BIOL 215 | Methods in Molecular and Cell Biology

This course is an introduction to wet lab methods and approaches commonly used in molecular and cell biology. General methodological areas taught include, but are not limited to: calculations and preparation of solutions, UV-visible light spectrophotometry, PCR, preparation and analysis of proteins and nucleic acids by gel electrophoresis and blotting. This lab-based course is centered around a faculty member's area of scholarly interest and expertise, and students learn and practice methods by a project-oriented approach. Experimental results and interpretations stemming from experiments completed by students are communicated through both written lab reports and oral presentations. By engaging with this lab experience, concepts relating to gene function and cellular processes are reinforced, and these molecular-level concepts may also be connected with biological systems at the organism, population, and ecological levels. Students read papers from the primary research literature relating to methods and overall experimental strategies covered throughout the semester. Completing this course increases student preparation for upper division biology courses, in particular those emphasizing lab skill sets in molecular and cell biology.