Over the past few decades, biological research has grown more and more quantitative. New strides have been made in nearly every branch in biology through the use of mathematical and computational tools. As the mathematical needs of biologists have grown, what has happened to the biology curriculum in high school and universities? In many ways, these curricula have moved in the opposite direction. Students at all levels seem to be attracted to biology because they like science, but are intimidated by mathematics.
Steps have been made to reverse this trend and the effort has gained increasing levels of support in the last few years. Support for this effort has come from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences, the American Society of Microbiology, the Mathematical Association of America, the National Academies of Science, and others. One recent report published by the National Academies Press is a document called BIO 2010 (available online, in full). This document spells out suggestions for modifications to the undergraduate biology curriculum. This document is not only focused on quantitative issues, but on the biology curriculum in general.
One of the most popular and prestigious scientific journals is PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It is highly respected and many scientists from many different fields strive to publish in it.
1. A summary of the article.
2. A summary of the mathematics used in the research.
3. A specific outline of the mathematics used in the article itself.
4. A reflection on how the article pertains to the BIO 2010 document.
Your report should be single spaced, 12 pt font, no less than one full page and no more than three.
If more than one of you is assigned the same year, make sure you report on different articles. Feel free to help each other in understanding the material in your article and in discussions of the BIO 2010 document.