Genetics Experimental (BIOL 318)
Fall, 2006
COURSE PREREQUISITES: BIOL 204, 205, 206, 300, 317 and CHEM 106, 108 COURSE DESCRIPTION/ OBJECTIVES: Experimental genetics is a lab course dealing with fundamental concepts as well as recent advances in genetics. This course aims to provide handson experience in the application of various techniques in the study of inheritance of traits, mitosis, meiosis, chromosome and DNA analysis. Additionally to acquiring lab skills students will collect, analyze and present data scientifically. MEETING INFORMATION: Lab W 5:00 7:45 am
LSCI 239
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Pravda Stoeva-Popova OFFICE HOURS: 10.30-11.30 a.m. MTWR in LSB 210 and by appointment (phone [phone], Ext. 6432 and e-mail [e-mail] ) LAB MANUAL: Genetics Laboratory Investigations 13th ed., by Tomas R. Mertens and Robert Hammersmith, published by PEARSON Prentice Hall, 2007. Should be new (required). GRADING: Your grade will be based on class participation (thoroughness and completeness of work: your lab manual and lab notebook) lab practicals and laboratory reports. Lab practicals 2@100 points 200 Lab reports 4@25 points 100 Lab manual and lab notebook 50 Total points: 350
ATTENDANCE AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Students are required to attend every lab. Only one absence is allowed in case of extreme illness documented by a detailed doctors excuse or in case of death of an immediate family member. Missed labs can not be made up. Students are responsible to collect information from other students and, if necessary, to work individually to complete the missed lab. Students should come prepared to every class by reading the new lab and are responsible for ALL laboratory material. Announcements and changes related to the course will be made through the class e-mail list. It is your responsibility to check your e-mail regularly. The class may require students to come to the lab outside of the regularly scheduled class periods to complete experiments. All assignments are due on the due date at 5.00 pm. Late assignments are marked down by 50% for each day being late. No exceptions! LAB PRACTICALS WILL cover concepts and techniques: the what, why, and how of lab material.
Lab practicals can not be made up!
LAB NOTEBOOK AND LAB REPORTS: Lab notebook: In addition to your lab manual you are required to keep a lab notebook. You will need a threering binder and looseleaf paper. You should take neat and organized notes. Start with the date, the title of the lab. In your notes include changes to the protocols and procedures in the manual, collection of raw data, analysis of the data, measurements. Include all information and data for which there are no provided sheets or space in the lab manual. In the lab notebook you will
include all handouts, lab reports or other written assignments. You should not copy the notes of other student, the lab manual instructions or the handouts. Format of lab reports: The lab report will be structured like a short paper in the scientific format: Title and your name Introduction: This is a short paragraph that introduces the topic (the research question) that has been addressed in this lab(s). Why is this problem (topic, research question) important? Include a short annotation of the objectives. For your introduction you should consult at least one (or more11) references (research papers, a genetics textbook (only one), scholarly books, review articles, science news articles). Materials and methods In this part include succinct information about the sequential techniques/ procedures, crosses used. In this part you may refer to your manual. If changes are introduced in the course of the lab mark those down. What material did you use? What techniques? Make it as a short summary. Results. In this section you summarize in your own words (verbalize) your findings and support this narrative by using and referring to tables and figures (graphs, drawings, diagrams) if neccesary. Include raw data collected, and the results from statistical analysis of data if done. All tables and figures have titles and are cited in the text of the result section and numbered in the order they are discussed in the text. Discussion/ conclusion This section is dedicated to the analysis of what your data means. What did the experiment show? Are the actual results consistent with the predicted ones? Did the experiment have flows? And if yes, how would you change it? Conclude with a statement about what you think the data means. References List all written works to which you have referred in the text of your lab report. Use the NAME/YEAR format. Submit you lab reports as a hard copy (word-processed, and double-spaced to allow for corrections) and as a file to my e-mail on the due date. Lab notebooks and lab manuals will be collected for grading on December 5th. You may at any time during the semester request feedback on your lab notebook or your lab manual. University drop policies will be strictly enforced. October 20th Last day to withdraw from a full fall semester course. (Automatic N grade is issued.) Students may not withdraw from a course after this date without documented extenuating circumstances. Students with Disabilities Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and need classroom accommodations, please contact Gena Smith, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities, at 323-3290, as soon as possible. Once you have your Professor Notification Form, please tell me so that I am aware of your accommodations well before the first {test/quiz/assignment}. NO CELL PHONES IN CLASS: THIS IS UNIVERSITY POLICY.
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