Interest In Biological Sciences Research Articles

The effectiveness of developing schoolchildren's science literacy in biology classes with a focus on the study of Genetics within a flexible blended learning model

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of schoolchildren’s functional literacy formation within the framework of blended learning. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the effectiveness of the use of an electronic educational resource to achieve a stable increase in indicators of science literacy at the stage of compulsory education. Materials and Methods. The research methodology is based on the ideas of humanization, innovativeness in the formation of schoolchildren’s functional literacy, learner-centered and systematic approach to the organization of learning biology and genetics, and the educational process as a whole. Experimental work was conducted in 7 types of educational organizations of the Republic of Bashkortostan: schools with in-depth study of a number of subjects, individual education schools, private schools, comprehensive secondary schools, basic general education schools, lyceums and gymnasiums. 191 schoolchildren, 9 teachers, 112 parents participated in the study. The following methods were used: theoretical analysis, meta-analysis, methods of analogy, comparison, modification, questionnaires, interviews; tests, and statistical data processing. Results. In the process of the research, the necessity of developing educational technologies and tools for implementing an integrated approach to the formation and development of science literacy at the stage of general education are substantiated. The role of studying Genetics in the formation of schoolchildren’s science literacy is clarified; trends and needs of school practice in teaching Genetics are revealed. The authors identify and describe the following prospects of using the technology of mixed learning and the electronic educational course for schoolchildren and parents called ‘Genetics for everyone: about the difficult’: updating knowledge about the influence of studying genetics on the formation and development of interest in biological sciences, increasing motivation to master knowledge about complex processes occurring in the microcosm, as well as expanding the prospects for the development of a new educational paradigm of personalization of students when using electronic educational materials in mixed learning courses. Conclusions. The results obtained prove the effectiveness of schoolchildren’s science literacy formation within the implementation of a flexible model; the proposed electronic educational resource ‘Genetics for everyone: about the difficult’ for schoolchildren and parents contributes to the development of the subjective position of schoolchildren, provides a steady trend towards improving the quality of knowledge, and interest in Genetics as a science.

Robust frame-reduced structured illumination microscopy with accelerated correlation-enabled parameter estimation

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM), with the advantages of full-field imaging and low photo-damage, is one of the most well-established fluorescence super-resolution microscopy techniques that raised great interest in biological sciences. However, conventional SIM techniques generally require at least nine images for image reconstruction, and the quality of super-resolution significantly depends on high-accuracy illumination parameter estimation, which is usually computationally intense and time-consuming. To address these issues, we propose a robust seven-frame SIM reconstruction algorithm with accelerated correlation-enabled parameter estimation. First, a modulation-assigned spatial filter is employed to remove unreliable backgrounds associated with low signal-to-noise ratios. Then, we propose a coarse-to-fine accelerated correlation algorithm to eliminate the redundant iterations of the traditional correlation-based scheme. The frame reduction is achieved by a specially designed phase-shifting strategy combined with pixel-wise fluorescence pre-calibration. We experimentally demonstrate that, compared with conventional iterative correlation-based methods, the proposed algorithm improves the computational efficiency by a factor of 4.5 while maintaining high accuracy illumination parameter estimation. Meanwhile, our method achieves high-quality super-resolution reconstruction even with a reduction in two raw images, which improves the efficiency of image acquisition and ensures the robustness toward complex experimental environments.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS): a novel technology for identifying microbes causing infectious diseases.

With the advent of improved experimental techniques and enhanced precision, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a robust tool for probing the chemical constituents of samples of interest in biological sciences. As the interest continues to grow rapidly, the domain of study encompasses a variety of applications vis-à-vis biological species and microbes. LIBS is basically an atomic emission spectroscopy of plasma produced by the high-power pulsed laser which is tightly focused on the surface of any kinds of target materials in any phase. Due to its experimental simplicity, and versatility, LIBS has achieved its high degree of interest particularly in the fields of agricultural science, environmental science, medical science, forensic sciences, and biology. It has become a strong and sensitive elemental analysis tool as compared to the traditional gold standard techniques. As such, it offers a handy, rapid, and flexible elemental measurement of the sample compositions, together with the added benefits of less cumbersome sample preparation requirements. This technique has extensively been used to detect various microorganisms, extending the horizon from bacteria, molds, to yeasts, and spores on surfaces, while also being successful in sensing disease-causing viruses. LIBS-based probe has also enabled successful detection of bacteria in agriculture as well. In order for good quality processing of food, LIBS is also being used to detect and identify bacteria such as Salmonella enteric serovar typhimurium that causes food contamination. Differences in soil bacteria isolated from different mining sites are a very good indicator of relative environmental soil quality. In this connection, LIBS has effectively been employed to discriminate both the inter- and intra-site differences of the soil quality across varying mining sites. Therefore, this article summarizes the basic theory and use of LIBS for identifying microbes causing serious agricultural and environmental infectious diseases.

Mechanism diagrams and abstraction-by-aggregation

Mechanism diagrams exhibit visually the organized parts and operations of a biological mechanism. A mechanism diagram can facilitate mechanistic research by providing a mechanistic explanation of the phenomenon of interest. Much research has been focusing on the mechanistic explanation and the explanatory mechanistic models. As a specific type of scientific diagram, a simple mechanism diagram can be explanatory by drawing on the rich explanatory resources of non-depicted background knowledge. The relationship between the visually depicted and the background knowledge is underexplored. It is unclear how the non-depicted background knowledge of a mechanism diagram contributes to providing a better-informed explanation of the phenomenon of interest in biological sciences. With the aim to explore this relationship, I articulate that a mechanism diagram provides a mechanistic explanation by a process called abstraction-by-aggregation. Through visual cues, the unified relevant background knowledge provides an epistemic access to a better-informed explanation.

Dissecting the genetic and metabolic mechanisms of adaptation to the knockout of a major metabolic enzyme in Escherichia coli

Unraveling the mechanisms of microbial adaptive evolution following genetic or environmental challenges is of fundamental interest in biological science and engineering. When the challenge is the loss of a metabolic enzyme, adaptive responses can also shed significant insight into metabolic robustness, regulation, and areas of kinetic limitation. In this study, whole-genome sequencing and high-resolution 13C-metabolic flux analysis were performed on 10 adaptively evolved pgi knockouts of Escherichia coliPgi catalyzes the first reaction in glycolysis, and its loss results in major physiological and carbon catabolism pathway changes, including an 80% reduction in growth rate. Following adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE), the knockouts increase their growth rate by up to 3.6-fold. Through combined genomic-fluxomic analysis, we characterized the mutations and resulting metabolic fluxes that enabled this fitness recovery. Large increases in pyridine cofactor transhydrogenase flux, correcting imbalanced production of NADPH and NADH, were enabled by direct mutations to the transhydrogenase genes sthA and pntAB The phosphotransferase system component crr was also found to be frequently mutated, which corresponded to elevated flux from pyruvate to phosphoenolpyruvate. The overall energy metabolism was found to be strikingly robust, and what have been previously described as latently activated Entner-Doudoroff and glyoxylate shunt pathways are shown here to represent no real increases in absolute flux relative to the wild type. These results indicate that the dominant mechanism of adaptation was to relieve the rate-limiting steps in cofactor metabolism and substrate uptake and to modulate global transcriptional regulation from stress response to catabolism.

A Critical Reflection on the 28th International Biology Olympiad

The 28th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) took place at the University of Warwick between 23 – 30 July 2017 with 264 international competitors (aged 14 – 18) competing in a series of practical and theoretical exams devised by School of Life Sciences staff and colleagues from the Royal Society of Biology. These exams sought to provide an educational experience for the competing students and provide a robust theoretical and practical challenge to discriminate between abilities. Their secondary aim was to showcase complex biological concepts to further pique candidate’s interest in biological science and encourage them to pursue careers in this area. The structure of practical and theoretical exams was underpinned by these pedagogical aims by applying a contextual narrative throughout the papers. Whilst a few logistical problems occurred, these did not impact the desired educational aim, leading to one of the most successful IBO’s in recent years.

Ionic Liquids as Unforeseen Assets to Fight Life-Threatening Mycotic Diseases.

Ionic liquids discovery has celebrated 100 years. They consist solely of ions, one of which is typically organic and asymmetrical. Remarkable physical and chemical properties stirred their use as alternative solvents in many chemical processes. The recent demonstration of their occurrence in nature might boost their interest in biological sciences. In the search of mechanistic understandings of ionic liquids’ ecotoxicological impacts in fungi, we have analyzed the proteome, transcriptome, and metabolome responses to this chemical stress. Data illuminated new hypotheses that altered our research path – exploit ionic liquids as tools for the discovery of pathways and metabolites that may impact fungal development and pathogenicity. As we get closer to solve the primary effects of each ionic liquid family and their specific gene targets, the vision of developing antifungal ionic liquids and/or materials, by taking advantage of elegant progresses in this field, might become a reality. Task-designed formulations may improve the performance of conventional antifungal drugs, build functional coatings for reducing allergens production, or aid in the recovery of antifungal plant polymers. The frontier research in this cross-disciplinary field may provide us unforeseen means to address the global concern of mycotic diseases. Pathogenic and opportunistic fungi are responsible for numerous infections, killing annually nearly 1.5 million immunocompromised individuals worldwide, a similar rate to malaria or tuberculosis. This perspective will review our major findings and current hypotheses, contextualizing how they might bring us closer to efficient strategies to prevent and fight mycotic diseases.

Logistic Regression Model for the Academic Performance of First-Year Medical Students in the Biomedical Area

In the medical education field, the prediction of variables that have an impact on the academic performance of students is highly important as supporting programs can be implemented to avoid dropouts or failing scores. Several studies have confirmed the relationship between student performance during the first months at college and the one afterwards; nevertheless, every medical school has its particularities. The objective is to develop a logistic regression model to predict first-year medical students’ performance using academic, psychological and vocational variables as well as learning and strategies for self-motivation. The study is observational, transversal and descriptive. The study group consisted of 1205 first-year medical students. Participants completed questionnaires dealing with general knowledge, psychosocial factors, factors associated with career choice, as well as research and autoregulation strategies inventory. Participation was fully voluntary and the results were used under confidential agreement (NDA). The multiple regression model considered pleasure in academic background, percentage of checkmarks in general knowledge, perceived efficiency (categoric with 3 levels), aptitude, interest in biological sciences and health, follow stablished regulations, drive and the pursue of social prestige as covariables. We conclude that a logistic regression model to predict academic performance, mostly of those medical students under academic risk in the biomedical area, is an efficient tool as it allows valid conclusions for appropriate decision making.

Scientifically Gifted Students' Interests in Biological Sciences Presented in Writing Articles about Biological Sciences

Scientifically Gifted Students' Interests in Biological Sciences Presented in Writing Articles about Biological Sciences

California: ‘The Stem Cell State‘

We talked to Jonathan Thomas, newly elected Chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), a few weeks into a role he describes as "the opportunity of the lifetime" to find out what he sees as the key goals for the CIRM and why patient advocates are so critical to the future of the Institute. Jonathan Thomas was elected as Chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in June 2011, succeeding the Founder and former Chairman, Bob Klein. Thomas has had a successful career in finance and law and is a Co-Founding Partner at Saybrook Capital, an investment banking and private equity firm. His commitment to patient advocacy and keen interest in biological sciences, developed as a Biology Major at Yale, led him to stand for Chairman.

How I Became a Biochemist… and Beyond…

How I Became a Biochemist… and Beyond…

CE separation of various analytes of biological origin using polyether ether ketone capillaries and contactless conductivity detection

The development of efficient and sensitive analytical methods for the separation, identification and quantification of complex biological samples is continuously a topic of high interest in biological science. In the present study, the possibility of using a polyether ether ketone (PEEK) capillary for the CE separation of peptides, proteins and other biological samples was examined. The performance of the tubing was compared with that of traditional silica capillaries. The CE analysis was performed using contactless conductivity detection (C(4)D), which eliminated any need for the detection window and was suitable for the detection of optically inactive compounds. In the PEEK capillary the cathodic EOF was low and of excellent stability even at extremes pH. In view of this fast biological anions were analyzed using an opposite end injection technique without compromising separation. A comparison of the performances of fused-silica and polymer capillaries during the separation of model sample mixtures demonstrated the efficiency and separation resolution of the latter to be higher and the reproducibility of the migration times and peak areas is better. Furthermore, PEEK capillaries allowed using simple experimental conditions without any complicated modification of the capillary surface or use of an intricate buffer composition. The PEEK capillaries are considered as an attractive alternative to the traditional fused-silica capillaries and may be used for the analysis of complex biological mixtures as well as for developing portable devices.

Perspectives for spatially resolved molecular spectroscopy – Raman on the nanometer scale

Nano-objects and cellular components are of great interest in biological sciences. Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is a tool that allows addressing of such features for structural investigations without the need of further labelling. After brief introduction to the basic aspects of the technique an overview of present application of TERS is given. For this contribution we picked TERS experiments with emphasis on its application in life sciences. Based on these experiments, the future perspective of this analytical method and its limitations is discussed.

Natural History Education for students Heading into the Century of Biology

Natural History & Evolution as Common Themes in Biology A colleague teaching at a liberal arts college was recently dispirited by the following question from a senior biology major: Is a spider a vertebrate or an invertebrate? After examining our curriculum, we should be reluctant to lay blame on the student. This student learned the evolutionary processes that generated the spider, how to sequence its DNA, and measure its rate of respiration. Nowhere in the curriculum was she expected to learn what a spider is. Decades of emphatic promotion of experimental ecology, at the cost of natural history education, has robbed young biologists of exposure to organisms in their natural environment. E.O. Wilson (1985, 2000) has long argued that the unpopularity of natural history is leading to an educational and research crisis in our country. In the new Century of Biology, educators are charged with preparing biologists who can conceptually unify information from apparently disparate fields (e.g., Kafatos & Eisner, 2004). As no individual can receive professional training in every single aspect of biology, curricula should be developed to provide students with the basic content knowledge and problem-solving abilities to address new challenges as they arise (Honts, 2003). However, it is not necessarily clear which sets of knowledge and skills are best for preparing the next generation of biologists. The Bio 2010 report proffers many recommendations (National Research Council, 2002); at the root is the need to inspire undergraduate interest in biological sciences and provide the means to think across disciplinary boundaries. Some authors have argued that the conceptual unification of biology may be best accomplished by a consistent emphasis on natural history in biology education (e.g., Greene, 2005). Natural history education can effectively bridge gaps among disparate fields and is bound to elevate student interest. Over the past two decades, organismal and field biologists have reported a decline in natural history in undergraduate education (Bartholomew, 1986; Trombulak, 1994; Noss, 1996; Krupa, 2000; Willson & Armesto, 2006). Some of the most effective appeals for emphasizing natural history in undergraduate coursework arrived as published plenary speeches by senior scholars receiving honors from scientific societies (Futuyma, 1998; Grant, 2000; Schmidly, 2005; but also see Arnold, 2003). The thesis of these pleas for natural history education is that we are training biologists strong in theory but weak in the ability to apply these theories to organisms and the natural world. Fundamental to the training of biologists is a functional understanding of the causes and consequences of evolution. To most students, natural selection is an abstract concept. If educators do their job, students conceptually understand that the biotic and abiotic environment limits reproductive success of organisms. However, most graduating biology majors have little idea of the agents of selection that may operate on any given organism. A reading of The Beak of the Finch (Weiner, 1994) can get students closer to this goal, but this is more effectively achieved by spending time with organisms. Get your students to watch an animal trying to find food, build a nest, attract a mate, or avoid a predator. Examine microhabitats where organisms occur and find out why, in a common species, some plants have more flowers (or, in winter, withering infructescences) than others. Turn over rocks and find bugs. These are teachable moments for evolution that you can't get in a lab, and this is why natural history education is central to training biologists who can unify ideas in this new century. While some contemporary scientists will disregard natural history as mere bookkeeping, a familiarity with organisms in their own environments is prerequisite for an integrative understanding of biology required for solving our most pressing research problems (Wilson, 1985, 2000). …

Albert Wojciech Adamkiewicz: The Discoverer of the Variable Vascularity of the Spinal Cord

The present article contains a brief biography as well as a discussion of the more significant contributions of Albert Wojciech Adamkiewicz, Head of General and Experimental Pathology at the Jagiellonian University in Cracow in the years 1879 to 1892, and who is now primarily remembered as the discoverer of the major radicular artery eponymically named "Adamkiewicz's artery." His work as an investigator of the variability of the vasculature of the spinal cord led to his major contributions to present clinical practice in such areas as vascular surgery, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, and the surgery of the aorta, providing a permanent Polish eponymic accent in major textbooks in these specialties. This article also deals with Adamkiewicz's contributions in other fields, mostly involving the nervous system, such as the development of a new and original method for staining neuronal tissue (double staining of the spinal cord) and his extensive studies of spinal cord degeneration. The authors also present aspects of his career that brought ill fame to Adamkiewicz. These were his claims to have discovered the so-called nervous bodies and anticancer antitoxin, which were both severely criticized by his faculty peers at the Jagiellonian University. The biography is supplemented with an attempt at evaluating Adamkiewicz's entire scientific output, wherein unquestionable achievements and pointed discoveries prevail in comparison with failures.

Iron and citrate interactions with hen egg white lysozyme

The binding of ions to proteins is of great interest in biological science (catalytic function, structural stability) and a good understanding of this relationship is needed for the control of the structure and functionality of proteins. The interaction of hen egg white lysozyme with calcium, magnesium, iron, citrate, phosphate and sulphate are studied by using the Scatchard representation or ESI–MS for iron-binding studies. This is the first time that anions have been considered and the results indicate that citrate interacts with lysozyme through electrostatic bonds. A pH of 6 favours citrate interaction to lysozyme, whereas no interaction appears at pH 9. ESI–MS studies also highlight that iron co-ordinates lysozyme, inducing the release of three protons, including one arising from an amine lateral chain.

Cryo-Scanning tunneling microscopy of DNA

Scanning tunneling microscopy has found increasing interest in biological sciences. Several problems face the investigator imaging samples of biological origin. These include low conductivity, poor attachment of the sample to substrate and thermal/mechanical drift of the sample while scanning. Several approaches have tried to overcome these problems. These include coating with metal, freeze drying and/or freeze fracturing and tunneling in water. Another useful method is to freeze the sample on the STM holder and image frozen. The biological structure should stay rigid under the scanning tip, should not be swept away from the substrate and should provide highly reproducible images.Calf thymus DNA (Sigma #D-1501) was mixed in deionized water-tween 20 (0.1%). DNA concentrations varied between 10 μg/ml and 1 μg/ml. The sample was heated slightly, a small drop placed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and air dried. The sample holder was immediatel) placed in an Atomis variable temperature cryo-STM with a 6 micron scan range head (Surface Interface, Inc., Mountain View, CA), frozen and scanned.

Prof. W.J. Roepke: Forty year link between science and practice.

Having dedicated forty years of his life to raising poultry health care in the Netherlands to a high s tandard, the Nestor of the Dutch poultry veterinarians, Prof. W. J. Roepke has decided to retire and to enjoy a well-deserved rest. Walter Johann Roepke was born on June 6th, 1917 in Salatiga in the former Dutch East Indies. He passed his high school examinat ions at Wageningen, where his father Dr. W. K. J. Roepke was professor in genetics at the University of Agriculture. His great interest in biological sciences lead to his decision to study veterinary mcdicine at the State University of Utrecht, where he graduated in 1942. After his graduation, he worked in several institutes of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. His schooling in zootechnical sciences under Prof. Dr. Van der Plank and in pathology under Prof. Dr. Schornagel was an excellent basis for the pioneers task which he set himself in 1944: the realisation of field-orientated control of poultry diseases based upon the results of intensive research.