Time: Fri June 4, Mon June 7, 9:00 - 11:30 am
Place: Bioinformatics Computer Core Lab (Rm 104), Life Sciences Bldg
Organizer: Jeff Elhai
Audience: Primarily 1st year students

Goals of session

• For those who already know something about molecular biology, to extend what is probably mostly book knowledge to application
• For those who are new to molecular biology, to make some headway in the aspects most important to bioinformatics
• For all, to illustrate how to approach reading a research article

FIRST SESSION (Friday, June 4)
Before coming to the session, please read or skim as much of the notes below as you can stand, then please complete a short     questionnaire     at least two hours before the session begins.

• Please read the notes given below.
  - Strategies of Life
  - Protein
  - DNA, RNA, and translation (minimal)
• Please look carefully at some questions in the molecular biology problem set, particularly questions amongst: B2, B9, B10, C2, C4, C6, D2, D4. Answer them if you can, but if you can't try to identify within yourself what you need to know or need to understand in order to answer them. We'll discuss them later.
        (If you're at sea regarding Problem C6, try
          this possibly illuminating explanation)

SECOND SESSION (Monday, June 7)

• Please look even more carefully at the molecular biology problem set, questions: B2, B9, B10, C2, C4, C6, D2, D4.
• Read the relevant portion of Belasco et al (1986), along with a tour of the article:
      - Part I: General strategy to read article
      - Part II: Answering the question
• Please complete a short questionnaire
  

Extra help for those who need it (scheduled as needed)

• Continue working on the material above, taking note what is confounding you and identifying as well as you can what it is you need to know but don't.
• If the genetic code is getting you down, try the following tour, Alien genetic code (through BioBIKE portal, Guided Tours)

Back to Introductory Week