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In the Spotlight

Gene Mutation Linked to Inherited ALS

A new gene has been identified as playing a role in the inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, say researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and King's College, London. The discovery, a mutation in the FUS/TLS gene, is the fourth gene linked to the neurological disorder, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The finding was reported in the Feb. 27 issue of the journal Science.

Massachusetts Science Corps: Executive Summary

We at Boston University believe that our program, known as CityLab, has addressed many of these concerns and has had extremely positive outcomes. CityLab has been in existence for over 12 years. It was developed with support from the NIH, NCRR and the H. Hughes Medical Institute. It provides hands-on modern biology experiences for teachers and their students.

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The National Academy of Sciences Podcasts

You can check out all the latest from the NAS in podcast form by clicking here.

Parent Involvement in Science Learning

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) believes the involvement of parents and other caregivers in their children’s learning is crucial to their children’s interest in and ability to learn science. Research shows that when parents play an active role, their children achieve greater success as learners, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnic/racial background, or the parents’ own level of education (PTA 1999; Henderson and Mapp 2002; Pate and Andrews 2006). Furthermore, the more intensely parents are involved, the more confident and engaged their children are as learners and the more beneficial the effects on their achievement (Cotton and Wikelund 2001).
Historically, innovations in science and technology have been powerful forces for improving our quality of life and fueling economic development worldwide. To continue to reap the economic and social benefits that accrue from such innovation, as well as to find solutions to challenging problems in the areas of health, energy, and the environment, we must ensure parents and children value science learning and recognize the tremendous opportunities that can arise from being more scientifically and technologically literate and better prepared to participate in the 21st-century workforce.
Parents and other caregivers have a critical role to play in encouraging and supporting their children’s science learning at home, in school, and throughout their community. Teachers also play an important role in this effort and can be valuable partners with parents in cultivating science learning confidence and skills in school-age youth.

The Nobel prizes have been awarded, and two of the people who received this years Nobel Prizes in Chemistry work right here in Massachusetts. They investigated a protein in jellyfish to allow them to better understand how cells glow.

Researchers at Harvard University have been studying the origins of a plant whose bud is bigger than a football.

Everyone these days are looking for different ways to get more energy. The word fusion comes up a lot in discussions of circular energy or ways to make energy use a cycle where the overall outcome is what you put into the system. Want to know more about the workings of fusion and the inherent problems that it incurs? Visit the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT.

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