William A. C. Gendron Week 2

"Science... is a process taking place in the minds of living scientists," (Curtis, 1983). The scientific community uses primary research articles as one method of communicating the science within the community (presentations and posters at scientific meetings are others). Primary research articles undergo a process of peer review before they are published, but the quality of papers still vary. "Journal Club" presentations are the means by which scientists with similar research interests learn about, discuss, and evaluate new research. This is the first of two journal club discussions we will have this semester. For this first journal club, the entire class will read and present the same paper referenced above. Each student will create an individual wiki journal page for their Week 2 assignment and also contribute to the shared journal page in preparation for the presentation in class on January 27.

1. Make a list of at least 10 biological terms for which you did not know the definitions when you first read the article. Define each of the terms. You can use the glossary in any molecular biology, cell biology, or genetics text book as a source for definitions, or you can use one of many available online biological dictionaries (links below). Cite your sources for the definitions by providing the proper citation (for a book) or the URL to the page with the definition for online sources. Each definition must have it's own citation, to a book or URL.

• Biology Terms from the paper:
  1. glutamate dehydrogenase
  2. proline
  3. acetate
  4. acetaldehyde
  5. ethanol
  6. a-ketoglutarate
  7. glutamate
  8. glutamine
  9. permease
  10. a-acetoacetate reductoisomerase
  11. glutamine synthetase
  12. actin
  13. histone
  14. NADPH-glutamate dehydrogenase
  15. metabolites

1. Write an outline of the article. The length should be the equivalent of 2 pages of standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper (you can use the "Print Preview" function in your browser to judge the length). Your outline can be in any form you choose, but you should utilize the wiki syntax of headers and either numbered or bulleted lists to create it. The text of the outline does not have to be complete sentences, but it should answer the questions listed below and have enough information so that others can follow it. However, your outline should be in YOUR OWN WORDS, not copied straight from the article.
   • What is the main result presented in this paper?
   • What is the importance or significance of this work?
   • What were the limitations in previous studies that led them to perform this work?
   • What were the methods used in the study?
   • Briefly state the result shown in each of the figures.
     • What do the X and Y axes represent?
     • How were the measurements made?
     • What trends are shown by the plots and what conclusions can you draw from the data?
   • What is the overall conclusion of the study and what are some future directions for research?
2. Each group of students will be assigned one section of the paper. The group will be responsible for discussing the section; each person will be responsible for explaining the particular plot he or she has been assigned below. Dr. Dahlquist will prepare the PowerPoint slides this time; for the second journal club assignment, you will prepare the PowerPoint.
   • Physiological parameters section, Figure 1: Karina (part A), Jeffrey (part B), Kara (part C, left & middle), William (part C, middle & right)
   • Northern analysis section, Figure 2: Alyssa (left), Kristen (middle), Lauren (right)
   • Enzyme activities section, Figure 3: Tessa (top), Lucia (middle), Natalie (bottom)