As technology becomes ever integrated into our food system and everyday life, our food industry and supply become ever more vulnerable to attack. Cyber attacks continue to threaten large and small companies, government agencies, individuals, and food and agriculture. This module, ‘Securing the Food Industry,’ aims to introduce the idea of cyberbiosecurity through a lecture format along with three case studies allowing students to interact and think through the concepts and materials. This module was built for implementation into college level courses with connection or interest in the food industry, food science, and agriculture as well as and technology courses focused on real world applications.
The lecture starts by introducing the amount of technology in food science and the food industry then transitions into concerns about security. After discussing multiple subtypes of security already integrated into the food industry, cyberbiosecurity is introduced. The term and definition are discussed before the categories of cyber attacks are introduced. The lecture relates these ideas back to the food industry before sharing a few real-life examples of detrimental cyber-attacks. The lecture concludes are explain the impact a cyber attack can cause, who is responsible for preventing and recovering from these attacks, as well as suggested practices to reduce vulnerabilities. Three theoretical but realistic case studies with discussion questions follow the lecture. These studies were written to act as small group discussion starters but could be used for whole class discussion, individual writing assignments, or other applications.
A list of additional resources can be found with the course material. This list provides a small sampling of additional documents which discuss cyberbiosecurity. The resources listed at the end of the lecture are not included in the additional resources document but also provide helpful information in the exploration and understanding of cyberbiosecurity. Food science resources are also included in this document to provide additional background around the food industry portion of this course material.

Securing the Food Industry is an open educational resource (OER). Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting the module should indicate their interest at https://forms.gle/orFRGhYs8owBP7gD6.

The educational material consists of an introduction to the pesticide problematic together with five themes that illustrate different aspects of the problematic. Below you find video-clips from Bolivia that visualizes and concretizes the theme described in the fact sheet (downloadable PDF), including study questions that encourage the students to reflect upon the theme presented in the educative videos as well as in the fact sheet. Furthermore each fact sheet contains a reference list1 and grey boxes in the text with suggestions for further reading on the themes. 

Students observe the decomposition of a pumpkin under controlled circumstances. These observations are used to take notes and develop questions.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A research team at MIT has spent years trying to unravel how climate change will affect Earth’s habitability in the future. Using sophisticated computer simulations, they’ve shown that extreme heatwaves will sweep across a region spanning southwest and south Asia, potentially rendering some areas inhospitable to human life. Now, in the third part of this ongoing study, they’ve shifted focus to China – currently the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Using regional climate models that examine how irrigation impacts surface conditions, the team found that the current pace of greenhouse gas emissions will leave North China Plain, an intensely irrigated region that is presently home to about 400 million people, vulnerable to extreme heatwaves, making it difficult for humans to survive in what is now one of the most densely populated regions on Earth. The reason? Irrigation exacerbates heatwave conditions, worsening the impact of climate change..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This reading seminar examines land, water, food, and climate in a changing world, with an emphasis on key scientific questions about the connections between natural resources and food production. Students read and discuss papers on a range of topics, including water and land resources, climate change, demography, agroecology, biotechnology, trade, and food security. The readings are supplemented by short lectures that provide context and summarize main points. The seminar provides a broad perspective on one of the defining global issues of this century. Students consider scientific controversies as well as areas of general agreement and examine practical solutions for addressing critical problems.

Biotechnology is perhaps the most rapidly advancing area in science today. The Advances in Biotechnology volume has been created to provide language teachers with resources about breakthroughs in biotechnology. Each chapter of the volume highlights one aspect of research in the field of DNA and genetics along with its applications to and implications for society. The chapters feature relevant background information on each topic, interactive and communicative classroom activities, and a list of related print and Internet resources that will allow teachers to expand the lesson further.

In this lesson, students will learn about the life cycle of an apple tree and sequence the stages of development. Includes activity instructions, extension activities, songs, and student worksheet.

NGSS: K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-1

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: "Apples Grow on Trees" or other book about apples, apple life cycle student worksheet, glue sticks.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Domesticated edible insects are a sustainable protein source that has been gaining global attention. P. brevitarsis is one such species, and their larvae can also eat decaying organic waste and turn it into a plant-growth promoting mixture. But organic matter like this is high in lignocellulose, which is difficult to digest. In fact, these larvae lack the enzymes needed to break lignocellulose down on their own. So, researchers checked their microbiome for microbial genes able to fill in the gaps. The researchers established a comprehensive reference catalog of gut microbial and host genes. Between the two sets of genes, lignocellulose-degrading enzymes were abundant and highly diversified. P. brevitarsis larvae also selectively enriched their microbiome for lignocellulose-degrading microbes and had physiological adaptations that assisted in lignocellulose degradation..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Postpartum systemic oxidative stress is common in dairy cows and can lead to health complications and production loss. While the gut microbiota can influence host health and stress, its role in dairy cow postpartum oxidative stress was unclear until a recent study found a strong link between the fecal microbiota and postpartum oxidative stress in dairy cows. Compared to low oxidative stress (LOS) cows, those with high oxidative stress (HOS) had altered bacterial community composition, including 16 species from 9 genera that were negatively correlated with oxidative stress. There were also changes in the microbiota’s functional behavior and related metabolites, and the findings suggested that changes in glutathione synthesis played a causative role in oxidative stress. Specifically, HOS cows had reduced microbial metabolism of amino acids involved in glutathione synthesis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Long-term mono-cropping often suppresses plant growth, but the mechanisms behind this are poorly understood. The key may lie in the soil surrounding the plants’ roots. This region, the rhizosphere, is filled with important microbes and the carbon-containing photosynthesis products, rhizodeposits, that plants exude from their roots. Rhizodeposits are part of the link between plants and their rhizosphere microbes. So, a team of researchers examined the interactions among rhizodeposits, rhizosphere microbes, and mono-cropping long-term. They found that years of mono-cropping led to a gradual decrease in carbon deposition and the chemical diversity of the rhizodeposits. These decreases were strongly correlated with decreases in the rhizosphere microbial diversity and metabolic functioning. Mono-cropping long-term also slowly led to a decrease in the abundance of plant-beneficial microbial groups..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Pair this activity with lessons on selective breeding. Students will identify desirable genetic traits in apples and use a coin flip to simulate the steps and time involved to breed a new cultivar of apple. (Photo by Tom Paolini on Unsplash.com)

In the Arizona desert, farmers depend on an ample supply of irrigation to grow their crops. As climate changes, irrigation managers face a host of issues to keep the water flowing.

This kit explores how sustainability within the Finger Lakes region of New York has been presented in the media with a particular focus on issues related to food, water and agriculture. Each of the seven lessons integrates media literacy and critical thinking with key knowledge and concepts related to sustainability. This kit is a companion to the nineteen-lesson collection, Media Constructions of Sustainability: Food, Water and Agriculture.

This kit explores how sustainability has been presented in the media with a particular focus on issues related to food, water and agriculture. Each of the 19 lessons integrates media literacy and critical thinking into lessons about different aspect of sustainability. Constant themes throughout the kit include social justice, climate change, energy, economics and unintended consequences.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Microbiome research has consistently been placed in the spotlight over the past two decades, and has shown tremendous promise in the fields of medicine, environmental science, food production, and agriculture. Life on Earth does not exist without microbes, and we may benefit from learning more about them. Yet, there is no common understanding amongst researchers of what a 'microbiome’ actually is. Researchers are now proposing a common definition of ‘microbiome’ to ensure better, more robust research across different disciplines. The authors build on the historical definition offered by Whipps and colleagues in 1988 using new research insights. Additionally, they highlight the importance of microbiomes as drivers for the health of many eukaryotic hosts, including humans and plants. The proposed amendments to the definition specify the elements of microbiome composition and their interactions..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

What do Prairie Chickens Need in Order to Survive Today's Prairie?

This middle school unit covering ecosystems, animal behavior and symbiosis was developed through the Storyline approach. Middle school students will be figuring out why prairie chickens have a very unique dance and understand the role cows play to help ensure the dance takes place. Using this approach, students engage in science concepts to help ensure the survival of the prairie chicken.

In this activity you will explore some of the natural hazards associated with the Himalayan monsoon as an impact on Hindu pilgrims on their holy pilgrimage through readings and videos and answering the questions listed. The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate an understanding of the hazard impacts of monsoon rains on mountain people in Uttarakhand, India.
*Note: This activity is related to the mapping project titled, "Yamuna: A Deep Mapping Project". This is the second activity and it is recommended that the activity "How Monsoons in Indian Himalaya are Formed" should be given to students first.

Climate change adaptation isn’t always welcome as a topic of conversation, even among those who could benefit from it. A recent study hints at a possible path forward.

In this lesson, students will be amateur mycologists--collecting and analyzing various mushrooms. Through observation and discussion, students will gain knowledge of the basic anatomy of mushrooms, their life cycle, and their method of reproduction through spores. Students will learn to create spore prints of mushrooms and label and preserve their spore prints, just like a mycologist. Students also will learn that by comparing spore prints, they can identify different mushroom species.