BISC220/S10: Cytoskeleton Partial Paper

Cytoskeleton Paper

The effects of treating the 3T3 fibroblast cells with cytochalasin B over a range of concentrations will be written individually as a partial scientific paper. Please include:

1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Results of the fluorescence microscopy experiment (figures with proper legends and an appropriate accompanying narrative text that thoroughly analyzes the data in an attempt to answer the experimental questions)
4. A highly abbreviated discussion
5. References

You may omit the introduction, materials and methods, and most of the discussion section. In the abbreviated discussion required, we would like for you to form conclusions (if you can) and/or explain how you might further your research experimentally in order to answer your experimental questions about the effect of cytochalasin B on the cytoskeleton and on pinocytosis with more confidence or more fully than our simple experiment allows.

Remember that the written paper must be entirely your own and should focus on concentration dependent effects of cytochalasin B on 3T3 fibroblast cells’ cytoskeleton and on pinocytosis. The Abstract should contain a brief introductory/background statement, your experimental objective, the methods used, your results, and the significance of those results—all in a very condensed form. Use your experimental data to create figures from your microscopic images. In your data analysis in results, be sure to do more than to merely describe the images or data: make sure you include a narrative flow that states the experimental objective, describes the methods used, and uses the data to answer to your experimental questions (if the data allow it). Include properly formatted legends for all figures and label specific structures on the images, where appropriate. The discussion section will be limited to a conclusion paragraph with further research directions outlined.

This report partial will be worth 35 points.

Rubric

	At or Above Standard	Below Standard	Points Earned
Title & Abstract	3-4 pts. Concisely summarized in appropriate format: topic, general outline of methods, major findings, & implications of the findings in relation to what is known or expected.	0-2 pts. Omitted key information; included tangential information or too much detail; misinterpreted information and/or implications.	/4
Results	17-20 pts. Began with a transition that accurately and effectively described the goal of the experiments. Before launching into the data analysis, included a succinct & accurate description of the experimental design and general methods. Included all appropriate figures and/or tables designed for maximum clarity and ease of interpretation. All figures & tables were numbered & had correctly formatted legends; all sub-cellular structures were labeled. The narrative portion described accurately, clearly, and succinctly the major findings; appropriate conclusions were drawn and related to the goals stated in the abstract.	0-16 pts. Key figures and/or tables omitted. Photos chosen for figures were of poor quality or did not show important findings. Figures difficult to interpret because important structures were unlabeled or figures were missing information and/or of poor design. The narrative portion omitted key findings, described the data inaccurately or unclearly, included irrelevant information, or was repetitive. Conclusions not drawn or not related to stated experimental goals	/20
Discussion	8-10 pts. Topic or experimental goals were reintroduced and main findings summarized. Significance of the findings was addressed and/or if hypothesis wasn’t supported, new research directions for increasing confidence in the conclusions were proposed. Paper ends with a clear and appropriate conclusion rather than just stopping.	0-7.5 pts. Experimental goals omitted. Summary of main findings omitted or incorrectly chosen. Significance of the finding not addressed or were not appropriate. If hypothesis was not supported by the experimental results, no plan for clarifying confidence in the findings was proposed or a plan would not be likely to resolve the weaknesses in the experiments previously performed. Missing or inappropriate conclusion.	/10
Total			40