Syllabus

S2000

Prade 1996 - Offered every year in the Spring

Theory Section. CID# 67613 Wed. and Fri. - 1:30 to 2:20 p.m.

Lab. Section. CID# 25465 Wed. and Fri. - 2:30 to 4:20 p.m.

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Instructor: Rolf A. Prade 409 LSE. Tel: 4 7522 - 10:00-12:00 Mon./Wed./Fri. .

Teaching Assistant. TBA

 

Text. Short Protocols in Molecular Biology. Ansubel, F.M. et.al 1992. Academic Press, San Diego, CA

 

Rules and Policies. OSU rules and policies will be strictly enforced, specially regarding academic dishonesty/misconduct, special accomodations for students, retention & grading policies, class attendance and add & drop dates . .

 

Scoring. There will be no quizzes and examinations. All points will be awarded for activities related to the project. There will be 100 possible points and they may be earned as follows: Final Report (Oral 10; Written 30) 40; Work Plan (Written) 20; Progress Report (Written) 10; Seminar (Oral) 10; Notebook (check) 5; Attendance 5; Etiquette 5; Participation 5;

 

Grading: 100-90, .A.; 89-80, .B.; 79-70, .C.; 69-60, .D.; below 60, F.  

Objectives and Format. This course is designed to give students an unique opportunity to develop a self-contained research project in the laboratory. The student is expected to carry out common methods associated with "in vitro" DNA manipulations, DNA mediated transformations and synthesis of bio-products. In addition this course has several built-in features that offer chances to gain and improve skills and use your creative imagination. The laboratory is designed to emphasize hands-on experience in molecular biology, microbiology and biochemical techniques. The course was designed to attend expectations for undergraduate biology majors and graduate students that wish to experience hands-on activities in molecular biology.

Laboratory Assignments. There will be two projects to choose from. Each group is expected to decide and pursue only one objective and both projects should be equally represented. The two projects are: .

 

PROJECT A - Cloning the lac Operon.

Goal: Isolate and characterize an E. coli chromosomal DNA fragment that contains a complete and functional copy of the lac operon. .

 

PROJECT B - Metabolic Engineering.

Goal: Construct recombinant E. coli strains, by adding heterologous genes, that are able to convert glucose, xylose and other sugars into ethanol. .

 

Lectures (Lec.). DNA Manipulations. Before you start and while you work on your work plan we will provide some background information to assist you in designing the experiments. .

Meeting (Mtg.). You are invited to suggest and discuss with the Instructors, the TA's and your colleagues, methods strategies and other issues related to your assignment. Some meetings will be preceded by a lecture providing you with the essentials. .

Work Plan. Must be presented in written format. It should contain Summary, Introduction, Objectives, Rationale, Experimental Strategy, Methods and a Preliminary Time Table. The work plan shall consist of three clear and verifiable objectives (i.e., genomic map of the lac region, cloned lac DNA fragment and recombinant E. coli strain). .

Lab. Work. The laboratory work involves the execution of a single project. Students will be divided into groups of two or three individuals. Each group will be responsible for all phases of the project, including the work plan, choice of methods, the preparation of solutions, media and other reagents, cleaning of glassware and safety (biological chemical and radioactive hazards) precautions. This type of assignment requires constant consultation with TA and Instructors that will occur during the scheduled lab work periods and in specifically assigned events. The laboratory might be available for additional time, provided previous arrangements have been made. .

Progress Report. Written presentation reporting the projects state-of-the-art. The presentation should be short and focused on the project. Reports should consist of: Introduction, Material and Methods, Results and Discussion sections. The Discussion section may be used to address technical problems and reorganize the initial work plan. .

Seminar I Opportunities in Biotechnology. Each group is expected to give a 20 minute presentation covering one topic to be determined with the Instructor. Overheads, slides, hand-outs and other visual-aid materials are welcome and the presentation should follow the general guidelines for short presentations at ASM conferences. .

Seminar II Biotechnology on the Internet. Each student/group is expected to hunt and collect biotechnology related URL's on the Internet and we will meet to glance at, and discuss the findings. We will also construct a comprehensive Bookmark Index. .

Final Report. Consists of an oral presentation and a written report. One independently written report is required for each individual. Reports must follow the Fungal Genetics and Biology format, including Title, Abstract, Introduction, Material and Methods, Results, Discussion, References, Figures, Tables and Figure Legends.