In recognition of the entry into the era of personalized medicine, a new set of genetics and genomics competencies for nurses was introduced in 2006. Since then, there have been a number of reports about the critical importance of these competencies for nursing practices and about the challenges of addressing these competencies in the preservice…

Terms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: ribosome, ribosomal subunits, antibiotics, point mutation, 16S, 5S, and 23S rRNA, Shine-Dalgarno sequence, mRNA, tRNA, palindrome, hairpin, restriction endonuclease, fMet-tRNA, peptidyl transferase, initiation, elongation, termination of translation, expression plasmid, transformation,…

This research examines how young adults' attitudes toward human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and their intentions to get the vaccine are influenced by the framing of health messages (gain vs. loss) and time orientation (i.e., the extent to which people value immediate vs. distant consequences of their decisions). Results of an experiment…

In "Photobacterium," the flavin reductase encoded by "lux"G regenerates the reduced form of flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Reduced FMN is one of the substrates of the luciferase enzyme that catalyzes a light-emitting reaction. A set of experiments, that employs a "lux"G-expression plasmid construct (pGhis) and is suitable for an undergraduate…

The extensive conservation of mitochondrial structure, composition, and function across evolution offers a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of human mitochondrial biology and disease. By investigating the biology of much simpler model organisms, it is often possible to answer questions that are unreachable at the clinical level.…

Despite many years of efforts to communicate new scientific knowledge to the public, surveys continue to suggest that many people remain uninformed about current scientific research (Miller, 2001; Miller, 2004) and fail to recognize how it can be relevant to their lives. There is continued need for investigation on improving methods for engaging…

Mutate is a program developed for teaching purposes to impart a virtual laboratory class for undergraduate students of Genetics in Biology. The program emulates the so-called fluctuation test whose aim is to distinguish between spontaneous and adaptive mutation hypotheses in bacteria. The plan is to train students in certain key multidisciplinary…

A disconnect exists between students and biology that is often propagated by information-dense lectures that provide little opportunity for integrative learning and reflection. The author's professional development activities have allowed him to build upon his pedagogical creativity and develop a structured reflective ePortfolio-based microbiology…

The genome projects of the past decades have created extensive databases of biological information with applications in both research and education. We describe an inquiry-based exercise that uses one such database, the National Center for Biotechnology Information Influenza Virus Resource, to advance learning about influenza. This database…

Institutions of higher education are feeling the pressure to offer a greater number of courses through alternative methods of instructional delivery including hybrid and online courses in an attempt to meet the needs of their students. Among institutions of higher education, community colleges have become a forerunner in online education, in many…

Background: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a hardy and extremely virulent multidrug resistant organism that has been a major cause of hospital acquired infections ever since its discovery in the 1960's. It has severe consequences such as causing increased hospital length of stay, economic burden, morbidity, and mortality.…

The "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" ("MMWR") Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Data presented by the Notifiable Disease Data Team and 122 Cities Mortality Data Team in the weekly "MMWR" are provisional, based on weekly reports to CDC by state health departments. This…

Fifty-eight recent graduates (1998-2008) from the joint Washington State University (WSU) and University of Idaho (UI) BiState School of Food Science program and 27 of their employers participated in a survey assessing learning outcomes based on the 2001 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) core competencies for undergraduate food science…

Young adult learning about human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has lately received increased attention in health education literature. HPV's mode of transmission, lengthy dormancy, and link to cervical cancer make the potential dangers of the infection particularly relevant for young adults. However, sexual health education in the USA is deeply…

This study reports the effects of an innovative introductory microbiology course for undergraduates that used a socioscientific issues (SSI)-based curriculum. The study illustrates how an SSI-based intervention provides learners with pragmatic opportunities for cultivating their scientific literacy subsuming the nature of science (NOS). Empirical…