Course description
This hands-on laboratory course is designed to give students an opportunity to experience how science is done through the practice of experimental inquiry. Under the guidance of the instructor and teaching assistant, students work in small teams to design experiments and test their designs in a fully equipped, state-of-the-art laboratory. A number of technical skills are utilized, including gene cloning, DNA amplification and mutagenesis by PCR, in vitro transcription and translation, and purification and analysis of proteins. Students assemble synthetic genes from parts and analyze the contribution of these parts in the regulation of gene expression, from transcription to translation. They develop analytical skills, learn how to design experiments, and how to work on open-ended questions. By the end of the course, students present a research paper detailing their findings. Students also submit a weekly description of their experimental designs. Relevant readings from reviews and primary literature are assigned.