Biotechnology Course Syllabus (BIO 250)
Contact Information:
Instructor:
Office/phone:
Office hours:
E-mail:
Dr Lynn Fowler
214T / 562-4348
Hours as posted or by appointment
lynn.fowler@clinton.edu
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to biotechnology and its application in a variety of
medical, clinical and science disciplines. Topics covered include GLP, GMP, solution chemistry,
spectroscopy, chromatography, basic microbiology techniques and DNA and protein
purification/separation techniques. This course emphasizes basic laboratory skills essential
for beginning level employment in clinical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology laboratories.
This course is well suited to students in all majors programs.
Prerequisites: BIO 100, BIO 101 or CHE 101.
Text requirements:
Lisa A. Seidman and Cynthia J. Moore (1999) Basic Laboratory Methods for
Biotechnology. Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-795535-9
Internet articles, articles from current Biotechnology literature and articles from “mass
media” will also supplement the textbook.
Supplementary reference text:
Susan Barnum (2004) Biotechnology: A Brief Introduction. Wadsworth Publishing. (2nd
Edition) ISBN 0-534-49296-7
This book is on reserve at the library. You will NOT be required to purchase this textbook!
Course Outline:
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Definition of biotechnology and its applications in medicine, food, microbial and plant
genetics and forensic science.
Introduction to GLP, SOPs, MSDS’s and FDA regulations and their applications in
the workplace.
Solution chemistry; dilutions and concentrations, sterilization and storage of
biological solutions.
Introduction to laboratory techniques; weights and measures, volume and
temperature instrumentation and calibration.
Protein structure and analysis; purification and bioseparation techniques and the
uses of recombinant hormones and drugs in medicine.
Spectroscopy, chromatography and centrifugation techniques.
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7. Introduction to the chemistry and function of DNA; basic DNA and molecular
biology techniques, DNA profiling and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) techniques.
8. Applications and ethics of biotechnology and gene transfer methods in animals.
Laboratory:
Laboratory attendance is strongly encouraged. There are not always set lab days as this
course incorporates many small projects over 2-3 days. Attendance and participation are a
portion of your grade and a focus of this course. You MUST have a bound laboratory
notebook (NOT spiral bound!). It should contain a table of contents and each experiment
should be signed and dated at completion of the laboratory exercise. You should record all
pertinent data and observations during the laboratory exercise. These books should NOT be
rewritten. Correct documentation practices and writing a lab report will be explained in
class.
Student evaluation & Homework assignments:
Assignments: Throughout the semester you will be required to TYPE answers to all
assignments, which may serve as a basis for class discussion. These assignments must
include a cover page and a bibliography of all sources in APA format. These assignments will
NOT be accepted after the due date. Your grade will be based on the typed answers and
your class participation.
Ethical discussion reports: You will be asked to present several reports which will discuss
arguments “For” or “Against” a particular Biotechnology issue provided by the instructor.
You will read at least three articles (in addition to the “seed paper” provided by the
instructor) about the subject. All bibliographies should be in APA format.
Research Paper/presentation: You will choose and research a topic which will “discusses
the impact of biotechnology on an area of science that interests you”. You will then
present your research to the class towards the end of the semester. We will review
presentation format, expectations etc in class.
Laboratory Notebooks: You will be required to purchase a Composition notebook (see above)
to document all laboratory data and reports. The correct format of the laboratory reports
will be discussed in class. This notebook will be evaluated at the end of the semester and
graded for completion, documentation practices and accuracy.
Plagiarism:
Each written assignment should be the original work of the student. Students should
cite sources for all significant facts, ideas and evidence that they did not have before they
came upon the material. If in doubt, the best policy is to cite the reference. You should
check the college catalog for the policy on plagiarism.
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Grading:
Class Assignments
Ethical discussion reports
Research Project/presentation
Laboratory notebooks
Exams
15%
10%
20%
30%
25%
FINAL GRADE
100%
Grading Scale:
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
F
95-100
90-94
86-89
83-85
80-82
76-79
73-75
70-72
65-69
60-64
<60
Additional information:
Please feel free to contact me at any time. My office hours are posted outside my door or I
can be contacted by phone or email.
If you have, or suspect you may have, any type of disability or learning problem that may
require extra assistance or special accommodations. Please speak to me privately as soon as
possible so I can help you obtain any assistance you need to successfully complete this
course. You should also contact Laurie Bethka, Room 420M in the Academic Assistance
Center, for further assistance.
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Objectives:
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Describe the elementary principles of Biotechnology including recombinant DNA
technology, DNA replication, DNA sequencing, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA
mutation and cloning.
Describe applications of Biotechnology in diverse fields including environmental
science, agriculture, industry, food processing, medicine, forensics and plant and
animal population studies.
Describe the specific methodologies of Biotechnology in environmental toxicology
and bioremediation (using microbes to clean the environment), DNA diagnostics,
genetic testing, creation of transgenic plants/animals, gene therapy, gene transfer,
plant improvements and production of vaccines.
Describe the structure and organization of a Biotechnology company and the GMP,
GLP and documentation practices followed in accordance with government regulatory
authorities.
Describe industrial applications of Biotechnology in fermentation, including the use
of fermentation to obtain food products.
Discuss ethical issues in Biotechnology and debate its global impacts in various
facets of society.
Effectively critique media presentations and reports involving Biotechnology.
Concepts for general education:
The college is committed to and has adopted a policy for writing across the
curriculum. Through class writing assignments you will improve your both you writing and
critical thinking skills. Specifically the general education goals that are met by this course
are as follows:
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Students will gain experience in effective communication skills by practicing,
listening, reading, writing and speaking clearly.
Students will gain experience in performing basic computational problems.
Students will have a basic understanding of the scientific method.
Students will have the opportunity to practice thinking critically and analytically and
reason logically using current information and past experiences.
Students will have practice in assessing basic sources of information and how to
evaluate and use this information.
Students will develop an awareness of the relationship between science and
technology in terms of the life and physical sciences.
Students will be exposed to ways of understanding the connections between “theory
and practice” and be able to apply classroom learning to life situations outside of the
classroom.
L. Fowler, Ph.D. (1/06)
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