TAMPA, Fla. — Parents of some Hillsborough County 7th grade students are expressing concern over an upcoming lesson on sexual health. The lesson is intended to be taught as part of science class.

Biomedical research techniques that don’t involve the use of animals are gaining momentum, but those using innovative approaches still face resistance from some quarters.

Materials science is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the understanding and application of the properties of matter. Materials scientists study the connections between the underlying ...