BISC110/F11:Schedule

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Wellesley College

BISC110/112- Introduction to Cell Biology- Fall 2011

   

BISC110/112 Fall 2011 Lab Calendar


Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
August 29
August 30
Lab 1
Classes Start
August 31
Lab 1
September 1
Lab 1
September 2
Lab 1
September 5
Labor Day
NO CLASSES
September 6
Lab 2
September 7
Monday Schedule
Lab 1
September 8
Lab 2
September 9
Lab 2
September 12
Lab 2
September 13
Lab 3
September 14
Lab 2
September 15
NO LAB
September 16
Lab 3
September 19
Lab 3
September 20
Lab 4
September 21
Lab 3
September 22
Lab 3
September 23
Lab 4
September 26
Lab 4
September 27
Lab 5
September 28
Lab 4
September 29
Lab 4
September 30
Lab 5
October 3
Lab 5
October 4
Lab 6
October 5
Lab 5
October 6
Lab 5
October 7
NO LAB
October 10
FALL BREAK
No Classes
October 11
FALL BREAK
No Classes
October 12
Lab 6
October 13
Lab 6
October 14
Lab 6
October 17
Lab 6
October 18
Lab 7
October 19
Lab 7
October 20
Lab 7
October 21
Lab 7
October 24
Lab 7
October 25
Lab 8
October 26
Lab 8
October 27
Lab 8
October 28
Lab 8
October 31
Lab 8
November 1
Tanner Conference
No Classes
November 2
Lab 9
November 3
Lab 9
November 4
Lab 9
November 7
Lab 9
November 8
Lab 9
November 9
Lab 10
November 10
Lab 10
November 11
Lab 10
November 14
Lab 10
November 15
Lab 10
November 16
Lab 11
November 17
Lab 11
November 18
Lab 11
November 21
NO LAB
Photosynthesis paper due

November 22
NO LAB
Photosynthesis paper due
November 23
Thanksgiving Break
No Classes
November 24
Thanksgiving Break
No Classes
November 25
Thanksgiving Break
No Classes
November 28
Lab 11
November 29
Lab 11
November 30
Lab 12
December 1
Lab 12
December 2
Lab 12
December 5
Lab 12
December 6
Lab 12
December 7
Last Day of Classes
NO LAB
December 8 December 9


Schedule of Experiments

Section Lab # Activities
1 1-5 Boot Camp: Metric Measurement;
Using Basic Lab Equipment;
Making Solutions and Dilutions;
Microscopy; Scientific Investigation;
Designing & Executing Experiments;
Data Analysis & Display;
Statistical parameters; Scientific Writing
2 6-8 Genetics: DNA extraction, Visualization by agarose gel electrophoresis;
Genotype/phenotype via Taster SNP data collection and analysis;
Scientific Writing & Effective figure design
3 8-10 Photosynthesis: Spectrophotometry: Beer-Lambert Law, Linear regression analysis;
Hill Reaction: Self-designed investigation of factors
affecting photosystems
4 11 Gene Regulation/Enzymology: Invertase enzyme assay
Lab Practical 12 Hands-on skills assessment:


BISC110/112 Assignments/ Weekly Lab Planner

Series Lab # LAB DATES LAB DESCRIPTION Assignment/Notes
1 1 Aug.30 to
Sept. 7
Practice metric conversions;
Practice pipetting;
Making Solutions; Microscopy;
Examination of Tetrahymena pyriformis
Homework: Familiarize yourself with the wiki, particularly the information in the BISC110/F11:Resources section of the Lab wiki;
Lab 1 Practice Problems downloadable here Media:Lab_1_Practice_Problems110.doc;

Read about the process of endocytosis in your textbook;
familiarize yourself with phagocytosis in Tetrahymena
from the following reference articles:
*Gronlien HK, Berg T, Lovlie AM. In the polymorphic ciliate Tetrahymena vorax,
the non-selective phagocytosis seen in microstomes
changes to a highly selective process in macrostomes.
(2002), Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 2089-2097;
*McLaughlin NB and Buhse HE, Jr., Localization by indirect immunofluorescence of tetrin, actin,
and centrin to the oral apparatus and buccal cavity of the macrostomal form of Tetrahymena vorax., (2004), J Eukaryot. Microbiol., 51(2), 253-257.

1 2 Sept. 6 to
Sept. 14
Tetrahymena Behavior: Phagocytosis; Observations; Data Analysis;
Accuracy vs. Precision; Statistical Parameters;
Data Presentation; Effective Figure Design and Legends
using the Gronlien article as a model.
Homework: Study dilution making for Lab 3;
Generate two figures with legends from your Tetrahymena experiment:
one or more microphotographs of Tetrahymena and a graph or table of data.
1 3 Sept. 13 to
Sept. 19
Making Dilutions; Determination of toxicity of Heavy Metals on Tetrahymena;
Design your own experiment exploring
inhibitors and Tetrahymena phagocytosis
Homework: There are animated tutorials on dilution
available at the following link:
Dilution Help Tutorials;
Finalize your experimental design for Lab 4; have it approved by your lab instructor;
Write a results section of a scientific report
on your findings in the Tetrahymena toxicity experiment
including a narrative portion and integrated figure(s) with legend(s);

Solve the dilution problems found at
Media: Lab_3_110_Dilution_Problems.doc and hand them in
by the beginning of Lab 4.

1 4 Sept. 20 to
Sept. 29
Student Designed Experiments:
Potential Inhibitors of Vacuole Formation;
Homework: 5 minute oral presentation in PowerPoint™ of your data,
including at least one figure with legend, of your Lab 4 experimental results.
Read assigned journal article for science writing discussion
* Gronlien, H.K., Berg, T., Lovlie, A.M. (2002).
In the polymorphic ciliate Tetrahymena vorax, the non-selective phagocytosis seen in microstomes changes
to a highly selective process in macrostomes, J. Exp. Biol. 205, 2089-2097
1 5 Sept.27 to
Oct. 6
Scientific Writing Workshop with Journal Article Discussion Homework: Tetrahymena Partial Scientific Research Report: DUE AT THE BEGINNING OF LAB 6
Title Page, Results, Discussion and References sections.
Guidelines at: Resources;
Science Writing peer-tutor appointment scheduling at:
Wellesley College Writing Program Resources.

Have Lab notebooks ready to be turned in for inspection after Lab 6.
Read Lab 6 (first lab in Series 2, Genetics)
Prepare a flow chart in your lab notebook of all Lab 6 experimental procedures.

2 6 Oct. 12 to
Oct. 17
Genetics: Taster SNP 1-Test PTC Taster Phenotype;
Isolate and digest DNA; PCR;
Homework: Read the following background information on
restriction enzymes
and on gel electrophoresis

Read the following background information on ethical issues in genetic testing:
Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing,
Two Sides of the Coin
by Farkas and Holland, J Mol Diagn. 2009 Jul;11(4):263-5. Epub 2009 Jun 18.
PUBLIC HEALTH:
A Case Study of Personalized Medicine
by S. H. Katsanis, G. Javitt, and K. Hudson,
published in Science, 4 April 2008 320: 53-54 [DOI: 10.1126/science.1156604](in Policy Forum)
AMA DTC testing policy recommendations
Draw the expected migration locations of the Fnu4H1 digested PCR product
obtained from a homozygous taster (left lane), a homozygous nontaster (center lane)
and a heterozygote (right lane) on a diagram of an agarose gel;
Answer the questions found at:
Media:Taster_DTC_questions110.doc‎
to use as a template for your answers.

2 7 Oct. 18 to
Oct. 24
Genetics: Taster SNP 2: Prepare and perform agarose gel electrophoresis;
Determine PTC Taster Genotype; Scientific Writing:
Introduction & Discussion
Homework:

Prepare draft figures/tables from the preliminary course data
for the taster investigation paper and an skeleton outline
of your introduction & discussion sections.
(Refer to the handout on How to Prepare a Skeleton Outline in Sakai.)

2 & 3 8 Oct. 25 to
Oct. 31
Data Analysis of Taster investigation; Science Writing Workshop:
Effective Figure Design, Introduction, Discussion; Photosynthesis 1:
Chlorophyll pigment investigation, Spectroscopy,
The Beer-Lambert Law and Creating a Standard Curve
Homework: Write a scientific research report (all sections except M&M)on your PTC Taster SNP study.
For help, see the Resources section of this wiki.

In your lab notebook, prepare a flow chart for the Hill Reaction (Lab 9);
Review the mechanisms of electron transport and proton flow in photosynthesis (use your textbook).

3 9 Nov. 2 to
Nov. 8
Photosynthesis 2: Hill Reaction Homework: Finalize your self-designed experiment
testing a variable affecting the Hill Reaction;
Write a Materials and Methods style version of the Hill Reaction
experiment that you did this week in Lab 9
3 10 Nov. 9 to
Nov. 15
Photosynthesis 3: Investigation of variables affecting the Hill Reaction Homework: Plot your A580 data (y-axis) versus time in seconds (x-axis)
for the different treatments (with the treatments on the same graph).
See(Appendix E).
Determine regression equations for the linear part of each data plots
to get slope (m) values (slopes represent the rates of electron transport).
Calculate the rates (change over time of the linear portion of your graphs)
and plot those values against your variable (x-axis);

A full paper on your experiment, in the form of a scientific research report,
is due at beginning of Lab 11 (or on day indicated in Lab Calendar).

Discuss your results in terms of how the factor that you chose to investigate
affects the electron transport rate in photosynthesis.
Compare your results to other investigations published in the primary literature.
Refer to the " Guidelines for science writing" information
found in the Resources section of the wiki.

4 11 Nov. 16 to
Nov. 29
Enzymology
Answer the following questions (5 points)
and hand them in to your instructor before you leave lab.
Download a Word document form of these questions here:Media: Lab_11_Questions_110_112.doc
Homework: Prepare for a Lab Practical Skills Assessment in lab 12.


Make sure Lab Notebook is ready to turn in for grading at the beginning of LAB 12

Skills Assessment 12 Nov. 30 to
Dec. 6
Lab Practical;
Turn in Lab Notebook
End of lab


Lab Graded Assignments

Lab Assigned Lab Due Assignment
description
Point Value
(Total 200)
1 2 Practice Problems 5
2 3 Fig. Design 5
3 4 Dilution Problems (5);
Fig.& Results (10)
15
4 5 Oral presentation: Results, original figure & legend;
Journal article discussion
10
5 6 Lab notebook check (ungraded);
Partial Scientific Paper(25)
25
6 7 SNP Taster Questions 5
7 8 Draft figures/tables & outline of Taster paper 5
8 9 Taster Scientific Paper (all but M&M) 35
9 10 M&M (5pt);
Finalize Self-Design
Experiment Hill Rxn.(ungraded)
5
10 11 (or on day indicated in calendar) Full Scientific Paper: Factor Affecting Rate of Photosynthesis 35
11 11 (In Lab) Concept Questions Enzymology/Gene Reg. 5
12 12 Lab Notebook Check (10)
Lab Practical:Hands-on skills assessment (35)
45
Other - Discretionary Points
Preparation & Participation
5