Biology 443 Syllabus
Gene Expression Laboratory
Spring 2018
Dr. Erin Gestl
Office: SSN 282
Phone: 610-436-2760
Email:
Office Hours:Tuesday from 2:30-4:00pm
Wednesday from 10:00am-12:00pm
Thursday from 2:30-4:00pm
By appointment
Class Time: Wednesday, 12:00 –3:55pm
Lab: Room 304, Merion Building
Text: None, Handouts will be provided
Course Description and Objectives: A laboratory course that studies the molecular basis of gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes utilizing current technologies. Within the lab there will be reading assignments taken from the literature that will be discussed and you will be responsible for on the in-class quizzes. The lectures will be fit around the experiments due to the length of some of the incubation periods. There may be times in which it would be required to come into the lab either the day before or after a scheduled experiment.
Attendance: Due to the nature of the experiments, rescheduling would be extremely difficult and
should be avoided if at all possible. Even if you are absent with a valid excuse, you are responsible for the material covered and assignments that day. A second absence during the semester will affect your final course grade by a 5% reduction from your final course grade. Each additional absence after that will be an additional 10% reduction of your final semester grade..
Notes: Lecture notes/presentations will be posted on my website, by
5pm on the previous day before the scheduled lecture. It is your responsibility to have them on
hand for lecture if desired. The lecture and lab topics may change with regards to dates and
subject due to conflicts.
Cell Phones: They are to be either turned off or set them to vibrate or other silent mode. In any case,
do not answer them during class. Please be considerate of the rest of the group. Disregard of this policy will negatively impact your grade.
WCU’s Department of Public Safety: 610-436-3311
Academic Integrity: It is the responsibility of each student to adhere to the university’s standards for academic integrity. Violations of academic integrity include any act that violates the rights of another student in academic work, that involves misrepresentation of your own work, or that disrupts the instruction of the course. Other violations include (but are not limited to): cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarizing, which means copying any part of another’s work and/or using ideas of another and presenting them as one’s own without giving proper credit to the source; selling, purchasing, or exchanging of term papers; falsifying of information; and using your own work from another class without significant modification. Proof of academic misconduct can result in the automatic failure and removal from the course.
For questions regarding Academic Integrity, the No-Grade Policy, Sexual Harassment, or the Student Code of Conduct, students are encouraged to refer to the Biology’s Department’s Undergraduate Handbook, the Undergraduate Catalogue, the Ram’s Eye View, and the University website at
Disabilities: We at West ChesterUniversity wish to make accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please make your needs known by contacting the faculty and the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at ext. 3217. Sufficient notice is needed in order to make the accommodations possible. The University desires to comply with the ADA of 1990.
Late Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class and will be considered late if they
are handed after the start of the class. The grade of the assignment will be reduced by 10% for each week it is late.
Grades: Your final grade for the course will be calculatedas follows:
Quiz 1 10%
Quiz 2 10%
Lab Write-ups(4 X 10%)40%
Grant Proposal 30%
Research Presentation 10%
The grading curve will follow university standards, for example:
A93-100%
A-90-92.99%
B+87-89.99%
B83-86.99%
Etc…
Schedules: The lab schedule may change with regards to dates and subjects due to conflicts.
Quiz dates and assignments will not change without 2 weeks advance notice
Bio443Laboratory Schedule
Jan 24Orientation/Safety
Jan 31Expt 1: Mutational Analysis, Treat and isolate the DNA, Transform the bacteria
Feb 7Expt 1: Mutational Analysis, Collect data
Expt 2: Isolation of RNA
Lab write-up for Expt 1 due
Feb 14Expt 2: Isolation of RNA,
Expt 3: Real-Time RT-PCR, Isolation of RNA
Feb 21Expt 3: Real-Time RT-PCR, Isolation of RNA, Set up Real-time reactions
Quiz 1
Feb 28Expt 3: Real-Time RT-PCR, Interpretation of Results
Lab write-up for Expt 2 due
Mar 7Expt 4: Gene Inactivation on the X Chromosome, DNA/RNA Isolation
Rough Draft for grant due
Mar 14No class (Spring Break)
Mar 21Expt 4: Gene Inactivation on the X Chromosome, RT-PCR
Grant Proposal Due
Mar28Expt 4: Gene Inactivation on the X Chromosome, Run Gels
Lab write-up for Expt 3 due
Apr 4Open Class
Apr 11Open Class
Quiz 2, Lab write-up for Expt 4 due
Apr 18Open Class
Apr 25Open Class
May 2Research Presentations