McGILL UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY COURSE IN MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY MIMM 384 LABORATORY MANUAL MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY LAB Fall 2014 Dr. Benoit Cousineau and Dr. Greg Marczynski
LABORATORY COURSE IN MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY-MIMM 384 This course presents the student with a series of laboratory exercises in molecular biology and microbial genetics. Students will also explore present-day research subjects in the fields of bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology and immunology. The general objective is to provide practical and theoretical introduction to technology used in microbiology, virology, mycology, parasitology and immunology research. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES By the end of this course, students will be able to: - Follow an experimental protocol. - Perform laboratory techniques commonly used in microbiology and immunology. - Design experiments with appropriate standards and controls. - Analyze properly microbiology and immunology research data. - Present research results in a clear and efficient manner. - Use a scientific approach to problem solving. - Search efficiently the scientific literature. - Analyze, interpret, summarize and clearly present scientific information. PREREQUISITES: MIMM 211 - Biology of Microorganisms and MIMM 212 - Laboratory In Microbiology COREQUISITES: MIMM 323 - Microbial Physiology and Genetics and MIMM 324 Fundamental Virology COURSE CONTENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES 1. Two consecutive sections of lectures and laboratory exercises - Molecular biology (labs 1-6) - Microbial genetics (labs 7-12) 2. Term Paper Project Writing of a term paper on a topic in the general area of bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology or immunology. Each student will be assigned a topic by a professor from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology who will supervise the writing of the term paper. TIMETABLE Mondays, 2:30-3:30 pm: Pre-Laboratory Lectures Lyman Duff Medical Building Amphitheatre. Wednesdays, 1:30-5:30 pm: Laboratory exercises Laboratory Cubicles, 4 th floor of the Lyman Duff Medical Building. days, 1:30-2:30 pm: Experimental laboratory follow-up periods (as required) Laboratory Cubicles, 4 th floor of the Lyman Duff Medical Building days, 2:30-3:30 pm: Lectures (as required) Lyman Duff Medical Building Amphitheatre. 2
COURSE COORDINATORS Molecular biology (labs 1-6): Prof. Benoit Cousineau Lyman Duff Medical Building, Room 617 benoit.cousineau@mcgill.ca Microbial genetics (labs 7-12): Prof. Greg Marczynski Lyman Duff Medical Building, Room 506 gregory.marczynski@mcgill.ca Term paper project: Prof. Dalius Briedis Lyman Duff Medical Building, Room 502 dalius.briedis@mcgill.ca TEACHING ASSISTANTS (Fall 2014) To be determined Teaching assistants can be reached by email for consultation or for any other problems students may have regarding this course. LABORATORY STAFF Aghdas Zamani Richard Arthur Shan Hong Zhang aghdas.zamani@mcgill.ca richard.arthur@mcgill.ca shanhong.zhang@mcgill.ca 3
COURSE CALENDAR Fall 2014 LECTURERS: D. Briedis (DB), B. Cousineau (BC), A. Koromilas (AK), G. Marczynski (GM) DAY DATE TIME / ROOM / ACTIVITY Wed 3 Sept. 1:30 p.m. Jeanne Timmins Amphitheater Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) Lecture: Introduction to MIMM 384 (BC) 5 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: The Term Paper project (DB) 3:30 p.m. Meeting with term paper supervisors Mon 8 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Protein assays (BC) Wed Mon Wed Mon Wed 10 Sept. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Protein assays (BC) 12 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: On-line search of the scientific literature (DB) 15 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Endonuclease restriction analysis (BC) 17 Sept. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Endonuclease restriction analysis of plasmid preparations (BC) 19 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Organizing your term paper (DB) 22 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: PCR analysis (BC) 24 Sept. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: PCR to determine gene orientation in plasmids (BC) 26 Sept. Mon 29 Sept. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Bacterial transformation (BC) Wed 1 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Transformation of E. coli with a plasmid (BC) 3 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles: Cast PAGE gels for use on Wed (AK) 2:00 p.m. Laboratory cubicles: Count transformed colonies (BC) Mon 6 Oct. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Purification, electrophoresis and transfer of GST fusion protein (AK) Wed 8 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Purification, electrophoresis and transfer of GST fusion protein (AK) 10 Oct. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Immunodetection of GST fusion protein (AK) Meeting with your term paper supervisor. Hand in term paper outline (10% of grade). Meetings to be scheduled by the students and supervisors. 4
Mon 13 Oct. THANKSGIVING Wed 15 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Immunodetection of GST fusion protein (AK) 17 Oct. Mon 20 Oct. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Medical Bacteriology, Staph. & Strep. (GM) Wed 22 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Staph. & Strep. (GM) 24 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Follow-up: Staph. & Strep. (GM) Mon 27 Oct. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Lecture: Medical Bacteriology, Staph. & Strep. (GM) Wed 29 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Laboratory: Staph. & Strep. (GM) 31 Oct. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Follow-up: Staph. & Strep. (GM) Meeting with your term paper supervisor. Hand in term paper draft (10% of grade). Meetings to be scheduled by the students and supervisors. Mon 3 Nov. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Wed 5 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles 7 Nov. 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jeanne Timmins Amphitheater MNI Midterm exam Molecular biology section (labs 1-6) Mon 10 Nov. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Wed 12 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles 14 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Follow-up: Bacterial Genetics, Caulobacters (GM) Mon 17 Nov. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Wed 19 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles 21 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Follow-up: Bacterial Genetics, Caulobacters (GM) Mon 24 Nov. 2:30 p.m. Amphitheatre Lyman-Duff Wed 26 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles 28 Nov. 1:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Follow-up: Bacterial Genetics, Caulobacters (GM) Term papers need to be submitted before 4:00 at the Microbiology and Immunology office, Lyman-Duff, room 511 Mon 1 Dec. 2:30 p.m. Laboratory cubicles Wrap-up: Bacterial Genetics, Caulobacters (GM) 5
COURSE MATERIAL Required Texts Laboratory manual: Molecular biology and microbial genetics Laboratory manuals can be purchased in the Office of the Microbiology and Immunology Department in September. Suggested Reading Pathogenic and Clinical Microbiology: A Laboratory Manual. S.S. Rowland, S.R. Walsh, L.D. Teel and A.M. Carnahan. 1994, Little, Brown and Company. COURSE EVALUATION Laboratory reports 25% Pre-lab quizzes 5% Midterm Exam (labs 1-6) 25% Final Exam (labs 7-12) 25% Term paper 20% - Laboratory Reports: A 3-page report per laboratory session that includes purpose, introduction, result and discussion sections. Laboratory reports are due 1 week after the completion of the laboratory exercise and are jointly submitted by the laboratory partners. - Pre-Lab Quizzes: 5 short-answer type questions at the beginning of each laboratory exercise. - Midterm (Molecular biology) and Final (Microbial genetics) Exams: Two-hour written examinations. - Term paper: A 10-page review of original papers in the scientific literature on an assigned topic. Important notes: - 5% deduction will be applied for each day of late submission of the laboratory reports and term paper. - A documented excuse (e.g. Doctor s note) for missing a lab session or an exam should be submitted to the course coordinator. The mark for a missed lab session or exam without a documented excuse is zero. Note regarding missed laboratory exercise: As the material in all the laboratory exercises will be covered on the exams, it is strongly recommended that you obtain the data for any missed exercise from your laboratory partner and that you also contribute to the writing of the laboratory report. This will ensure that you understand the scientific principles, technical details and logical analysis of this exercise for the exams. 6
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