BIO 311: Molecular Neuroscience Laboratory, Fall 2011
Instructor: Adam Hall: x3467, Ford Hall 202A, ahall@smith.edu
Office Hours: Th 10.30-11.30A, F 1-2, or by appt.
Laboratory Teaching Assistant: Anjana Rao (arao@smith.edu)
Overview
This 1 credit laboratory initially uses tissue culture techniques to study the development of primary neurons in culture (e.g. extension of neurites and growth cones). There will be an introduction and demonstration of microarray techniques for studying differential gene expression in the brain. The rest of the laboratory involves the Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) oocyte expression system to study molecular structure-function. Oocytes (frog eggs) can be injected with cDNA encoding a variety of ion channels or with brain membranes that become incorporated in the plasma membrane of the oocytes. The second half of the semester includes a lab project using this system to investigate ion channel characteristics or pharmacology. BIO 310 must be taken concurrently.
Lab time: W 1.10-4.00PM Th 1-3.50pm, Sabin-Reed 419
Lab Protocols/Write-up details will be handed out prior to the proposed exercise. All lab exercises will be conducted in pairs or threes of your choosing. (Groups can be interchangeable up until the recess, but must be maintained throughout the period of the independent projects).
Schedule
| DATES |
Lectures, Discussions, Presentations and Readings |
| W/Th Sept 14, 15 |
Introduction to the lab |
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| W/Th Sept 21, 22 |
Tissue Culture of Embryonic Xenopus Nervous System |
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| W/Th Sept 28, 29 |
Observations of primary murine cortical cultures
And Introduction to DNA Microarr
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| W/Th Oct 5, 6 |
Microarray Image Analysis Project |
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| W/Th Oct 12, 13 |
Introduction to Oocyte Recording |
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| W/Th Oct 19, 20 |
Ca2+-activated chloride conductance in Xenopus oocytes |
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| W/Th Oct 26, 27 |
Ca2+-activated chloride conductance continued |
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Selection of Independent projects |
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| W/Th Nov 2, 3 |
Independent Projects |
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| W Nov 9 |
Independent Projects (cont) |
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| Th Nov 10 |
NO LAB OTELIA CROMWELL DAY |
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| W Nov 16 |
NO LAB ACH AWAY AT SFN MEETING |
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| Th Nov 17 |
Independent Projects (cont) |
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| W/Th Nov 23, 24 |
NO LAB (Thanksgiving Recess) |
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| W/Th Nov 30, Dec 1 |
Independent Projects (cont) |
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| W/Th Dec 7,8 |
Class Presentations of Independent Projects |
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| W/Th Dec 14, 15 |
NO LAB (unless absolutely necessary) |
Assignments
1) Tissue culture lab write-ups (15 %). Write-up report sheets will be handed out with lab. protocols.
2) Microarray Project (15%): Write-up report sheet will be handed out with lab. protocol.
3) Ca2+-activated chloride current in Xenopus oocytes (20%): Write-up report sheet will be handed out with lab protocol.
4) Class Presentation of Independent Project (10%). Powerpoint or overhead transparency presentation of project work describing background, aims, results and conclusions.
5) Independent project Report (40%): Project report written in standard article format: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion, Reference List.
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