States. The data collection tool most frequently used in the research is interview. S&E's "Nature of Science," "Scientific Inquiry," and "Socio-Scientific Issues Arising from Genetics: A Pathway to Developing a Scientifically Literate Citizenry" articles are the most cited articles. Challenges such as addressing efficacy, emotion, and attitude remain noticeably unexplored in SSI studies. Furthermore, exploratory studies on SSI for early childhood education.

Genetics concepts is taught at secondary school to equip students with relevant knowledge to engage with related socio-scientific issues in order to make a reasonable decision. However, earlier research shown that students exhibited poor comprehension of this concept. Despite several interventions, this problem persists. This study was designed to examine senior school students' conceptual understanding, perceptions and misconceptions about genetics concepts as well as the causes of the misconceptions identified. The mixed methods design was adopted, while 789 students participated. Five instruments were used, while data collected were descriptively and content analyzed. The results revealed that 21.4% of the students understood genetics concepts, 27.6% did not, while 51.0% had misconceptions. Students had negative perception of genetics concepts ([x-bar] =2.47) and genetics contents indicator was the major causes of students' misconceptions ([x-bar] =2.92) against the 2.50 threshold. The teaching and learning of genetics concepts should be supported with relevant instructional materials and detailed textbooks.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their uses are often misunderstood. Consumers are regularly unsure what GMOs are, or if they are safe for consumption and the environment. Contradictory and sometimes inaccurate information is available from numerous sources, and challenges consumers and others to separate the facts from sensationalized stories. Agricultural producers often communicate with consumers, neighbors, and members of the general public; however, they do not have information to share about GMOs. Multimedia resources can provide agricultural producers with science- based information to share with consumers. Agricultural communicators and Extension educators can create science- based multimedia resources to bridge the communication gap.

Genome Sciences Education Outreach (GSEO) has developed innovative programs that bring leading-edge science to teachers and students in K-12 schools. Disseminating educational materials equitably and accessibly to teacher stakeholders to maximize reach and impact is challenging for many programs. Traditionally, programs connect materials with teachers through local networks, in-person professional development sessions, and at regional and national conference presentations. The need for curricular changes in 2020 spurred the proliferation of online and digital educational materials and professional development opportunities. These digital materials--now available to a worldwide audience--require a shift in dissemination strategy to enhance the potential reach of these materials both locally and nationally. This manuscript reports a case study of a dissemination approach, to create a collaboration between GSEO and CommLead (the communications master's program at the University of Washington) to promote education materials developed by the publicly-funded Genes, Environment and Me Network (GEMNet) program. This manuscript describes the development and the ad hoc implementation and evaluation of a social media campaign to expand the reach of the GEMNet curricula. With a targeted social media campaign on Facebook, GSEO was able to dramatically and affordably increase the reach of the GEMNet curricula and expand the potential impact and utilization of educational materials to a nationwide teacher audience, highlighting the potential for other similar collaborations to efficiently enhance the dissemination strategy of other education outreach programs.

Here we build from the central strength of the existing definition of dyslexia--its emphasis on neurobiological origins--and proffer a set of seven core principles for a new, more comprehensive conceptualization of dyslexia. These principles derive from two major research directions: (1) the still evolving history of attempts to explain dyslexia, including in varied writing systems; and (2) the study of the reading brain circuit, its development, and its genetic and environmental influences. What emerges from connecting these two directions is a dynamic conceptualization of dyslexia that incorporates the extensive research on the heterogeneity of dyslexia and the interdependent contributions of multiple biological and socio-cultural risk and preventive factors. A new definition of dyslexia, therefore, needs to transcend both past unitary characterizations and past assumptions based largely on the English orthography. Such a conceptualization references the ways that different languages interact with the reading brain circuit to produce different sources of reading failure. Similarly, the characteristics and consequences of dyslexia that have been considered as secondary sequela (e.g., reduced reading comprehension, social-emotional issues) should be part of a more comprehensive narrative. Of critical importance, any definition of dyslexia should clarify persisting misconceptions that associate dyslexia with a lack of intelligence, potential to learn, or talents. Thus, the overall purpose of such a definition should serve as an instrument of knowledge and an enduring reason for pursuing growth in reading for the individual, the educator, and the public.

The broad autism phenotype is the phenotypic expression of the primary characteristics of autism. However, currently available tests do not agree with the two-domain operationalization of broad autism phenotype or autism, and their internal structure has shown instability across applications. This study presents the Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test, the first such test designed to target a two-domain operationalization in Spain and the United Kingdom. A broad pilot study was conducted in three community samples, two from Spain (ES1, N = 970; ES2, N = 460) and one from the United Kingdom (N = 530). The Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test consists of 20 items distributed into the SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP dimensions, representing the seven autistic subdomains. Common factor approaches were used to find a simple and invariant factor structure between countries. The Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test presents full metric invariance between two Spanish samples, partial invariance between countries, and adequate omega reliability estimation. Evidence-based results on the relationships of the SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP to other variables (the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire) support the interpretation of its scores for the intended uses. The evidence provided in this article shows that the Broad Autism Phenotype--International Test functions adequately compared to other available broad autism phenotype tests, such as the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire.

Racial biases, which harm marginalized and excluded communities, may be combatted by clarifying misconceptions about race during biology lessons. We developed a human genetics laboratory activity that challenges the misconception that race is biological (biological essentialism). We assessed the relationship between this activity and student outcomes using a survey of students' attitudes about biological essentialism and color-evasive ideology and a concept inventory about phylogeny and human diversity. Students in the human genetics laboratory activity showed a significant decrease in their acceptance of biological essentialism compared with a control group, but did not show changes in color-evasive ideology. Students in both groups exhibited increased knowledge in both areas of the concept inventory, but the gains were larger in the human genetics laboratory. In the second iteration of this activity, we found that only white students' decreases in biological essentialist beliefs were significant and the activity failed to decrease color-evasive ideologies for all students. Concept inventory gains were similar and significant for both white and non-white students in this iteration. Our findings underscore the effectiveness of addressing misconceptions about the biological origins of race and encourage more research on ways to effectively change damaging student attitudes about race in undergraduate genetics education.

The central dogma of molecular biology describes the transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins and stipulates that the system cannot work in the reverse direction. As a fundamental principle in biology, the dogma is as influential as it is controversial. Some commentators have debated the central dogma's empirical accuracy because they believe that some exceptions are incompatible with the central dogma. We investigated these exceptions challenging the central dogma and conclude that they do not violate the central dogma. The central dogma is still a common model used to describe and study the relationship between genes and proteins. This is one of the greatest established achievements in modern biology.

Previous studies have shown both benefits and challenges of group work and whole-class activities in educational settings. One overall finding in the existing literature is that it is challenging for teachers to facilitate whole-class conversations that realise the rich potential of student discussions and undertakings during group work. This article investigates how teachers can facilitate productive consolidating whole-class conversations building on students' group work experiences by enacting responsive teaching practices, implying foregrounding students' experiences and ideas, and pursuing the substance of the students' experiences and ideas in instructional work. Based on a sociocultural perspective, we analyse sequences of classroom interactions where students' experiences from their lifeworld are invoked in a) settings where student engage in small group activities and b) teacher facilitated whole-class conversations. The educational context is a science project about genetics involving lower secondary school students and their science teacher. Our analysis shows that in group work settings, students' everyday experiences are invoked but are seldom picked up on and pursued in group conversations as resources for engaging with science matters. In whole-class conversations facilitated by the teacher, especially in situations in which the teacher assumed a responsive teaching approach, students' everyday experiences were more often realised as resources for shared meaning making and engagement with scientific concepts and ideas. We discuss this study's implications for teachers designing productive learning activities that combine group work and whole-class activities.

Recent advances in genomics make it possible to predict individual differences in education from polygenic scores that are person-specific aggregates of inherited DNA differences. Here, we systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the strength of these DNA-based predictions for educational attainment (e.g., years spent in full-time education) and educational achievement (e.g., school grades). For educational attainment (k = 20, n = 16, N[subscript total] = 314,757), a multilevel meta-analysis showed an association with polygenic scores of [rho] = 0.27 (95% CI from 0.22 to 0.32). For educational achievement (k = 19, n = 10, N[subscript total] = 83,788), the association was [rho] = 0.24 (95% CI from 0.18 to 0.30). Eurocentric biases were evident with only 15% of estimates being reported in samples of non-European ancestry. After accounting for sample ancestry, age at assessment, and education measure, the meta-analytic estimates increased to [rho] = 0.29 (95% CI from 0.24 to 0.33) for educational attainment and [rho] = 0.50 (95% CI from 0.39 to 0.61) for educational achievement, indicative of large effect sizes. All meta-analytic estimates were associated with significant heterogeneity. Our findings suggest that DNA-based predictions of education are sizeable but vary across samples and studies. We outline three steps to safeguard potential applications of polygenic score predictions in education to maximize their benefits for personalizing learning, while minimizing the bioethical risks of perpetuating social, cultural, and economic inequalities.

Purpose: The heterogeneity of autism is well documented, but few studies have studied the heterogeneity of gesture production ability in autistic children. The present study aimed to identify subgroups of autistic children who displayed heterogeneous gesture production abilities and explore the underlying factors, including autism characteristics, intellectual ability, and language ability, that were associated with the heterogeneity. Methods: A total of 65 Chinese autistic children (mean age = 5;3) participated. Their autism characteristics and intellectual ability were assessed by standardized measurements. Language output and gesture production were captured from a parent-child interaction task. Results: We conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis and identified four distinct clusters. Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 both had low gesture production whereas Cluster 3 and Cluster 4 had high gesture production. Both Clusters 1 and 2 had relatively strong autism characteristics, in comparison to Clusters 3 and 4. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that children with stronger autism characteristics may gesture less often than those with weaker characteristics. However, the relationship between language ability and intellectual ability and gesture production was not clear. These findings shed light on the directions of intervention on gesture production for autistic children, especially those with stronger autism characteristics.

The first section of this paper sets the record straight regarding many of Debouwere's (2024, "Review of Education," 12, e3445) specific criticisms. The second section discusses the magnitude of the SES-achievement relationship, specifically Debouwere's (2024) contention that the correlation is strong around 0.5 or 0.6 compared to observed correlations mostly between 0.2 and 0.3. The third section deals with five issues that Debouwere (2024) raises in his paper: (1) the stability of SES vis-à-vis cognitive ability; (2) the accuracy of children's reports of parents' socioeconomic characteristics; (3) whether teachers discriminate by students' SES; (4) the importance of cognitive ability for educational differentiation (i.e., tracking and streaming); and (5) SES effects on student achievement, controlling for prior achievement. The fourth section discusses the role of genetics in student achievement. Meta-analyses and other studies indicate that about 50%-70% of the variance in student achievement is attributable to genetics (i.e., the heritability). The high heritability of student achievement accounts for its high stability, its strong correlations with cognitive ability and the weak effects of SES, net of prior achievement or cognitive ability.

This study examined the similarities/differences between the social phenotypes of Williams syndrome (WS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As cultural norms may affect symptom evaluation, this study administered the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 to Japanese individuals with WS (n = 78, 4.4-44.0 years) and ASD (n = 75, 4.7-55.4 years). The scores for Social Motivation and Social Communication were significantly more severe in the ASD than WS group. Overall, the similarities and differences between the social phenotypes of the syndromes were consistent with the findings of a recent study conducted in the UK, except for the social awareness subscale score. This highlights the importance of cross-cultural investigations of WS and ASD.

Science should provide students an accurate and contemporary education on genetic influence, particularly how it impacts trait variability and developmental norms. Stories involving familial, racial, and sexual differences routinely appear in the popular media and sales of over-the-counter genetic tests are mounting. Unfortunately, research suggests genetic curricula in secondary education and university courses have little impact on genetic literacy; instead they appear to amplify genetic essentialism. This position paper reports on genetic essentialism, the impact of three components of science education (teachers, students, curriculum), and critiques existing genetic lessons in two prevalent scientific disciplines, biology and psychology. Two entrenched 19th century genetic paradigms (e.g., Mendelian inheritance and behavioral genetics) are specifically examined. The paper closes with specific recommendations for improving students' genetic literacy including important contemporary genetic science (e.g., epigenetics) and instructional approaches (e.g., learning progression, refutational teaching).

Background: Due to the progressive deterioration of motor, cognitive, and psychological function, individuals with Huntington's disease (HD) rely heavily on family caregivers, including children in the home. This "young carer" role can result in responsibilities that are inappropriate for the child's age and abilities. Also referred to as parentification, this experience can result in both positive and negative outcomes for the child, spanning multiple domains of health and well-being. Objective: To explore the manifestation of parentification among young carers of a parent with HD. Method: Directed content analysis, guided by a literature-derived framework of parentification, was utilized for this qualitative study. Participants included 28 young carers (mean age of 16.6 (± 2.6)) who self-identified as engaging in caregiving activities related to HD with the majority providing care for 1-3 years (53.6%)--averaging 25.4 h of care per week. Results: Three main themes with subthemes emerged--(1) being a young carer [perceptions of caregiving, learning to be a caregiver, caregiver burden, coping], (2) living with a new normal (school and friends, feeling unheard/alone, support system, personal growth), and (3) facing HD as a young carer (stigma and isolation, parent/child relationship, end of life, genetic risk). Conclusions: Young carers in the context of HD experience many attributes and consequences of parentification generally present among young carers of ill parents. However, HD specific findings emerged from this study that can be used to inform clinicians and direct future research aimed at guiding policy and developing tailored support services.

This study utilised the Early Growth and Development Study (N = 561 adoptive children; 57.2% male, 55.3% White), a study of children adopted at birth, to examine heritable (birth parent psychopathology) and prenatal risk (prenatal maternal distress and smoking during pregnancy), infant negative affectivity, adoptive parent over-reactivity and warmth as independent predictors of childhood externalising symptoms. The current study evaluated if: (1) infant negative affectivity and over-reactive parenting are candidate mediators for the effects of heritable and prenatal risk on externalising symptoms and (2) parental warmth weakens the influence of heritable risk, prenatal risk, negative affectivity and over-reactive parenting on externalising symptoms. There were main effects of heritable risk, infant negative affectivity and over-reactive parenting on child externalising symptoms. The study found no support for the hypothesised mediation and moderation effects, suggesting that targeting parental over-reactivity rather than warmth would be more effective in reducing the risk for childhood externalising symptoms.

The aim of this study was to examine genetic variations underlying the early neurodevelopmental outcome of developmental disabilities (DDs). The study cohort consisted of 191 children with DDs. Diagnosis was assessed at baseline and at the index age (72-84 months). Exome sequencing was conducted and putative risk variants were identified. According to the diagnostic improvement, children were categorized into the improvement group (n = 19) and the non-improvement group (n = 172). Compared to the non-improvement group, the improvement group had lower number of risk variants in known DD genes and haploinsufficient genes, and lower number of overall putative risk variants. Our results may serve as a preliminary basis for developing a model that informs clinical outcome by sequencing analysis.

We examined the relation between home literacy environment (HLE), parents' reading skills, and children's emergent literacy skills (pinyin letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and vocabulary) and reading (word reading and reading comprehension) in a sample of 168 Chinese children (M[subscript age] = 74.26 months) followed from kindergarten to Grade 1. Results of structural equation modeling showed that code-related HLE activities and access to literacy resources continued to predict children's emergent literacy skills after controlling for the effects of family's socioeconomic status and both parents' reading skills. Parents' reading skills also exerted a direct effect on children's reading comprehension. These findings suggest that HLE exerts a true environmental effect on children's reading skills that is not due to a genetic confound.

Concerns have been raised about genomic studies of autism. Most recently, the Spectrum 10 K study was paused due to criticism from the autistic community. This situation raised important questions about how the autistic and autism communities perceive genomic research. The Personal Experiences of Autism and Perceptions of DNA-based-research study was established to address this issue. Twenty parents of nonverbal or minimally verbal autistic children took part in the current study. Data were provided in diverse formats including online interviews, telephone interviews, and writing. This approach was co-produced with autistic experts by experience. Data were analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis. We found that participants were supportive of autism research, including some genomic research, if it is designed to support autistic people and is ethical and transparent. However, while some believed that polygenic scores, genomic predictors of the statistical probability of being autistic, would be helpful, others argued that this would only be true in an ideal world. Participants felt that they and their children were often excluded from, and unrepresented by, the autistic and autism communities. We conclude that genomic researchers need to work with the autistic and autism communities to design future work, and that it is important to ensure a representative range of voices are heard.

There has been intense debate within the autistic and autism communities about the use of autism biobanks -- repositories containing biological and phenotypic materials -- and of genomic autism research more broadly. Here, we sought to understand the views and experiences of those contributing to one specific biobank, the Australian Autism Biobank. We adopted a multi-informant approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 77 people, including 18 autistic probands, 46 parents and seven siblings, all of whom donated material to the Biobank, as well as six researchers employed on the project. Specifically, we asked: what motivated participants and researchers to contribute to the Australian Autism Biobank? And how did they feel about their involvement in that process? We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis, adopting an inductive approach within an essentialist framework. We identified three themes, which revealed a wide diversity of viewpoints, including positive conceptualisations of autism linked to neurodiversity and more negative conceptualisations linked to hopes for the development of genetic screening and reproductive choice. These findings have implications for the meaning, value and future directions of autism science. This research has been conducted using the Australian Autism Biobank resource.

Research at the intersection of social science and genomics, 'sociogenomics', is transforming our understanding of the interplay between genomics, individual outcomes and society. It has interesting and maybe unexpected implications for education research and policy. Here we review the growing sociogenomics literature and discuss its implications for educational researchers and policymakers. We cover key concepts and methods in genomic research into educational outcomes, how genomic data can be used to investigate social or environmental effects, the methodological strengths and limitations of genomic data relative to other observational social data, the role of intergenerational transmission and potential policy implications. The increasing availability of genomic data in studies can produce a wealth of new evidence for education research. This may provide opportunities for disentangling the environmental and genomic factors that influence educational outcomes and identifying potential mechanisms for intervention.

This study explores how capable young children are of thinking about a potential future that uses DNA screening to assess an individual's likelihood of experiencing learning or behaviour difficulties. Puppets and a scenario-based approach were used to ask children aged 4-10 (n = 165) whether they thought DNA screening might be helpful or harmful. A content analysis derived six categories: (1) 'Worried about being -- and being seen as -- different'; (2) 'Beliefs about the origins of learning and behaviour'; (3) 'Testing is harmful'; (4) 'Testing could help'; (5) 'How soon is too soon for testing?'; and (6) 'What's the point?'. Findings indicate young children, as key stakeholders, can make useful contributions to public debate in this important and controversial area.

Autism is associated with genomic instability, which is regulated by telomere length (TL) and index of global methylation (LINE-1). This study will determine relative TL (RTL) and LINE-1 methylation percentage for 69 patients and 33 control subjects to evaluate their potential role as biomarkers for autism. The results displayed a significant decrease of both RTL and LINE-1 methylation in autistic cases relative to controls (P < 0.001). Analysis of receiver operating characteristics curve revealed that both of RTL and LINE-1 methylation percentage have the ability to serve as autism biomarkers (area under the curve = 0.817 and 0.889, respectively). The statistical analysis revealed positive correlation between the two biomarkers (correlation coefficient = 0.439 and P < 0.001).

We aimed to identify unique constellations of sensory phenotypes for genetic etiologies associated with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Caregivers reported on sensory behaviors via the Sensory Profile for 290 participants (younger than 25 years of age) with ASD and/or ID diagnoses, of which [approximately] 70% have a known pathogenic genetic etiology. Caregivers endorsed poor registration (i.e., high sensory threshold, passive behaviors) for all genetic subgroups relative to an "idiopathic" comparison group with an ASD diagnosis and without a known genetic etiology. Genetic profiles indicated prominent sensory seeking in "ADNP," "CHD8," and "DYRK1A," prominent sensory sensitivities in "SCN2A," and fewer sensation avoidance behaviors in "GRIN2B" (relative to the idiopathic ASD comparison group).

The adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Ghana has raised a lot of public concerns and mixed feelings among some Ghanaians. Our present study, therefore, explored the current knowledge of the general public on GMOs, their perceptions, and factors that influence their understanding of GMOs. A total of 200 Ghanaians were interviewed using an online semi-structured questionnaire to solicit information on their knowledge of GMOs. The findings of the study showed that most Ghanaians (183 out of 200) are aware of GMOs. Age and level of education significantly influenced consumers' awareness of GMOs. The results also revealed that most of the participants have a medium to a high level of knowledge of GMOs; however, limited information about GMOs is available to the public. About 61% of the respondents are willing to consume GMOs when made available in Ghana. Also, the findings of the study showed that the respondents would prefer GM-labelled products. The educational level of the respondents significantly influenced their knowledge and understanding of GMOs. The study recommends that scientists and various media platforms provide a platform to address the concerns of the public on GMOs and occasionally engage them in GMO-related issues and their role in addressing food insecurity and malnutrition.

This study examines the challenges of humanism and education in the 21st century as addressed by the German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk in his Elmau Speech (1999). In this lecture, titled "Rules for the Human Zoo", Sloterdijk argues that the traditional notion of humanism, specifically "humanism as a literary society," has reached its conclusion, necessitating the development of a new humanism appropriate for the contemporary era. However, the new concept of humanism emerging from what Sloterdijk terms the "anthropotechnic turn" appears to align with the discourses surrounding human enhancement that have emerged in the 21st century, thereby influencing the realm of education. The first half of this article reports on the significant concerns and criticisms expressed by the media at that time regarding this new humanism, which seems to be associated with eugenicist ideas. Taking a step further, this study critically examines the nature of the challenges around education implied by Sloterdijk, specifically the conflict between "friend of humans and friend of Übermensch", and explores the potential roles and responsibilities of education in the latter part of the paper.

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.

Parenting behaviors have long been recognized as crucial to children's healthy development. However, examinations of the etiology of these behaviors are less prevalent. The current study investigated the driving forces behind parental warmth and discipline, particularly whether they are related more to traits within the parent or reactions to characteristics of the child. To explore this question, three robust factors of child temperament--effortful control, negative affectivity, and surgency/extraversion--and five parent personality traits were examined in association with parent behaviors through differential parenting within 185 four-year-old twin pairs (370 children; 56% girls; 90% White; predominantly middle class). Genetic analyses showed that parents tend to treat both children similarly in terms of parental warmth, but they treat children less similarly in terms of discipline, regardless of child zygosity. Multilevel linear regressions showed that within twin pairs, the child with higher effortful control received less discipline from parents than their cotwin. Analyses also showed that parent agreeableness was significantly related to parent warmth above and beyond other personality traits and child temperament. This study clarified the direction of effects and genetic contributions to parenting behaviors, supporting previous literature that discipline acts in reaction to the child, whereas warmth is more driven by parent personality. This research suggests the importance of focusing on child temperament and parent personality as they relate to parenting behaviors, allowing clinicians and parents to more effectively correct maladaptive parenting behaviors and encourage healthy and adaptive parenting behaviors, thus promoting positive outcomes for children.

This study aims to examine the unique educational films prepared by science teacher candidates about biotechnology applications and getting their perceptions on the process/the educational films they have prepared. The phenomenology method was used. The study group consists of 30 sophomore teacher candidates. Teacher candidates prepared educational films. Then, the perceptions of the teacher candidates about this process were taken. According to the results of the study educational movies were prepared by teacher candidates by way of their writings about stem cells, genetically modified organisms, nanotechnology and cloning. The educational films focused on the positive and negative aspects of these biotechnology subjects, on the basis of daily life scenarios. Even though the short movies contained both negative and positive references, they mostly had a positive note.

The emerging field of genomic medicine offers an opportunity for biology and anatomy teachers to bring the topics of DNA, genetics, molecular processes, and evolution together into one experience. Through the genomic medicine paradigm, students see the unbroken connection between small biological topics such as mutations and their potential connection to disease phenotypes. In this paper, we present as a main example cystic fibrosis, which is an often-studied genetic disease in general biology class, for examination through the genomic medicine lens. Concepts such as genes, the plasma membrane, variation, mutations, the nucleus, and chromosomes can be used in a narrative and visual approach to genetics through the genomic medicine standpoint to engage and connect students with next-generation genomics and with the fundamental unit of life -- the cell. It is through the genomic medicine lens that the cell's context and relationship to the evolving world takes place.

This glimpse into sex education in the Los Angeles region illustrates the eugenic ideas about racially "fit" reproduction that emerged in family life curricula during the Second World War. Ideas about eugenic reproduction in public schools responded to broader cultural fears about increasing divorce rates, criminality, immigration, and birthright citizenship. Eugenics in sex and family life education, importantly, portrayed a woman's choice of mate as a civic responsibility, a move that paved the way for future conflicts about teaching gender and sexuality in public school sex education. Amid a half-century-long conflict over abstinence-only versus comprehensive sex education in public schools, topics like genetics and heredity have come to be widely accepted by both sides - recognized as a presumably value-neutral staple of sex education in US public schools. Yet recent innovations in genetic and reproductive technologies, as well as the conflict over trans and queer youth in the United States, challenge the assumption that teaching genetics and heredity in public schools really is "value neutral."

Prior theoretical and empirical research has highlighted links between positive parenting and the socioeconomic characteristics of the family's neighborhood, but has yet to illuminate the etiologic origins of this association. One possibility is that the various predictors of parenting outlined by Belsky (1984; e.g., characteristics of the child, characteristics of the parent, and contextual influences) may matter more in some neighborhood contexts than in others. To examine this possibility, we conducted etiologic moderation analyses in a sample of 1,030 families of twins (average age 8 years; 51% male, 49% female; racial composition: 82% White, 10% Black, 1% Asian, 1% Indigenous, and 6% multiracial) from the Twin Study of Behavioral and Emotional Development in Children in the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Neighborhood and parenting were assessed using multiple informants and assessment strategies (neighborhood and family informants, administrative data, and videotaped parent-child interactions). Results pointed to strong evidence of etiologic moderation, such that child effects on positive mothering were prominent in neighborhoods with little opportunity and near zero in neighborhoods with ample opportunity. Such findings not only reframe the magnitude of child effects on the parenting they receive as context-dependent, but also indicate that mothers in impoverished neighborhoods may be more responsive to their children's characteristics than mothers in neighborhoods with ample opportunity.

This study aimed to explore stakeholders' perspectives on the ethical considerations for returning individual pharmacogenomics research results to people living with HIV. A qualitative approach to investigation involved five focus group discussions with 30 Community representatives, 12 key informant interviews with researchers, and 12 in-depth interviews with research ethics committee members. In total, 54 stakeholders who were involved in pharmacogenomics research and HIV treatment and care contributed to the data collection between September 2021 and February 2022. The study explored five prominent themes: (i) defining the nature of research results to return to participants; (ii) preparing research participants to receive their results; (iii) obtaining informed consent for the return of results; (iv) opinions on health personnel to return the results to participants; and (v) opinions on how research results should be communicated to participants. Respondents identified various strategies for the return of individual results with minimal ethical risks including the setting up of a diverse and independent committee to undertake a risk-benefit assessment based on local context; ongoing discussions about the possible kinds of results and their implications throughout the study; and employing genetic counsellors to communicate results to participants. The strategies identified in this study should be further studied and independently verified.

This study explored the use of an innovative instructional approach called Productive Failure (PF) to design an educational game and its support. The study then examined the effects of two different types of instruction--PF vs. Direct Instruction (DI)--on learning genetics and relevant mathematical knowledge in a Game-Based Learning (GBL) environment. One hundred fifty-seven Year 10 students from two high schools participated in two quasi-experimental studies. The participants were divided into two treatment groups: one group learned targeted concepts using PF with GBL (PF-GBL), while the other group learned the same concepts using DI with GBL (DI-GBL). The results of the first study indicated that the PF-GBL group showed significantly higher learning gains than the DI-GBL group on explanatory genetics knowledge. In the second study, no group difference was found between the PF-GBL group and the DI-GBL group on learning genetics and relevant mathematical knowledge. Implications of findings, limitations, and future research are discussed.

Objective: We offer an overview of ADHD research using mouse models of nicotine exposure. Method: Nicotine exposure of C57BL/6 or Swiss Webster mice occurred during prenatal period only or during the prenatal and the preweaning periods. Behavioral, neuroanatomical and neurotransmitter assays were used to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of ADHD and discover candidate ADHD medications. Results: Our studies show that norbinaltorphimine, a selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist is a candidate novel non-stimulant ADHD treatment and that a combination of methylphenidate and naltrexone has abuse deterrent potential with therapeutic benefits for ADHD. Other studies showed transgenerational transmission of ADHD-associated behavioral traits and demonstrated that interactions between untreated ADHD and repeated mild traumatic brain injury produced behavioral traits not associated with either condition alone. Conclusion: Preclinical models contribute to novel insights into ADHD neurobiology and are valuable tools for drug discovery and translation to benefit humans with ADHD.

Objective: To examine the theoretical and empirical contribution of Joe Biederman and his colleagues to the understanding of executive function (EF) and ADHD. Method: We searched PubMed for references to EF in Biederman's publications and conducted a narrative review of this literature. Results: In 50 or more papers using neuropsychological tests, rating scales and measures of mind wandering, Biederman demonstrated that EF are evident in ADHD and closely linked to its underlying neurobiological and genetic risk. He argued that EF need to be monitoring to ensure comprehensive assessment and treatment, but could not be used as a diagnostic proxy. Conclusion: Biederman built an innovative and impressive collaboration to address the issue of EF in ADHD. His work shows a commitment to understanding of EF in order to improve patient care. Biederman laid down a roadmap for research in ADHD and EF for the rest of the field to follow.

Objective: The goal of the present study is to describe the ADHD phenotype from childhood to adolescence in Black and White girls in a community sample. Method: Primary caregivers enrolled in the population-based, longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study reported on girls' ADHD symptoms and impairment from ages 7 to 17; diagnostic subtypes were estimated based on meeting symptom criteria. Results: The prevalence of any subtype of ADHD ranged from 6.4 to 9.2% and from 2.3 to 6.4% for Black and White girls respectively; the inattentive subtype was most endorsed. A relatively equal number of new diagnoses at each age was observed. Persistence of ADHD diagnoses was typically 1 to 2 years. Conclusions: ADHD in the community is relatively common, with the inattentive subtype as the most common phenotype for Black and White girls. Research on developmentally sensitive periods for symptom exacerbation or new onset of ADHD in girls is needed.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. Genetic, environmental, and epigenetic variables are all likely to have a role in the occurrence of ASD. This systematic review was done to determine the implications of genetic factors and modifiers in ASD. Our results show that nearly all human chromosomes have one or more genes susceptible to autism including X and Y chromosomes. In majority of the studies, different genes like MTHFR, A1298C, KDM5B, AIM2, AMPD1-NRAS, TRIM33, and TRIM33-BCAS2 located on chromosome number 1 were found to have high association with ASD. It is concluded that genes on approximately all human chromosomes have association with the risk of ASD. Given the possible involvement of epigenetic processes in the development of autism and the ability of environmental variables to change gene expression, it seems essential to investigate a variety of factors, particularly interaction between gene and environment.

Scientific literature about neuromyths has proliferated in the last few years. However, there is a gap of knowledge around neuroedumyths. While neuromyths are based on hoaxes about the brain, neuroedumyths use neuroscientific concepts but state consequences for education that are false. This article presents, for the first time, research about neuroedumyths among teachers. This study has applied the innovative methodology of Public Lectures' Debates Analytics (PLDA), in its ex-post modality. This has meant the analysis, by the twelve participants interviewed in this research, of the conclusions of public lectures' debates on neuroscience and education. The results show the presence of four neuroedumyths among teachers: The brain needs to be bored to develop; Violence resides in masculine genes; Brain develops almost completely the first three years of life; and There are right-hemisphere students and left-hemisphere students. While neuromyths have been spread among teachers by trainers specialized in education but lacking scientific information about neuroscience, neuroedumyths have been spread among teachers by neuroscientists lacking scientific information on education. Differently to some previous studies which approached this problem as teachers' errors or ignorance, the results of our study show that the problem is the errors of some teachers' trainers.

This study aimed at designing instructional material named Biotechnology Instruction Module (BIM) which is enriched with active learning methods to enhance the 8th grade students' learning of the topic. The development of the teaching materials proceeded within the stages of the ADDIE instructional design model. The final form of the instructional module comprised active learning materials of DNA Isolation Experiment, Bulletin Boards, 4x2 Biotechnology Learning Station, Case Studies Text, and "What Would You Do If You Were…?" activities. Instructional module covers the topics such as genetically modified organisms (GMO), gene therapy, cloning and bioremediation. The "Biotechnology Instruction Module" is expected to help students to learn in a meaningful way the rapidly changing and renewed biotechnology issues, to foster knowledge and understanding of key issues, to promote socioscientific discourse in class, and to encourage higher order thinking skills. All the data show that the instructional module applied in the real classroom environment is successful in realizing the learning objectives of the subject of biotechnology.

Understanding genetics, an important topic in the study of biology, is critical for scientific literacy in agriculture, health, and forensic investigations. However, it has been observed that teachers find genetics difficult to teach and pupils do not perform well in it. Teachers can use expository teaching or active learning methods, but the secondary school curriculum in Malawi advocates the latter. The aim of this study was to find out how genetics is taught and how teachers justify their choice of method. This study used a multi-case design involving six teachers and observed their Mendelian genetics lessons and asked them to justify their choice of teaching method. The findings show that teachers mostly use expository methods utilizing lecture and question and answer teaching techniques. Contextual factors such as large classes, limited teaching time, and lack of resources were cited as reasons for their choice of expository techniques. In addition, they said that the topic was abstract and learners could not construct their own understanding. Furthermore, they indicated that they did not know what activities to arrange for the learners. The paper discusses the difficulties experienced in implementing active learning methods in teaching genetics and recommends possible avenues for teacher education and further research in Malawi.