WELCOME: Four (3) semester hours, three hours lecture per week. Insights into DNA, RNA and proteins along with medical and ecological applications. Topics covered include: the history of discoveries in macromolecules, detailed macromolecular structures, protein folding, macromolecular interactions and mechanisms, eDNA, metagenomics, proteomics, proteins in environmental and medical studies, multi-omics approaches to disease and environmental studies.
PARTICIPATION: Students are expected to take part in discussion after or during lecture.
EXAMS: there will be two noncumulative exams for the first and the second part of the course. Context will include any material covered during lectures and oral presentations.
Course Requirements:
• Comprehensive Examinations: There will be two noncumulative exams for the first and the second part of the course. Context will include any material covered during lectures and labs. These exams will be of an objective or subjective format or combinations of both. These two lecture exams are worth 80 points each.
• Lecture Quizzes: Before each lecture there will be a short quiz which will cover the material learned since the previous quiz (required and recommended reading of materials available on-line). These quizzes will be a combination of multiple choice, matching, short answer. These lecture quizzes are worth 10 points each.
• Discussion Participation: Students are expected to participate in weekly discussions on the assigned readings. To facilitate discussion, each student is required to bring in five typed questions that they will submit each class. The grade will be determined based on the frequency of their participation as well as thoughtfulness/utility of their contributions to class discussion. This is worth 10 points.
• Graduate Independent project: graduate students (only) will conduct an independent lab-based research project in which they gather data, analyze it, and present their findings in a written paper following the standard scientific format (Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion). The project will be worth of 50 points (written portion 20 points, presenting 30 points)
• Other assignments: as described at the beginning of the semester and required by the Professor.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO): The course is designed to address the following Program Learning Outcomes, as given in the M.S. Program in the Department of Biology:
PLO #1. The student will demonstrate a good knowledge base in biological concepts
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO):
1. Students will demonstrate thorough understanding of the structure and function of DNA, RNA and proteins at all levels with the emphases on their importance for medical and ecological studies. (PLO 1)
2. Students will demonstrate competency in experimental design and performance in lab research project including big data collection and big data analysis. (PLO 1)
3. Students will master independent and critical thinking skills integrated with the ability to utilize multiple informational resources. (PLO 1)
4. Students will master research skills in reviewing literature, developing an experimental design, working independently with laboratory equipment, troubleshooting, obtaining, and utilizing meaningful data, and formulating conclusions from their research results. (PLO 1)
PARTICIPATION: Students are expected to take part in discussion after or during lecture.
EXAMS: there will be two noncumulative exams for the first and the second part of the course. Context will include any material covered during lectures and oral presentations.
Course Requirements:
• Comprehensive Examinations: There will be two noncumulative exams for the first and the second part of the course. Context will include any material covered during lectures and labs. These exams will be of an objective or subjective format or combinations of both. These two lecture exams are worth 80 points each.
• Lecture Quizzes: Before each lecture there will be a short quiz which will cover the material learned since the previous quiz (required and recommended reading of materials available on-line). These quizzes will be a combination of multiple choice, matching, short answer. These lecture quizzes are worth 10 points each.
• Discussion Participation: Students are expected to participate in weekly discussions on the assigned readings. To facilitate discussion, each student is required to bring in five typed questions that they will submit each class. The grade will be determined based on the frequency of their participation as well as thoughtfulness/utility of their contributions to class discussion. This is worth 10 points.
• Graduate Independent project: graduate students (only) will conduct an independent lab-based research project in which they gather data, analyze it, and present their findings in a written paper following the standard scientific format (Abstract, Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, and Discussion). The project will be worth of 50 points (written portion 20 points, presenting 30 points)
• Other assignments: as described at the beginning of the semester and required by the Professor.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO): The course is designed to address the following Program Learning Outcomes, as given in the M.S. Program in the Department of Biology:
PLO #1. The student will demonstrate a good knowledge base in biological concepts
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO):
1. Students will demonstrate thorough understanding of the structure and function of DNA, RNA and proteins at all levels with the emphases on their importance for medical and ecological studies. (PLO 1)
2. Students will demonstrate competency in experimental design and performance in lab research project including big data collection and big data analysis. (PLO 1)
3. Students will master independent and critical thinking skills integrated with the ability to utilize multiple informational resources. (PLO 1)
4. Students will master research skills in reviewing literature, developing an experimental design, working independently with laboratory equipment, troubleshooting, obtaining, and utilizing meaningful data, and formulating conclusions from their research results. (PLO 1)
ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend all lectures according to the schedule– attendance will be monitored. Sign in with your full first name and last name as listed on the class roster. Students who do not provide their full name will be marked as absent. Missing classes without university approved absences will result in points subtraction from your Final grade. In contrast perfect attendance will give you extra points to your Final grade. Stay focused: turn off your cellphone and pack it away, be respectful to your classmates and professor. Students will benefit greatly by attending the class. It will be some discussions that are not included in the lec slides or/and schedule. Missing an exam/deadlines will be permitted only by prior arrangement and make-ups will only be allowed in the case of a University approved absence (illness with a doctor's note, a family crisis, or a religious holiday).
MATERIALS: PowerPoint presentations for each lecture will be online, according to the provided schedule of the course, so that handwritten notes can be made and used during the exam. REMEMBER: draw it to know it! I recommend to use GOOGLE CHROME to browse this page. Textbook is optional for this course: Biochemistry, by Donald Voet latest version.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Quizzes/independent activities - 10 pts
Midterm & Final EXAMS - 2X40 pts
Discussion Participation - 10 pts
Independant research project for GS - 50 pts
TOTAL - 100/150 pts
Quizzes/independent activities - 10 pts
Midterm & Final EXAMS - 2X40 pts
Discussion Participation - 10 pts
Independant research project for GS - 50 pts
TOTAL - 100/150 pts
No SI
T 11-15, 19-20, or by appointment @S236
| week | meeting schedule | topic | activities | lecture slides | lecture video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 1/17-20 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Meeting with the class. | |||
| 3 1/23-27 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | History of Discoveries in Molecular Biology |
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| 4 1/30-2/3 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Review - Nucleotides as a building blocks for nucleic acids. DNA/RNA and it's primary structure |
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| 5 2/6-10 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | DNA/RNA structure and function. |
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| 6 2/13-17 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | DNA/RNA as multi-omics approaches to disease |
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| 7 2/20-24 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | DNA/RNA tools for ecological research (Soil Biota) eDNA and metagenomics. |
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| 8 2/27-3/3 |
T: Midterm (D2L) (nucleic acids part) | First part: Midterm on d2l - multiple choice | |||
| 9 3/6-10 |
Spring Break!!!!🏖️ | ||||
| 10 3/13-17 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Protein’s low-level structure and function. |
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| 11 3/20-24 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Protein’s high-level structure and function |
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| 12 3/27-31 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Protein folding. |
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| 13 4/3-5 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting 🐣 🐇 EASTER! |
DNA, RNA /protein interactions. Proteins - approaches to disease |
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| 14 4/10-14 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Lab exersize | |||
| 15 4/17-21 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Proteins in environmental studies. |
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| 16 4/24-28 |
T: Class Face-to-face meeting | Presentations/Independent projects | |||
| 17 5/2 |
T: Final Exam (D2L) |
Final is May 2nd at 17:00 at d2l |
over an e-mail avankley@sfasu.edu (please do not email through D2L if you would like to get a quick reply). When emailing please indicate BOTH class & section # and your CID. When attaching a file, filename should be “First_LastName.ext”, it must also include your name in the document itself. Emails lacking any of the information listed above WILL BE IGNORED. Note: NO emails will be answered after 5 p.m. and/or during weekends. NO GRADE DISCUSSION over an e-mail, only by one on one meetings. Grades cannot be discussed via e-mail at any time due to federal law. I will speak to you in person instead during my office hours. DO NOT involve a third-party who is not affiliated in an official capacity with SFASU (e.g., friend, roommate) in any matters pertaining to your enrollment in this course. Your instructor is legally prohibited from discussing most course/grade-related issues with third parties according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99).
MENTAL HEALTH: SFASU values students’ mental health and the role it plays in academic and overall student success. SFA provides a variety of resources to support students mental health and wellness. Many of these resources are free, and all of them are confidential.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic integrity (4.1) is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/student-academic-dishonesty-4.1.pdf.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.
WITHHELD GRADES SEMESTER GRADES POLICY (5.5): Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average.
CLASS DISRUPTION POLICY: Class disruptions will not be tolerated because they detract from other students’ learning. As adults, students should be able to sit through class without disturbing others.
The professor does NOT necessarily give you a warning or make an announcement that you are disrupting class. Instead, points will simply be deducted in the grade book. Students are free to inquire at any time whether they have had points deducted during office hours.
Tardiness to lecture will not be tolerated; it disrupts the lesson and the concentration of fellow students. Reasonable accommodations will be made in cases of emergency situations if documentation is provided. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the instructor with documentation of emergencies. Sleeping during class can be distracting to other students and the instructor. If a student is so tired that they cannot stay awake for a lecture, as boring as it may be, the student should not be in class. Cell phones must be turned off during lecture and packed away. In cases of family imergency the student must inform the instructor of the situation BEFORE class begins. There should be no texting in class. Texting may distract other students and the instructor. Leaving class is disruptive to other students who are trying to pay attention. Leaving the class for any reason will count against you. Hence, be sure to use the restroom before coming to class (a 5 minute break is given during lecture during the long summer lectures). If a student knows they will need to leave class early, notify the instructor well ahead of time. Points will not be deducted if the student has a legitimate excuse for leaving early. Talking/Disruptive Behaviors: the professor is highly encourages students to ask questions or make relevant comments during a lecture. However, talking to a neighbor or other disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated because, again, it disrupts the learning environment of other students. Laptop computers are not allowed in lecture. In the past, too many students have used them for surfing the internet or working on other projects during lecture, which distracts other students.
On-campus Resources:
SFA Counseling Services www.sfasu.edu/counselingservices
Rusk Building, 3rd Floor 936.468.2401
SFA Human Services Counseling Clinic
www.sfasu.edu/humanservices/139.asp
Human Services, Room 202 936.468.1041
Crisis Resources: Burke 24-hour crisis line: 1.800.392.8343
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.TALK (8255) Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741-741
ACADEMIC HONESTY: Academic integrity (4.1) is a responsibility of all university faculty and students. Faculty members promote academic integrity in multiple ways including instruction on the components of academic honesty, as well as abiding by university policy on penalties for cheating and plagiarism. Academic dishonesty includes both cheating and plagiarism. Cheating includes but is not limited to (1) using or attempting to use unauthorized materials to aid in achieving a better grade on a component of a class; (2) the falsification or invention of any information, including citations, on an assigned exercise; and/or (3) helping or attempting to help another in an act of cheating or plagiarism. Plagiarism is presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own. Examples of plagiarism are (1) submitting an assignment as if it were one's own work when, in fact, it is at least partly the work of another; (2) submitting a work that has been purchased or otherwise obtained from an Internet source or another source; and (3) incorporating the words or ideas of an author into one's paper without giving the author due credit. Please read the complete policy at http://www.sfasu.edu/policies/student-academic-dishonesty-4.1.pdf.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: To obtain disability related accommodations, alternate formats and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS), Human Services Building, and Room 325, 468-3004 / 468-1004 (TDD) as early as possible in the semester. Once verified, ODS will notify the course instructor and outline the accommodation and/or auxiliary aids to be provided. Failure to request services in a timely manner may delay your accommodations. For additional information, go to http://www.sfasu.edu/disabilityservices/.
WITHHELD GRADES SEMESTER GRADES POLICY (5.5): Ordinarily, at the discretion of the instructor of record and with the approval of the academic chair/director, a grade of WH will be assigned only if the student cannot complete the course work because of unavoidable circumstances. Students must complete the work within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which they receive a WH, or the grade automatically becomes an F. If students register for the same course in future terms the WH will automatically become an F and will be counted as a repeated course for the purpose of computing the grade point average.
CLASS DISRUPTION POLICY: Class disruptions will not be tolerated because they detract from other students’ learning. As adults, students should be able to sit through class without disturbing others.
The professor does NOT necessarily give you a warning or make an announcement that you are disrupting class. Instead, points will simply be deducted in the grade book. Students are free to inquire at any time whether they have had points deducted during office hours.
Tardiness to lecture will not be tolerated; it disrupts the lesson and the concentration of fellow students. Reasonable accommodations will be made in cases of emergency situations if documentation is provided. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the instructor with documentation of emergencies. Sleeping during class can be distracting to other students and the instructor. If a student is so tired that they cannot stay awake for a lecture, as boring as it may be, the student should not be in class. Cell phones must be turned off during lecture and packed away. In cases of family imergency the student must inform the instructor of the situation BEFORE class begins. There should be no texting in class. Texting may distract other students and the instructor. Leaving class is disruptive to other students who are trying to pay attention. Leaving the class for any reason will count against you. Hence, be sure to use the restroom before coming to class (a 5 minute break is given during lecture during the long summer lectures). If a student knows they will need to leave class early, notify the instructor well ahead of time. Points will not be deducted if the student has a legitimate excuse for leaving early. Talking/Disruptive Behaviors: the professor is highly encourages students to ask questions or make relevant comments during a lecture. However, talking to a neighbor or other disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated because, again, it disrupts the learning environment of other students. Laptop computers are not allowed in lecture. In the past, too many students have used them for surfing the internet or working on other projects during lecture, which distracts other students.
On-campus Resources:
SFA Counseling Services www.sfasu.edu/counselingservices
Rusk Building, 3rd Floor 936.468.2401
SFA Human Services Counseling Clinic
www.sfasu.edu/humanservices/139.asp
Human Services, Room 202 936.468.1041
Crisis Resources: Burke 24-hour crisis line: 1.800.392.8343
Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1.800.273.TALK (8255) Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741-741
Email
avankley@sfasu.edu
Address
1901 Raguet Street N, Miller Science Building, Room 101
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Nacogdoches, TX 75962