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For each specific topic (stem cells and cloning, genetically modified organisms, and the human genome and human genetic diseases), students will be able to:

• describe the underlying biology and explore how scientific reasoning and methods develop this understanding,
• discuss the types of policy decisions that regulate studies related to biology or its application to human or environmental health,
• evaluate scientific information to distinguish reliable information from propaganda,
• explain how scientific controversies can arise when the same scientific questions are approached in different ways,
• explore why some types of biological issues trigger regulatory decisions that can affect both research that would deepen our understanding of the issue and application of the results to policy decisions,
• write about scientists who are researching topics related to our course, and
• read science writing published in popular media sources.

This article accompanies the lesson "The ACTN3 Polymorphism: Applications in Genetics and Physiology Teaching Laboratories." Learning objectives for the lesson include:

1. Test hypotheses related to the role of ACTN3 in skeletal muscle function.
2. Explain how polymorphic variants of the ACTN3 gene affect protein structure and function.
3. List and explain the differences between fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers.
4. List and explain possible roles of the ACTN3 protein in skeletal muscle function.
5. Find and analyze relevant scientific publications about the relationship between ACTN3 genotype and muscle function.
6. Formulate hypotheses related to the relationship between ACTN3 genotype and skeletal muscle function.
7. Design experiments to test hypotheses about the role of ACTN3 in skeletal muscle function.
8. Statistically analyze experimental results using relevant software.
9. Present experimental results in writing.

• Students will be able to manipulate and produce data and graphs.
• Students will be able to design a simple mathematical model of atmospheric CO2 that can be used to make predictions.
• Students will be able to conduct simulations, analyze, interpret, and draw conclusions about atmospheric CO2 levels from their own computer generated simulated data.

 

 

• Students will be able to infer the topological and temporal relationships expected in an evolutionary tree (phylogeny) of a pathogen in the case of transmission from one host to the next.
• Students will be able to draw trees representing the transmission events from one host (patient zero) to multiple secondary patients.

Students will be able to:

• Construct written predictions about 1 factor experiments.
• Interpret simple (2 variables) figures.
• Construct simple (2 variables) figures from data.
• Design simple 1 factor experiments with appropriate controls.
• Demonstrate proper use of standard laboratory items, including a two-stop pipette, stereomicroscope, and laboratory notebook.
• Calculate means and standard deviations.
• Given some scaffolding (instructions), select the correct statistical test for a data set, be able to run a t-test, ANOVA, chi-squared test, and linear regression in Microsoft Excel, and be able to correctly interpret their results.
• Construct and present a scientific poster.

TAs will be able to:

• design small classroom activities
• design fair quiz and exam questions
• use rubrics to grade assignments fairly and in a timely manner
• offer constructive, actionable feedback on student written work
• compare and contrast context-specific strategies for dealing with student problems
• compare and contrast context-specific time management strategies
• discuss the importance of diversity, evaluate their own implicit biases, and discuss how these could impact their teaching
• compare and contrast different methods of summarizing teaching experience on job application materials
• evaluate their teaching in a reflective manner to develop future teaching goals

At the end of this activity, we expect students will be able to:

1. Use family pedigrees and additional genetic information to determine inheritance patterns for hereditary forms of cancer
2. Explain why a person with or without cancer can pass on a mutant allele to the next generation and how that impacts probability calculations
3. Distinguish between proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes

Students will be able to:

• list the steps of co-translational translocation in the correct order.
• describe the key functions of molecules involved in co-translational translocation.
• predict the outcome of co-translational translocation if one of the components is missing.
• identify the characteristics of N-terminal ER signal sequences and internal ER signal sequences.
• predict or interpret the results of a protease protection assay used to assess co-translational translocation or transmembrane protein topology.
• predict the topology of a co-translationally translocated protein when given a description of the ER signal sequence or predict the type of ER signal sequence encoded by the mRNA-based protein topology.

The Learning Objectives of this lesson span across the entire semester.

• Observe and collect information on phenological changes in local trees.

• Become familiar with a database and how to work with large datasets.

• Analyze and visualize data from the database to test their hypotheses and questions.

• Develop a research proposal including empirically-driven questions and hypotheses.

• Synthesize the results of their analysis in the context of plant biodiversity and local environmental conditions.

At the end of the activity, students will be able to:

• Explain the steps involved in genome assembly, annotation, and variant detection to other students and instructors.
• Create meaningful visualizations of their data using the integrated genome viewer.
• Use the Linux command line and web-based tools to answer research questions.
• Produce annotated genomes and call variants from raw sequencing reads in non-model species.

Students successfully completing this lesson will:

1. Practice basic molecular biology laboratory skills such as DNA isolation, PCR, and gel electrophoresis.
2. Gather and analyze quantitative and qualitative scientific data and present it in figures.
3. Use bioinformatics to analyze DNA sequences and obtain protein sequences for molecular modeling.
4. Make and analyze three-dimensional (3-D) protein models using molecular modeling software.
5. Write a laboratory report using the collected data to explain how mutations in the DNA cause changes in protein structure/function which lead to mutant phenotypes.

Students will be able to:

• Apply genetics concepts to a relevant case study of Bt corn and monarch butterflies
• Read figures and text from primary literature
• Identify claims presented in scientific studies
• Evaluate data presented in scientific studies
• Critically reason using data
• Evaluate the consequences of GM technology on non-target organisms
• Communicate scientific data orally

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• use spot plating techniques to compare the growth of yeast strains on solid culture media.
• predict the ability of specific met deletion strains to grow on media containing various sulfur sources.
• predict how mutations in specific genes will affect the concentrations of metabolites in the pathways involved in methionine biosynthesis.

Students will be able to:

• Explain the hierarchical organization of signal transduction pathways.

• Explain the role of enzymes in signal propagation and amplification.

• Recognize the centrality of signaling pathways in cellular processes, such as metabolism, cell division, or cell motility.

• Rationalize the etiologic basis of disease in terms of deranged signaling pathways.

• Use software to analyze and interpret gene expression data.

• Use an appropriate statistical method for hypotheses testing.

• Produce reports that are written in scientific style.

At the end of this lesson students will be able to...

• Describe the role of a primer in PCR
• Predict sequence and length of PCR product based on primer sequences
• Recognize that primers are incorporated into the final PCR products and explain why
• Identify covalent and hydrogen bonds formed and broken during PCR
• Predict the structure of PCR products after each cycle of the reaction
• Explain why amplification proceeds exponentially

Students will be able to:

1. Characterize an aqueous environment as acidic or basic.
2. Explain that pKa is a measure of how easy it is to remove a proton from a molecule.
3. Predict ionization state of a molecule at a particular pH based on its pKa (qualitative use of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation).
4. Calculate the ratio of protonated/unprotonated forms of ionizable groups depending on chemical characteristics and /or environment pH (quantitative use of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation).
5. Apply this knowledge in a medical context.

• Students will be able to identify sister chromatids and homologous chromosomes at different stages of meiosis.
• Students will be able to identify haploid and diploid cells, whether or not the chromosomes are replicated.
• Students will be able to explain why homologous chromosomes must pair during meiosis.
• Students will be able to relate DNA sequence similarity to chromosomal structures.
• Students will be able to identify crossing over as the key to proper pairing of homologous chromosomes during meiosis.
• Students will be able to predict the outcomes of meiosis for a particular individual or cell.