The grade is determined primarily from the write-ups of the labs, which are comprehensive. Go to the top of this frame. The Biochemistry II labs provide students with hands-on experience with techniques in molecular biology currently used by researchers worldwide. General areas of research covered include restriction endonucleases, DNA isolation, PCR, DNA sequencing, and molecular modeling. The emphasis in lab includes the principles behind modern molecular techniques and the reasons for selecting one approach over another to answer a given set of questions.
Skills gained by students include data analysis, statistics, and experimental design.
The questions posed over the course of a semester will focus on DNA isolation and its biochemical and thermodynamic characterization. Students are introduced first to DNA isolation, amplification, and analysis. Subsequently, students sequence their purified DNA samples. Finally, students make predictions about the stability and structure of their DNA and then test these predictions through direct measurement and computer modeling. Go to the top of this frame.