1. Global Challenges: An Introduction

Global Challenges

Topic

Introduction

Instead of presenting a litany of end-of-chapter or end-of-book questions that are not linked in content or concepts, we will present a number of problem-solving assessments linked to research literature that deal with key challenges that face the world today. When the questions are mostly derived from the literature, we'll also call them Literature-Based Guided Assessments (LGAs). Each will focus on a particular biological system (enzyme, pathways, etc) and contain a series of sequential and linked questions on a particular protein, for example, and its function. The problems are summative and hence require an understanding of structure, noncovalent interactions, binding, kinetics, and reaction mechanisms. The modules are guided and have elements of problem-solving and POGIL questions.

Each Module will ultimately focus on the structure and properties of key biomolecules. The modules will:

1. Address ASBMB Core concepts and Learning Objectives (generalized below) through analysis and interpretation of research findings in one or more research publications.

• Energy is required by and transformed in biological systems.
• Macromolecular structure determines function and regulation.
• Information storage and flow are dynamic and interactive.
• Biochemical systems maintain a state of homeostasis, a steady stable state while continually adjusting to conditions, which requires energy input, organization, and control mechanisms.
• Evolution plays a pervasive role in shaping the form and function of all biological molecules and organisms.

2. Link to critical problems facing the world (see the Table) which have clearly identified biochemical components. These critical problems include health care disparities, climate change, pandemics, addiction, childhood trauma, food insecurity, biodiversity loss, ecosystem (ocean, soil, forest) health, and misinformation/disinformation. These problems are often linked and not mutually exclusive. Most biochemistry textbooks focus on problems using biomedical examples. Expanding to study key world problems that are not directly biomedical and are underrepresented in textbooks, allows students to apply their acquired knowledge and understanding into different areas.

3. Follow general features found in problem-based learning and in case studies, which provide contextual applications for the detailed learning opportunities found in biochemistry books and courses.

• A broad introduction (text, videos, personal narratives) describing the critical world problem and the relevancy of the selected biochemical system to the problem
• A more detailed description of the selected biochemical system, including links to specific locations in Fundamentals of Biochemistry as well as external resources
• Research literature results (graphs, tables, models, etc), taken from journals that allow derivatives and reuse by appropriate Creative Commons licensing (for example, CC BY 4.0), for interpretation

4. Focus on representative biomacromolecules (protein, nucleic acid, glycan, lipid and combination of them) relevant to the broader problem for which detailed structure/function questions can be explored

5. Explicitly address and link to appropriate BioMolViz framework themes, goals and objectives to the biomolecules key to the LGA.

Relationship of LGAs to BioMolViz and Molecular CaseNet

The completed LGAs will consist of a broad introduction and relevant biochemical research findings woven into a narrative that will include nested questions based on the literature with an ultimate focus on a key biomacromolecule. It will not take the form or detail of a full case study as found in Molecular CaseNet (headed by Shuchi Dutta and its Steering Committee, which includes Henry Jakubowski, who is also on the Steering Committee of BioMolViz ). As the LGAs in Fundamentals of Biochemistry and indeed the whole text, as well as the Molecular CaseNet are free online educational resources (OERs), both communities can freely share resources. Since the LGAs have some attributes of case studies, we hope that contributors to Molecular CaseNet will freely use the LGAs and convert them to more expansive case studies, housed within Molecular CaseNet.

Likewise, the research literature-based questions in the LGAs that focus on biomacromolecule structures will be explicitly linked to the themes, goals and objectives of the BioMolViz literacy framework. However, the specific questions will not be included in the web repository created by BioMolViz. The repository questions have gone through many iterative cycles of construction, revision, external review by expert panels, and validation by actual classroom use. Instead, the questions in Fundamentals of Biochemistry LGAs that target specific biomolecular visualization framework objectives will help to expand knowledge and understanding of biomolecule visual literacy and BioMolViz objectives, which ultimately is the goal of BioMolViz.

A full semester of biochemistry would be necessary to complete a full LGA, as the questions extend from structure, binding, kinetics, mechanism, metabolism, and signal transduction. Yet parts of a complete LGA could be completed after students complete the corresponding chapter in the book. Hence parts of a given LGA will be listed in Volume 5 under the corresponding topic (carbohydrate structure, for example). A link will be provided back to the home LGA from which the questions were derived

Global Challenges  as the Bases for Literature-Based Guided Assessments (LGAs)

Here are the world challenges we have selected that we serve as the bases for the LGAs.

World Problems	Research Literature Modules
Health Disparities	Type II Diabetes
	Orphan receptors
	Poverty and stress response: Poverty and epigenetics
	PM2.5s
	Pb pollution
	Pollution (air/water)
Climate Change	Thermal tolerance plants
	Carbon Capture
	Photosynthesis, CO2 sequestration
	Heat Stroke
	Biofuels
	Modeling climate change
Pandemics	Vaccine Development
	Ebola
	Malaria
	Emerging Diseases
	Evolution
Addiction	Natural/Synthetic opiates
	Alcohol abuse
Trauma	PTSD
Food Insecurity	photosynthesis
	fertilizers
Loss of Biodiversity	extinction
Ecosystem Health	Soil
	Oceans
	Forest
Information Integrity	Western blots, image modifications, data analyzes