20.109(F08)

Fall 2008

Instructors: Angela Belcher, Bevin Engelward, Natalie Kuldell and Agi Stachowiak
Writing Instructor: Neal Lerner, Mya Poe
Oral Presentation Instructor: Atissa Banuazizi
Graduate TAs: Luis Alvarez, Brian Belmont, Michelle Sukup Jackson,

Lecture: T/R 11-12 (66-168)
Lab: T/R 1-5 or W/F 1-5 (56-322)
Seminar Room: 16-336

Welcome to 20.109! For many of you this will be the first time in a research lab and for others it will not, but it is our goal to make this class a useful and fun introduction to experiments and techniques in biological engineering. There is not time enough to show you everything you’ll need to know if you go on to do research, but after taking this class you should feel confident and familiar with some fundamental experimental approaches and lab protocols. You will develop good habits at the bench, ones that will increase the likelihood of success in your work and ensure the health and safety of you and those around you. By the end of the semester, you should also be aware of good scientific practice, having had some experience with report writing, notebook keeping and publicly presenting your data. All of us involved in teaching 20.109 hope you will find it a satisfying challenge and an exciting experience that has lasting value.

Announcements

• Lecture hour on 10.23 is optional. We have the opportunity to tour the Abcam facility in Kendall square. We will meet in 66-168 at 11 to walk over.

• Journal club will be in 16-336 on Thursday and Friday 10.23 and 10.24

• Images for Westerns are posted on M2D5 talk page.

• The parental genotype for the HIS-marked, TAP-tagged collection that is described here (pdf of Nature 2003 paper describing the work) and here (.doc of Supp Info) is MATa his3Δ1 leu2Δ0 met15Δ0 ura3Δ

• PCR samples have been run on gels and can be found on the talk pages for M2D2 and M2D3.

• Instructions for access to primary journal articles through MIT libraries: If you travel through the MIT homepage to the "libraries" link (you should be on a computer with certificates), then find and click "Vera" on the leftmost list of links, you should be able to type in "Molecular Cell" and have access to that journal through MIT's subscription. You may have to find the relevant article in the archives for that journal and each journal does that a little differently. Please ask if you're having trouble with any of this.

• Bevin Engelward will hold office hours on Thursday 10.09.08 from 5-6 PM and Monday 10.13.08 from 4:30-6PM in her office, 16-743. Stop by if you have questions or concerns about your Module 1 work.

• If you will be missing lecture on Thursday (10.09.08) due to the religious holiday and would like to meet on Friday (10.10.08) to review the material we covered, please just email me and we can set up a time. Nkuldell 08:58, 8 October 2008 (EDT)

• You can find the latest changes to the 20.109 wiki at Recent changes for 20.109

• You can find old announcements here