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BIOL 1402: Molecular Biology
Fall 2005 Instructor: Lauren Yaich, Ph.D. Telephone: 362-0260 Office: 203F Fisher Hall e-mail: yaich@pitt.edu Class and Lab Times: Lecture M W F 9 - 9:50 am Textbook: Watson et al. (2004) Molecular Biology of the Gene, Fifth Edition. Benjamin Cummings: San Francisco. ISBN: 0-8053-4635-X Lab handouts will be posted on Blackboard. Please download these and print them out prior to each week's lab. Class Description and Philosophy This course will focus on the molecular genetics of the cell.
We will examine in depth how information encoded within the DNA
sequence is eventually expressed in the form of RNA and proteins.
Replication of DNA and alterations in DNA sequence due to mutation
and recombination will also be discussed. Molecular biology techniques
provide an essential tool kit for current biological and biomedical
research, therefore, we will also spend a great deal of time discussing
research methods currently in use. In the laboratory section of
this course, we will gain hands-on experience with basic molecular
techniques. Throughout the course, we will also touch on topics
in molecular biology that are currently under intensive research,
including the study of the molecular mechanisms of disease. This
course will also emphasize the reading of primary literature, culminating
in a journal club presentation. A basic understanding of genetics
and cell biology by the student is assumed. If you have not had
Cell Biology and/or Genetics, please come see me immediately to
discuss whether you have the proper prerequisites for this course. Lecture Schedule: September October 31 Discussion Session November 2 Lecture Exam #3 December Wednesday, December 14 9 am _______________________________________________________________________________ Laboratory attendance is required. An unexcused absence from lab will result in a 10- point deduction from your lab grade. Occasionally you may be asked to set up or take down part of an experiment at other times than the standard lab period. The tentative lab schedule is listed below. We will try to follow this as closely as possible, but late-arriving orders or uncooperative bacteria may necessitate a last minute change at times. The lab handouts will be provided to you in advance on Blackboard. You are required to print them out in advance and bring them to lab. You will be expected to have read through the lab handouts carefully before coming to lab. Please take the laboratory portion of this course seriously. Molecular biology laboratory skills are critical for many biological careers. By the end of the semester, you will hopefully have acquired many of the basic skills that you will need to be successful in a modern molecular biology laboratory. Lab Safety Policy: Lab Schedule (Tentative) *In some cases, you may need to come into lab either the day before
or the day after the scheduled lab to either set-up or take-down
an experiment. October
Class Web-Sites: This course has a web site that you can use to access handouts, PowerPoint notes, interesting Web links, and even a record of your grades! The address for this site is: http://courseweb.pitt.edu. Important announcements will be posted on Blackboard, so please get in the habit of checking the web site at least a couple times a week. Every student should also get an email account, provide me with the address, and check it on a regular basis. I may even decide to offer an extra credit assignment via email or Blackboard announcement, so please check on these items at least a couple times per week. You should get used to using both email and the Internet, as most modern businesses and institutions now use it for their primary means of communication. Email is also a great way to get answers for quick questions, especially if my office hours are inconvenient for you. I have also begun to create a more permanent Molecular Biology
resource web-page. This site has a large number of links to outside
resources. It can be reached at: http://www.pitt.edu/~yaich/molecular%20home.htm. Grading Lecture Exam #1 100 points Total 600 points Final Grade:
A+ 96.7 - 100% ________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Attendance at all lectures is strongly recommended. Most of the material appearing on the exams will be based on what we cover in lecture. Attendance at labs is REQUIRED! An unexcused absence from lab will result in a ten point deduction from your lab grade. If you will be missing a lecture exam or lab contact me as soon as possible, preferably in advance. More than two absences in a semester due to illness will necessitate a note from your doctor or the college nurse. Make-up exams will only be given if I feel that the absence was justifiable. Arrangements for any make-ups should be made within three days of the absence. 2. A "poster" is a way of presenting scientific information at meetings and conferences. In place of a term paper, we will be having a poster session in which each student will present a poster detailing library research on a particular topic. This will be a significant part of your grade, so I recommend beginning work on this early in the semester. I will pass out a handout providing more information regarding this assignment within the first week or two of class. 3. There will be an attendance-based extra credit, as follows: 0-3 absences = +10 points, 4 absences = +5 points, and 5 or more absences = 0 points. It is highly unlikely that additional extra credit will be offered this semester, so be sure to do the best that you can on the regular assignments!! 4. Please establish your personal e-mail account as soon as possible. Any special announcements will be made by e-mail and/or in lecture. Also, e-mail is a great way to reach me for simple questions or to arrange for an appointment. If you have another non-Pitt e-mail account that you use, please make arrangements to have your Pitt e-mail forwarded to this account. 5. This syllabus is subject to change. While I will try my best to adhere to the schedule, occasionally changes may be necessary. If so, I will announce the change(s) both in lecture and by e-mail. 6. Students in this class will be expected to adhere to The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford's Academic Integrity Policy that reads as follows: Members of a university community, both faculty and students, bear a serious responsibility to uphold personal and professional integrity and to maintain complete honesty in all academic work. Violations of the code of academic integrity are not tolerated. Students who cheat or plagiarize or who otherwise take improper advantage of the work of others, face harsh penalties, including permanent dismissal. The academic integrity guidelines set forth student and faculty obligations and the means of enforcing regulations and addressing grievances. Please pay particular note to the prohibition against plagiarism. You must use your own words in any written work! Any evidence of plagiarism will immediately result in a failing grade for that assignment. Continued plagiarism beyond this initial warning or cheating on exams may result in the student being brought before administrative review. If you are unsure of how to properly "paraphrase" sources, please come see me and I will be happy to help you with this. 7. If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Academic Success Center's Disability Resources and Services Office (Hanley Library, Room 218) as early as possible in the term. The ASC will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course. Contact Anna Johnson, Interim Learning Development Specialist, at 362-7609 for more information or an appointment. 8. Classroom Civility Statement: Every student brings to the classroom
a unique point of view. Everyone has different experiences and different
backgrounds. We tend to think and learn in our own way, based in
part on our own social and cultural background. Therefore, we have
all formed opinions and perspectives that may or may not be shared
by others. However, we should all treat each other with respect
and decency. In this course, we may look at controversial topics
that can provoke strong responses. While I encourage students to
engage in discussion about such, I also expect all students to do
so with civility, respect, and integrity. Tips for Success: 1. Read the material BEFORE coming to class!! We will be covering a lot of material relatively quickly. If you are prepared before coming to class, your understanding of the lectures will be immensely enhanced. Although the exams will be primarily (but not entirely!) based on what is covered in lecture, the readings are critical for strengthening your comprehension of the material. There will often be a few questions on each exam that are from the readings. 2. Review your lecture notes before the next class. I would even recommend re-writing them or outlining them - believe it or not, there is a direct link between the hand and the brain! This is a good time to coordinate what you are learning in lectures with what you are reading in the book, BEFORE the class moves ahead to the next topic. Be careful about becoming too dependent on PowerPoint lecture notes that you download from Blackboard. These are only a rough outline of what we cover and are not intended to take the place of careful listening, reading, and note-taking. 3. DO NOT GET BEHIND!! And I don't just mean with the readings!! Biology is built from simple principles, but eventually we will be learning about relatively complex phenomena. If you don't understand the basics, then you won't understand the more advanced materials. Please come to me if there are concepts that you are really stuck on. Which again leads to yet another point... 4. Take advantage of your instructors!! (And I don't mean that in the negative sense.) We have office hours and discussion sessions for a reason. And, remember there is no such thing as a "stupid question"! Nonetheless, please make at least some effort to find out the answer yourself before coming for help. Part of being a college student is learning how to find the answers on your own. e-mail is another good way to get some help, especially for relatively short queries. 5. Find the study aids that work best for you. Some students learn well in informal study groups with their friends. Others prefer aids such as flashcards, etc... A combination of all of the above often works well. Do not waste time extensively reviewing the "easy" stuff, focus on the material that gives you the most difficulty. Here is where testing yourself can really help a lot, whether you use flashcards or your friends as the testing aid! If you are having trouble finding a study method that works well for you, please go see the experts at the Academic Development Center (ADC). That's what they are there for!
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