Instructor:       Scott Provan
       office:        Hanes Hall 337
       telephone:  962-3836
       e-mail:       Scott_Provan@UNC.edu

Office Hours:   Tuesday 1-3PM

Texts:      Genome by Matt Ridley
           The Double Helix by James Watson

webpage: http://stat-or.unc.edu/webspace/courses/provan/STOR072_web

Instructional software:  IDEAS -- This includes instructions for accessing from your laptop.
Web-based software:    BLAST
 

Description

Course structure:  The course will be comprised of four activities:

1. Class discussion, based on the material from the two texts plus course webpage material.  The list of reading assignments can be obtained by clicking on Discussion Topics.  I will also discuss any relevant news items that might come up (material for these will be put on the webpage).
2. Lectures and assignments on some of the biological, technical, and computational issues associated with unlocking the human genome.  Notes will be provided where needed. 
   
3. Hands on classes, including experiments, web sites, and use of bioinformatics software.
4. Each student should keep a scrapbook of news items relevant to the human genome, genetic research, and related issues.  Once during the semester, each student will present one of her/his articles.
   

• Class discussions & news article presentation
• Discussions include chosen chapters of Genome, the Double Helix, plus other material available on the course website.
  
• I will announce the topic will be in advance of the discussion. 
  
• For Genome chapters, you will be responsible for knowing the gene associated with each chapter, along with the general point of the chapter.  I will be calling on students at random for this information at the beginning of the discussion.  In general I am also looking for participation and insights.
• Classroom presentations on your article should include a brief summary of the article, followed by a leading question or topic to generate discussion.  Presentation + discussion should last no more than 10 minutes.
• Scrapbook
• 10-15 articles about events, discussions, or other news that occurred in 2008, along with a  short paragraph giving your comments on each article. 
  
• Scrapbooks are graded on interest & content of the article, the thoughtfulness of the comments, and general appearance.
• I will collect your first 5 articles around mid-semester to make sure you are on the right track.  They will not be graded at this point.
  
• "Weekly" quizzes
• These will be on Wednesdays only, every week or two, and will be 10-20 minutes. 
  
• They will not be announced. 
  
• They will cover readings (even if we skipped them), lecture material and class discussions.
• Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped.
• Homework assignments
• There will be 2-3 of these, and they will give you a chance to do more involved analysis, and use the IDEAS software to solve some problems. 
  
• You may discuss problems amongst yourselves, but you should write up your own solutions.
  
• There will be no final exam. However, I reserve the final exam period (Monday, Dec. 14, 4PM) for catch-up tasks.
  

1. Course introduction
2. Darwin, Mendel, and Genetics
3. The Discovery, Structure and Function of DNA
4. Sequencing the Human Genome
5. Computers, Information, and DNA
6. Searching for Gene Sequences

A Glossary of Biochemical Terms
The structure of DNA
The structure of chromosomes
How Big is the Human Genome?
The Scientific Method
Evolution and Religion
Two Statements on the Origin of the Universe
The Natural History article on Intelligent Design
Class Debate on Intelligent Design
The Algebra of Mating
Mating Experiments
Haeckel's Evolutionary Tree
X-ray diffraction photo of DNA
Description of meiosis
Animation of meiosis
Animation of recombination
The Central Dogma animation
Mystery Protein
The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: UNC!!
Description of complete sequencing process
The History of Computers
The Growth of Computers
A Description of the DNA Computer
Using BLAST
BLAST sequences
Output from BLAST
Fragile X Overview
Introduction to the mechanics of cancer
Protein folding
Lawrence Summers: "Diversifying the Science and Engineering Work Force"
Gene Doping Article
Gene Doping Analysis