BioS 522/524 Syllabus
9-10:40am, MWF
Fall 2015
Course Philosophy: BioS522/524 are coordinated complementary courses that comprise the molecular
biology course foundation for graduate training in the MCDB program. Co-registration is required. The goal is
to familiarize students with concepts and experimental approaches in a wide range of molecular biology
research. Students are expected to achieve a high degree of competence in reading, understanding,
evaluating, and applying the research literature. Students should complete the courses with a working
understanding of many topics in molecular biology, and should be able to apply this knowledge creatively and
realistically to propose novel and plausible solutions to current problems in molecular biology research.
Course Structure: BioS524 (Molecular Biology Principles) meets in double-sessions during the first half of
the semester. The course consists of two modules, Protein Structure and Function and Principles of
Recombinant DNA Technology.
BioS522 (Molecular Biology Methods) meets in similar double-sessions during the second half of the
semester, with a focus on methodology and past/current research on the topics of Transcription and
Translation.
There is a mixture of lectures and discussions, adjusted at the discretion of the instructor. When possible,
current “hot topics” and approaches are incorporated into the material. The course calendar is shown below.
Grades for the two courses are assigned separately. For each course, the final grade is based on the grades
from both instructors. There is no cumulative final exam. Questions or comments about this course should be
directed to Don Morrison (coordinator for the course), or to individual instructors. Students are encouraged to
come to the instructors with problems, comments, or suggestions they may have about the contents and/or
style of the course.
BioS 524
Professor
Dates
Connie Jeffery
8/24 – 9/11
9/14 - 9/18
9/21 – 10/9
10/12 – 10/16
Brian Kay
Topic
Office / Ph /e-mail
Protein structure and function
Reading week and exam
Principles of recombinant DNA technology
Reading week and exam
@uic.edu
4252 MBRB /
6-3168 / cjeffery
4320 MBRB/
5-0668 / bkay
BioS 522
Professor
Don Morrison
Kate Warpeha
Dates
Topic
Office / Ph /e-mail
10/19 – 11/6
Prokaryotic Transcription
11/9 – 11/13
Reading week and exam
11/16-11/20
Toxic RNA: CRISPR elements
11/23 – 12/5
Eukaryotic Transcription
12/7 – 12/11
Reading week and exam
9/7: Labor Day, no class; 11/27: Day after Thanksgiving, no class
@uic.edu
4102 MBRB /
6-6839 / damorris
4268 MBRB
6-0459 / kwarpeha
Required Course Text: Lewin’s Genes XI (Jones & Bartlett, 2014); this is also an excellent molecular biology
reference that is worth having on your desk. This book provides a basic foundation in each area, and is used
as a reference for students needing background on various topics. In general, lectures do not cover the
material contained in the text, but assume that you have read and mastered that material, and go further,
relying on journal publications for a majority of the information presented in class.
Supplementary Sources. As you encounter methods that are new or unclear to you (and you will), two
additional resources should be consulted freely: Current Protocols in Molecular Biology and Current Protocols
in
Protein
Science
(available
online
through
UIC
Electronic
Journals
at
http://library.uic.edu/home/collections/journals/), and Molecular Cloning (Sambrook and Russell; Cold Spring
Harbor Laboratory Press). These books give the details of, and explain the theoretical basis for, most
common molecular biological methods. Finally, for matters related to nucleic acid enzymology, especially the
use of restriction enzymes, the reference section of the New England Biolabs Catalogue is a well-organized
gold mine of information and explanation.
Warning: A tremendous amount of material is covered. A good background in biochemistry, genetics, and
biology is required. You must keep up with the reading and lectures; exams are comprehensive and test your
command of the assigned literature, as well as your scientific creativity.
Filename: Bio522_524_Syllabus_2015b