Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project: Citizen Science and Student-Based Discoveries for 15 Years and Counting.

The Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education recognizes an individual who has had a significant impact on genetics education at any education level. Seth R. Bordenstein, Ph.D., Centennial Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University and Founding Director of the Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, is the 2020 recipient in recognition of his cofounding, developing, and expanding Discover the Microbes Within! The Wolbachia Project.

Subversive affinities: Embracing soviet science in late 1940s Romania.

This article discusses the appropriation of Soviet science in Romania during the late 1940s. To achieve this, I discuss various publications on biology, anthropology, heredity and genetics. In a climate of major political change, following the end of the Second World War, all scientific fields in Romania were gradually subjected to political pressures to adapt and change according to a new ideological context. Yet the adoption of Soviet science during the late 1940s was not a straightforward process of scientific acculturation. Whilst the deference to Soviet authors remained consistent through most of Romanian scientific literature at the time, what is perhaps less visible is the attempt to refashion Romanian science itself in order to serve the country's new political imaginary and social transformation. Some Romanian biologists and physicians embraced Soviet scientific theories as a demonstration of their loyalty to the newly established regime. Others, however, were remained committed to local and Western scientific traditions they deemed essential to the survival of their discipline. A critical reassessment of the late 1940s is essential to an understanding of these dissensions as well as of the overall political and institutional constraints shaping the development of a new politics of science in communist Romania.

Portable sequencing as a teaching tool in conservation and biodiversity research.

As biodiversity loss continues to accelerate, there is a critical need for education and biomonitoring across the globe. Portable technologies allow for in situ molecular biodiversity monitoring that has been historically out of reach for many researchers in habitat nations. In the realm of education, portable tools such as DNA sequencers facilitate in situ hands-on training in real-time sequencing and interpretation techniques. Here, we provide step-by-step protocols as a blueprint for a terrestrial conservation genetics field training program that uses low-cost, portable devices to conduct genomics-based training directly in biodiverse habitat countries.

Introducing "Precision Health Promotion": The Convergence of Genomics, Health Education, and Lived Experience.

The prospect that modifying just one mutated letter in a genomic sequence could save millions of lives has spawned a growing discipline called personalized medicine (PM). Where PM focuses on bringing greater precision to individual treatments, the genetics revolution also invites questions about how genetics testing and genetics reference panels can be applied in a public health context. Some voice concerns that the growth of PM will shift us back to an emphasis on the medical model for health advancement with undue focus and investment on individual rather than societal solutions. This editorial introduces precision health promotion and defines it as "the personalized design of lived experiences that foster improved health and well-being for individuals within the context of their families, organizations and communities."

Addgene: making materials sharing "science as usual".

Addgene (www.addgene.org) is a nonprofit organization that facilitates biomedical research and discovery by improving access to useful research materials and information. To fulfill this mission, Addgene works with hundreds of laboratories all over the world to collect high-quality published plasmids and data for the repository that can then be distributed to academic institutions and used to further research. Biological resource centers such as Addgene are an important part of the scientific infrastructure. They play a key role in helping scientists overcome logistical barriers to sharing, improving experimental reproducibility, and optimizing use of limited resources.

[Sex- and gender-sensitive research in epidemiology and medicine: how can this be achieved? Aims and first results of the network "Sex-/Gender-Sensitive Research in Epidemiology, Neurosciences and Genetics/Cancer Research"]. / Geschlechtersensible Forschung in Epidemiologie und Medizin: Wie kann das erreicht werden? : Ziele und erste Ergebnisse des Verbundes "Geschlechtersensible Forschung in Epidemiologie, Neurowissenschaften und Genetik/Tumorforschung".

BACKGROUND: It is considered general knowledge among physicians and epidemiologists that biological and social aspects associated with being male or female have a strong influence on health and disease. Integrating these aspects into research is necessary to counteract the problems--including ethical problems--resulting from a different evidence basis for men and women. From January 2011 to June 2014 the Federal Ministry of Education and Research supported the network "Sex-/Gender-Sensitive Research in Epidemiology, Neuroscience and Genetics/Cancer Research" with three subprojects, which aimed to promote gender-sensitive research practices. The concepts and results are presented in this article. METHODS: The subproject gathered data (literature analyses, questionnaires) and offered programs for young scientists. Experiences and results were collected and generalized, for instance, in the form of definitions of terms. RESULTS: 50 young scientists have taken part in the training program, identifying associations and barriers in sex-/gender-sensitive research. Among others, a working definition for "sex-/gender-sensitive research" was developed, as well as definitions for the terms "sex-specific" (for biological characteristics that are specific to men or women) and "sex-/gender-dependent" or "sex-/gender-associated" (for biological and social factors, for which the extent of occurrence differs between the sexes). PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT: The concepts realized by the network are well suited to stimulate further development and discussions. The definition of terms is an important base for a productive and high-yielding interdisciplinary collaboration.

Divergência genética entre acessos de espinheira-santa (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek e M. aquifolium Mart.) com base em caracteres morfológicos e fisiológicos / Genetic divergence among espinheira-santa (Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reiss. and M. aquifolium Mart.) accessions based on morphological and physiological traits

Maytenus ilicifolia e M. aquifolium (espinheira-santa) são espécies medicinais nativas do Brasil ameaçadas de extinção devido à forte ação antrópica nas populações naturais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a divergência genética em germoplasma de espinheira-santa, e agrupar os acessos através de análises multivariadas, com base em caracteres morfo-fisiológicos das progênies. Foram avaliados 89 acessos do banco ativo de germoplasma de espinheira-santa da Embrapa Clima Temperado/Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Os caracteres avaliados foram dias da semeadura à emergência; altura e diâmetro à base do caule, aos 90, 180, 270 e 360 dias; crescimento em altura e diâmetro à base do caule; comprimento e largura de folha e número de espinhos por folha. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições e cinco plantas por parcela. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e análise de variância multivariada, sendo estimadas as variáveis canônicas. Os caracteres avaliados foram eficientes para separar os acessos em três grupos. As variáveis altura, diâmetro à base do caule aos 360 dias e número de folhas aos 180 dias são as mais importantes para caracterização do germoplasma de espinheira-santa.

Maytenus ilicifolia and M. aquifolium (espinheira-santa) are medicinal species native to Brazil. They are endangered due to the strong anthropic action in natural populations. The aim of this work was to evaluate the genetic divergence in "espinheira-santa" germplasm and to cluster accessions by multivariate analyses based on morphophysiological traits of progenies. Eighty-nine accessions of the "espinheira-santa" active germplasm bank from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) Temperate Agriculture, Pelotas Federal University, Pelotas Municipality, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, were evaluated regarding days from sowing to emergence; height and stem-base diameter at 90, 180, 270 and 360 days; height and stem-base diameter growth; leaf length and width; and number of thorns per leaf. Experimental design was in randomized blocks, with four replicates and five plants per plot. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance, and canonical variables were estimated. The evaluated traits were efficient for separating the accessions into three clusters. Height and stem-basal diameter at 360 days and leaf number at 180 days were the most important for "espinheira-santa" germplasm characterization.

The 1948 international congress of genetics in Sweden: people and politics.

The International Congresses have played an important role in the history of genetics. The Eighth International Congress, which in 1948 was held in Sweden, celebrated the conclusion of the war against Nazism and many new decisive scientific advances. It also signaled a hardening of the fight against Lysenkoism, which was growing in strength in the Soviet Union. A rare document is available from the Congress--an amateur film made by a young delegate, Nils Nybom. With its help a living description can be given of the scientific and political melees in which the delegates were involved.

Genetic epidemiology and primary care.

Large-scale, population-based studies of genetic epidemiology are under way or planned in several countries, including the UK. The results will have many implications for GPs and their patients. Primary care has much to contribute to this research, and basing genetic epidemiology studies in primary care will confer several advantages. These include enhanced public engagement, building on the personal relationships and trust that are at the core of primary care practice; methodological factors that will strengthen study design; and the potential of linkage of multiple datasets and between networks of research practices. Essential development work with primary care professionals and the public is, however, required for this to happen, and, if undertaken, this work will have the additional important benefit of increasing the uptake of new knowledge into general practice.

How are humans related to other primates? A guided inquiry laboratory for undergraduate students.

Understanding that phylogenies depict the evolutionary history of species is a critical concept for undergraduate biology students. We present an inquiry-based laboratory exercise exploring this concept in the context of the human phylogeny. This activity reinforces several important biological concepts and skills. Bolstered concepts include that evolution is descent with modification, that evolution is a genetic process, and that humans are closely related to apes. In terms of thinking skills, the lab gives students practice with hypothetical-deductive thinking, quantifying patterns from complex data, and evaluating evidence.