1. Modern Biology and Applied Mathematics A Productive Conjunction of Science and Mathematics Bio-Math Teachers Workshop Rutgers University July 9. 2009 Luther S. Williams

2. Context  In an idea or knowledge driven national and global context--- science and math for all students becomes mandatory  The long path toward achievement of this goal– “National Education Goals, National Standards –curriculum, instruction and assessment-Movement, NCLB  TIMSS, TIMSS-R and NAEP findings

3. Science Teaching and Learning  Science- distinctive character as an inquiry transaction-i. e., the demand of evidence, validation by observation, iterative knowledge construction, understanding in context, explorations of questions  One that still is a rarely practice instructional undertaking  One dependent upon reasonable mathematical skills and knowledge.

4. Conversion of Computational, Mathematical and Natural Sciences  The explosive rate of biological knowledge generation- owing to genome sequencing, molecular analyses, site- directed mutagenesis, simulation of a single microsecond of protein folding, the quantum representation of biochemical reactions involving only three to four atoms, the complexity of natural systems and system science has lead to---

5. a substantial infusion of applied mathematics for  modeling and simulation of complex processes-  enabling high end computing; it has become the third arm of performing science- along with theory and experimentation  molecular analyses of complex systems  handling massive data sets in genomics and proteomics- bioinformatics ;and the support by the intersectorial science, engineering and technology as in DNA nanotechnologies.

6. Nanoscale Science and Technology  Can design and customize materials, products and tools- bioreactive- atom by atom  Conduct studies at the scale at which living and non-living matter meet, e.g., the study of nanoscale processes at the surfaces –between microorganisms and the physical world  Discover new links between biological, chemical and geological cycles that support life on Earth

7. Learning  “Bright and Shiny ones and set of Dull Ones’- Peter Sacks

8. Learning Research  How humans learn  Interdisciplinary nexus of neurological, cognitive and behavioral sciences  Social and physical contexts

9. Science of Learning  Intersection of biological, cognitive, computational, mathematical, physical and social science, engineering and education (issues- memory structure, machine learning, language, casual analysis, structure of disciplinary knowledge)  Neural basis of learning, symbol systems, learning technologies, computational modeling (noninvasive tools to study the brain-MRI, PET, CAT)

10. Genomics Analyses  Protoemics- protein chips on slides of 1000s of proteins – detection, diagnosis and analyses’  Sequencing –identify and order nucleotides in DNA samples  DNA libraries- unordered collection of cloned DNAs  Functional genomics, comparative genomics, structural genomics

11. Powerful Utility of Genomics and Proteomics  The lost of microRNA genes that normally suppress chronic lymphocytic leukemia  The discovery that silent mutations are not silent; they interfere with normal splicing of mRNA transcripts, e.g., phenylketonuria  The rapid identification of Swine Influenza virus (A/HINI) as being composed of a hybrid genome – 3 sources  Genetic modifications of the organism that produces an important drug, e.g., tetracycline  Full structural analyses of the HIV-1 viral infectivity factor

12. TYPICAL GENEMicroRNA GENE Messenger RNA MicoRNA Directs protein assembly Binds to messenger RNA Protein Protein assembly is blocked

13. New Age -System Biology  Genetics, genomics and proteomics – analysis of genes and proteins that interact  Physical and biological chemistry-measure the interactions  Imaging tools- to record where and when the interactions occur  Structural biology- to understand why and how the molecules interact  Computational expertise- to integrate all the above elements; build models

14.  Thus, against the incomplete variable resident in learning outcome intent and application, the standards- anchored science and mathematics curriculum- instruction- assessment continuum, enabled with one overarching variable best correlates with student learning, the science and/o mathematics teacher, must break rank with the status quo and engage the present and future conjunction of biology and mathematics!