​Ideas for Level 4 Investigations
(Included with Lab Books)

Rubric

• Example 1
• Example 2

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School AI Link

4th Quarter: Evolution

• Research of evolutionary biologists, such as Thomas Henry Huxley, Barbara McClintock, Sean B. Carroll, Stephen Jay Gould, Peter & Davidson
• View the Evo-Devo video again - lots of ideas there
  
• Hox gene examples and mechanics
• Genetic development programming
• Cis-regulatory elements
• Gene enhancement
• Signal genes
• D. melanogaster - use in genetics
• Maternal --- Gap --- Pair Rule --- Polarity --- Hox
• Comparing epigenetics between species
• Cascading genes
• Urbilateria in genetics
• Hedgehog genes
• Switch genes
• Gene sequences
• Molecular clock
• Snake vs lizard development/evolution - role of distal aminos
• Glow tags' use in genetic mapping
• Controlling gene expression with short oligo morpholinos
• How proteins steer the genome
• Veto mediation of genes
• Ancient giant sea turtle with never-before-seen features found in Europe, scientists say
• New Findings Rewrite the Story of the “Neolithic Revolution”
• More flowers are selfing, scientists say. That could spell trouble for other species.
• How to lose weight the healthy way: more exercise won’t cut it, but switching your diet will, says professor who studied hunter-gatherers
• The Dogs of Chernobyl Are Experiencing Rapid Evolution, Study Suggests
• Ribosomes Optimized for Speed, Flexibility

3rd Quarter: Genetic Patterns - Suggestions and Idea Links

• Any topic that has to do with genetics . . .
• Specific genetic disorders
• Gene therapy
• Genetic manipulation
• Ethics of genetic manipulation
• In-depth history of genetics pioneers and their contributions to the discovery of DNA: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Erwin Chargaff, Oswald Avery, Linus Pauling, Friedrich Miescher, Richard Altmann, Frederick Griffith, Phoebus Levene, Colette and Roger Vendrely, André Boivin, Robert W. Holley, Har Gobind Khorana, Marshall W. Nirenberg
• Meselson-Stahl Experiment
• Mechanics of crossing over - chemistry component
• Genes that typically stay together during crossing over and why; where genes typically cross over - does it happen more often between some genes than others?
• Nondisjunction disorders
• Drosophila study pinpoints a genetic cause for virgin birth for the first time
• New Breakthrough Paves the Way for Extending Human Lifespan – Scientists Successfully Transfer Longevity Gene​
• New cloned monkey species highlights limits of cloning
• How RNA travels between cells to control genes across generations
• Defeating Superbugs: Researchers Uncover New Weapon Against Antibiotic Resistance
• Finding sheds light on what causes Huntington's disease, a devastating fatal brain disorder
• A deletion at the X-linked ARHGAP36 gene locus is associated with the orange coloration of tortoiseshell and calico cats
• A New Cat Color is Defying Genetic Expectations​​

​2nd Quarter: Structure and Function - Suggestions and Idea Links

• Ribozyme - the Only Enzyme that's Not a Protein
• Lactose Intolerance
• Specific Enzyme Disorders
• Macromolecule Make-up of Organs and Organ Systems
• Diseases/Disorders Related to Specific Macromolecules
• In-depth Investigation on Differences Between Specific Large Carbohydrates (i.e. Amylose vs Cellulose)
• Methods of Studying Macromolecules
• In-depth Analysis of Glycogenesis and Glycogen Synthesis
• Best Foods for Building Glycogen
• Glycogen Metabolism for Athletes
• Trans Fats
• Essential Fatty Acids
• Peptide Bonds vs Other Bonds
• Amino Acid Functions - Essential vs Non-essential
• Motor Proteins - Dynein and Kinesin
• Glycogenesis
• Cholesterol's Role in Cell Membranes
• Obesity changes the brain, with 'no sign of reversibility,' expert says
• Byproduct of sucralose, a chemical in Splenda, found to cause 'significant health effects' in new study
• ​Psychedelic medicine is coming - but who's going to guide your trip?
• A new way to kill tumors
• How your senses change as you age - and how to keep them sharp
• The groundbreaking promise of cellular 'housekeeping'
• What’s in melatonin—and is it giving you nightmares?
• Engineered ribosomes could make new polymers
• Stunning Images Reveal the Complex Beauty of Life Under a Microscope
• How Fat Signals Us to Eat More of It
• A synthetic embryo, made without sperm or egg, could lead to infertility treatments
• Dementia risk may increase if you’re eating these foods, study says
• 5 Lifestyle Factors Linked to Dementia
• Scientists Grew Stem Cell 'Mini Brains'. Then, The Brains Sort-of Developed Eyes
• New psychology research indicates that higher general cognitive ability is linked to reduced emotional responding
• Aggressive Cancer Cells Transformed Into Healthy Cells in Breakthrough
• UW professor wins prestigious Nobel Prize in chemistry for work on proteins
• People who consume more ultra-processed foods are more likely to experience psychological distress later in life​
• Exposure to Certain Fragrances During Sleep Dramatically Boosts Cognitive Function​​

​1st Quarter: Ecology - Suggestions and Idea Links

• Endangered Species
• Pollution Effects on Specific Ecosystems
• Climate Change and Ecosystem Research
• Utah's Ecosystem
• Great Salt Lake
• Colorado River
• Antelope Island
• ​Strategies of Specific Organisms to Maintain Energy Balance
• Maintaining Energy Balance in Humans
• Energy Balance in the Animal Kingdom
• Calculating Energy Transfer in Animals
• Human Involvement in Food Webs
• Grasslands - Contribution to Food Webs and Ecosystem Sustainability
• How Cyanide Disrupts the Electron Transport Chain
• Detailed Analysis and Description of the Three Parts of Cellular Respiration
• Detailed Analysis and Description of the Process of Photosynthesis
• What is ATP and How is it Used?
• Mitochondrial Disorders - Choose a Specific Disorder to Research
• Fermentation Research
• How Cells Retrieve Glucose from Glycogen
• Tree stumps that should be dead can be kept alive by nearby trees
• Great Salt Lake's dry lakebed 'big' producer of greenhouse gas emissions, study finds
• Surprise: Bees Need Meat
• Brigham City battles algae on Mantua Reservoir, hopes to avoid another trout kill
• Scientists issue warning after observing troubling behavior shift in coastal bird species: 'Adverse effect[s] ... on its productivity'
• Methane-Producing Microbes Unlike Any Seen Before Found In Yellowstone’s Hot Springs
• Deep-ocean floor produces its own oxygen
• The US government gives nuclear energy a big boost
• Rising seas wiped out an entire US species for the first time. Scientists say it’s a sign of things to come
• A House Cat Was Brought To A Remote Island In 1894—A Year Later A Species Was Extinct
• “Planting parties” at Utah Lake working to rid the lake of invasive phragmites
• Utah has the fourth most toxic chemical releases of any state. The majority come from one source.
• Stop setting your thermostat at 72
• U.S. officials plan to kill hundreds of thousands of barred owls to save another species from extinction
• Microplastic Map Reveals Countries Consuming the Most
• It's a Nasty Hungry Pest and Scientists Just Mapped Its Genome
• Biologist's Fears Confirmed on the Lower Colorado River
• This 500-Year Old Tree in California Has a Story to Tell
• ​Scientists Find A Whole New Ecosystem Hiding Beneath Earth's Seafloor
• Why a conservancy nonprofit purchased a 320-acre plot of land in Bears Ears
• Harmful algal blooms may have killed 30 ducks at Liberty Park, Utah wildlife biologists say
• Scientists Say Recycling Has Backfired Spectacularly
• Florida community ordered to quarantine due to invasion of giant African land snails
• ​Watermelon snow turns Utah mountains red
• ​Here's how many times you need to reuse your reusable grocery bags
• Peering Into the Frozen Desert
• Future of American agriculture a 'wild ride,' analyst says​
• ​Massive ocean discovered beneath the Earth's crust containing more water than on the surface
• The remarkable resilience of Utah's state crustacean
• Green groups sue, say farmers are drying up Great Salt Lake
• Utah data helps researchers highlight how urbanization impacts wildlife