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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.

This case study describes a visit by "Naomi" to her physician, who upon seeing Naomi's bloodwork decides to prescribe her a cholesterol-lowering agent, a statin. The case discusses (1) the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as atherosclerosis, which can lead to strokes and heart disease; (2) circulating lipoprotein particles including LDL and HDL, differentiating between which is a risk factor for heart disease and which is protective;  (3) the pathway for cholesterol synthesis; (4) the evidence demonstrating that statins inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is the committed step for cholesterol synthesis; and (5) the kinetic mechanism by which statins inhibit the enzyme. Students examine and interpret data from radioactive tracer and enzyme kinetics studies. The case ends with another visit by Naomi to her physician, who reexamines her bloodwork after she has been taking a statin for six months. Students are asked to determine whether the drug was effective for Naomi and, if not, what changes could be made to her regimen. The case was originally written for use in a survey of biochemistry course for upper level undergraduates.

This directed case study was developed in order to present genomic data to students, allow them to interpret the impact of genetic variations on phenotype, and to explore precision medicine. Students are introduced to "Josie," a college sophomore who decides to have her genome sequenced after learning about genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in class. As students work  through the case, they learn about the different technologies that can be used in GWAS studies and interpret Josie's results for a subset of genetic markers that affect a range of traits from pharmacogenetics to disease risk alleles and non-pathogenic traits. Students are confronted with ethical issues such as duty to inform, actionable results, and variants of unknown significance (VUS). Students are also asked to reflect on their feelings about getting genomic testing for themselves. An optional activity for advanced students (included in the teaching notes) involves using the Gene database at NCBI to explore variants of the CYP2C9 gene. The case study is appropriate for use in undergraduate genetics or molecular biology classrooms.

n this interrupted case study, students learn about the influence of early fetal nutritional conditions on the expression of genes related to metabolism and growth. Beginning with the true event of a food and fuel embargo that led to famine in the western Netherlands toward the end of World War II, students learn about the historical background of the Dutch Hunger Winter and its social impact. Using real data from the study conducted by Heijmans and coauthors (2008), students then compare the methylation level of a specific gene between individuals conceived during the famine and their unaffected siblings, and how changes in the expression of this metabolically important gene may impact the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Supported by other studies on mice and in humans, students conclude that in utero events may impact the health of individuals later in life through epigenetic mechanisms. The case is ideally suited for a molecular or cell biology course, but is also appropriate for an introductory biology course in which students have an understanding of descriptive statistics, interpretation of statistical test results, eukaryotic gene structure, and regulation of gene expression.

What effects will the rapidly growing field of synthetic biology have on the conservation of nature? The ecological and ethical challenges stemming from this question will require a new and continuing dialogue between members of the synthetic biology and biodiversity conservation communities, according to authors of a new paper.

Penn Medicine Cancer resources for patients and healthcare professionals

Many factors are known to be important in disease causation and these can include an individual's age, gender, genetic make-up and environmental factors that they have been exposed to, such as infectious agents or chemicals.