Written Assignment: Biology and Technology in the Real World

Addresses course outcomes 1-4:

• recognize and explain how the scientific method is used to solve problems
• make observations and discriminate between scientific and pseudoscientific explanations
• weigh evidence and make decisions based on strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge and the scientific method
• use knowledge of biological principles, the scientific method, and appropriate technologies to ask relevant questions, develop hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, interpret results, and draw conclusions

1. Select one of the topics listed below.

2. Find at least four information sources related to the topic. You can find assistance with searching for articles at the school library or scholar's.

3. Write a 2-3-page paper, excluding references and title page. You must read the information sources that you find and summarize the information in your own words, addressing each of the questions and expectations for your chosen topic. Extensive quotes from the article are discouraged. Use APA style for citing references.

4. Submit your paper via Assignments by the due date listed in the course schedule. Graded papers are not returned.

Topics (select one):

a) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs). A friend tells you that she avoids foods containing GMOs because they are unhealthy. You decide to use the knowledge gained from your biology class and some additional research to form your own opinion on GMOs. Answer the following questions backed up by reliable information sources. What is the purpose of genetically engineering of crop plants? Include at least two specific examples of commonly grown GMO crops. How are GMOs created? Use the provided course materials and make a connection to the central dogma of molecular biology in your explanation. Which foods in your supermarket contain GMOs? Are foods that contain GMOs safe for human consumption? What types of regulations exist for these foods? Clearly explain your reasoning for each answer in your paper and conclude whether or not you agree with your friend.

b) Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) has been the most recent breakthrough discovery in bioengineering that enables scientists to edit DNA. Because you have studied biology in this course, you have volunteered at your niece's Middle School Science Club to monitor a student debate about CRISPR. The students will be watching the following youtube video before the discussion: "Genome Editing with CRISPR-Cas9" you need to be prepared in case there are any questions. Please research and write an answer to each of the following questions: What is "CRISPR"? What role does Cas9 play in the CRISPR process? How does the CRISPR-Cas9 system snip and replace any DNA sequence? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of gene editing? Include specific examples. Do you believe that the inherent risks of modifying animal DNA is worth the rewards? Explain. Do you believe that it is ethical to genetically engineer humans and/or animals? Explain.

c) Vaccines. Your friend is worried about the many vaccines that his newborn son is scheduled to receive and asks you for advice since you are taking a biology course. Start with an explanation of how vaccines work. Briefly contrast the traditional methods used to create vaccines with more recently used biotechnology techniques. Then list some of the diseases that babies and children in the US are routinely vaccinated against. How has vaccinations impacted the frequency of these diseases over the past 100 years? Why are some people worried about giving their children vaccines? Is there scientific evidence to support these concerns? Conclude with advice to your friend in regard to getting the recommended vaccines based on what you learned from reliable information sources.

d) Extreme weather events and global climate change - You're visiting some old high school friends in your home town when you strike up a conversation with your best friend's father. He is lamenting how terrible recent winters and spring storms have been in the Pennsylvania-Maryland region. He concludes with the following comment: "Ha! So much for global warming!" How would you reply to your friend's father? **Be sure to include a brief section in your reply on how climate scientists have measured past climate patterns and how they predict future ones. In addition to class resources, these web sites may be helpful as you formulate your reply: Youtube Videos: "Gavin Schmidt: The emergent patterns of climate change", "Climate Weirding: Extreme Winter Cold Due to Climate Change" (start it at the 3-minute mark), and "ClimateChange".