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Abstract. The major histological components of the hair follicle are the hair cortex and cuticle. The hair cuticle cells encase and protect the cortex and undergo a different developmental program to that of the cortex. We report the molecular characterization of a set of evolutionarily conserved hair genes which are transcribed in the hair cuticle late in follicle development. Two genes were isolated and characterized, one expressed in the human follicle and one in the sheep follicle. Each gene encodes a small protein of 16 kD, containing >50 cysteine residues, ranging from 31 to 36 mol % cysteine. Their high cysteine content and in vitro expression data identify them as ultra-high-sulfur (UHS) keratin proteins. The predicted proteins are composed almost entirely of cysteine-rich and glycinerich repeats. Genomic blots reveal that the UHS keratin proteins are encoded by related multigene families in both the human and sheep genomes. Tissue in situ hybridization demonstrates that the expression of both genes is localized to the hair fiber cuticle and occurs at a late stage in fiber morphogenesis.

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Science history shows us that interdisciplinarity is a spontaneous process that is intrinsic to, and engendered by, research activity. It is an activity that is done rather than an object to be designed and constructed. We examine three vignettes from the history of science that display the interdisciplinary process at work and consider the implications for education. We consider recent examples of interdisciplinary science education, including where interdisciplinarity involves students in authentic scientific research. We conclude that the reconciliation of research and education is a meaningful role for interdisciplinary practice in science education.

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