DEPARTMENT OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH MCB*6360 ADVANCED TOPICS IN BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Winter 2015, 0.5 credits Course Information
A study of selected contemporary topics in biochemistry and molecular biology. Proposed
course descriptions are considered by the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology on an
ad hoc basis, and the course will be offered according to demand.
In Winter 2015, the overall topic for the MCB*6360 will emphasize Advanced Spectroscopy:
Theory and Practice. The course will be presented in 3 modules, each featuring the expertise
of one of the instructors.
LECTURES
Tuesdays, 2:00 – 5:00 pm in SCIE 3317
Instructors
Module 1:
Dr. John Dawson
Science Complex Room 2248
Office hours: Wed 9:30 – 11:00 am
January 6 – 27
Email: [email protected]
Module 2:
Dr. Steffen Graether
Science Complex Room 2255
Office hours: Tue 10:30 – 11:30 am
Thu 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Other times are available by appointment
February 3 – March 3
Email: [email protected]
Module 3:
Dr. Rod Merrill
Science Complex Room 2250
Office hours: Wed 1:30 – 3:30 pm
March 10 – 31
Email: [email protected]
1 GRADE ASSESSMENT
Form of Assessment
Module 1
Value Due Date of
Assessment Course Content
/Activity 30%
Week 1
Data Management Plan
5%
Jan 13, 2:30 pm
Short paper
Week 1
Mendeley Assignment
3%
Jan 13, 2:30 pm
3 formatted texts
Week 2
Spectrophotometer
Assignment
5%
Jan 20, 2:30 pm
Short paper
Week 3
Principles of Protein
Polymers
7%
Jan 27, 2:30 pm
Short paper
Week 4
Modeling and Analysis of
Polymerization Data
10%
Feb 3, 2:30 pm
Data analysis
results
Module 2
30%
Week 8
Protein-protein docking
exercise
15%
Mar 3, 2:00 pm
20 min oral
presentation
Week 9
Analysis of binding data
15%
Mar 10, 5:00 pm
5 page written
report
Module 3
30%
Weeks 11 - 12
Fluorescence Methods in
Biochemistry
20%
Mar 17, 25
30 min oral
presentation
Weeks 11 - 12
Critical Analysis of
Research papers
10%
Mar 17, 25
Lead group
discussion on
critique of paper
Class
Participation
See below
10%
Submit all assignments in your Dropbox on Courselink by the deadline indicated. Feedback
and grades will be uploaded to your dropbox.
Class Participation
The assessment for class participation includes your engagement with the material and your
fellow classmates, demonstrated leadership and independence, and involvement in questioning
in class.
2 Standard University Course Policies
E-mail Communication:
As per university regulations, all students are required to check their <uoguelph.ca> email account regularly: e-mail is the official route of communication between the University and
its students.
When You Cannot Meet a Course Requirement:
When you find yourself unable to meet an in- course requirement because of illness or
compassionate reasons, please advise the course instructor (or designated person, such as a
teaching assistant) in writing, with your name, id#, and e-mail contact. See the graduate
calendar for information on regulations and procedures for Academic Consideration: Graduate
Calendar - Academic Consideration
Drop Date:
The last date to drop one-semester courses, without academic penalty, is the 40th class day
(March 6th, 2015). See the schedule of dates in the Graduate Calendar. For regulations and
procedures for Dropping Courses, see the Graduate Calendar: Graduate Calendar - Dropping
Courses
Accessibility:
The University of Guelph is committed to creating a barrier-free environment. Providing
services for students is a shared responsibility among students, faculty and administrators.
This relationship is based on respect of individual rights, the dignity of the individual and the
University community's shared commitment to an open and supportive learning environment.
Students requiring service or accommodation, whether due to an identified, ongoing disability
or a short-term disability should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) as soon as
possible. For more information, contact SAS at 519-824-4120 ext. 56208 or email
[email protected] or see the website: Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
Academic Misconduct:
The University of Guelph is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic
integrity and it is the responsibility of all members of the University community – faculty, staff,
and students – to be aware of what constitutes academic misconduct and to do as much as
possible to prevent academic offences from occurring. University of Guelph students have the
responsibility of abiding by the University's policy on academic misconduct regardless of their
location of study; faculty, staff and students have the responsibility of supporting an
environment that discourages misconduct. Students need to remain aware that instructors
have access to and the right to use electronic and other means of detection.
Please note: Whether or not a student intended to commit academic misconduct is not
relevant for a finding of guilt. Hurried or careless submission of assignments does not excuse
students from responsibility for verifying the academic integrity of their work before submitting
it. Students who are in any doubt as to whether an action on their part could be construed as
an academic offence should consult with a faculty member or faculty advisor. The Academic
Misconduct Policy is detailed in the Graduate Calendar: Graduate Calendar - Academic
3 Misconduct
Recording of Materials:
Presentations which are made in relation to course work—including lectures—cannot be
recorded or copied without the permission of the presenter, whether the instructor, a
classmate or guest lecturer. Material recorded with permission is restricted to use for that
course unless further permission is granted.
Resources:
The Academic Calendars are the source of information about the University of Guelph’s
procedures, policies and regulations which apply to undergraduate, graduate and diploma
programs: Academic Calendars
Statement on the use of animals:
No animals are used directly in the laboratory exercises for BIOC*2580. However it is in the
nature of biochemistry that some enzymes or biochemical substances may be derived from
animal sources. Efforts have been made to reduce the use of animal related products by
using equivalent enzymes or substances derived from microbial or plant sources, but in some
cases it may be necessary to use these products.
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