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Origins of Life Abiogenesis article in Wikipedia. The Origin of Life - Abiogenesis, a youtube video produced by Chuck Kopec.  A Simpler Origin for Life, an article by Robert Shapiro in Scientific American. The Miller-Urey Experiment article in Wikipedia. RNA and the RNA World Exploring the New RNA World, an essay by Thomas Cech published on the Nobel Prize website. RNA Video Clips from the HHMI website that include demonstrations of catalysis and interviews with Thomas Cech. A World Apart, an HHMI article about RNA World reseearch and the role of RNAs in medicine.  RNA World article in Wikipedia. Protocells The Emergence of Cells During the Origin of Life, an essay by Irene Chen published in Science.  What Came Before DNA? an article published in Discover featuring Jack Szostak and Steven Benner.  The Szostak Lab Astrobiology The National Astrobiology Institute, established by NASA to study life in the universe.  The SETI Institute, studying the origins, nature and prevalence of life in the universe.  Astrobiology: The Search for Life, a website hosted by the Exploratorium.

"Reading and understanding scientific literature can be a daunting task for students in introductory science courses. This decision/dilemma case study helps ease them into the process by using a short scientific article with a simple experimental design that compares two types of ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery, autograft and allograft. The case tells the story of Todd, a martial artist who recently tore his ACL in competition. With the help of the article, Todd discusses the potential surgical options provided by his doctor with his friend, Sam, a medical student. The case has the added value of demonstrating how one can use scientific literature to make informed healthcare decisions based on clinical evidence. Please note that the required article (Kane et al., Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 24(11): 3627-33) is not provided with this case; prior to assigning this material, instructors should confirm that students can access the article, since access may vary by institution."

The article "Data back ban of artificial trans fats" (10.8 readability score) summarizes new research showing that banning artificial trans fats in foods could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Students can focus on details reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about trans fats research, engage in a classroom discussion of related scientific and government policy questions and make connections between the science of food and their health. Students can also conduct their own experiments to analyze foods for fats and then research the types of fats within different foods to make recommendations about dietary consumption.

The article "The difference makers" (10.9 readability score) gives an overview of transposons, or "jumping genes," and how these bits of genetic material have affected genetic variety and evolution in humans and other organisms. Students can focus on details reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about transposons and human evolution, explore crosscurricular connections to other major science topics, and construct a phylogenetic tree of primate evolution based on the locations of retroviral sequence insertions in chromosome 21

Post the link to the Science News article "Life on Earth may have begun in hostile hot springs" to your virtual classroom. Ask students to read the article for homework and prepare for online class by answering the first question. Before the class meets, provide the students with the links to all articles they will need for class. Class discussion can be conducted via Zoom; the research and recipe-building components can be conducted in breakout rooms.

A selection of articles to further your understanding of the production and function of blood within the human body; the views about blood that predominated for centuries and the medical practices that such views helped to engender; the advancements in the medical use and collection of blood brought on by war, most notably World War II; modern-day techniques for the collection, storage, and use of blood. Some articles are augmented by video clips from RED GOLD: THE EPIC STORY OF BLOOD. (The free RealPlayer plug-in is required to view the clips.)

In this article, we'll examine scientific ideas about the origin of life on Earth. The when of life's origins (3.53.53, point, 5 billion years ago or more) is well-supported by fossils and radiometric dating. But the how is much less understood. In comparison to the central dogma or the theory of evolution, hypotheses about life's origins are much more...hypothetical. No one is sure which hypothesis is correct - or if the correct hypothesis is still out there, waiting to be discovered.

In this activity, students evaluate a science news article to determine whether it is a trustworthy source of information. Science news articles are a great way to learn about new ideas, discoveries, and research. However, it's important to evaluate the authority and credibility of sources of information.

Articles in non-scientific language about the relevance of acids and bases.

The blood of young and old people differs. In an article published recently in the scientific journal Blood, a research group at Lund University in Sweden explain how they have succeeded in rejuvenating the blood of mice by reversing, or re-programming, the stem cells that produce blood.

This is an aggregation site for science news and articles. Find research and stories to intrigue your class. 

article summarizing key findings

Article summarizing transgenic animals

article addresses student question, "Why do cells use uracil, when thymine is already available?"

Overview article with embedded videos

In depth article touching on cancer advances.

Since their development in the mid-1990s, DNA microarrays have become a key tool in the fight against cancer. But just how do they help diagnose and treat patients?  Article with related links

Yahoo News article 4/30 Published in the journal Nature Communications, the study claims to provide strong evidence that a mother's diet before pregnancy can permanently affect her child's lifelong health by silencing certain genes.

 Daily news articles, blogs and biweekly magazine covering all areas of science

Articles on personalized medicine for a socratice discussion