Goals/Grading

Instructor: Dr. Olivia Harriott
e-mail: oharriott@mail.fairfield.edu
Office: Bannow 220 , lab 225
Phone: ext. 2740
Office hours: 2-3 p.m. Mon., 11-12 p.m. Wed.

Meetings: Tuesday 1:20-4:10 p.m.
Bannow North Room N207

Text: Laboratory DNA Science by Bloom, Freyer, and Micklos; Available at Fairfield University bookstore. Supplemental Labs will be handed out in class.

Course Goals:

The primary goal of this course is to gain an appreciation for experimental DNA technology and how these techniques have enabled scientists to ask questions that were not possible in previous decades. This course is designed to be an introduction to modern techniques in recombinant DNA technology with "hands on" experiments as the medium for learning. However, this is not just a lab course because we will pay particular attention to central issues in the science of molecular biology. This will include examination of the relationships between the structure and function of biological molecules and how these relationships contribute to the operation and control of biochemical processes. Additionally, we will discuss the practical application of these techniques for research and development in the biological, medical, and forensic sciences.

Grading:

Grades for this course are largely based on attendance, participation, class problems and assignments and written laboratory reports. Therefore, attendance is mandatory. It is also expected that you will have read and made notes on each lab exercise before class. Instructions for keeping a laboratory notebook will be discussed in class. Additionally, we will assign a research technique to each student that will be presented orally in class and evaluated in the form of a written essay. There will a single final exam for this course. Grades will be broken down as follows:

Laboratory Notebook 40%
Participation 10%
Oral Presentation/Written Essay 10%

Quiz/Problems 15%
Final Exam 25%