MoScience Blog: February 2017

FEBRUARY 8, 2017




	AZT Breakthrough


	For HIV to replicate, its RNA genome must be reverse transcribed into DNA. The drug AZT prevents viral replication by blocking reverse transcription. Other anti-HIV drugs target different steps in the HIV life cycle. With our new series of five, hands-on HIV-related activities, students model and analyze various aspects of how HIV replicates, and learn about cell receptors, transcription, proteases, and viral budding and cell lysis.


	Spotlight on: Immunology

The Best Defense is a
Good Defense

If you’re teaching immunology and aren’t sure where to start, take a look at our Immunology Teacher Guide. This guide includes standards alignments for HHMI BioInteractive resources, sample lesson plans, and curriculum connections for high school and higher education courses.


	Image of the Week

Deadly Straw

This bites! Female mosquitoes have an arsenal of weapons to aid in collecting the blood-meals needed to make eggs. This armory is housed in the proboscis, and includes six needlelike tools that help her break the skin, locate and pierce a blood vessel, and encourage the flow of blood.


	Featured Animation

Delayed Maturity

HIV’s viral proteins are synthesized as a single chain and must be cleaved apart by enzymes called proteases in order for the virus to complete its life cycle. In this animation, watch how protease inhibitors sit in the active sites of proteases, limiting viral maturation – and therefore constitute a powerful class of antiviral drugs.


	Events and Announcements

Catch Our Upcoming Workshops

Great teaching is contagious! Be sure to check out our upcoming events page to see where Howie and team will be in the next few weeks.


	Educator Tip

Bacterial Identification Virtual Lab Educator Tip

Unmistaken Identity

In this video educator tip, Indiana teacher Sherry Annee describes how she uses the Bacterial Identification Virtual Lab to introduce the concepts of DNA sequencing, PCR, and BLAST database searches to her students.

Do you have a favorite BioInteractive resource and want to tell us how you use it in your class? Email us the tip at BioInteractive@hhmi.org. If we feature yours, we'll send you a T-shirt!