Course evaluations

Here's the website for filling in the course evaluations:

http://onuapp1.onu.edu/courseval/ets/et.asp?nxappid=WCQ&nxmid=start

Use your user name and the last 4 digits of your social as your password.  At least that's what it's supposed to be.  If it's not, they will e-mail you the correct password.

Update (Nov 17 08):  22 out of 24 people filled in course evaluations

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Meeting @ McIntosh - Last presentations + class conversation

We met at McIntosh 204 instead of at the regular lab to be able to use a projector and have the last 4 talks of Tuesday's symposium:

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TRANSGENIC PLANT VACCINES: A REVIEW FROM BOTANICAL AND HUMAN PERSPECTIVES
Josh Holloway and Eric Schultz

MODERN ADVANCEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND SCREENING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS
Stuart Collins and Matt Vemich

THE USE OF DNA IN RELEASING INNOCENT PRISONERS
Brandon Vieira and John Jacobs

RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGIES IN FORENSIC SCIENCES
Katie Elsass and Jonathan Digby
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After the talks, each lab section had a separate meeting to talk about impressions about the class and how it could be improved to accommodate the needs of students. Students gave input and made several recommendations, most of which will be implemented in the winter quarter.

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MEETING AT McINTOSH 204 - Thursday the 13th

Tomorrow, Thursday the 13th, we will be meeting at the McINTOSH CENTER, CONFERENCE ROOM 204!

We will meet at the regular lab times to finish the remaining presentations and have a little bit of lecture.

Presentations section 1 (8:00 am):

• Josh Holloway and Eric Schultz
• Stuart Collins and Matt Vemich

Presentations section 2 (10:00 am):

• Brandon Vieira and John Jacobs
• Jonathan Digby and Katie Elsass

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Introductory Molecular Biology Symposium

This symposium featured students in the class presenting the results of their bibliographic research summarized in review papers on molecular biology topics. Papers will be compiled in the proceedings for the symposium.

Presentations, ordered as scheduled, were:

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PLANT DEFENSE MECHANISMS : AN UNEXPECTED ARSENAL
Josh Judkins and Jackie Champa

ETIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF MRSA
Katie Somes and CJ Jewel

THE USE OF DNA IN FORENSICS
Mike Breckenridge and David Cassidy

GENETIC MODIFICATION IN HUMANS
Amy Mattern and Ryan Wheaton

DNA FINGERPRINTING OF DISASTER VICTIMS
Anessa Storer and Chloé Seiller

GENE THERAPEUTICS: A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE HISTORY, TECHNIQUES, AND APPLICATIONS OF A POTENTIALLY DISEASE-CURING PROCESS
Kyle Stinehart and Courtney Zupancic

TRANSGENIC PLANT VACCINES: A REVIEW FROM BOTANICAL AND HUMAN PERSPECTIVES
Josh Holloway and Eric Schultz

CUSTOM DRUGS BASED ON GENETIC PROFILE
Amanda Blandford and Jackie Trumpower

MODERN ADVANCEMENTS IN THE PRODUCTION AND SCREENING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS
Stuart Collins and Matt Vemich

EFFECTS AND DETECTION OF DIGEORGE SYNDROME (22Q11.2 DELETION SYNDROME)
Phil Schulze and Krystal DeMonte

THE USE OF DNA IN RELEASING INNOCENT PRISONERS
Brandon Vieira and John Jacobs

RECOMBINANT DNA TECHNOLOGIES IN FORENSIC SCIENCES
Katie Elsass and Jonathan Digby
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Complex genetic switches and post-transcriptional control

We covered pages 439-447 regarding complex genetic switches, specifically in Eukaryota. We did a short comparison between prokaryot and eukaryot genetic switches. The concept of mediator, absent in prokaryots but present in eukaryots was introduced.

We studied a typical eukaryotic gene control region. Several elements within such region were discussed (spacers, regulatory sequences, TATA box, promoter), as well as related proteins (regulatory proteins, general trasncription factors, RNA polymerase II).

On pages 477-497 post-transcriptional gene expression controls were discussed. Our discussion was not detailed but we talked about transcription attenuation, riboswitches, alternative RNA splicing, RNA editing, and RNA interference (RNAi).



Quiz #14 Q&As

1. In DNA-Binding proteins, what is the difference between α-helices and β-sheets? (other than the helical and non-helical structure)
An α-helix is made of a single polypeptide. β-sheets are made by several polypeptides

2. What is a promoter?
A region of regualtory DNA where RNA polymerase binds

3. What is an operon?
A series of adjacent genes controlled by a single promoter

4. What is an operator?
A short regulatory DNA sequence within a promoter recognized by a represor

5. What is a complex genetic “switch”?
A a genetic switch controlled by multiple gene regulatory poteins

6. What is a repressor?
A protein that binds to an operator to repress the expression of a gene

7. What is an activator? (hint: it does more than just turning a gene on)
It's a protein that increases the transcription efficiency of a gene

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