There are seven different types of assignments:
1) Laboratory & Computer Based Activities (4): In lieu of required homework, these problems will be done individually to familiarize you with statistics, spreadsheets, laboratory techniques, and bioanalytical instrumentation.
2) Planned Lab Experiments (2): These experiments, done "individually," serve as an introduction to laboratory technique, spreadsheet analysis and statistics. They are intended to provide you with some fundamental lab skills. You may be asked to repeat your analyses until your results are acceptable.
3) Lab Projects (in teams, pairs or individuals?): Each person/group will preferably use at least one spectroscopic, one chromatographic and one electrochemical technique.
• Project 1 requires the group to analyze components in a serum sample. You will use an appropriate literature procedure or you can design your own.
• Project 2 requires the qualification (and perhaps) optimization of a known (or new) method.
• Project 3 will be a designed project of your own choice; it must be amenable to advanced statistical analysis that addresses a clearly stated hypothesis. It will be graded on originality and the quality of work.
Group Responsibilities:
The manager of each experiment will present a detailed description of the analysis plan including an estimation of the sources and magnitude of expected errors. The manager will insure that the chemist makes appropriate solutions for calibration and analysis. The instrumentation expert will then analyze the samples. Each team manager will have four afternoons (or two full days) to insure their sample is analyzed correctly, their calculations are done correctly and a high quality oral and written report are presented. Each team member will have one chance in each role.
4) Literature Reviews: Each student will choose an appropriate genome sequencing technique and read the appropriate research papers on the technique. The student will be responsible for leading the class discussion including POGIL-type questions. Students will be graded based on the quality of the presentation and the quality of the prepared materials.
5) In addition, a cumulative open book and open notebook final will be given during the last weekend to assess your familiarity with the lecture material and evaluate your ability to design experiments that could be conducted in the laboratory.
Laboratory:
In the first week of the class you will do two simple labs on micropipette calibration and protein determination that both use statistics and serve to familiarize you with the use of spreadsheets. In the lab on protein determination you will also learn how to do linear regression, propagate error, calculate detection limits and use ANOVA. You will be expected to use these techniques throughout the remainder of the class.
Grading
Half of your class grade is based on your laboratory work. As such, if you do all the lab and "lecture" work and hand it in, it will be difficult to score much less than a low B grade in the class (though it has been done).
Literature Presentation: 18% (2nd - 3rd week)
Labs: 2 x 5% = 10% (1st week)
Lab Report: 25% (2nd , 3rd and 4 th week)
Activities: 4 x 3% = 12% (each week)
Lit Exam: 15% (1st weekend)
Final Exam: 20% (last weekend)
TOTAL 100%