Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 1
02/07/16
Spring 2015
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO
Department of Biological Sciences
BIO 150: Forensic Biology
LECTURE: M/W (2-2:50) 338 Sequoia Hall
LABS: Friday at various times, 220 Humboldt Hall
Instructor:
Dr. Drew Reams
Email:
andrew.reams@csus.edu
Office Hours:
120-C Sequoia Hall
Mondays & Wednesdays 3-4:30pm or by appointment
Research Focus:
Genetics
Research Lab:
14-C Sequoia Hall
Required Texts:
Murder and Molecules: A Laboratory Manual for
Forensic Serology and DNA, Ballard and Spear, 2015
(Hornet Bookstore)
The Blooding, Joseph Wambaugh (available on
Amazon.com and at local bookstores)
Recommended Texts:
Forensic Biology, Richard Li, 2008 (Hornet Bookstore)
Required for Lab:
$25 lab fee; Lab coat; Camera or cell phone
Online Class Materials: Posted on SacCT (check frequently for new materials)
Website:
http://webpages.csus.edu/~andrew.reams
Prerequisites:
Bio 1, Bio 2, and Bio 184 (Genetics). Equivalent courses
at other institutions accepted.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
BIO 150. Forensic Biology. Principles governing the application of biology to solve
crimes. Topics include:(1) the structure and administration of the modern crime
laboratory (2) the role of the forensic biologist and other personnel in crime scene
investigations and in the legal process (3) evidence collection, documentation,
examination and preservation (4) the use of alternative light sources and serological
tests to detect biological stains on crime scene evidence (5) microscopy for the analysis
of sexual assault evidence and hair (6) extraction and quantification of human DNA (6)
generation of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA profiles, and (7) interpretation of DNA
evidence. Lecture two hours; laboratory three hours. Offered spring only. 3 units.
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 2
02/07/16
Spring 2015
WHAT IS A FORENSIC BIOLOGIST?
Welcome to the world of the criminalist – a scientist who uses his or her
scientific skills and training to help law enforcement and the courts solve crimes and
resolve other types of legal issues. Criminalists have many roles and specialties in crime
labs. Criminalists with degrees in chemistry may help solve crimes that require chemical
analyses for toxins, accelerants, or illegal drugs. Criminalists with degrees in physics
(and some other degrees) may help identify tool mark impressions, analyze the flight
path of a bullet, or analyze blood spatter patterns. Criminalists with degrees in the
biological sciences spend most of their time looking for biological materials on crime
scene evidence and performing DNA analyses. It is this latter group – the forensic
biologists – that we will focus on in this class, examining in depth the tools and
techniques these specialists use to help the courts exonerate the innocent and convict
the guilty, thereby building a safer and more just society.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (http://www.bls.gov), the job market
for forensic scientists will be much better in the next several years than for most other
science technicians with B.S. degrees. The passage of Proposition 69 in California, in
particular, will open up many new jobs for forensic biologists in the coming years in this
state alone. Moreover, the starting salary for criminalists is the third highest among all
science technicians and quickly increases after one year of employment in most
government crime labs. Finally, criminalists at many government agencies enjoy the
same excellent benefits as law enforcement personnel because they are considered to be
part of the law-enforcement work force.
Criminalists have fascinating jobs that require them to solve complex scientific
puzzles on a daily basis. No crime is the same as any other, and the criminalist must
identify the most probative evidence, analyze it using appropriate procedures, generate
a report, and answer questions about his/her work in court. Criminalists need to have
excellent written and verbal communication skills, be honest and objective about their
findings, and hold to the highest ethical values in all the work they do. It is a wonderful
profession for someone who wants to feel that their work makes a difference in people’s
lives, who loves solving scientific puzzles, and who wants to help build a safer society.
Does that describe you? If so, this course will provide you with a comprehensive
introduction to the profession and help you decide if the career is a good match for your
interests and natural talents. If not, the course will (hopefully) be a fun and eye-opening
introduction to the real world of forensic science – not the forensic science you see on
CSI, Bones, and other television shows that are rich in entertainment but seriously
flawed in their representation of how real forensic science is done!
Whatever your reason for taking this class, I invite you to join me on the journey
and allow me to lead you into a fascinating world that is rarely seen by persons outside
of crime labs. If you like this course and want to pursue forensic biology as a career,
please come see me and we can discuss enrolling you in the Forensic Biology
concentration. The courses required in the concentration at Sacramento State are
specifically designed to prepare you to compete effectively for criminalist jobs upon
graduation or to gain entrance to graduate programs in forensic science that will provide
you with further preparation for the job market.
Let's get started!
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 3
02/07/16
Spring 2015
COURSE POLICIES
I.
EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Students may earn up to 600 points as follows:
Lecture Exams (2 @ 100 pts each)
Final Exam
Crime Map (one per lab pair)
Lab Quizzes (12 @ 10 pts each; drop 2 lowest scores)
Homework (5 @ 3 pts each)
Case Files (2 @ 30 pts each)
Participation
Lab Practical Exam (open Case File)
TOTAL
200
100
20
100
15
60
5
100
===
600
Lecture Exams:
Three lecture exams will be given, two exams and a final. The tests will be a combination
of short-answer, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, and true or false (where if the
statement is false you must change the underlined word to convert it into a true
statement). All exam questions will pull from the materials presented and discussed in
lecture. Study Guides and Lecture Homework will be provided before exams. Homework
assignments give students the opportunity to apply the concepts they are learning in
lecture to real-world forensic casework problems and scenarios. Homework will not be
collected or graded, but will bolster the study guides and serve as practice for the
exams. These tests are non-cumulative. You will be given 50 minutes to complete the
two exams and 2 hours for the final. You will need to bring a pencil and calculator.
Laboratory Quizzes:
Lab quizzes will be administered during the first 10 minutes of lab. Students will be
allowed exactly 10 minutes to take the exam and those who arrive late to lab will not be
given additional time. (There will be no quiz on the first day of lab.) You will need to
bring a pencil, a calculator, and a Scantron (Form 882-E).
Case Files:
Students will be required to submit two Case Files during the course of the semester.
Submission requirements will be provided well in advance of the due dates.
Lab Practical Exam:
There will be one Lab Practical (given the week before finals). In the exam, you will be
asked to identify and answer questions about various items, reagents, data, etc. that
you encountered in lab. Please note that due to the amount of work involved in setting
up and taking down a lab practical exam, students will NOT be allowed to “make-up” the
Lab Practical Exam. If a student must miss the Lab Practical, acceptable documentation
of an illness or another emergency will be required and the student will be administered
a separate paper exam to make up the points. Lab exam questions will be a mix of short
answer, drawings, calculations, etc. You will need to bring a pencil and calculator
with you to the lab practical exam. You will not need a Scantron.
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 4
02/07/16
Spring 2015
Calculation of Grades:
At the end of the semester, points from all assignments will be totaled and grades will be
assigned as follows:
90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
less
- 100%
- 89.9%
- 79.9%
- 69.9%
than 60%
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
F
Plus and minus grades will be assigned as appropriate.
II. STUDENT CONDUCT
A. Lecture
Lecture is a “technology free” zone. Students are required to turn off or silence all
electronic devices (including cell phones, laptops, iPods, etc.) during class. I will
use PowerPoint and students will be able to download these slides before coming to
class. If you wish to record my lectures, I will permit it, but you must remember to
pick up your recording device at the end of the class period.
Exams:
No communication is permitted between students during exams. No materials other than
a pencil and a simple calculator (NOT one associated with a cell phone or other
sophisticated electronic device that might contain other data), may be used during an
exam.
Students may not leave the room during an exam. Lecture periods are only 50
minutes long and I expect you to use the bathroom before coming to class. If you have a
medical condition that does not allow you to sit through a 50-minute exam, please
arrange to take the exam at the testing center. Students may opt to use the bathroom
during the final exam but will be required to leave all personal belongings in the
classroom and return to the classroom promptly. If I obtain evidence of cheating on
any quiz or exam, I will report the incident to the Department Chair and the
Dean of Students for immediate disciplinary action.
B. Laboratory:
Roll will be taken in lab and students who miss more than two lab sessions –
regardless of the reason - will be assigned a either a "F" or “WU” grade in the
course. Students must follow all laboratory safety rules (see the Murder and Molecules
laboratory manual) and come to lab prepared and ready to work safely and efficiently.
Laboratory Quizzes:
No communication is permitted between students during the quizzes.
Lab Practical Exam:
Students may refer to their Case Files during the practical exam but not to the lab
manual or any other materials.
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 5
02/07/16
Spring 2015
Special Considerations for Case Files:
Students are strongly encouraged to study in groups and to freely discuss the content of
their Case Files. However, students must write up their case files in their own words. If I
receive two case files that contain identical wording that has clearly been
copied, both assignments will be given a grade of zero. If the pattern continues,
I will refer the students involved to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action.
The University policy on academic dishonesty can be reviewed at the following web link:
http://www.csus.edu/umanual/AcademicHonestyPolicyandProcedures.htm. If
you have never read this policy, take the opportunity to do so because it will help you
avoid inadvertently engaging in plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in all
of your classes, not just this one.
III. COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR OUTSIDE OF CLASS
I will communicate with you through My Sac State. Be sure to check your CSUS e-mail
regularly, especially if you do not use it as your primary e-mail address. Students should
communicate with me via e-mail rather than by telephone, using the e-mail address
provided on the first page of this syllabus.
IV. ADD/DROP POLICY
The Add/Drop policy will be followed per University policy. If you have questions about
this policy, please e-mail me. Students who are registered into the class and do not
attend lecture and lab for the first week will be administratively dropped from the
course. Students who stop attending lecture or lab after the official drop deadline, and
do not follow proper procedures to do so, will be assigned a grade of “WU” (unauthorized
withdrawal) or "F" (depending on whether the student stops attending early or late in the
semester). A “WU” grade is calculated as an “F” grade in your GPA, so make every effort
to avoid earning one!
Drops during finals week are not permitted for any reason. Students with an emergency
during this time can request to be assigned a grade of “I (Incomplete) and must make
up the missed assignments/exams within 12 months or the “I” grade will automatically
become an “F”. A special form is required to request an “I” grade. The form can be
obtained from the Biological Sciences Department office (SQU 202) and must be
completed and signed by both the student and the instructor. Earning an "I" grade is not
a right; you must be able to convince me that there is serious and compelling reason
why you legitimately need extra time to complete the course.
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 6
02/07/16
Spring 2015
V. HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS
1.
Attend lecture and lab every class session and start this practice early in the
semester! Research shows that students who get behind during the first 3-4 weeks
of class are rarely able to catch up. Always attend lab unless you are sick or have
another emergency. Missing one or more lab sections will put you at a serious
disadvantage compared to other students in the class. Expect to stay in lab for the
entire 3-hour lab period. We will use every minute of it on most lab days!
2.
Review the PowerPoint lectures and pertinent sections of the textbook
before coming to class. If you have already read through the material before you
hear it in lecture, you will be better prepared to ask questions and gain clarification
on any topics from the readings that you did not understand.
3.
Re-write your lecture notes soon after class. Review what was emphasized.
What are the key steps? What is the overall purpose? If you recorded the lecture,
listen to the lecture while reviewing your notes. Certain things are emphasized
during lecture and those things are commonly found on exams.
4.
To test your depth of understanding exams will include thinking questions.
Don’t just memorize the slides. Understand the theory and be able to apply it to
different crime scenarios.
5.
How can you answer an exam question correctly if you don’t understand the
question? An important part of understanding the exam questions is mastering the
new terminology. Treat this class like a foreign language. Generate a glossary
list of unfamiliar terms used in the lecture, slides, and text. Write down these
terms and look them up as soon as possible. Know their definitions and apply them
to different forensic scenarios.
6.
Rather than cramming, stagger your studying over time to fully digest and retain
the information. The average person can only memorize three things at a time.
While I love music as much as the next person, it is much more effective to allow
your subconscious to think without distractions. This is a powerful tool for digesting
new information and developing new ideas.
7.
Although the lecture is a technology-free zone, I invite you to use the internet
OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Wikipedia, youtube, and Google are great resources for
clarifying questions about Forensic Biology. This information is not always 100%
reliable, but the videos can be especially illustrative.
8.
If the TA agrees to run study sessions prior to the exams, attend them. In
addition, I strongly suggest forming productive study groups to help you master the
material.
9.
Don’t be shy about coming to office hours – and don’t wait to come to office
hours until you are failing the class. If you can’t meet me during my regularlyscheduled office hours, I will be happy to arrange another time to meet with you.
You can contact me by e-mail to arrange meetings outside of my office hours.
Dr. Drew Reams
BIO 150 Lecture Syllabus
Page 7
02/07/16
Spring 2015
LECTURE SCHEDULE
(Exact lecture dates are tentative; Exam dates are fixed)
DATES
TOPIC(S)
READING*
Chapter 1
WEEK 1:
1/26 - 1/28
Introduction to the Course
Lecture 1: Forensic Biology Overview & Crime Maps
WEEK 2:
2/2 - 2/4
Lecture 1 (cont)
Lecture 2: Sources of DNA
WEEK 3:
2/9 – 2/11
Lecture 2 (cont)
Lecture 3: Serology tools
WEEK 4:
2/16 - 2/18
Lecture 3 (cont)
Lecture 4: Detection of semen
Chapter 8
WEEK 5:
2/23 - 2/25
Lecture 4 (cont)
Lecture 5: Detection of blood
Chapter 6
WEEK 6:
3/2 - 3/4
Lecture 5 (cont)
Exam 1 - Wednesday
WEEK 7:
3/9 - 3/11
WEEK 8:
3/16 - 3/18
WEEK 10:
4/7 - 4/9
Lecture 6: Detection of saliva, urine, and feces
Lecture 6 (cont)
Lecture 7: DNA and human mitochondrial DNA profiling
Lecture 7 (cont)
Spring Break
Lecture 8: Human nuclear DNA profiling
Lecture 8 (cont)
(Case File 1 due on 4/1)
Lecture 8 (cont)
Lecture 9: DNA extraction and amplification
WEEK 11:
4/14 - 4/16
WEEK 12:
4/21 - 4/23
WEEK 13:
4/28 - 4/30
WEEK 14:
5/5 - 5/7
WEEK 15:
5/12 – 5/14
WEEK 16:
5/20
Lecture 9 (cont)
Lecture 9 (cont)
Exam 2 - Monday
Lecture 10: DNA quantification
Lecture 10 (cont)
Lecture 11: Variable Number Tandem Repeat Profiling
Lecture 11 (cont)
Lecture 12: Autosomal STR DNA typing
Lecture 12 (cont)
Lecture 12 (cont)
FINAL EXAM (Wednesday from 12:45-2:45 PM)
(Case File 2 due by 5PM Friday, 5/22)
WEEK 9:
3/30 - 4/1
Chapters 2 & 3
Chapters 4.1,
4.3.2.2, & 5.2.2.1
Chapter 10.1
Chapter 9
Chapter 11 & 21
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 13
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
* The indicated chapters refer to your recommended textbook “Forensic Biology” by Richard Li
(2008). Chapter numbers with decimals refer to the specific chapter section you are
recommended to read. For chapter numbers without decimals, you are recommended to read the
entire chapter. Note: “Study Questions” located at the end of these assigned chapters will help
you study for the exams.