Biochemistry Lab, 4124L

Fall 2006

2:00-5:00pm, M, W, R

I. General Information

Instructor: Dr. Jason L. Johnson
Office: CPP 201-B
Phone: 774-3110

II. Supplies

1. Goggles
2. Calculator
3. Matches
4. Paper towels
5. Liquid Dish Soap
6. Test tube brushes of appropriate size
7. Lock
8. Laboratory apron (not plastic) (if desired)

III. Goggles

A nonlaboratory room is reserved for pre-lab lectures and working on laboratory reports. You are expected to wear goggles at all times while in the lab itself.

IV. Attendance

Attendance in laboratory is mandatory and will be checked during each laboratory session. Absences from lab must be excused. If you must be absent from laboratory, the instructor must be notified personally in advance (no notes or messages to secretaries, etc.), and a makeup lab arranged. Failure to contact the instructor as soon as possible to arrange a makeup laboratory will result in the student being immediately dropped from Biochemistry lecture and laboratory.

V. Partners

Labs have been designed such that you will be required to choose a partner with whom to work. When performing experiments with your partner, the raw data of all students in the group should be identical. This does not mean the laboratory reports of all students in the group should be identical, however. Points will be deducted if data within a group of students differs, or if lab reports do not differ.

VI. Grades

Grading will be determined by performance on the following:
A.   Quizzes @ 5 pts each: There will be a short (2-3 questions) pre-lab quiz at the beginning of each period that we start a new experiment. This quiz will cover experimental procedure and background theory. If you have studied carefully the handout and/or references provided with respect to each list of specific, potential questions, you should encounter no difficulty.
B.    Laboratory Reports @ 15-30 pts each: Lab reports will be turned in one week after the completion of each experiment. Handouts will be provided the week prior to beginning a particular experiment, and the required content of each lab report will be specifically outlined within this handout. Lab reports are due in each lab exactly one week after the completion of the experiment. Unless special arrangements are made, laboratory reports will not be accepted more than one week late, and 10% will be deducted for each day late.

   General Policies for Lab Reports:
   1.   Lab reports must represent your own work. Evidence of copying/cheating will result in a substantial point deduction for all parties, depending upon the nature of the transgression. (Note: Never cut/paste figures from handouts into your report. This is in itself a form of plagiarism.)
   2.   Lab reports must be neatly presented, with correct spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. Up to 50% may be deducted for excessive sloppiness.

C.   Laboratory Exams @ 100 pts each: Two comprehensive examinations will be given during the semester, one at mid-term (covering the first 4 labs) and one as a final (covering only the final 4 labs). A carbohydrate lecture is also incorporated into the laboratory schedule; points accrued on the carbohydrate quiz, however, are included in the lecture component of the course.

A total of 8 separate experiments are tentatively scheduled, providing the following point distribution:
   8 pre-lab quizzes @ 5pts/quiz=       40
   8 lab reports @ 15-30pts each=      160
   2 exams @ 100pts =      200
   Total Points =       400

The laboratory grade will represent 20% of your final grade reported for Biochemistry 4124, with the remaining 80% provided by your performance in the lecture portion of the course.

VII. Disability Policy

Any student in this course who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible so we can discuss accommodations necessary to ensure full participation and facilitate your educational opportunities.

VIII. Tentative Lab Schedule

Date	Activity
August 23-25	No Lab--Compensatory Day for Night Exams
August 28-31	Issues of Safety, Check-In Lockers, and LOCI Exam
September 6-7	PLQ1--Separation of Ala and Asp by Ion-Exchange Chrom.
September 11-14	Separation of Ala and Asp by Ion-Exchange Chrom. (cont.)
September 18-21	PLQ2--Titration of an Unknown Amino Acid
September 25-28	PLQ3--Isolation & Characterization of Bromelain
October 2-5	PLQ4--Kinetics of Tyrosinase Reaction
October 9-12	Kinetics of Tyrosinase Reaction (cont.)
October 16-19	Fall Break
October 24	ALL CLASSES --MID-TERM LAB EXAM: TUESDAY NIGHT
October 23-26	Laboratory Lecture--Carbohydrates
Oct 30-Nov 2	PLQ5--Isolation & Identification of Lipids by TLC
November 7	ALL CLASSES --CARBOHYDRATE EXAM: TUESDAY NIGHT
November 6-9	PLQ6--Identification of an Unknown Carbohydrate
November 13-16	PLQ7--Isolation & Characterization of Phagemids
November 20-23	Thanksgiving Break
November 27-30	PLQ8--Production of Pyruvate & Acetaldehyde During Fermentation
December 4-7	Check-Out Lockers Only
December 7	ALL CLASSES --FINAL LAB EXAM: THURSDAY NIGHT