P. Fajer
Biophysical Principles of Biological Techniques
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Tips and Tricks in Modern Biology
or
Biophysical Principles of Biological Techniques
Peter Fajer: KLB 5th floor or Magnet Labs C-329
e-mail: fajer@magnet.fsu.edu
WEB: http://fajerpc.magnet.fsu.edu
tel.: 4-2600 or 5-1337 (o); 4-4920, 5-1335 (!)
Objective: to foster the understanding of basic principles underlying modern laboratory methods:
they are easy !
Format: background lectures (Tuesday, 12:30-1:45, PF) and applications presentations/discussions
(Thursdays 12:30-1:45), you guys ! ).
Textbook: Supplementary reading: Freifelder’s Physical Biochemistry, Freeman, Van Holde,
Johnson and Ho Principles of Physical Biochemistry, Prentice Hall (excellent textbook) and Glasel
and Deutscher’s Introduction to Biophysical Methods for Protein and Nucleic Acid Research,
Academic Press.
Presentations: 20-min journal club style presentations on the techniques employed in original
publications. You should choose 1-2 papers at least 7 days before your presentation and get it
approved by me. The presentation should focus on the methodology, how the given technique is used
to answer what question. Merit of scientific conclusions is not the issue here.
For the class prepare a handout for everybody plus necessary overheads. Be critical, explore
whether the other methods could have been used and whether the analysis is adequate. Stimulate
discussion and above all: don’t let anybody fall asleep. Do not take discussions personally, you are
not responsible for original authors work ! You will meet with me after your presentation for the
post mortem.
Grading: Presentations will count for 50% of the final mark. Ask me about the grade during postmortem session. 10% will be awarded on the basis of class participation (motto: there are no stupid
questions, there are only stupid answers). The remaining 40% will be from a final examination.
Curve: A > 90; A- >85; B+ >80; B >75%;B- >70% … If necessary, the curve will be upward scaled
according to class median (set to B for graduate courses).
Synopsis: following is version 1 of the synopsis. Please check the dates for conflict with holidays,
exams etc.
Date
1/10
1/12
1/17
1/19
1/24
1/26
1/31
2/7
2/14
2/28
3/14
3/16
3/21
Topic
Organizational meeting, signal
processing
Isolation and purification
Buffers, Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis/Chromatography
Chromatography
Structure determination
Structural motifs
X-ray crystallography
X-ray diffraction
Electron microscopy
NMR
Computational methods
Macromolecular characterization
Enzyme Binding and Kinetics
Sedimentation
Mass spectrometry
2/16/2016 9:36:00 PM
533567900
Date
Practioneer
Presenter A
Presenter B
2/2
2/9
2/16
3/2
Guru
Sandy
Omar
Christina
Hui
Girdhari
Bobby
James
Karen
Jenny
Hui
Carl
3/23
TB
Girdhari
Jenny
1
P. Fajer
3/28
3/30
4/6
4/11
Biophysical Principles of Biological Techniques
Optical spectroscopy: absorption, CD
Fluorescence, phosphorescence,
Fluorescence energy transfer and
quenching
Magnetic resonance spectroscopies
NMR (non-structural)
EPR
Presentations
Presentations
2/16/2016 9:36:00 PM
4/4
4/13
4/18
4/20
533567900
2/2
Kersten
Karen
Bobby
Nillakhshi
Ilker
Karen (Mass
Spec)
Jenny (MRI)
James
Hui
James
(fluorescence)
Carl (X-ray)
Carl
Bobby
Girdhari
(EPR)
2