Contributions to conservation biology research are traditionally approached from an ecology and evolutionary biology perspective, but education research can be equally valuable. Population genetics research can inform management decision-making while education research can improve how we teach conservation. My dissertation tackles conservation…

The present study investigated the role of demographic and personal factors concerning the attitudes toward intellectual disability. Our sample consisted of 482 Romanians aged 18 to 74. We measured the overall attitudes toward intellectual disability, as well as some specific dimensions, i.e., integration or segregation, social distance, private…

Sleep problems are prevalent among autistic children and children with Rare Genetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders (RGND). Behavioral interventions are commonly used to treat sleep problems, with most involving extinction. While effective, the occurrence of a response burst (i.e., temporary worsening of the behavior) can result in a temporary…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the adoption of online laboratories. The present article discusses the virtual laboratories used by students. The questions posed by students provided targeted teaching opportunities.

Face recognition difficulties are common in autism and could be a consequence of perceptual atypicalities that disrupt the ability to integrate current and prior information. We tested this theory by measuring the strength of serial dependence for faces (i.e. how likely is it that current perception of a face is biased towards a previously seen…

Storytelling can stimulate learning by delivering scientific content within a narrative that increases comprehension and engagement. In this article I describe the coevolutionary arms race between toxic newts and predatory garter snakes. This engaging story centers on the use of a deadly neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (TTX) as an antipredator…

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), as a monogenic cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, has been one of the first neurodevelopmental disorders in which molecular and neuronal mechanisms of disease have been identified, leading to the concept of targeting the underlying disease to reverse symptoms. Translating findings in basic…

Our aim was to use theta coherence as a quantitative trait to investigate the relation of the polymorphisms in "NKCC1" (rs3087889) and "KCC2" (rs9074) channel protein genes to autistic traits (AQ) in neurotypicals. Coherence values for candidate connection regions were calculated from eyes-closed resting EEGs in two independent…

The final year of a biochemistry degree is usually a time to experience research. However, laboratory-based research projects were not possible during COVID-19. Instead, we used open datasets to provide computational research projects in metagenomics to biochemistry undergraduates (80 students with limited computing experience). We aimed to give…

Raman scattering spectroscopies are important analytical tools in modern chemistry. Here, we describe the construction of the unamplified Raman scattering analysis (URSA) instrument: an inexpensive, open-table Raman spectrometer that uses a 532 nm diode-pumped laser as a light source. Upon application of this spectrometer to DNA extracted from…

Proteins are essential for cell function, and their biological performance depends on three-dimensional (3D) structures. Insulin is made up of 51 amino acids and is a critical hormone involved in glycaemia regulation. In basic education, concepts involving proteins (synthesis, structure, interactions, and function) are abstract and difficult for…

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…

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,…

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…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for both students and educators, particularly because of the virtualization of classes and the consequent lack of practical sessions following the closure of laboratories and experimental fields in universities. The absence of interaction among students and practical classes led to a…