Nature Education Launches Interactive Biology Textbook

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, February 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Nature Education, the educational division of Nature Publishing Group, today announced the worldwide release of Principles of Biology, a $49 interactive university-level biology textbook. The pilot version of Principles of Biology was released in September 2011 to select customers, including California State University, who also partnered with Nature Publishing Group during the design and development phase. Today's release opens the textbook for adoption by all academic institutions.

Principles of Biology is a "born digital" textbook, with all materials designed specifically for consumption by students via browsers on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Each of the 196 modules in the text is a self-contained learning experience, integrating text, images, interactives, and continual assessment, which feeds an automatic gradebook through which instructors can track student progress. Instructors can customize Principles of Biology to meet their curriculum by rearranging modules, turning sections within modules on and off, adding their own material, and integrating the textbook into their campus learning management system.  In addition to accessing all materials online, students can download a Desktop Edition for use when not connected to the internet as well as printable versions of each module.  

Principles of Biology is available to institutions via two purchase models. With a one-time purchase of $49 individuals students will gain lifetime access to the textbook. Alternatively, institutions can purchase a site license, giving access to all students on campus. Principles of Biology, intended to be the first in a series of interactive textbooks in the life and physical sciences, is considered a "living edition," in that the material will be continually updated by the editorial team to reflect changes in the state of scientific knowledge as well as user feedback.

Principles of Biology follows the successful launch by Nature Education in 2009 of Scitable, a collaborative online learning space for individual life science students now used in more than 180 countries. Nature Publishing Group, publisher of Nature and Scientific American, launched the Nature Education division in 2007 to develop innovative solutions for global science education using NPG's longstanding ties into the scientific research community.

Resources for press:

Screenshots and review access for press available on request

More information:

For more information about Principles of Biology, visit http://www.nature.com/principles

(Instructors can request review copies via this URL)

For more information about Nature Education, visit http://www.nature.com/nature_education

About Nature Education

Nature Education, the educational division of Nature Publishing Group and publisher of Principles of Biology, is devoted to facilitating high quality, innovative, accessible science education in all countries of the world. More information at http://www.nature.com/nature_education

About Nature Publishing Group (NPG)

Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a publisher of high impact scientific and medical information in print and online. NPG publishes journals, online databases and services across the life, physical, chemical and applied sciences and clinical medicine.

Focusing on the needs of scientists, Nature (founded in 1869) is the leading weekly, international scientific journal. In addition, for this audience, NPG publishes a range of Nature research journals and Nature Reviews journals, plus a range of prestigious academic journals including society-owned publications. Online, nature.com provides over 6 million visitors per month with access to NPG publications and online databases and services, including news and comment from Nature, Naturejobs plus access to Nature Network and Nature Education's Scitable.com.

Scientific American is at the heart of NPG's consumer media division, meeting the needs of the general public. Founded in 1845, Scientific American is the oldest continuously published magazine in the US and the leading authoritative publication for science in the general media. Together with scientificamerican.com and 14 local language editions around the world it reaches over 5 million consumers and scientists. Other titles include Scientific American Mind and Spektrum der Wissenschaft in Germany.

Throughout all its businesses NPG is dedicated to serving the scientific and medical communities and the wider scientifically interested general public. Part of Macmillan Publishers Limited, NPG is a global company with principal offices in London, New York and Tokyo, and offices in cities worldwide including Boston, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Delhi, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich, Heidelberg, Basingstoke, Melbourne, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul and Washington DC. For more information, please go to http://www.nature.com.

Contact: Patrick Carpenter    
Corporate Public Relations, Nature Publishing Group
T: +44(0)20-7843-4850
p.carpenter@nature.com