Assignment 1 is the first phase of a project that you will complete, in stages, during the term. You will begin by selecting a specific biotechnology that you would like to cover through the entire project. It can be an established technology, such as genetically-modified crops, or an emerging technology, such as CRISPR. The choice of biotechnology is up to you, but consider selecting something that relates to your major, career, or personal interests.

CRJ students might consider an established or an emerging biotechnology for crime scene investigation. BUS students might consider a technology that will provide an opportunity to explore bringing new biotech products and services to market or the ethical considerations around marketing biotech to consumers.

Choose one magazine or newspaper article that covers the specific technology that you will use throughout the project. It must be a recent article (no more than four years old). For instance, if you choose genetically-modified crops as your biotechnology, then you would need to select one recent article about genetically-modified crops for this assignment.

Some biotechnologies that you may want to consider include:

• Genetically modified crop plants
• Genetically modified microorganisms (such as yeasts and bacteria for industry)
• Genetically modified animals
• Personal genomics for humans (also called personalized medicine or precision medicine)
• Gene therapy
• CRISPR
• Emerging forensic uses of DNA (such as facial prediction)
• Databases for DNA fingerprinting

Write a one to two (1–2) page paper in which you:

1. Summarize the article in one (1) or more paragraphs, using your own words. Be sure to identify the article using an in-text citation in the body of the paper, as well as a reference in the reference section.
2. Identify which biological concepts from the course and / or text are relevant to the topic covered in the article. Citing the course text, discuss the ways in which this course does (or doesn’t) provide background information to help you understand the article and the larger issues surrounding it.
3. Explain why the article caught your attention. Relate the article to your life and to issues that are important to you. Discuss how or if the scientific knowledge about the topic covered in the article affects you directly or indirectly.
4. Discuss your opinion on how research on this topic should be funded. State whether you think taxpayer monies should support research on this topic or whether such research in this area should be funded by the private sector. Rate the importance of research on this topic, relative to other areas of research.

In addition to the target article, you should use at least one (1) additional resource, such as your textbook or another article. Remember: an edited version of this assignment is going to be part of the larger paper that you write at the completion of the project.

You must have a reference section which contains an SWS reference to your chosen article and all other sources, if any. Additionally, you must provide in-text citations (in SWS format) to your references at appropriate places in the body of the text. Integrate all sources into your paper using proper techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, along with your in-text citations. Double-space your paper. Use standard margins and fonts. Also, follow any additional formatting instructions provided by your instructor.

A large portion of the grading of this assignment is based upon the coherence, depth, and accuracy of your writing.

Objectives evaluated by this assessment:

1. Categorize a wide range of organisms, from single-celled to multi-celled organisms.
2. Describe how organisms acquire and utilize both energy and material.
3. Describe the cell cycle, cell reproduction, and control.
4. Investigate DNA and gene expression as well as technologies based on our understanding of them.
5. Discuss interactions between organisms in ecosystems.