This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. The site opens by telling kids that people have learned to change the food we eat. The first comic strip looks at a farmer who works to produce a larger, redder, tastier tomato. The second comic strip tells kids about genetic modification and imagines a scientist putting the flounder's "anti-freeze" gene inside the DNA of a tomato. Food for Thought presents kids with two scenarios about genetically modified food, asking them if they think they're good ideas.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about RNAi's potential to treat a wide range of genetic and infectious diseases.

This video segment from Kentucky Life describes how scientists control pollination of one of the few remaining American chestnut trees to develop blight resistant trees.

The American Chestnut was once one of the most important trees in the Eastern US. It was important to wildlife as a food source and to people for a variety of uses. In the early 1900’s an imported Japanese Chestnut tree carried a fungus to which American trees had no immunity. It devastated the native Chestnuts. How can science offer a solution to this problem? Students will study how biotechnology is being used to develop a blight resistant tree. They will engage in hands-on activities that have students apply their knowledge of DNA and genetics to simulate the steps needed to find the genes for resistance and insert them into an American Chestnut tree. Lessons are designed to be used for any level of Biology student and do not require high tech equipment.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Bladder cancer is the 10th most frequent malignancy in the world. Despite the availability of several treatment options, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, outcomes for patients with bladder cancer remain poor. Fortunately, a growing understanding of the molecular origins of the disease is revealing new targets for treatment. Among the most promising are a family of enzymes called tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases modify the structure and function of tyrosine-containing proteins. This action helps regulate cellular processes such as growth, migration, differentiation, and metabolism. Dysregulation of tyrosine kinases is part of the pathway that leads to signs and symptoms of bladder cancer. Abnormal tyrosine kinase function can be caused by mutations, amplification, and chromosomal abnormalities. Ongoing studies are discovering how tyrosine kinases can serve as early markers of bladder cancer and how they might be manipulated to stop the progression of bladder tumors..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Designer rootstocks enable fruit trees to thrive under otherwise unbearable conditions, providing strong anchorage and defending against biological and nonbiological stressors. But what role does the root microbiome play in this assistive act? To find out, researchers used 16S rRNA sequencing to examine the rootstocks of Valencia orange trees in Florida. Results showed that the genetic makeup of different rootstocks determined how the root microbiome responded to compost treatment. The aspects of the root microbiome that were rootstock- specific included bacterial abundance, diversity, and community composition. These findings suggest that specific bacteria drive changes in nutrient concentrations accessed by different rootstocks. Understanding this intimate relationship is important to supporting overall plant health and could inspire research into how root microbes might affect other parts of trees..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a phenomenon-based adaption to the Smithsonian's STCMS Genes and Molecular Machines kit. The anchoring phenomenon event features four families (apple, hydra, human and sea star). Students will investigate and explore the genetic causes of why some families look similar and others look different. Students will use models to explain their thinking throughout the intentional sequence of lessons.

This fun Web site is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they learn about the human genome project by clicking through an online slide show, hosted by kids, that answers these questions: What's a genome, anyway?What is the human genome project? What does it mean to me?

An active problem-based assignment that uses the Genbank database to teach the basics of molecular biology and molecular evolution

From something as small and complex as a chromosome to something as seemingly simple as the weather, sex determination systems vary significantly across the animal kingdom. Biologist and teacher Aaron Reedy shows us the amazing differences between species when it comes to determination of gender.

An interactive lecture that uses flash animations showing the researcher and their experiments that were used to develop the basic concepts in Mendelian genetics. Includes multiple choice questions students can answer in class.

Learn the simple tools and the method for extracting DNA from plant cells, and why each step is performed.

Astronaut Randy Bresnik explains why experiments are conducted on the International Space Station. Astronaut Kate Rubins shows us how to extract DNA from peas.

An opportunity for graduate study of advanced subjects in Brain and Cognitive Sciences not included in other subject listings. The key topics covered in this course are Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Genetics of Psychiatric Disorder, DISC1, Ca++ Signaling, Neurogenesis and Depression, Lithium and GSK3 Hypothesis, Behavioral Assays, CREB in Addiction and Depressive Behaviors, The GABA System-I, The GABA System-II, The Glutamate Hypothesis of Schizophrenia, The Dopamine Pathway and DARPP32.

Sal reflects on the amazing speed and precision with which DNA replication takes place.

These supplemental activities are intended to introduce students to classic and modern experiments in Cell Biology and Genetics. All of these activities are Open Educational Resources.

This course will introduce you to a general overview of the biological world. Important concepts will be reinforced and expanded upon through completion of weekly laboratory activities and homework assignments. Upon successful conclusion of the course, students will be able to do the following: Describe the nature of science, including its methods and its limitations; Describe the basic methodology of doing science and the scientific method; Use the scientific method to study everyday situations as well as in laboratory/field investigations; Identify, describe, and explain at a rudimentary level and present examples of, the characteristics common to all living things; Explain that living organisms are composed of molecules which interact in a variety of different chemical reactions necessary to sustain life; Explain that living organisms are comprised of one or more cells and are classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic based on cellular characteristics; Describe the hereditary information possessed by living and explain how that information determines the cellular characteristics and functions (including basic Mendelian genetics); Explain and describe, with examples, the diversity of life, at different levels (basic molecular to ecological) and how it is hierarchically organized into systems; Explain how evolution by natural selection occurs, and describe the evidence that supports the theory of evolution; and more.

This unit plan is designed to spark students’ interest in critical thinking and scientific discovery. This unit is based on the book, “Survival of the Sickest: A medical maverick discovers why we need disease” by Jonathan Prince and Sharon Moalem. The book explores the evolution of different diseases throughout its eight chapters. The lesson plan is designed to take about 21 days (50-minute class periods). For this book, the class reads the Prologue together. Then, groups of students are assigned a chapter that they will teach to the class. Their teaching will include a presentation, activity, and facilitated discussion. (The unit plan helps the students learn how to do each of these tasks.) A final project is included at the end of the unit - a book review of the entire book.  The summative grade for this unit is multi-part - the teaching assignment and the book review. Three quizzes are included, which would also be small summative grades. The notes packets and teaching planning sheets are all formative grades. A team member peer review is another part of the project. 

Syllabus for course at Western Oregon University that outlines course goals and program outcomes and includes a schedule with weekly topics and reading. Included reading assignments come from the open access textbook "Introduction to Genetics" (Singh et al, 2023) available at https://opengenetics.pressbooks.tru.ca.

In this activity, students will create a segment of DNA out of wire and play-doh.  Using a simple computer code, they will make their DNA talk by connecting a Makey Makey circuit board and hooking it up to a computer.