In this activity, students are exposed to some of the most significant biomolecules currently exploited by technology and identify their natural origins. They also explain the significance of the roles these biomolecules play in nature, as well as for humans. Specifically, students work to develop a logical process for a real-life application of biotechnology (insulin production) using knowledge...

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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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In this activity (app. 25 min), students are introduced to CRISPRs (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and explore how these are used to edit genomes, not only at the individual level, but, potentially, of at the level of the population. The activity contains a mixture of lecture and questioning, with a culminating activity that clearly demonstrates to students the...

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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 website provides a series of 13 videos that illustrate the methodology of human genome sequencing. The transcripts are also included as a text. The videos may be viewed independently or sequentially. The videos include titles "E.Coli Storage", "Sequencing Reactions," and "Reading Sequencing Prooducts."

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