Natural Science 0388 - Advanced Methods Mol Biology

This course is intended for Div III and advanced Div II students who are committed to proposing, developing, or carrying-through research projects involving techniques commonly used in a molecular biology lab. Students will integrate advanced approaches, protocols, and strategies for molecular biology. Depending on student projects, methods may include advanced PCR (inverse, nested, multiplexed, primer-based mutatagenesis), qPCR, genomic and cDNA library construction, RNA and protein expression, hybridization methods, cloning and transformation strategies, imaging, cell-tissue culture, bioinformatics, and assessment of genomic variation. Readings will draw from primary literature, and students will present papers and project reports in written and oral formats. Students may explore projects in development of, or in conjunction with, Div III work or independent studies. Selected students will develop projects in preparation for TAing a spring lab course in basic molecular biology methods. Prerequisites: Methods in Molecular Biology or equivalent lab experience is required.

Independent Work Quantitative Skills Writing and Research In this course students are generally expected to spend at least 6 to 8 hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.