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Syllabus for BIO 435/535  Molecular Biology

Instructor:  Scott CooperRoom 3022 Cowley Hall   785-6983 (work)  857-3615 (home)

Goals: This course emphasizes problem based learning.  This is not only useful in understanding how science is practiced, but also provides good practice for exams like the GRE and MCAT.  There are three main goals:

• Learn how to analyze and interpret experimental data by formulating models
• Learn how to formulate hypotheses and design experiments to test these hypotheses
• Develop an appreciation of how molecular biology is used in every field of biology

Lectures:   MWF from 9:55-10:50 in room 301 Cowley Hall.  You are responsible for all material covered in class, homework assigned, and any changes announced in exam dates.

Textbooks:   There are two required textbooks for this course, but there will be other assigned readings as well.  The required texts are:

• Molecular Cell Biology. Sixth Edition. By Lodish, Baltimore, Berk, Zipursky, Matsudaira and Darnell
  • http://bcs.whfreeman.com/lodish5e/default.asp

Exams:  (300 points)   There will be three scheduled exams.

Homework:  (50 points)   There will be problem sets given in class covering a variety of topics from the lectures and outside readings.  The purpose of this homework is to insure that you are keeping up in class, and to help you prepare for the exams.  The previous classes found these to be very useful.  I take off 10% for every day an assignment is late.

Final Exam:  (150 points)   There will be a comprehensive final exam covering all lectures and assigned readings on Sat Dec. 13 from 10-12.  You can also take the final in room 140 on Tue Dec. 16 from 10-12 with my intro bio final exam.

Total points: 500

Grading

• A   92-100%
• AB 88-91%
• B    81-87%
• BC 77-80%
• C    67-76%
• D    55-66%

Office hours:  You may stop in at any time, or catch me in my lab in room 305, but making an appointment will insure that I will be there.

Review sessions:    Review sessions for the hourly exams and the final will be held if there is sufficient interest shown by the class. I will not prepare a review but will answer questions to clarify material covered in the lectures and the readings.

Online Materials:  I have placed the powerpoint presentations on the new campus course management program “Desire to Learn” (I didn’t have anything to do with naming it).  ).  It can be accessed at 

http://uwlax.courses.wisconsin.edu/

Your Login in is the part of your e-mail address before the @ symbol, i.e. mine is cooper.scot

You Password is  (nnnnmmdd)

nnnn = the last four digits of the student's ID number.   For most students this is NOT their social security #.

mm = two digit month of birth (ex., 02, 11)

dd = two digit day of birth (ex., 05, 28)

The syllabus, reading assignments and practice problems are all on the BioWeb site.  There is a link at the top of the D2L page.  The URL is http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/GenWeb/Molecular/molecular.htm

e-mail.  I will use the e-mail accounts on D2L to make announcements.  Your campus e-mail account is the first 8 letters of your last name and the first 4 letters of your first name followed by @uwlax.edu, i.e. mine is cooper.scot@uwlax.edu.  If you would like messages sent to a different e-mail address, then please log onto D2L and change your personal preferences.