In this activity (app. 25 min), a case-study style problem is presented to students (?The Roundup Story") that describes the use of roundup (herbicide) in agriculture, and the development of ?roundup ready? crop strains. The case study approach incorporates a great number of questions, which are designed to guide the students to a clear understanding of how genetically modified organisms (GMOs...

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This is an online, interactive learning activity in which students learn about human blood types. The activity leads the user through the characteristics of each human blood type, clearly differentiates between antigens and antibodies, depicts agglutination and explains the various situations in which this can occur, and assesses understanding through a "matching" exercise. Students who struggle...

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In this PNAS podcast, the concept of the relatively new "gene drive" biotechnology application is discussed, particularly as it applies to the potential to impact control of malarial vectors in wild populations. The mechanistic nature of the procedure is discussed, as are social considerations for future use of this technique.

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This is a 2016 TED talk that provides a concise and basic description of how CRISPR works. In the talk, the details of the CRISPR procedure/mechanism are presented, and myths and misconceptions about the technique and its implications are discussed. This approximately 10 minute video (mini-lecture) might be useful for students to gain sufficient background knowledge in preparation for active...

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This is a one-day teachable unit with pre and post-class activities. Materials in this teachable unit are geared towards introducing epigenetics as a form of non-genetic inheritance to students who have little or no prior knowledge of epigenetics. Students are however expected to have a basic understanding of the central dogma: replication, transcription, translation, and their regulatory...

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