• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4
• Day 5
• Day 6

Resources

• *LAB SAFETY**
• Laboratory notebook
• Graphing tutorial
• Molecular biol tips
• Writing assignment
• Bios 211 web site
• Searching literature

Other links

• Bios 111 honor code
• Graphing quiz (rice only)

Bios 111 – Laboratory and Assignments Schedule

      Students will work individually.  In addition to the listed assignments, at the end of every laboratory session each student will turn in duplicate copies of his/her notebook entries. Each week following day 1 students will receive graded notebook pages, performance comments, and feedback on any previous homework assignments. There will be no labs the week of Labor Day – all sections have the week off.

Day 1

Laboratory work

• Introduction to laboratory safety and using microipettors
• How to keep a laboratory notebook that is consistent with academic standards
• Plasmid DNA mini prep
• Restriction enzyme digests of plasmid DNA
• Preparing Luria-Bertani (LB) plates for growing transformed bacteria

Homework

Enter in the laboratory notebook, duplicate copies due in lab Day 2. Unless noted otherwise, all homework is to be entered in your lab notebook and duplicate copies made.

• Predict number of bands and fragment size of the PstI digest

Graphing tutorial and quiz, to be completed before laboratory Day 2:

• Complete the graphing tutorial
• Submit the quiz on plotting data

Day 2

Homework due, before the laboratory session

• Predictions - DNA bands and fragment sizes
• Quiz answers following the graphing tutorial are to be submitted on line

Feedback

• Receive graded homework (standard curve, concentrations, dilutions, yields)
• Graphing quiz score will be sent out by email within a few days of submitting the quiz

Laboratory work

• Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA
• Gel purification of digested DNA
• Inoculation of LB plates by streaking

Homework

• Compare band intensities to estimate DNA concentration of your DNA mini prep
• Plot log10 (# base pairs) versus distance migrated and prepare a standard curve in your notebook

Day 3

Homework due, beginning of the laboratory session

• Estimated DNA concentration
• Duplicate copy of the DNA standard curve (from day 2)

Laboratory work

• DNA ligation
• Bacterial transformation
• Examine and evaluate streak plates

Homework

• First draft of complete materials and methods for the DNA work (based on work in weeks 1-3); typed copy due in the laboratory day 4 (not to be entered in the lab notebook)

Day 4

Homework due, beginning of the laboratory session

• First draft, materials/methods for the DNA work (weeks 1-3)

Laboratory work

You will need to refer to your previous notes to complete some of this work.

• Conduct plasmid DNA mini preps of transformants
• Conduct restriction enzyme digests of plasmid DNA
• Agarose gel electrophoresis
• Calculate an efficiency of transformation (EOT)

Homework

• Predict theoretical number and sizes of restriction fragments
• Prepare a DNA standard curve in the notebook (make duplicate)
• Compare experimental results with expected sizes
• Calculate efficiency of transformation (EOT)

Day 5

Homework due, beginning of the laboratory session

Laboratory work

• Prepare biuret color reagent for detecting protein
• Conduct the biruet assay to produce a standard curve of absorbance versus amount protein
• Conduct the assay on unknowns to obtain concentrations

Homework

• Prepare the protein standard curve in your notebook
• Estimate concentrations of unknowns (show calculations)
• Conduct dilution calculations and enter all of the work into the notebook
• Library work:  use search engine(s) to identify an original research paper in which amoebo-flagellates are the subject or the research model; bring a photocopy to the laboratory day 6.

Day 6

Homework due at the beginning of the laboratory session

• Final Materials/methods draft
• Journal article on amoebo-flagellates
• Protein standard curve
• Concentrations of unknowns (showing all work)
• Dilution calculations (showing all work)

Laboratory work

• Introduction to the compound light microscope and related methodology
• Microscope components, special optics (dark field, phase contrast)
• Finding/observing specimens and making measurements
• Preparing a wet mount
• Using a hemacytometer
• Observations and measurements on living specimens
• Specific observations on Naegleria gruberi

After Day 6

• Receive comments and grade on the materials/methods final draft
• Receive comments and score for the last notebook pages