LS 10H, Spring 2004
Research training in Genes, Genetics and Genomics
UCLA Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics
(Sponsored by Howard Hughes Medical Institute)
Course Description
Lecture, 90 minutes; laboratory, six hours (scheduled) and 3 hours (unscheduled); computer laboratory, 90 minutes. Limited to 30 students. Basic training in biological research, including techniques in genetics, model organism, bioinformatics, functional genomics, electron microscopy. Part of Undergraduate Research Consortium in Functional Genomics sponsored by Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors Program. Letter grading.
Class Time and Location
| Lecture: |
Monday 2-3:20PM |
| Lab 1A: |
TR 9-11:50AM |
| Lab 1B: |
TR 1-3:50PM |
| Computer section: |
Friday 2-3:20PM |
Lab is open M-F 9am-6pm for unscheduled laboratory work (except during lectures and scheduled classes).
Assignment and Grading:
Midterm and Final exams will be open-book and take-home. In addition your grade will be based on computer exercises, lab effort, work sheets and the notebook.
| Quizzes: |
They are used to test your understandings of lecture and lab instruction materials. They will be taken during the beginning of lab sections. |
| Lab work sheets: |
They are used to summarize the results and progress of your experiments. They also serve to check your understanding of the design of the experiments. |
| Lab notebook: |
We will give you a bound notebook for recording your experimental data. It will be checked for the completeness and neatness of your record. |
| Lab effort: |
Your effort will be reflected on how well you maintain the fly stocks or keep track of your crosses. The instructors and TAs will determine how well you perform in the research at the end of quarter. In addition, your results will be reflected on the lab work sheets and final report. |
| Computer exercises: |
There is usually one computer exercise work sheet to be completed for each computer lab section. |
| Midterm: |
You will get a taste of how to write a NIH-style proposal by completing a 4 page report (single-spaced). In this mini-proposal, you will propose a set of experiments (the ones you are currently performing). |
| Final: |
The Final paper will summarize your work in the class. The paper will be modeled after original research articles published in the journal ÒCellÓ. |
The final grade for the course will be calculated as below:
| Lab component (60%) |
Work Sheet (1) |
40 |
| Notebook |
100 |
|
| Lab effort and lecture participation, |
280 |
|
| Computer exercises (5) |
100 |
|
| Quizzes (2) |
80 |
|
| Midterm and Final Paper (40%) |
Midterm report (due on May 5) |
150 |
| Final Paper (due on June 6) |
250 |
|
| Total (100%) |
1000 points |
| Week 1 |
|
| Monday, Apr. 5 | Lecture 1, 2-3:30 PM: Importance of research in genetics |
| Friday, Apr. 9 |
Computer Lab 1, 2-3:30 PM: Virtual Flylab |
| Week 2 | |
| Monday, Apr. 12 | Lecture 2, 2-3:30 PM: Classical Genetics |
| Friday, Apr. 16 |
Computer Lab 2, 2-3:30 PM: Virtual Flylab II |
| Week 3 | |
| Monday, Apr. 19 | Lecture 3, 2-3:30 PM: How to think like a geneticist |
| Thursday, Apr. 22 |
Quiz#1 during lab section |
| Friday, Apr. 23 |
Computer Lab 3, 2-3:30 PM: FlyBase Searches & Locating Transposon sites |
| Week 4 | |
| Monday, Apr. 26 | Lecture 4, 2-3:30 PM: Clonal Analysis & FLP/FRT system |
| Friday, Apr. 30 |
Computer Lab 4, 2-3:30 PM: Protein Blast searches |
| Week 5 | |
| Monday, May 3 | Lecture 5, 2-3:30 PM: Drosophila eye development and genetics |
| Thursday, May 6 |
Quiz#2 during lab section |
| Friday, May 7 |
Computer Lab 5, 2-3:30 PM: TBA |
| Week 6 | |
| Monday, May 10 | Lecture 6 , 2-3:30 PM: Research Ethics |
| Tuesday May 11 |
Midterm Report Due |
| Friday, May 14 |
No Computer Lab |
| Week 7 | |
| Monday, May 17 | Lecture 7, 2-3:30 PM: Research Career Paths |
| Friday, May 21 |
No Computer Lab |
| Week 8 | |
| Monday, May 24 | Lecture 8, 2-3:30 PM: Research Talk |
| Friday, May 28 |
No Computer Lab |
| Week 9 | |
| Monday, May 31 | Memorial Day Holiday |
| Friday, June 4 |
No Computer lab |
| Week 10 | |
| Monday, June 7 | Lecture 9, 2-3:30 PM: From genetics to genomics and biotechnology |
| Friday, June 11 |
Final Paper Due; no Computer Lab |