Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives

Goals and Intended Audience
Rediscovering Biology was designed for high school biology teachers who have substantial knowledge of basic biology but who want to learn about important recent discoveries. It was also designed so teachers could familiarize themselves with research methods and tools that will lead to new discoveries to come. In designing the project we asked, What do teachers already know, and what information would help them better understand recent and future developments?

This is not a curriculum development project and does not attempt to provide materials for use in the high school classroom. In most cases, the level of presentation is too advanced for those who are beginning the study of biology. But through exposure to the research methods and techniques used by today’s scientists, and with an understanding of some important new concepts, we hope that teachers will gain a heightened appreciation of ideas they already teach, as well as an increased ability to incorporate new topics into their curriculum.

Other users—such as college students, advanced high school students, professional scientists, graduate students from other fields, or well-educated laypersons—may also find this project useful. We welcome their use of these materials.

The materials were designed for use in various ways: Some individuals may want to learn about a single topic and study parts of one unit on their own. Some may join in small facilitator-led groups, such as professional development in-service sessions, to go over one or a group of related units. Others may choose to complete the entire course.

How Topics Were Chosen
The teachers and researchers on our advisory board each proposed ten to twenty areas of biology that they thought had undergone significant change in the preceding decade. The cumulative list was then combined and narrowed down to 13 major unit topics that the group agreed would provide a good foundation for those wanting to learn about new developments in biology.

This is not a comprehensive treatment of the field of biology. It includes areas of study that may be entirely new to some, such as genomics and proteomics. It also includes more traditional topics, such as human evolution and neurobiology, which have changed substantially because of the application of new techniques. Indeed, a common theme throughout the project is the application of processes and techniques at the molecular level to enlighten studies of organisms, populations, or ecosystems.

Assumptions About User Knowledge
We assume that users of this material have knowledge equivalent to that of someone with a bachelor’s degree in biological science. Most terms and concepts that are used in a high school biology text are not defined or explained. We also recognize that biology is a rapidly advancing field, and someone who graduated from college a decade ago could not have been exposed to some of what is taught today. Biology is also a huge field of study, and many students who graduate from college this year, even, will not have been exposed to all of the material collected here. Many of the concepts we explore can be found in a recent introductory college biology textbook such as Freeman’s Biological Science, or Campbell and Reece’s Biology. Users might find it useful to have access to such a text as an additional reference.

Project Components
Rediscovering Biology is a multimedia project. Each of the 13 units is composed of a 30-minute video, an online text chapter, and a set of learning activities. The website provides access to all of these, as well as additional resources, including:

• a course guide
• a navigable glossary
• four interactive case studies
• edited transcripts of expert interviews
• animations from the videos and case studies
• images from the videos and Textbook

The videos and the text chapters can be used independently; if both are used, it is possible to start with either one. We imagine that most users will watch the video first, then read the chapter, and then perhaps watch the video again. The learning activities are meant to be completed after watching the video and reading the chapter.

Getting the Materials
You may watch the programs online via Video on Demand. The guide units are also available as PDFs under support materials on this website.

General Description
Each of the 13 videos is 30 minutes long and is based three or more interviews with leading experts in the field. Rather than providing a comprehensive survey of the field, the videos examine the research and provide insights of the interviewees. Through these interviews, viewers will get a sense of how and why these scientists do their research, have a look at some of the equipment and techniques they use, and learn about recognized recent shifts in each field. Should you wish to see more of an interview with a particular researcher featured in the videos, the full edited transcripts are available in the Expert Interview Transcripts section of the website. The videos may also be viewed online.

Genomics
Having determined the complete DNA nucleotide sequence of humans and several other organisms, today’s research has shifted to identifying genes and determining their functions. This program details techniques such as microarray experiments, BLAST searches, and other genomics tools.
Experts Interviewed: David Altshuler, MD, PhD; James Carrington, PhD;
Jonathan Eisen, PhD; and Eric Lander, PhD.

Proteins and Proteomics
The proteins made by a cell determine what that cell does. This program explores the varying complements of proteins; their effects, structures and interactions; and introduces the larger picture of proteomics and systems biology.
Experts Interviewed: Hamid Bolouri, Ph.D.; Ned David, Ph.D.; Stanley Fields, Ph.D.; Hunter Fraser; Aaron Hirsh; and Leroy Hood, Ph.D.

Evolution and Phylogenetics
The ability to compare DNA sequences from different organisms is refining our perspective on evolution. This program illustrates how molecular techniques are now combined with fossil evidence to explore relationships in organisms from whales to anthrax.
Experts Interviewed: Phillip Gingerich, Ph.D.; Timothy Read, Ph.D.; and Carl Woese, Ph.D.

Microbial Diversity
Microbial diversity far surpasses that of the macroorganisms on the planet. This program examines recent studies of microbes (including extremophiles), the comparisons of Bacteria and Archaea, and the formation and life cycle of biofilms.
Experts Interviewed: Anne Camper, Ph.D.; Bill Costerton, Ph.D.; Dan Kotansky, Ph.D.; Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Ph.D.; Frank F. Roberto, Ph.D.; Phil Stewart, Ph.D.; and Paul Sturman.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
New diseases arise and old diseases, such as malaria and influenza, are returning with renewed vigor. This program studies the complex causes and far-reaching impacts of emerging infectious diseases around the globe.
Experts Interviewed: Capt. Daniel Carucci, MD, Ph.D.; Rita Colwell, Ph.D.; Laurie Garrett; Stuart B. Levy, MD; Judith M. Martin, MD; and Lukas K. Tamm, Ph.D.

HIV and AIDS
Studying individuals with natural resistance to HIV has led to insights into the infection process, and may produce new treatments or a vaccine. This program explores recent developments in the study of HIV and AIDS, the future global impact of the current infection levels, and the ethical issues surrounding current research and treatments.
Experts Interviewed: Edward Berger, Ph.D.; Laurie Garrett; Jay Levy, MD; Rob Roy MacGregor, MD; Erik Vonmuller; and David Weiner, Ph.D.

Genetics of Development
Organisms as different as flies, fish, and humans share a set of genes—known as a genetic toolkit—that guides development. This program explores a new understanding of the remarkable similarity in these molecules and processes, and the ethical questions involved in this research.
Experts Interviewed: Judith Eisen, Ph.D.; Markus Grompe, MD; John Incardona, Ph.D.; Nipam Patel, Ph.D.; and John Postlethwait, Ph.D.

Cell Biology and Cancer
Cancers result when genes required for normal cell function are mutated, and the resulting cells undergo other changes, ultimately leading to uncontrolled division. This program reveals new information on normal cell function, proto-oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes and their role in the cell cycle, and current research in drug design for specific cancers.
Experts Interviewed: Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.; Brian Druker, MD;
Leland Hartwell, Ph.D.; Mary-Claire King, Ph.D.; and Robert Weinberg, Ph.D.

Human Evolution
Homo sapiens is now the only living representative of what was once a multibranched bush of hominid species. This program examines mitochondrial Eve and other fossil clues that increasingly point to Africa as the point of origin of our species. How did humans replace their hominid cousins, including the Neanderthals, leaving the chimpanzee as our closest living relative?
Experts Interviewed: Kari Stefansson, MD; Ian Tattersall, Ph.D.; Ajit Varki, MD; and Christopher Wills, Ph.D.

Neurobiology
Neurons’ electrical activity results in the release of neurotransmitters that account for everything from survival to addiction to learning and memory. This program explains how neurons communicate to achieve all these functions and the recent technological advances that allow scientists to study them.
Experts Interviewed: Wolfhard Almers, Ph.D.; Fred Gage, Ph.D.; Richard Huganir, Ph.D.; and John Williams, Ph.D.

Biology of Sex and Gender
Several genes help determine what makes a human embryo develop as female or male. This program examines recent findings that have challenged previous beliefs about the roles of anatomy, environment, and genetics in the determination of gender, and the evolution of sexual determination.
Experts Interviewed: Holly Ingraham, Ph.D.; David Page, MD; and Eric Vilain, MD, Ph.D.

Biodiversity
With current extinction rates exceeding those of previous mass extinctions, many biodiversity studies focus on efforts to count the earth’s species before they are lost. This program explores current field experiments studying complex ecosystems, and how environmental and biodiversity changes might affect their functions.
Experts Interviewed: James Miller, Ph.D.; Richard Ostfeld, Ph.D.; Peter H. Raven, Ph.D.; Eleanor Sterling, Ph.D.; and G. David Tilman, PhD.

Genetically Modified Organisms
While genetic modification of organisms has occurred for millennia, we now have the tools to insert specific genes from one organism into cells of unrelated species. This program illustrates the processes used; how such genetically transformed organisms are increasingly common in agriculture, industry, and medicine; and introduces the ethical considerations of GMO research.
Experts Interviewed: Leon Corzine; David L. Dornbos, Jr., PhD; Rebecca J. Goldburg, Ph.D.; Marion Nestle, Ph.D., MPH; Thomas E. Newberry; and Gary H. Toenniessen, Ph.D.

Introduction
The series consists of 13 units. Each unit comprises a thirty-minute video, an online textbook chapter, and a set of learning activities. The videos and the text chapters can be used independently; if both are used, it is possible to start with either one. We imagine that most users will watch the video first, then read the chapter, and perhaps watch the video again and do the learning activities. A course guide, available on this site in downloadable PDF documents, provides information for using the materials in a class or workshop session.

Website
The purpose of the website is both to organize the different components of the project and to provide a place for additional information. A comprehensive glossary defines important terms from the online textbook chapters that are used throughout the series, and provides links to text and animations where these concepts are explained or used. Animations from the videos are available on the website so that users may study them in more detail, play them repeatedly, or pause in the middle to study them. Transcripts of interviews with scientists provide a rare opportunity for a more in-depth look at the research and insights of scientists who are associated with many of the leading discoveries in biology today.

Order of Units
Users may decide to study all 13 units or they may be interested in a single one. Each unit is meant to stand alone, but we often refer to ideas and techniques presented in other units. We have organized the units so that techniques such as microarray analysis or BLAST searches, which are used in several units, are explained early in the series. An html form of the text is available on the web; from it, users may navigate through the various units and the different components.

Content Descriptions

Online Text
The online textbook chapters are not simply a repeat of what is in the video. Rather, they show how information from the video fits into the larger field. In other words, they provide context for the focused examples presented in the video. One central theme present in nearly all of the chapters of the online text is the role that genetic and genomic studies have had in increasing our understanding of the various fields of biology.

Case Studies
Four interactive case studies showcase a real line of scientific research. After viewing explanatory and background material on the project, the participant chooses an experiment to perform or a hypothesis to test. Each case study is an independent activity but incorporates information from several units. Because the case studies go into greater depth than the videos and texts and rely on information from them, it is best to do them after completing the other components.

Expert Interview Transcripts
Each of the 13 videos contains interviews with three or more experts in the field. Because only selected components from each interview are included in each video, the Web site features the edited transcripts of the interviews in their entirety. There are a total of sixty-four interviews with today’s leading biologists.

Learning Activities
Each unit contains several learning activities tailored to the information in the unit. These activities include simple review and discussion questions; exercises that demonstrate how data are generated, interpreted, and applied; and explorations of ethical issues. Most of the activities assume the participants are familiar with the unit’s video and online text.

Image & Animation Archive
Each of the animations that appear in the 13 videos in Rediscovering Biology can be viewed in the Animation Archive, either as a QuickTime movie or as a still image that encapsulates it. The Image Archive contains selected images that appear in the videos, as well as the images and figures contained in the online textbook for each unit. A credit and description accompanies each item.

Note: You will need a copy of the QuickTime player to view the animations on this site. QuickTime is available free for download from apple.com.

Glossary
The Glossary of Key Terms is composed of a select group of words drawn from the online textbook chapter for each unit. Each word is linked to a definition; the chapter section of the Textbook in which it appears; and a list of related terms, images, and animations. Each of these items can be accessed directly from within the glossary.

Course Guide
Paired with the Learning Activities, the course guide allows a workshop facilitator to use all the course materials with a group in prescribed sequence for professional development points or graduate credit. The course guide is accessible on the website as PDF files.

The support materials for Rediscovering Biology: Molecular to Global Perspectives are available here for download as PDF files. You’ll need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the files. Acrobat Reader is available free for download from adobe.com.

Course Guide and Learning Activities
The course guide is to be used by the leader of a workshop or anyone else wishing to lead a group of students through the complete set of coordinated materials of the Rediscovering Biology project. It provides the necessary guidelines and information to ensure that the videos, chapters, and learning activities are presented in the order in which they were intended for maximum educational benefit.

Each unit contains several learning activities tailored to the information in the unit. These activities include simple review and discussion questions; exercises that demonstrate how data are generated, interpreted, and applied; explorations of ethical issues; and consideration of how the information relates to other fields. Most of the activities assume the participants are familiar with the unit’s video and online text, and provide a higher level at which to test the user’s knowledge of the unit. Click on the unit titles below to download PDF versions of the chapters.

In addition to determining the content of the units, our advisors and consultants have been actively involved in reviewing the material for all 13 units throughout its development. Videos, animations, case studies, and text chapters have all been reviewed several times during their production for accuracy and to ensure that these materials are as useful as possible to the intended audience.

Our primary advisors and consultants consisted of a team of eight scientists involved in teaching, curriculum development, and research.

Mark Bloom, PhD, is a science educator at Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS). He has developed print and Web-based curriculum materials for students in middle school, high school, and college. Previously, he was the assistant director of the Dolan DNA Learning Center, where he ran workshop programs for high school and college teachers. He developed the first educational kits using the polymerase chain reaction and coauthored the college lab manual Laboratory DNA Science. Mark was lead advisor for the Genomics, Proteins and Proteomics, Cell Biology and Cancer, and Biology of Sex and Gender units.

Steve Boyarsky is the coordinator of curriculum improvement at Staff Development at Southern Oregon Education Service District. Steve coordinates professional development in a three-county region in southern Oregon. He taught high school biology and human anatomy/physiology for 18 years. Steve has been involved with state and national level biology education through the National Science Teachers Association, a congressional fellowship, grants, and curriculum projects. Steve commented on appropriateness of content, level, and style of all project components.

Alan Dickman, PhD, is the biology curriculum director and an associate professor of biology at the University of Oregon. He has organized summer outreach programs in science for middle school, high school, and community college teachers, and has been involved in nationally funded programs to improve college-level biology education. Alan teaches introductory biology courses and an upper-division forest biology course. As lead scholar, Alan was responsible for final scholarly quality of all content of all project components.

Marion Field Fass, ScD, is an associate professor of biology at Beloit College. She has been involved in curriculum reform efforts in Biology through the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium and the SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities) project of the Association of American Colleges & Universities. In 2002 she traveled to Kenya and Tanzania to work with professors who were developing undergraduate courses about the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and its impact in their communities. Marion was lead advisor for the Microbial Diversity, Emerging Infectious Diseases, HIV and AIDS, and Genetically Modified Organisms units.

Paula Henderson has taught biology at Newark High School in Newark, Delaware, since 1980 and received the Outstanding Biology Teacher award for Delaware in 1993. She has taught a course in human heredity and development at the University of Delaware, and is a co-author of the NIH/BSCS module “The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction.” Paula commented on appropriateness of content, level, and style of all project components.

Patrick Phillips, PhD, is an associate professor of biology and a member of the Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Oregon. His research focuses on theoretical and empirical studies of evolutionary genetics. He teaches foundations of biology, evolution, population genetics, and experimental design; and is the creator of the evolutionary biology Web site, EvoNet.org. Patrick was lead advisor for the Evolution and Phylogenetics, Genetics of Development, Human Evolution, Neurobiology, and Biodiversity units.

John Postlethwait, PhD, is a professor of biology in the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon. His research interest is in developmental genetics; he and his group have discovered a genome duplication event that occurred before the vast radiation of teleost fish, which account for half of all species of vertebrates. His lab is currently investigating the genetic mechanisms that may help account for that explosion of biodiversity. The author of two textbooks for college students, John is committed to undergraduate education and has taught introductory biology to mostly non-biology majors since 1964. John provided critical assistance for the Genetics of Development unit and parts of several other units.

Carol Wheeler is a biology teacher and department chair at Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She worked in medical research and was a certified histo-compatibility technologist prior to teaching. She received a Christa McAuliffe grant to develop a molecular biology course, and an Intel grant to help get students to compete in science fairs at the international level. Carol commented on appropriateness of content, level, and style of all project components.

Online Textbook Authors

Each chapter was written by one of three authors, selected for his or her knowledge of biology and ability to write clearly about that knowledge. All of these authors have taught at the college level. The chapters vary somewhat in style and level of difficulty; these differences result both from the nature of the material itself, as well as from differences between writers.

Amy Does, PhD, is a microbiology instructor at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon. In addition to teaching pre-nursing students, she provides professional development for elementary school teachers who conduct after-school science clubs. She has developed exhibits for a science museum, designed science software for middle school students, and taught college-level biology online. Amy is the author of the Microbial Diversity, Emerging Infectious Diseases, HIV and AIDS, and Genetically Modified Organisms chapters.

Norman A. Johnson, PhD, is an adjunct research assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His research has focused on speciation and several other areas of evolutionary genetics. In addition to the University of Massachusetts, Norman has also taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Texas at Arlington. Norman served as the style editor for all 13 chapters, and is the author of the Evolution and Phylogenetics, Genetics of Development, Human Evolution, and Biodiversity chapters, and co-authored the Neurobiology chapter with Stephani Sutherland. Norman also contributed to the learning activities for the Evolution and Phylogenetics, Microbial Diversity, Genetics of Development, Human Evolution, Neurobiology, and Biodiversity units.

Teresa Thiel, PhD, is a professor of biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her main interests are molecular biology, microbiology, and bioinformatics. She directs a program for high school teachers and students called “Science in the Real World: Microbes in Action” that includes a Web site of the same name. She teaches microbiology and microbial genetics to undergraduate and graduate students and offers summer workshops in microbiology for teachers. Teresa is the author of the Genomics, Proteins and Proteomics, Cell Biology and Cancer, and Biology of Sex and Gender chapters.

Case Studies/ Learning Activities Developers

Chris Tachibana, PhD, has taught undergraduate biology since 1992 at Salt Lake Community College, Penn State University, and the University of Washington. She is a research scientist at the University of Washington Biochemistry Department and the Carlsberg Research Labs in Denmark. Chris developed two case studies: The Genetics of Resistance to HIV, and Designing an Anti-Cancer Drug. She also authored the learning activities for the Genomics, Proteins and Proteomics, Emerging Infectious Diseases, HIV and AIDS, Cell Biology and Cancer, Biology of Sex and Gender, and Genetically Modified Organisms units. In addition, she produced the course guide for all 13 units, and gave the learning activities for all units a common voice.

Andrea (Andi) White, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of California, Berkeley. As a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire she was a teaching assistant for marine ecology, honors biology, economic botany, and as a lab coordinator for plant biology. Her current research interests focus on algal stress physiology and biochemistry, and the generation of environmentally friendly, alternative fuel sources from green algae. Andi developed two case studies: Evolution of Tungara Frog Mating Calls and Plant Genetic Modification. She also authored learning activities for the Evolution and Phylogenetics, Microbial Diversity, Genetics of Development, Human Evolution, Neurobiology, and Biodiversity units.

Researchers/ Associate Producers

Rediscovering Biology would not be possible without the hard work of the research and production staff at Oregon Public Broadcasting. These researchers provided critical support to video producers, authors, and activity developers, and developed the video animations.

Cindy Lefton has a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in mass communication with an emphasis on science writing and editing. She has served as the editor of a medical news magazine, and has edited several medical textbooks and journal articles. Her interests in science and nature have lead to volunteer service as an education coordinator for a wildlife rehabilitation facility, a zoo guide, and a science fair coordinator.

Liza Nicoll earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a bachelor’s degree in health science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Since completing work on Rediscovering Biology she has continued to work in television production, researching for a world history documentary series.

Stephani Sutherland, PhD, earned her doctorate in neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University, where she coordinated an outreach program in junior high and high schools called Kids Interested in Discovering Science (KIDS). Since leaving the laboratory, she has worked as a science news reporter for the Los Angeles Times and traveled around the world. She is now a freelance science writer for the Journal of Neuroscience and BioMedNet. Stephani co-authored the online textbook chapter for Neurobiology with Norman Johnson.

Researchers/ Associate Producers

Rediscovering Biology would not be possible without the hard work of the research and production staff at Oregon Public Broadcasting. These researchers provided critical support to video producers, authors, and activity developers, and developed the video animations.

Cindy Lefton has a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in mass communication with an emphasis on science writing and editing. She has served as the editor of a medical news magazine, and has edited several medical textbooks and journal articles. Her interests in science and nature have lead to volunteer service as an education coordinator for a wildlife rehabilitation facility, a zoo guide, and a science fair coordinator.

Liza Nicoll earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a bachelor’s degree in health science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Since completing work on Rediscovering Biology she has continued to work in television production, researching for a world history documentary series.

Stephani Sutherland, PhD, earned her doctorate in neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University, where she coordinated an outreach program in junior high and high schools called Kids Interested in Discovering Science (KIDS). Since leaving the laboratory, she has worked as a science news reporter for the Los Angeles Times and traveled around the world. She is now a freelance science writer for the Journal of Neuroscience and BioMedNet. Stephani co-authored the online textbook chapter for Neurobiology with Norman Johnson.

An extensive staff consisting of the following people at Oregon Public Broadcasting made this project possible.

Executive Producer Meighan Maloney; Production Manager Doug Brazil; Production Media Manager Catherine Stimac; Production Assignment Manager Joshua Wolfe; Web Developer John Kin; Web Assistant Ryan Servatius; Assistant Production Manager Mary Hager; Database Administrator Heather Chambers; and Copyeditor Jennifer Ingraham.

The Rediscovering Biology multimedia series was produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Educational Media Production Department. The creative team consisted of the following:

Executives in Charge of Production David Davis and Jack Galmiche; Executive Producer Meighan Maloney; Producer/Writers Melissa Gerr, Nadine Jelsing, Amanda Lowthian, and Eric Slade; Writer Andrew Holtz; Series Host Lew Frederick; Academic Director Alan Dickman; Production Assignment Manager Joshua Wolfe; Production Manager Doug Brazil; Production Media Manager Catherine Stimac; Researcher/Associate Producers Cindy Lefton, Liza Nicoll, and Stephani Sutherland; Director of Production Services Milt Ritter; Manager of Production Scheduling Bill Dubey; Director of Engineering Information Dave Fulton; Assistant Director Sean Hutchinson; Assistant Production Manager Mary Hager; Pre-Production Coordinator Thea Bergeron; Videographers Art Adams, Karel Bauer, S.O.C., David Dennison, Paul Jacobson, Lisa Suinn Kallem, Jim Langley, Michael McNamara, Corky Miller, Ben Nieves, John Patzer, Todd Sonflieth, Dave Spangler, and Wally Szczubialk; Editors Tom Babich, Bruce Barrow, Sarah Marcus, Chris Nolan, John Patzer, and Kate Schoninger; Field Audio Michael A. Bidese, Chad Birmingham, Darren Brower, Kevin Brown, Chris Callus, Francis X. Coakley, Tony D’Annunzio, Thom Dentler, Jay Farrington, Dave Foreman, Thomas Forliti, Gerry Formicola, G. John Garrett, Joel Groeblinghoff, Cindy Hogan, Chip Lake, Randy Layton, Gordon Masters, Casey Quinlan, C.A.S, Todd Schmidt, Brandt Sennhenn, Mike Tyrey, Ted Ver Valen, Bill Ward, and Matt Yeasley; Art Direction Tim Bergmann; Production Artist Jefferson P. Vowell; 3-D Animations Hot Pepper Studios Animation Dynamics, Inc., Kevin Washington; Rights Assistant Morgan Currie; Theme Music Cal Scott; Production Intern Larry Johnson; Production Art Interns Soumalay Douangmala and Corrina Reff; Production Assistants Michael Aaris, David Banyan, Emily Chapman, Mike Forest, Kenyatta Gomez, Madeleine Pappas, Michelle Pridemore, Anastasia Savko, Alex Selkowitz, and Jonathan Zintel.

Funding
Rediscovering Biology is funded by Annenberg Media, a partnership between the Annenberg Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which uses media and telecommunications to advance excellent teaching in American schools. Annenberg Media videos help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and improve their teaching methods.

Producer
Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) is a highly experienced producer of educational content with expertise in both traditional and new media approaches to formal education, community outreach, and television production.

OPB has produced many series for Annenberg Media, including UNSEEN LIFE ON EARTH: An Introduction to Microbiology; A WORLD OF ART: Works in Progress, a series on contemporary artists; AMERICAN PASSAGES: A Literary Survey, a multimedia series for college students; and ARTIFACTS & FICTION, a professional development workshop series for teachers on interdisciplinary approaches to American literature. OPB has also been the co-producer for video series and digital materials to accompany several McGraw Hill textbook publications.

OPB has a long history of producing Web sites, teachers’ guides and other curriculum materials to accompany educational and PBS broadcast series. Working in close concert with national advisory boards, OPB’s staff has produced curriculum materials in the humanities and sciences for a variety of grade levels and teacher professional development. OPB is also a major producer of PBS Primetime documentary series and has created programming for NOVA, FRONTLINE, and other programs as well as numerous specials and limited series.

Evaluation
In addition to the guidance from our team of advisors and consultants, an independent formative evaluation of three of the 13 units was conducted by RMC Research Corporation. RMC Research staff selected ten biology teachers and ten professional development providers, who varied with respect to geographic location, race and ethnicity, and background knowledge in biology. These reviewers provided helpful input on these three units while they were being developed; suggestions made on these units were generalized, where appropriate, to the other ten units.

Web Development
AMAZING! is a full-service web development team that has been helping clients build attractive, dynamic, information-driven Web sites since 1995. The company has experience with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and other non-profit and governmental agencies, giving them skills and experience unique in the Oregon Web community. They work extensively with non-profit organizations because they firmly believe in education and outreach work.

We are grateful to so many people who were so willing to find time for this project. The following people provided invaluable information to the project through interviews. You can find the text of many of the interviews on this site in the Expert Interview Transcripts section.

Genomics
David Altshuler, MD, Ph.D.; James Carrington, Ph.D.; Jonathan Eisen, Ph.D.; and Eric Lander, Ph.D.

Proteins and Proteomics
Hamid Bolouri, Ph.D.; Ned David, Ph.D.; Stanley Fields, Ph.D.; Hunter Fraser; Aaron Hirsh; and Leroy Hood, Ph.D.

Evolution and Phylogenetics
Phillip Gingerich, Ph.D.; Timothy Read, Ph.D.; and Carl Woese, Ph.D.

Microbial Diversity
Anne Camper, Ph.D.; Bill Costerton, Ph.D.; Dan Kotansky, Ph.D.; Anna-Louise Reysenbach, Ph.D.; Frank F. Roberto, Ph.D.; Phil Stewart, Ph.D.; and Paul Sturman.

Emerging Infectious Diseases
Capt. Daniel Carucci, MD, Ph.D.; Rita Colwell, Ph.D.; Laurie Garrett; Judith M. Martin, MD; Stuart B. Levy, MD; and Lukas K. Tamm, Ph.D.

HIV and AIDS
Edward Berger, Ph.D.; Laurie Garrett; Jay Levy, MD; Rob Roy MacGregor, MD; Erik Vonmuller; and David Weiner, Ph.D.

Genetics of Development
Judith Eisen, Ph.D.; Markus Grompe, MD; John Incardona, Ph.D.; Nipam Patel, Ph.D.; and John Postlethwait, Ph.D.

Cell Biology and Cancer
Elizabeth Blackburn, Ph.D.; Brian Druker, MD; Leland Hartwell, Ph.D.; Mary-Claire King, Ph.D.; and Robert Weinberg, Ph.D.

Human Evolution
Kari Stefansson, MD; Ian Tattersall, Ph.D.; Ajit Varki, MD; and Christopher Wills, Ph.D.

Neurobiology
Wolfhard Almers, Ph.D.; Fred Gage, Ph.D.; Richard Huganir, Ph.D.; and John Williams, Ph.D.

Biology of Sex and Gender
Holly Ingraham, Ph.D.; David Page, MD; and Eric Vilain, MD, Ph.D.

Biodiversity
James Miller, Ph.D.; Richard Ostfeld, Ph.D.; Peter H. Raven, Ph.D.; and Eleanor Sterling, Ph.D.; G. David Tilman, Ph.D.

Genetically Modified Organisms
Leon Corzine; David L Dornbos, Jr., Ph.D.; Rebecca J. Goldburg, Ph.D.; Marion Nestle, Ph.D., MPH; Thomas E. Newberry; and Gary H. Toenniessen, Ph.D.