Honors Collegium 70A Genetic Engineering In Medicine, Agriculture, & Law Dr. Bob Goldberg Winter 2008 LECTURES & FILM-SPEAKER DISCUSSIONS: Tuesday & Thursday 3:30-6:00 → La Kretz 120 DISCUSSION SECTIONS: Wednesday: 2-4 & 4-6 → La Kretz 101; 6-8 →LS 2320 REQUIRED TEXTS: Introduction to Biotechnology (W. J. Thieman & M. A. Palladino) The Double Helix (J. D. Watson) Scientific American & Other Articles (downloaded from the Blackboard HC70A website or the Goldberg HC70A website using Acrobat Reader 6.0 or later) OFFICE HOURS: Wednesday: Noon-2:00PM → Life Sciences 2832 Phone: 310-825-9093; Email: [email protected] GOLDBERG HC70A WEBSITE: http://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/Research/Goldberg/HC70A_W08/ HC70A BLACKBOARD WEBSITE: http://www.lsic.ucla.edu/classes/winter08/ BRUINCAST: http://www.oid.ucla.edu/webcasts/courses/2007-2008/2008winter/hc70a-1/ ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Ingrid Nelson ([email protected]), LS 2835 (310-825-3270) TEACHING ASSISTANTS: Brandon Le ([email protected]) Bekah Charney ([email protected]) Daisy Robinton ([email protected]) LECTURES: Lectures will be video streamed and audio podcasted. They can be accessed from the UCLA BruinCast site. You will need Real Player to view lectures from the UCLA BruinCast website. FILM-SPEAKER DISCUSSIONS: Guest speakers and films will be used to highlight the impact of genetic engineering on society and will be scheduled throughout the quarter. Attendance is required. Note: If you miss more than two film-speaker discussion sessions your final grade may be lowered by one letter. DISCUSSION SECTION: Discussion Section will be taught as an Undergraduate Seminar and will focus on scientific articles and plays/debates that simulate “real-life” genetic engineering situations. The articles/plays/debates will introduce important concepts and will teach you how to read and think about science. Focus your reading around four questions: (1) What is the question being addressed by the article? (2) What are the technologies/approaches being discussed? (3) What is the significance of the technology and how does it apply to real-life situations? (4) What ethical issues arise as a consequence of the new technology? QUIZZES: On Wednesday of each week, a Take-Home Quiz will be handed out as well as posted on the class website. The take-home quiz focuses on the articles read for that week’s Discussion. Quizzes are due by 6 PM on Friday of that week in LS 2832. Quizzes will count 25,000 points each. You may work together in groups in order to solve the quiz problems. However, each of you must learn how to solve the quiz problem and hand in your own quiz. A Discussion participation grade of up to 50,000 points will be assigned at the end of the quarter by your Teaching Assistant, in addition to points earned on the quizzes,Honors Collegium 70A Winter 2008 Page Two CLASS DINNERS: I will take groups of students to dinner each week throughout the quarter. These dinners will also include the guest speakers and will be a unique experience!! Check the dinner group list that will be handed out in class for the week and day that you are scheduled to attend dinner. DOUBLE HELIX ESSAY: You will write a brief essay on The Double Helix by J. D. Watson. The essay will count 50,000 points. Guidelines will be handed out in class. The Double Helix Essay is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, January 21 (Week 3) CLASS PROJECT: The entire class as a group will write, produce, and perform in a videotaped “movie” concerning one aspect of Genetic Engineering discussed this quarter. The purpose of this project is to encourage class interaction, create a useful learning device, and have some fun. Movie guidelines will be discussed in class. Previous HC70A class projects can be viewed at: http://www.mcdb.ucla.edu/Research/Goldberg/hc70a_index.html under "Video of Lectures" for each class. The class project will be shown to the entire class on Thursday, March 13 (Week 10) and will count 50,000 points. EXAMS: Exams include a Take-Home Exam and two All-Class Oral Exams. Take-Home Exam questions will be handed out in class during Week 4 and will count 400,000 points. The mid-term oral exam will cover questions on the Take-Home Exam and will count 75,000 points. Final Oral Exam questions will be handed out in class during Week 9 and will count 150,000 points. The Exam Schedule is: Take-Home Exam: Due Thursday, February 14 at the beginning of class (Week 6) All-Class Mid-Term Oral Exam: Thursday, February 14, La Kretz 120 (Week 6) All-Class Final Oral Exam: Thursday, March 13, La Kretz 120 (Week 10) GRADING: You will be able to earn ONE MILLION regular points and a number of BONUS POINTS during the quarter. Your grade for this quarter will be based on 1,000,000 points, although you have the potential for earning more than 1,000,000 points. Regular points will be divided as follows: Total Points % Grade Essay 50,000 5 Movie Project 50,000 5 Discussion Quizzes 225,000 22.5 Discussion Participation 50,000 5 Take-Home Exam 400,000 40 Mid-Term Oral Exam 75,000 7.5 Final Oral Exam 150,000 15 TOTAL 1,000,000 100 I DO NOT GRADE BY A CURVE in order to encourage maximum student participation and interaction. I will use the following guidelines to assign grades: A (>90%), B (80 - 89%), C (70 - 79%), D (60 - 69%), F (<60%). Your grade will be assigned using the following formula: % Total Points = [(Regular points + Bonus X 100]. [(1,000,000)]Honors Collegium 70A Winter 2008 Page Three LECTURE & DISCUSSION SCHEDULE: DATE TOPIC 1/8 Lecture 1: The Age of DNA: What is Genetic Engineering? Demonstrations: Isolating DNA & Classical Genetic Engineering 1/10 Film: Race for the Double Helix Dinner 1 DISCUSSION 1: Recombinant DNA Debate The Manipulation of Genes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/15 Lecture 2: What Are Genes & How Do They Work: Part One Dinner 2 1/17 Lecture 3: What Are Genes & How Do They Work: Part Two Film: Kerry Mullis and PCR DISCUSSION 2: Useful Proteins from Recombinant DNA Discovering Genes for New Medicines The Bioinformatics Gold