Stem cell therapy, a cutting-edge technology, aims to replace damaged cells with healthy ones. Stem cells possess the remarkable ability to multiply and differentiate into various cell types, making them ideal candidates for regenerative medicine. This therapy holds promise for treating a wide range of conditions and injuries. In this review, I will delve into the historical context of stem cell research and therapy, provide updates on clinical trials for different conditions, address the challenges faced in stem cell therapy, and explore strategies to overcome these obstacles. Additionally, I will discuss the ethical and legal implications associated with stem cell therapy. A lesson plan for teaching the challenges and ethical issues of stem cell therapy is found at the end of the review.

Exposure to nature can improve mental health and cognitive abilities, while creating enhanced engagement with biological course material through interactions with organisms and ecosystems. Remote biology education was suddenly implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic at many universities, and such distance education continues to provide broadened opportunities for active learning through hands-on lab and field activities. Remote science activities require explicit conversations and student training to address novel, off-campus safety issues. Here, we present inclusive approaches to safety instruction for incorporation into any biological undergraduate course. Remote lab learning not only develops students' skills and self-efficacy in performing biology, but it also engages students in course content and stimulates their interest in observation-based research. This emphasis on safety will extend scientific practice into students' lives while reducing risk during laboratory and field activities and afterward The safety considerations outlined here are designed to consider a global and diverse student population and will apply to a multitude of active-learning lab or field activities performed remotely by students.

High-school teachers and students do not usually have access to scientific research advances because original research papers contain many highly specialized words that are specific to the discipline. Scientific newsletters (SNs) summarize current scientific research advances and trends. During the 2022–2023 school year, 21 SNs teaching biology content were written by a team of science-education and biology specialists working at the National Center for High-School Biology Teachers in Israel, according to the following criteria: (a) the SNs were based on primary research papers published in international well-known scientific journals such as Nature, Cell or Science; (b) the biological content was related, albeit not necessarily directly, to the Israeli high-school biology curriculum; (c) some of the SNs were related to biological events that occurred during the week in which the SN was distributed, such as World Diabetes Day. The SNs were written in Hebrew, translated to Arabic, and sent weekly via WhatsApp to 901 high-school biology teachers. After sending 10 SNs, an anonymous questionnaire was sent to the teachers to understand their use of the SNs and identify topics to which teachers would like us to relate in the next SNs. Forty-nine teachers answered the questionnaire, revealing that according to their open-ended answers, some of the teachers valued the importance of receiving SNs teaching biology topics as a way to enrich their own biological knowledge, and to engage their students with meaningful scientific research and with the real-world work of scientists. Further research is needed to analyze the impact of the SNs on teachers' professional development.

Biology and art have been linked throughout history. Early scientists, such as Leonardo de Vinci and John James Audubon, used sketches and painting to document their findings. Even early hominids left evidence of their world through cave art. Histology, the microscopic study of tissues and cells, relies on defining shape and spatial relationships between landmarks within cells and tissues. When looking at a microscopic slide a scientist focuses on form, structure, and complex relationships, while an artist focuses on patterns, colors, and intricate designs. To a biologist, a slide of stained cartilage displays as a tissue with small groups of cells, but to an artist it may resemble islands in a blue ocean. Learning how to use artistic details in combination with scientific concepts can help students better characterize and recognize tissues.

Our project brings together two populations of college students to investigate the use of drawing as a learning tool. Senior biology majors received instruction on how to draw, paint, and recognize shape, form, and color from senior-level art students. Our approach provides an opportunity for students to collaborate with each other and with community members through the production of an interactive display for the University of Louisiana Monroe's (ULM) Museum of Natural History. Through metacognitive student responses, we propose that the inclusion of art peer instruction increases student performance.

Organic decomposition is the natural process by which organic matter breaks down into simpler materials through the actions of decomposers such as fungi, microorganisms, and other decomposers that ultimately recycle nutrients back into an ecosystem. Despite having experiences with mold and decay, many students would benefit from developing a deep understanding of the biological science ideas that underpin decomposition. Moreover, with explicit attention, the ideas of organic decomposition can be used to engage students in thoughtful consideration of personal and community environmental habits, particularly with littering, disposing of waste, and avoiding unnecessary plastics. However, these connections are rarely intuitive and require concrete learning experiences with deliberate scaffolding to make connections between scientific ideas and environmental mindfulness. This composting inquiry activity with scaffolding promotes students' deep understanding of matter cycling and environmentally responsible mindfulness and action. While knowledge is not likely to result in environmental behaviors, it is a crucial predecessor to responsible action.

The circulatory system is one of the complicated science subjects that science teachers must teach, presenting substantial conceptual learning challenges for students. Therefore, the aim of this study was to facilitate the teaching and learning of the circulatory system in a more concrete and understandable way. To achieve this, the study integrated computational thinking (CT) elements into science teaching and developed an unplugged circulatory system teaching module centered on CT principles. The unplugged CT approach, involves students recognizing CT elements in student-centered learning environments without computers through various tangible materials (paper, colored pencils, scissors, glue, colored cartons, puzzle pieces, stickers, etc.), various games, physical activities, competitions, kinesthetic activities, and more. In this student-centered learning environment the teacher guides students when they encounter difficulties in engaging and learning through unplugged CT activities. The unplugged teaching module consists of 10 different activities (4 activities shared due to space limitation) and lasts 4 weeks (16 lesson hours). As a result, thanks to the developed teaching module, students learned the concepts of the circulatory system more concretely and in a more organized way, showing how computational thinking elements are integrated into the subject through these activities.

Antimicrobial resistance is among the most pressing health threats globally, prompting the call for urgent actions, including education on this topic. In this direction, engaging teaching activities applicable to a broad audience are required. Here, we describe a visually attractive and didactic agar art experience to teach about microbial proliferation, antimicrobial action, and resistance. This activity is based on executing a simple printmaking method named “microbegraphy” using pigmented microbes as inks and antimicrobial solutions to block their growth, producing printable-on-paper images. We successfully implemented this experience for high school students who learned basic microbiology work and evidenced the microbial growth inhibition due to the antimicrobials, creating custom images. Moreover, the occasional growth of colonies in areas where antimicrobials were applied was used to tempt the possible occurrence of resistance and inspired a more general discussion about the importance of microbes and antimicrobials in health and disease.

Can Punnett square simulations help demonstrate how probability and chance affect the outcome of a genetic cross? Genetic crosses come in a variety of different styles. One such cross that involves two parents (P1's) being homozygous or heterozygous for a single trait is called a monohybrid cross. The offspring (F1's) or zygotes of such a cross could also exhibit various genotypes and phenotypes depending on what the parents contribute. The monohybrid Punnett square is a graphical means to provide a visual understanding of all the possible outcomes between two parent contributions of a single trait (i.e. P1's = Aa x AA). Nature does not always follow a strict pattern of probability due to environmental changes or genetic imperfections. So, gathering a significantly large amount of data while avoiding anything that may influence that data is important in research.

A deeper understanding of issues such as climate change is necessary for problem-solving. Education is one the most powerful tools we can use on the path for tackling such issues. With this in mind, we present an activity that aims to support students' understanding of ecosystems and biological investigations using dynamic data analysis software.