BIOL 362 Principles of Genetics, Spring 2012, 4.0 credits  
     
Download .pdf of Syllabus  
     
Copies of the 2011 Lecture Notes  
     
Date Lecture topic
Chapter
   
23 Jan-Mon Introduction
1
     
25 Jan-Wed DNA: The genetic material
2
  DNA Structure  
  Watson & Crick  
  Chromosome Packing  
  Telomeres  
  Bacteriophage T4  
     
30 Jan-Mon DNA replication
3
  DNA Replication - Video 1  
     
01 Feb-Wed Gene function
4
  04 Feb-Fri: Last day for student- and faculty-initiated drops  
  (course does not appear on academic record)  
     
06 Feb-Mon Gene expression: Transcription
5
     
08 Feb-Wed Gene expression: Translation
6
  microRNA Inhibitition of Translation  
     
13 Feb-Mon DNA mutation and DNA repair
7
  Transposable elements
7
     
15 Feb-Wed Genomics: The mapping and sequencing of genomes
8
  Dye Terminator DNA Sequencing  
  Pyrosequencing  
     
20 Feb-Mon Exam 1 (chapters 1 to 7)
  Study Questions 1  
     
22 Feb-Wed Functional and comparative genomics:
9
  PCR  
     
27 Feb-Mon Recombinant DNA technology
10
  cDNA Microarray  
   
29 Feb-Wed Mendelian genetics
11
     
05 Mar-Mon Chromosomal basis of inheritance
12
     
07 Mar-Wed Extensions of Mendelian genetic principles
13
     
12 Mar-Mon Spring break
     
14 Mar-Wed Spring break
     
19 Mar-Mon Non-Mendelian inheritance
13
     
21 Mar-Wed Genetic mapping in eukaryotes
14
  25 Mar-Fri: Last day for student- and faculty-initiated drops  
  (W grade given for course)  
     
26 Mar-Mon Genetics of bacteria and bacteriophages
15
     
28 Mar-Wed Variation in chromosome structure and number
16
     
02 Apr-Mon Exam 2 (chapters 7 to 14)
  Study Questions 2  
     
04 Apr-Wed Regulation of gene expression in bacteria
17
     
09 Apr-Mon Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes
18
     
11 Apr-Wed Genetic analysis of development
19
     
16 Apr-Mon Genetics of cancer
20
     
18 Apr-Wed Population genetics 1
21
     
23 Apr-Mon Population genetics 2
21
     
25 Apr-Wed Quantitative genetics
22
     
30 Apr-Mon Molecular Evolution
23
     
02 May-Wed Final Review Session
     
09 May-Wed Exam 3 (chapters 17 to 23)
  Study Questions 3  

10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

 
Location and time:
Mon & Wed 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM, Elvey Auditorium - Geophysical Institute
 
Textbook:

Peter J. Russel. 2010. iGenetics: A Molecular Approach. 3rd edition. Pearson Education, San Francisco, California. ISBN 0-321-56976-8/978-0-321-56976-9

 
Laboratory notebook:  
Provide your own lab notebook and bring it to your first lab.
 
Web content:
Course web site (UAF): http://users.iab.uaf.edu/~kevin_mccracken/genetics/
iGenetics web site: http://www.aw-bc.com/geneticsplace/
Web site includes: iActivities, animations, practice quizzes, glossary, and solutions to end-of-chapter problem sets.
 
Grading:
Exam 1 20%
Exam 2 25%
Exam 3 25%
Lab grade 20%
Paper* 10%
 
*One 5-page lab paper (double-spaced). This may be turned in anytime after spring break, but no later than 2 May. Topics should focus on a theme of modern 21st century genetics that is of personal or professional interest. Examples might include an overview of recent technological developments in molecular genetic technology (e.g., next-generation methods of whole genome DNA sequencing, recombinant DNA, gene discovery & isolation etc.); genetics of a particular disease or public health problem; or conservation and evolutionary genetics. These are just some possible topics. Anything is
possible, but please confirm your topic with the instructor prior to writing.
 
*Study questions will be provided online so that you have the opportunity to work through difficult concepts prior to your exams. These will not be graded, but your instructors will discuss these questions and answers during scheduled review sessions.

*3% bonus added to final grade for 100% lecture attendance (attendance will be sampled randomly).
 
*Exams in this course are purposely designed to be challenging, and it is not uncommon for raw scores to be low (e.g., means of 45-65%)—exam and final grades will be adjusted appropriately based on the overall means for each exam and the final grade distribution.
 
Exam make-up policy:

Make-up exams are very strongly discouraged. If circumstances are dire or grievous enough that you are unable to take the exam, please contact me by phone (w: 907-474-6419, h: 907-452-2827) or e-mail (kmccrack@iab.alaska.edu) in advance of the exam. Otherwise, no make-up exam will be given and your grade will be zero for that exam. Your make-up exam may be oral!

 
Incomplete policy:

Incomplete grades are strongly discouraged and will only be authorized under exceptional circumstances. Your performance and participation in the course will factor into this decision.

 
Student code of conduct:
Students are subject to the UAF Student Code of Conduct. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty will be not tolerated, and will result in immediate failure of the course (not just the assignment). Students that participate in these types of activities will be withdrawn from the course and turned over to the Dean of Student Affairs.
 
Other policies:
Needs of students with disabilities will be accommodated following university policies. Please talk to the instructor privately if you have questions or require assistance. The UAF Center for Health and Counseling also provides disability services. Student athletes and members of the U.S. military should coordinate their absences with the instructor in advance.
 
Contact information:
Kevin G. McCracken
Institute of Arctic Biology &
Department of Biology and Wildlife
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775
office (907) 474-6419 Rm. 242 West Ridge Research Bldg. (WRRB)
email: kmccrack@iab.alaska.edu
 
Office hours:
Monday 3:30 to 4:30 pm or by appointment.
 
Lab Syllabus: BIOL 362 Principles of Genetics, Spring 2012
 
Lab protocols will be provided online. Please download these from the course web site each week before lab.
 
Week Lab activity
   
23 Jan Introduction
  Pipette techniques & lab safety
  Meiosis & mitosis
   
30 Jan DNA extraction: QIAGEN protocol & Onion/Banana DNA extraction
  Set up Drosophila melanogaster bottleneck experiment
   
06 Feb Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  DNA replication, transcription, and translation
   
13 Feb Review Session for Exam #1 on 21 Feb (chapters 1 to 7)
  Review Questions 1
   
20 Feb Electrophoresis & DNA purification
  Drosophila melanogaster bottleneck experiment - bottleneck 1
   
27 Feb DNA cycle-sequencing (meet in WRRB lobby)
  Tour West Ridge Research Building (WRRB) & IAB Core Facility for Nucleic Acid Research
   
05 Mar Contig construction & data analysis
   
12 Mar Spring break
  Drosophila melanogaster bottleneck experiment - bottleneck 2
  (Your TA will handle the flies while you spring break - extra credit if you help your TA)
   
19 Mar Online Genbank tutorial, Protein Modeling
   
26 Mar Review Session for Exam #2 on 04 Apr (chapters 8 to 16)
  Review Questions 2
  Genetic diseases Lab #1
   
02 Apr Drosophila melanogaster bottleneck experiment - bottleneck 3
  Tour - UA Museum Facilities
   
09 Apr Cloning and gene transformation #1
   
16 Apr Cloning and gene transformation #2
  Genetic diseases Lab #2 - presentations
   
23 Apr Drosophila melanogaster bottleneck experiment - final results
  Field trip to Creamer's Field - Migratory Birds
   
30 Apr Turn in lab notebook to TA
   
Lab make-up policy:

Lab activities flow consecutively from one week to the next; i.e., you will use your DNA extract for PCR, your purified PCR product for cycle-sequencing, and your sequence for contig construction and data analysis, etc. If you miss one step, you miss the next step. Labs should not be missed. Make-ups are at the discretion of your TA, but must be coordinated in advance and completed prior to the next lab. Missed labs will be subtracted from your lab notebook grade (20% of overall grade).

 
Lab sections (location and time):
F01 Mon 2:15 - 5:15 PM BUNN 408
F02 Tue 2:00 - 5:00 PM BUNN 408
F03 Wed 2:15 - 5:15 PM BUNN 408
 
TA contact information (office hours by appointment):
Andrea Price andrea.repetto@alaska.edu
Don Larson djlarson@alaska.edu
James Stone james.stone@alaska.edu