BIOL 382: ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY LABORATORY
Instructor
Sarah Feinman (and Jen Bowen)
sarah.feinman001@umb.edu and (Jennifer.bowen@umb.edu)
617-287-6605 (and x6626)
Lab Hours: Tuesdays 1-4, M-1-310.
Office hours: For Sarah (M-2-324), by appointment, and for Jen (W-3-08): T: 10-12, Th 2-4
This lab accompanies the Ecosystem Ecology lecture, and supplements the foundational
principles taught in that course through the implementation of a semester long independent
research project. The course examines the flow of energy and materials through both the
biosphere (plants, animals, and microbes) and the geosphere (soils, atmospheres, and
oceans) and the role that humans are playing in altering these key fluxes. We will use
model systems at the New England Aquarium to ask novel questions about how microbes
in various parts of the aquarium affect or are affected by ecosystems. We will work with
researchers at the Aquarium to design research projects, spend the semester testing the
hypotheses that we formulate and end the semester with a final poster presentation detailing
our findings and reporting back to the aquarium researchers. In part we are working with
the aquarium researchers because they have questions that they need answered and they are
depending on us for those answers. This is part of the purpose of science, to answer
questions that are important to our community so that we can all become more actively
engaged community scholars.
The basic outline of the labs is as follows:
Date
Laboratory Goal
28 January
Brief meeting: orientation to the lab course and goals.
4 February
Field Trip to the New England Aquarium
11 February
Designing research, exploring literature, testing hypotheses
18 February
Return trips to the Aquarium to set up experiments
25 February
Skills development part one
4 March
Skills development part two
11 March
Additional sampling if needed for final samples
25 March
DNA extraction
1 April
Pouring gels and checking DNA extractions, intro to PCR
8 April
PCR on your samples (round 1)
15 April
Gel Check PCR reactions; PCR clean up
22 April
DNA quantification and poster work
29 April
Pooling DNA and sequencing
6 May
Data analysis
13 May
Data analysis
TBD
Poster presentation
As with all molecular biology work there will be times in lab when you are waiting for
something to happen. You can most effectively use this time to work on your posters, some of
which can be done even before you have your data. More instructions on our posters will be
provided in the class.
Grade Breakdown:
Laboratory attendance and participation: 50%
Poster and data quality and presentation: 50%
Assessment:
The nature of the semester long research project makes it absolutely necessary that
no lab day can be missed. You will note as you look at the schedule that every week depends
on the successful completion of the work that was assigned during the previous week. Thus
laboratory attendance and participation will be a crucial part of you evaluation. I expect that
you will attend every laboratory class. There are no make-up labs. If you miss a lab it will
be your responsibility to get your lab partners and teammates to process your samples for
you so you will need to make the necessary arrangements.
There will be assigned readings associated with each laboratory that will need to be
completed prior to coming to the laboratory. These readings will be handed out at the end of
the previous class. Occasional quizzes will be given to be sure you are doing the required
readings and will be considered a part of your participation grade.
The final project for the course will be the creation of a scientific poster and a formal
presentation of those posters to the students in the class and the researchers at the aquarium
who are interested in your results. The grade will be based on 1) the quality of the data
analysis and poster presentation (35%) and your formal presentation of your results and
your mastery of the content of your poster as demonstrated through a question and answer
period immediately following your poster presentation (15%).
Accommodations:
The University of Massachusetts Boston is committed to providing reasonable academic
accommodations for all students with disabilities. This syllabus is available in alternate
format upon request. If you have a disability and feel you will need accommodations in this
course, please contact the Ross Center for Disability Services, Campus Center, Upper
Level, Room 211 at 617.287.7430. http://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/disability/
After registration with the Ross Center, a student should present and discuss the
accommodations with the professor. Although a student can request accommodations at
any time, we recommend that students inform the professor of the need for
accommodations by the end of the Drop/Add period to ensure that accommodations are
available for the entirety of the course.
Academic support
Information about tutoring and other services available to students and faculty through the
Office of Academic Support Programs can be found at the Internet address:
http://www.umb.edu/academics/vpass/academic_support