Analysis of undergraduate cell biology contents in Brazilian public universities

The enormous amount of information available in cell biology has created a challenge in selecting the core concepts we should be teaching our undergraduates. One way to define a set of essential core ideas in cell biology is to analyze what a specific cell biology community is teaching their students. Our main objective was to analyze the cell biology content currently being taught in Brazilian universities. We collected the syllabi of cell biology courses from public universities in Brazil and analyzed the frequency of cell biology topics in each course. We also compared the Brazilian data with the contents of a major cell biology textbook. Our analysis showed that while some cell biology topics such as plasma membrane and cytoskeleton was present in ～100% of the Brazilian curricula analyzed others such as cell signaling and cell differentiation were present in only ～35%. The average cell biology content taught in the Brazilian universities is quite different from what is presented in the textbook. We discuss several possible explanations for these observations. We also suggest a list with essential cell biology topics for any biological or biomedical undergraduate course. The comparative discussion of cell biology topics presented here could be valuable in other educational contexts.     

Potentials of single‐cell biology in identification and validation of disease biomarkers

Single‐cell biology is considered a new approach to identify and validate disease‐specific biomarkers. However, the concern raised by clinicians is how to apply single‐cell measurements for clinical practice, translate the message of single‐cell systems biology into clinical phenotype or explain alterations of single‐cell gene sequencing and function in patient response to therapies. This study is to address the importance and necessity of single‐cell gene sequencing in the identification and development of disease‐specific biomarkers, the definition and significance of single‐cell biology and single‐cell systems biology in the understanding of single‐cell full picture, the development and establishment of whole‐cell models in the validation of targeted biological function and the figure and meaning of single‐molecule imaging in single cell to trace intra‐single‐cell molecule expression, signal, interaction and location. We headline the important role of single‐cell biology in the discovery and development of disease‐specific biomarkers with a special emphasis on understanding single‐cell biological functions, e.g. mechanical phenotypes, single‐cell biology, heterogeneity and organization of genome function. We have reason to believe that such multi‐dimensional, multi‐layer, multi‐crossing and stereoscopic single‐cell biology definitely benefits the discovery and development of disease‐specific biomarkers.     

多媒体课件在医学细胞生物学教学中的应用体会

通过教学实践证明医学细胞生物学多媒体课件的应用不仅可以激发学生学习兴趣、提高学生学习的主动性、强化学生的理解能力,还可以使学生轻松、准确掌握所学的内容,是提高教学质量的有效途径。并针对在多媒体教学过程中仍存在的一些问题,提出行之有效的解决之道。     

细胞生物学实验课教学改革初探

实验教学是细胞生物学课程学习的重要组成部分,本文结合当前国内高校细胞生物学实验课的教学模式,分析了细胞生物学实验课教学过程中存在的一些主要问题,从实验内容的选择、教学方法和考核评价体系等方面提出了实验课教学改革的几点建议,为增强生物专业学生的实验课能力提供方案。     

细胞生物学实验课教学改革初探

实验教学是细胞生物学课程学习的重要组成部分,本文结合当前国内高校细胞生物学实验课的教学模式,分析了细胞生物学实验课微学过程中存在的一些主要问题,从实验内容的选择、教学方法和考核评价体系等方面提出了实验课教学改革的几点建议,为增强生物专业学生的实验课能力提供方案。     

多媒体课件在医学细胞生物学教学中的应用体会

通过教学实践证明医学细胞生物学多媒体课件的应用不仅可以激发学生学习兴趣、提高学生学习的主动性、强化学生的理解能力,还可以使学生轻松、准确掌握所学的内容,是提高教学质量的有效途径。并针对在多媒体教学过程中仍存在的一些问题。提出行之有效的解决之道。     

In vitro Cell Migration and Invasion Assays

Migration is a key property of live cells and critical for normal development, immune response, and disease processes such as cancer metastasis and inflammation. Methods to examine cell migration are very useful and important for a wide range of biomedical research such as cancer biology, immunology, vascular biology, cell biology and developmental biology. Here we use tumor cell migration and invasion as an example and describe two related assays to illustrate the commonly used, easily accessible methods to measure these processes. The first method is the cell culture wound closure assay in which a scratch is generated on a confluent cell monolayer. The speed of wound closure and cell migration can be quantified by taking snapshot pictures with a regular inverted microscope at several time intervals. More detailed cell migratory behavior can be documented using the time-lapse microscopy system. The second method described in this paper is the transwell cell migration and invasion assay that measures the capacity of cell motility and invasiveness toward a chemo-attractant gradient. It is our goal to describe these methods in a highly accessible manner so that the procedures can be successfully performed in research laboratories even just with basic cell biology setup.     

A rich and bountiful harvest: Key discoveries in plant cell biology

The field of plant cell biology has a rich history of discovery, going back to Robert Hooke’s discovery of cells themselves. The development of microscopes and preparation techniques has allowed for the visualization of subcellular structures, and the use of protein biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology has enabled the identification of proteins and mechanisms that regulate key cellular processes. In this review, seven senior plant cell biologists reflect on the development of this research field in the past decades, including the foundational contributions that their teams have made to our rich, current insights into cell biology. Topics covered include signaling and cell morphogenesis, membrane trafficking, cytokinesis, cytoskeletal regulation, and cell wall biology. In addition, these scientists illustrate the pathways to discovery in this exciting research field.

Seven senior plant cell biologists reflect on foundational contributions to a variety of topics, including pollen tube signaling, cell morphogenesis, membrane trafficking, cytokinesis, cytoskeletal regulation, and cell wall biology.     

细胞微系统技术及其应用

细胞微系统技术研究是目前细胞生物学、微系统科学及药物筛选等学科交叉领域的一个研究热点,其综合利用了微系统平台技术,将细胞的培养、观测和分析在微系统平台上完成,丰富了细胞研究方法,为细胞研究提供了一个全新的研究平台。现对目前细胞微系统研究中几种典型的方法,如立体微结构模型、软光刻、微流体、芯片毛细管电泳、微电极等进行综述,并阐述其在细胞生物学、生命科学等领域相关研究中的应用。     

化学学科背景下细胞生物学课程教学的改革和实践

细胞生物学在大学生物相关专业的课程设置中占有重要地位,为提高化学优势学科背景下细胞生物学的教学质量,研究从学生知识掌握能力、知识融合能力和创新能力等三个方面进行相关教学的改革与实践。围绕教学内容和教学课件的优化,学生课外调研和科研写作的开展,学生创新热情的产生,学生动手解决问题及发现新问题的精神面貌转变等方面,阐述教改的主要内容。     

Use of animation in teaching cell biology

To address the different learning styles of students, and because students can access animation from off-campus computers, the use of digital animation in teaching cell biology has become increasingly popular. Sample processes from cell biology that are more clearly presented in animation than in static illustrations are identified. The value of animation is evaluated on whether the process being taught involves motion, cellular location, or sequential order of numerous events. Computer programs for developing animation and animations associated with cell biology textbooks are reviewed, and links to specific examples of animation are given. Finally, future teaching tools for all fields of biology will increasingly benefit from an expansion of animation to the use of simulation. One purpose of this review is to encourage the widespread use of animations in biology teaching by discussing the nature of digital animation.     

免疫学技术在细胞生物学教学中的应用

免疫学技术在细胞生物学理论与实验课程中具有重要的应用价值,两者的有机结合能使细胞生物学课程教学更丰富形象,有利于教学质量的提高。目前,免疫学技术普遍只停留于细胞生物学理论课本知识教授中,在对学生开展的细胞实验操作课程中应用较少。如能将免疫荧光标记、流式细胞术等相关技术引入到实验教程中,不仅能使细胞实验结果更形象生动,更能拓宽学生知识领域与实验技能,有利于其综合能力的培养。     

Flow cytometry and cell sorting: current state and prospects for use in molecular biology

A survey of the specific features of flow cytometry, principals of instrumentation and main parameters of the modern cell sorting cytometers is given. Analytical capacities of flow cytometry as well as the main directions of its applications in cell biology, clinical diagnostics, immunology, biotechnology and molecular biology are considered. Also a possible future development of flow cytometry instrumentation and applications in molecular biology are briefly discussed.     

被子植物生殖细胞和精细胞

随着被子植物精细胞分离技术的突破和细胞生物学以及分子生物学技术的发展,对被子植物精细胞的研究不断深入。在以前细胞生物学研究的基础上结合近年来的分子生物学研究结果对被子植物雄性生殖细胞的产生、精细胞的形成和发育以及有关精细胞的表面蛋白质、精细胞的特异启动子、精细胞cDNA文库的构建等分子生物学研究进展和今后的发展趋势进行了综述。     

药用植物细胞生物反应器技术的研究进展

利用植物细胞生物反应器技术生产植物有用代谢产物,近些年来取得了很大发展,但植物细胞悬浮培养的工业化应用仍受到来自生物及工程技术上的限制。针对植物细胞生物反应器技术的特点及其研究进展,提出在综合考虑生物学和工艺学两方面的基础上,选育药用植物稳定高产的优良细胞系是提高植物细胞生物反应器技术可行性的关键。     

The evolution of molecular biology into systems biology

Systems analysis has historically been performed in many areas of biology, including ecology, developmental biology and immunology. More recently, the genomics revolution has catapulted molecular biology into the realm of systems biology. In unicellular organisms and well-defined cell lines of higher organisms, systems approaches are making definitive strides toward scientific understanding and biotechnological applications. We argue here that two distinct lines of inquiry in molecular biology have converged to form contemporary systems biology.     

Nucleic acid reactive antibodies— specificities and applications

The specificities of nucleic acid reactive antibodies and their applications in cell biology and molecular biology are reviewed     

进化细胞生物学的提出及其任务

作者提出应创建一门源于进化生物学与细胞生物学两者的交叉学科一进化细胞生物学(细胞的进化生物学)。其根本任务在于用进化的观点考察真核细胞的一切方面,从它们的起源和演化来认识它们的现在。文中列举了其具体的研究内容,并分析了其研究方法上的特点,指出在这里需要把进化生物学的综合性分析与细胞生物学的实验研究最紧密地结合起来。文中还论述了真核细胞的细胞器的“不进化”现象,指出其根本原因在于进化焦点的转移。     

Waddington redux: models and explanation in stem cell and systems biology

Stem cell biology and systems biology are two prominent new approaches to studying cell development. In stem cell biology, the predominant method is experimental manipulation of concrete cells and tissues. Systems biology, in contrast, emphasizes mathematical modeling of cellular systems. For scientists and philosophers interested in development, an important question arises: how should the two approaches relate? This essay proposes an answer, using the model of Waddington’s landscape to triangulate between stem cell and systems approaches. This simple abstract model represents development as an undulating surface of hills and valleys. Originally constructed by C. H. Waddington to visually explicate an integrated theory of genetics, development and evolution, the landscape model can play an updated unificatory role. I examine this model’s structure, representational assumptions, and uses in all three contexts, and argue that explanations of cell development require both mathematical models and concrete experiments. On this view, the two approaches are interdependent, with mathematical models playing a crucial but circumscribed role in explanations of cell development.