THANKS, AND GOOD LUCK TOMORROW!

Dear T53 and T59 students

Thank you all for a good term. Working with you has been a pleasure; you are the most dynamic, enthusiastic, and fun BIOL335 groups that I've ever seen!

Good luck tomorrow and on all your other exams

Cheers

Pam

Q&As

Please check the link to our answers to practice questions regularly...I am posting Q&As that I got by email.

My email and other info

If you'd prefer to email me rather than posting a comment:

kalas[at]zoology.ubc.ca

Please note that I'll share your questions (and their answers) with the rest of the class (anonymously). They will be posted on the "our answers to practice questions..." site (see link on the right).

Extra tutorials:

Thursday, 9-11 am room 5458 in biosciences from 2449 go 2 floors up, down the corridor, 5th or 6th door on your left).

Friday 9-11 am, room 5458 (see directions above)

QUESTIONS ABOUT DR GRIGLIATTI'S SECTION

Please post here your questions regarding Tom G.'s section.

The least you need to know:

- eukaryotic genes: their elements and how they are regulated (think about everything that needs to happen in order for a eukaryotic gene to be transcribed in a given cell)

- the conept of "reporter gene" and how to use a reporter gene to test the activity of a cis-regulatory element (or to define it)

- how to clone a gene based on positional information

- how to clone a gene based on sequence homology

- when and how to use a Southern blot, a northern blot, chromosome walking, RT-PCR, footprint analysis (and how to interpret results)

- how to sequence an entire genome (steps involved)

- how to assemble a contig using molecular markers

- what a microarray is

- transposable elements: generalities, as well as P element's hybrid dysgenesis (in general) and how to use P elements to add a piece of DNA to a fly's genome, and how to exploit them to clone a gene

- transposable elements in a cross (like the question we did with corn and the Ac and Ds elements)

- types of transposable elements (very general-class I and class II)

Happy studying! 

 

QUESTIONS ABOUT DR. HAUGHN SECTION

Please post here all your questions about the last section of the course (cell cycle, cancer and development).

The least you need to be able to explain to yourself:

- how do you go from one cell to many cells that look different, act differently and work together in a coordinated way;

- the connection between gene expression, regulation of gene expression, differentiation and development;

- a few examples of types of proteins (gene products) that are involved in development (e.g. TF, signalling proteins, etc)

- a few examples of how the action of a gene, or that of a protein, can be regulated (transcriptional level, translational level, post-translational....)

- how you can get a cell to grow out of control (what "things gone wrong" may cause this)

- what type of mutations can affect cell cycle

- how to show that DNA element X( e.g. a module of an enhancer) is necessary and sufficient to confer a particular spatio-temporal expression pattern to your gene of interest;

Tutorials/reviews next week (april 14-18)

According to in-class (Wed.) voting, and to the few messages I got, we'll have two tutorial sessions next week:

Thursday (17th) 9-11, room TBA

Friday (18th) 9-11, room TBA

If you are able to let me know in advance what you would like to go through, please post your requests here (it will help with the choice of material to cover in the sessions).

Next week there will also be extended office hours on Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri (TAs there from 9 to 3 or 4pm every day).

On Friday (the 11th) I will post my email adress here for those who find that it's an easier way to communicate than  the blog (Q&As, with identification details removed, will also be posted here).

Happy studying!

MISCELLANEOUS

Check the course website...there may be a few extra practice problems posted.

This week, the Mon. tutorial got all the cell cycle stuff done and got started a little bit on development. The Wed tutorial will work on development as well as on clarifying possible "problems".

Next week, the Mon. tutorial will work on development (we'll get that all done); the Wed. tutorial will finish development and have some Q&A time. Monday people are welcome to join the Wed. Q&A time, and Wed people who want some extra time on development are welcome to join the Monday group.

Check the questions and answers to practice questions page regularly now...practice questions and (later) answers will come up regularly.

The week after the end of classes (14-18 of April) we will have 2 extra sessions (one for the Mon. and one for the Wed. group, but everyone is welcome to come to either or both).

POSSIBLE FORMATS ARE:

1) REVIEW SESSION

2) TUTORIAL WITH EXTRA PROBLEMS SETS

3) INFORMAL Q&A SESSION

4) OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

Please choose which one you would prefer....so far we have 8 votes for 2) and 5 votes for 1) (plus one undecided)

POSSIBLE TIMES ARE

a) Monday am

b) Monday pm

c) Tue am

d) Tue pm

e) Wed am

f) Wed pm

g) Thu (finish before 11.30am)

h) Fri am

i) fri pm

So far Thu am, the 17th of April, has 7 votes and Fri am has 3 votes; Fri pm has 2 votes.