The current spurt in life science activity in China has been driven by repatriating researchers trained in the prestigious institutions of the world. China's publications show a clear concentration in the physical sciences and technology, with materials science, chemistry, and physics predominant. Also clear is that the growth areas include…

The importance of posing the best questions in research studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) is undisputed. Researchers may spend long hours reflecting and discussing with colleagues how to improve a certain question they have in mind. The best questions are always original, grounded in the existing literature and feasible to be…

There is a growing acknowledgement that STEM education, at all levels, is not producing learners with a deep understanding of core disciplinary concepts. A number of efforts in STEM education reform have focused on the development of "student-centered" active learning environments, which, while believed to be more effective, have yet to be widely…

The author and other teaching faculty take pride in their ability to write creative and challenging examination questions. Their self-assessment is based on experience and their knowledge of their subject and discipline. Although their judgment may be correct, it is done usually in the absence of deep knowledge of what is known about the…

It was deeply ingrained in the author from his undergraduate studies of psychology and courses in learning theory that people have a rational left brain and a creative right brain. Learning theory suggested that activities needed to be tailored to develop both hemispheres. Handedness in relation to abilities has been commented on from the 1800s by…

Many students struggle to interconnect biochemistry and molecular biology (BMB) contents taught in separate classes or to relate BMB to what they learn in other courses. Such students lack the necessary perspective to perceive the intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary "bonds" of BMB. In other words used before in this journal, they are unable to…

Biochemists and life scientists in general are now encountering a paradox regarding the public image of their work; society demands and encourages pursuit of more knowledge but at the same time is suspicious and fears the novelties it brings. At this historical moment, we are experiencing a delicate balance between the birth of a new era and a…

Calls for more manuscripts on problem-based learning in the biochemical sciences. Includes information on problem-based learning conferences. (SAH)

Many medical schools encountered problem-based learning (PBL) in occasional courses instead of adapting problem-based learning curricula. Provides information on a three-day conference entitled "PBL 2000-- Problems, Breakthroughs, and Lessons". (Author/ASK)

Explains the qualities of a good laboratory experiment. (YDS)

Reviews papers on problem-based learning that appear in this journal from 1993-2000. (YDS)

Despite the utility that energy diagrams have as a teaching and learning tool, a survey of their use, in seven popular Biochemistry textbooks, reveals that there is certain confusion around this topic. In our opinion, this confusion arises from the reluctance of authors to consider and indicate the conditions under which the reaction being…