Science for Life |

IDH 3931 Science for Life seminar series, Fall 2008

Open to all students

 

 

Registration: E-mail your request to Carol Blankenship in the Honors Office with your UFID number and "Science for Life" in the subject of your message.

Faculty Coordinator: Prof. Ben Dunn, Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, email: bdunn@ufl.edu Lecturers will come from all across campus and will be DIFFERENT from the lectures in other semesters..

Overview

• Interested in gaining insight into how fundamental science concepts are used in discoveries in the life sciences?
• Interested in learning about cutting-edge research at UF in the Life Sciences?
• Interested in exploring the possibility of a research experience?

Students majoring in chemistry, biology, physics, zoology, microbiology and all other science majors will find this new course of interest. However, you need not be a science major if you have a strong background in science from high school and you have a passion for research.

Funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the UF Science for Life program will provide research opportunities and training for exceptional freshmen undergraduate students. The program will give students deeper insight and appreciation of how fundamental science concepts are used in emerging research and discoveries in the life sciences. In this weekly seminar course, students will learn about the opportunities available in faculty laboratories. During each session, three professors from several colleges, from UF research laboratories around the state, Scripps-Florida, and occasionally other renowned visitors to UF will do presentations on modern topics in the life sciences with some emphasis on the biological and health sciences. The faculty will present brief summaries of their laboratory philosophy and research interests. As part of the course, students will be expected to interview several professors to learn more information and to prepare a report on each of them. The reports will be due at intervals during the semester and, along with attendance, will constitute the grading for the class. The topics will be new each semester and students may register up to three times for the course series accumulating up to 3 credits over 3 semesters. Course size will be capped at room capacity (305). The fall 2008 course will be offered in Turlington L007..

Additional detail will be provided through handouts and a website http://hhmi.chem.ufl.edu/metadot/index.pl that will list all the faculty members who will participate in the program. Students will be encouraged to visit several laboratories to gain information and learn about the day-to-day operation of the laboratories in order to make an informed decision on the lab a student may wish to join for subsequent undergraduate research experience.

For additional information please contact Ben Dunn: bdunn@ufl.edu

Student responsibilities and grading – All students will write a total of four short reports during the semester. Three of these will be summaries about different professors who present during the semester, OR who they identify through the program website and interview. Students MUST seek out the professor of their choice and ask follow up questions in a face-to-face interview. Students may NOT use only information from the professor’s website in preparing their reports, but must conduct an interview with the professors in person. As there are more than 300 professors associated with the HHMI Science for Life program, but only 43 will present in the fall semester, it is anticipated that many students will identify research opportunities with professors who do not present in this semester.

Grade	Percentage cutoff
A	90%
B+	85%
B	80%
C+	75%
C	70%
D+	65%
D	60%
E	59% or less

The student should seek information about recent publications from the professor and about the field of research. A bibliography (see point #6 below) should be developed for each report and the written report should include a discussion of major open questions in the field of research. Each report should be no longer than 3 pages, single spaced, including the bibliography, which should not exceed one page. Each report will be worth 20 points toward the final grade. The reports will be graded on completeness, explanation of the science involved, and analysis of the open questions of the science. Attendance will be taken and this will contribute 20 points toward the final grade. Thus, there will be 100 total points available, with the grade cutoffs as shown in the table at right. These grades are "guaranteed", i.e., 90% or above will always be an "A", while it is possible that the grades may be curved so that a lower score may qualify for an "A". No extra credit will be available and no exams will be given.

 Students should include in each narrative report the following elements:

1. Biographical information on the professor (where born, where educated, current title); How did the professor become interested in science?

2. Number of undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows currently in the laboratory.

3. A paragraph on each project that would be available for undergraduates with a description of the research.

4. The experimental techniques that are used in the laboratory.

5. Names and affiliations of major collaborators of the professor.

6. Five most recent publications from the professor’s laboratory, with full citation including authors, title, year, journal (or book), volume, pages, i.e., 1163-1172. THIS IS THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THE REPORT.

In addition, students are encouraged to do one of their four reports on one of the publications available on-line at:

http://opa.faseb.org/pages/Publications/breakthroughs.htm

These publications are written in layman’s language and describe cases where the results of biomedical research have resulted in advances in treatments for diseases.

Reports will be spaced out during the semester. Each report will be on one professor. Reports will be due by midnight on the following days: Sept. 23rd for the first report, Oct. 14th for the second report, Nov. 4th for the third report, and Dec. 9th for the fourth report. Reports in MS Word for Windows format will be submitted electronically by uploading a file to the course website. Reports submitted past the deadline will have 5 points deducted for each 24 hours past the deadline.

Students must first go on the Science for Life website from a campus computer  and REGISTER [Do not use Bellsouth or other service providers]. Students will logon and then submit their reports. No reports will be accepted in any other fashion, i.e., no paper copies, no email submission.

During discussions with the professors, students should learn about opportunities in the professor’s lab for the spring or summer semester when the students may begin their research experiences.

Special Needs - Students with documented special needs should notify the instructor as soon as possible so that necessary arrangements can be made. 

Attendance - Students are expected and required to attend class and come on time. Students will sign in each day. Punctuality is very important (and polite), especially since administrative announcements are given at the beginning of class. Should one be absent (due to serious illness or death in the family), it is the student's responsibility to inform Prof. Dunn or a TA in advance and to get information missed from one's peers. One unexcused absence will be allowed. Other absences will lead to deductions in points on the class grade. LEAVING CLASS EARLY WILL VOID CREDIT FOR THAT DAY.

Class environment - We wish to have an environment conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior may result in lowering of grade or dismissal from class. (Even quiet talking disturbs your classmates.) Beeping devices, such as cell phones, are particularly offensive. Turn off all beeping or buzzing devices upon entering the class. NOTE: No food or drinks are allowed in the classroom.

Academic Integrity - All work in the class must be your own. Copying from any source (e.g., classmates, published sources, internet), without appropriate citations, for any assignment is plagiarism. This is a serious offense and can result in a grade of 'E' for the course as well as disciplinary action from the university.