Instructor’s Guide The Relationship Between Genes and Proteins: Transcription and Translation Accompanying Laboratory: Effects of Antibiotics on Bacterial Growth and Protein Synthesis IG001 Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 The Relationship Between Genes and Proteins: Transcription and Translation Instructor’s Guide I. About This Resource ............................................................................................2 A. B. C. II. Writing Assignments and Grading Rubrics .......................................................3 A. B. C. D. E. F. III. I. Introduction......................................................................................................2 Learning Objectives.........................................................................................3 Using the Accompanying Laboratory...............................................................3 Reporting Experimental Results......................................................................4 Science Journalism Based on Published Research ........................................8 Writing a Letter of Transmittal ..........................................................................9 Grading Rubric for Reporting Experimental Results .....................................10 Grading Rubric for Science Journalism Based on Published Research........11 Grading Rubric for Writing a Letter of Transmittal..........................................11 Suppliers and Ordering Information .................................................................12 About This Resource I.A. Introduction The relationship between genes and proteins: Transcription and translation is an instructional unit designed to supplement courses that introduce students to the basic molecular biology of transcription and translation. The accompanying laboratory, Effects of antibiotics on bacterial growth and protein synthesis, reinforces concepts presented in class and may be used as a jumping point to studentdesigned, inquiry-based investigation. The modular nature of this instructional unit allows instructors to adapt individual components for their existing courses. Writing assignments are included in this instructor’s guide for courses that must meet “writing across the curriculum” or “write to learn” requirements. Pages of this instructor’s guide, such as “Reporting Experimental Results” or the descriptions of writing assignments, can be printed and distributed directly to students. Grading rubrics are provided as guidelines for instructors. This teaching resource is made available to educators free of charge by Promega Corporation. Copyright 2008 Promega Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction for noncommericial educational purposes only. Editor: Michele Arduengo, PhD Laboratory: Terri Sundquist, MS Michele Arduengo, PhD Animations: Sara Klink, MS Web: Tim Rickey, PhD Chris Murvine www.promega.com ! Note: This instructor’s manual is available online only. Instructors in the United States who are using Promega products for teaching laboratories may be eligible to participate in the Promega Training Support Program. Visit the web site at: www.promega.com/us/trainingsupport/default.htm for discounts on products used in teaching activities. If you have feedback, including suggestions for other topics you would like to see covered, please contact Michele Arduengo ([email protected]). Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. 8/07 IG001 Page 2 I.B. Learning Objectives Depending upon which parts of this instructional unit are used, students will: 1. become familiar with the basic events of transcription and translation (lecture, animations, laboratory, writing assignments) 2. be able to identify major differences of transcription and translation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms (lecture, writing assignments) 3. appreciate the historical development of scientists’ understanding of transcription, translation and the genetic code (lecture, writing assignments) 4. gain familiarity with seminal primary literature in the field of transcription and translation (lecture, writing assignments) 5. understand that chemical reactions can be catalyzed by molecules other than proteins (i.e., ribozymes) (lecture) 6. be able to report experimental data in a standard scientific format (laboratory, writing assignments) 7. improve science writing skills (writing assignments) 8. demonstrate subject mastery (writing assignments) 9. explore theoretical knowledge using the linked laboratory exercise (laboratory, writing assignments) 10. relate results from in vitro and in vivo experiments (laboratory) 11. formulate original questions based on experimental data (laboratory, writing assignments) I.C. Using the Accompanying Laboratory The laboratory protocol that accompanies this instructional unit has two parts: an in vitro experiment to explore the effect of various antibiotics on translation and an “in vivo” experiment that will allow students to make connections between what happens on the molecular level (in the test tube) and what happens to the whole organism (bacteria grown on plates). Students will add various antibiotics to E. coli S30 extract to determine their effect on transcription and translation using the production of active luciferase as a reporter for the system. Production of luciferase can be monitored by luminescence or a colorimetric assay, depending on available laboratory equipment and supplies. Both the luminescent and the alternative colorimetric protocols are provided in the laboratory instructor’s manual. This unit provides an instructor’s manual for the laboratory as well as a separate student’s manual. Both manuals are available as PDF files and can be downloaded and printed for educational use. We have included postlab “thought” questions to foster student inquiry or to serve as prompts for student-designed, inquiry-based laboratory exercises. II. Writing Assignments and Grading Rubrics Three writing assignments are included in this instructor’s guide. These assignments are written for students and can be distributed directly to students without modification. We have also included grading rubrics for the convenience of the instructors. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com IG001 Page 3 Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 II.A. Reporting Experimental Results Your laboratory report should include the following components: Title. Your title should be specific so that a reader can know at a glance what the report is about. Specificity does not necessarily equate with length. Abstract. Abstracts are short (50 to 100 words) summaries of the work. They often include one sentence to provide context. They state what was tested and why, the system used, and they briefly describe the results. They are written as one paragraph, except in some medical literature where structured abstracts are used. Introduction. A short section that clearly states your question or hypothesis. This section will answer the question “who cares?” by providing context and background that show why your study is important. Materials and Methods. This section should be written so that someone can duplicate your experiment. It should be brief but informative. Any special steps taken should be explained, but standard details (e.g., how to use a pipettor) should be omitted. Quite often this section is written using the passive voice, because who did the work is not as important as what was done. Results. This part of your report presents the experimental data obtained; it does NOT interpret that data. Quite often this section will use tables and graphs. Make sure that any tables you construct for your data are easily understandable. Label columns and rows. Generally put the known information (context) to the left and the new information to the right. For example, the sample table below summarizes data from experiments to purify DNA from a variety of organisms. The organisms used are “known” and presented first (on the left); what is new is how much DNA was obtained, and it is presented to the right. Table 1. Quantity of DNA Purified from Various Sample Types Using the Automated Purification Method. Organism (Tissue) Starting Material DNA Yield (µg) D. melanogaster (whole fly) Artemia fransciscana (whole shrimp) 5 flies 1.52 1 shrimp, 3–4 mm 1.72 C. elegans (whole worm) 50,000 worms 0.08 Graphs are used to illustrate trends in the data that are not immediately obvious when you put your data in a table format. Do not include graphs in your laboratory report merely for the sake of including a graph. Make sure that the graph, tells an important story or shows a trend that you cannot call to your readers’ attention by any other medium. When plotting data to create graphs, make sure that you are representing your data correctly. For instance, do not plot categorical data as a continuous line. Consider the example below where categories (drug treatment) are plotted as points connected by lines: Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 IG001 Page 4 A. 60 % Patient Response 50 40 30 20 10 0 , e , l, e, rol rol pin hin e ero e, me ine me ine tro p e m r e A e o h D D op in pin g g D trop ine mg Morp .8 m g M Atro mg g Atr m m z 5 5 A 0 7 mg 2 m 50 mg roxy 10 8 mg d 0.4 25 0. 0.4 Hy mg 0 5 Drug Treatment Given These data are better represented by a bar chart (see below). B. 60 % Patient Response 50 48 50 40 40 30 30 20 20 10 0 25 mg Demerol, 0.4 mg Atropine 50 mg Demerol, 0.4 mg Atropine, 50 mg Hydroxyzine 75 mg Demerol, 25 mg Morphine 0.8 mg Atropine 10 mg Morphine, 0.8 mg Atropine Drug Treatment Given You could argue, of course, that the data presented above do not show any particular trend and might best be presented in a table. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com IG001 Page 5 Printed in USA. 8/07 II.A. Reporting Experimental Results (continued) When writing the text portion of your results section, draw your reader’s attention to the key patterns or trends in the data, but do not recreate your graphs in words. When you write your results section, make sure that you know what you want your reader to notice in your data. Avoid the temptation to sum things up by saying the experiment “worked” or “didn’t work”. The data may not be what you expected, but if the experiment was performed correctly with all of the appropriate controls, you have results that should be presented. Discussion. Here is where you will interpret your results against the backdrop of the original hypothesis or question you set out to investigate. Your discussion can be built around the following questions: 1. What were the predictions of your original hypothesis (or expectations in a descriptive study)? 2. How did the results you obtained compare to your original predictions or expectations? 3. How might you explain any unexpected results? Be sure to include information about how your positive and negative controls performed. 4. Can you suggest ways to test your explanations? 5. Do your results raise any questions for future study? Literature Cited. This section lists all of the papers or communication that you are using to support your statements in the introduction and discussion sections. There are some standards for using references in scientific writing: 1. Do not use footnotes within the text. You can cite sources using a numerical method, where each source is assigned a number based on the first place in the paper where the source is used. Or, you can use the “author, date” format within the text and alphabetize your list of references at the end of the paper. Your instructor will tell you which style to use. 2. You can cite information from a lecture, presentation or conversation as “personal communication”. You should have permission of the person you are citing before you do so. 3. Make sure that you have read the ENTIRE paper if you cite it. Do not read the abstract from a PubMed search and then cite the paper without reading the actual paper. 4. If you are citing an online source, do your homework. Who is the author or sponsor of the web site? Do they have the credentials necessary to be an authoritative voice on the subject? When was the information last updated? 5. Although Wikipedia is an excellent starting point for most research, it should not be a primary source for your work. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 IG001 Page 6 II.A. Reporting Experimental Results (continued) Style. Good science writing, like any good writing, must communicate an idea to the reader clearly, which means that the writer needs to use good grammar, use language correctly and proofread the work. Good science writing is judged by the readers’ responses to the writing. Can the reader easily find needed information? Can the reader recall the message of the text? Can the reader make a decision or take an appropriate action after reading the text? There are many excellent resources for writers. One of the best is the writing center at your college or university. Most writers also have one or two key style guides on hand for reference as they write. Below are some style guides that are useful for writers in the life science and medical fields. Your instructor may assign a specific style for you to follow. If not, use one of the style guides below to guide you with your writing. Science Writing Council of Science Editors, Style Manual Committee. 2006. Scientific style and format: The CSE manual for authors , editors , and publishers. 7th ed. Reston (VA): The Council. Dodd, J.S., ed. 1997. The ACS style guide. 2nd ed. Washington (DC): American Chemical Society. Iverson, C. et al. 2007. AMA manual of style: A guide for authors and editors. 10th ed. New York (NY): Oxford University Press. General Writing Style Sabin, W.A. 2004. The Gregg Reference Manual. 10th ed. New York (NY): McGraw-Hill Irwin. Sabin, W.A. 2008. The Gregg Reference Manual, online. 10th ed. New York (NY): McGraw-Hill Irwin. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0073545430/information_center_view0/ (accessed 7/27/2007) Strunk, W. and White, E.B. 1979. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Boston (MA): Allyn and Bacon. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com IG001 Page 7 Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 II.B. Science Journalism Based on Published Research Explaining science to the nonscientist is one of the most difficult tasks that a scientist may undertake and perhaps one of the most important. Decisions about which projects to fund are often made by board members or administrators who do not have a scientific background; legislation covering the conduct of research is drafted by lawmakers who most often are not scientists. Science and technology affect everyone in society from the patient in the hospital to the road construction crew marking gas pipes and electrical cables. To explain science to the nonscientist, a person must have a thorough grasp of the scientific concepts involved and be able to simplify them without omitting so much detail or nuance that the story becomes inaccurate. Assignment Table 1 lists some “historical” peer-reviewed papers related to the general topics of transcription and translation. Choose one of these papers and write a 400word newspaper article describing the findings and their relevance for the nonscientist. Most often journalistic pieces are written in an “inverted pyramid” style with the main message coming at the beginning. The remainder of the article expands on the summary at the beginning. Since you are writing for a nonscientist, you will explain to the reader what was done and why, and importantly, why the results are interesting and relevant to your reader. Table 1. Historical Papers in the Field of Transcription and Translation Research. Ingram, V.M. 1957. Gene mutations in human hemoglobin: The chemical difference between normal and sickle cell hemoglobin. Nature. 180, 326–328. Crick, F.H.C. et al. 1961. General nature of the genetic code for proteins. Nature. 192, 1227–1232. Murayama, M. 1967. Structure of sickle cell hemoglobin and molecular mechanism of sickling phenomenon. Clinical Chemistry. 14, 578–588. Beadle, G.W. and Tatum, E.L. 1941. Genetic control of biochemical reactions in Neurospora. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 27, 499–506. Maling, B.D. and Yanofsky, C. 1961. The properties of altered proteins from mutants bearing one or two lesions in the same gene. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 47, 551–566. Sarabhai, A.S. et al. 1964. Colinearity of the gene with the polypeptide chain. Nature 201, 13–17. Dintzis, H.M. 1961. Assembly of the peptide chains of hemoglobin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 47, 247–261. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 IG001 Page 8 II.C. Writing a Letter of Transmittal Letters of transmittal are used in professional settings to introduce experimental reports. These letters are important documents for record keeping. A well written letter of transmittal will provide an “executive summary” of the work undertaken and the major results achieved. Well written letters may even be used as the primary source of information for a corporate board of nonscientists who must make funding or investment decisions about the research. A letter of transmittal should not exceed one page in length. In addition to containing information about the research conducted, it may also contain information regarding contractual arrangements agreed upon for funding or timelines, or the letter may even solicit additional research funding. Letters of transmittal are formal business letters; as such, the letter should be printed on formal letterhead, include dates, names and positions of correspondents, etc. Assignment Your research group has been contracted by a major pharmaceutical company to determine the mechanism of action of a number of antibiotic compounds that they have synthesized in their basic research laboratories. Write a letter of transmittal from your research group to B. Lactam, MD, Director of Lead-Compound Testing at AntiBac, Inc. The letter should describe the experiments you performed to determine the mechanism of action of the antibiotics you tested in the laboratory. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com IG001 Page 9 Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 II.D. Grading Rubric for Reporting Experimental Results •Introduction has adequate background information and clearly states the Introduction (10) -"Who Cares" statement: why the study was done (relevance) -Brief summary of relevant background facts -Background clearly leads to the problem or question being addressed -Clearly stated hypothesis with predictions question being investigated or the hypothesis being tested. 10 points •Hypothesis or question being investigated is clearly articulated and relevance described, but background information is incomplete. 7–9 points •Introduction provides adequate background but hypothesis/question not clearly articulated. 0–7 points •Introduction is absent or plagiarized. 0 points Materials and Methods (20) •Equipment and Supplies list complete; procedure could be replicated someone else as described; report of actual experimental methods accurate. 20 points. -Equipment and supplies required •Equipment and supplies list incomplete; procedure could be replicated -What the scientists (students) ACTUALLY did -Detailed enough that someone else with the same knowledge and experi- as described; description of actual experimental methods accurate. 18–19 points. ence could repeat the experiment exactly •Equipment and supplies list absent; procedure could be replicated as described; description of actual experimental methods accurate. 16–18 points •Equipment and supplies list complete; but procedure is missing key information for replication or report of methods not accurate. 10–16 points •Procedure is minimally described or absent; equipment and supplies list is provided. 1–10 points •Materials and Methods section is absent or copied verbatim from existing protocol. 0 points Results (10) -Presents major findings of the study -Presents data and summarizes observations using graphs and tables -Any trends noticed are clearly indicated -Data should not be interpreted in this section •Data presented clearly and with appropriate graph, table or illustration; trends identified. 10 points •Data presented in an unclear fashion; format for data may not be the best. 1–9 points •Results section missing or plagiarized. 0 points Discussion (10) •Results are clearly tied back to original hypothesis. New questions/hypotheses presented and future work is presented. 10 points. •Missing either linkage to original hypothesis/question or new ques-How do the results relate to the hypothesis or goals of the study? -What new questions does the study raise? or What new hypotheses might tions/future work not presented. 5–9 points. •Results not tied back to original hypothesis or question investigated. now be formulated? What are the future directions for the work? •Future questions /directions not discussed. 1–5 points. •Discussion section missing or plagiarized. 0 points Literature Cited (5) -Full citations for any references cited in the report using the Scientific Style and Format or other assigned style manual. Abstract (5) -Summarizes the problem addressed; the approach and major findings and conclusions. This will be at the beginning of the report but is often written last. No more than 120 words. Writing Quality (20) -Grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct. -Writing is clear and reader-centered. Scientific Accuracy (20) -Scientific concepts are presented clearly and explained accurately. •Required style format followed; references are accurate and correctly cited in text. 5 points. •Either format not followed or references were not accurately cited. 1–4 points. •Literature cited section is absent. 0 points •All parts present. Length limitation met. 5 points. •Missing one or more elements or too long. 1–5 points. •Abstract is missing. 0 points. •Clear, reader-centered writing; all jargon is defined; language is precise; grammar, spelling and punctuation are stellar. 20 points. •Clear, reader-centered writing; jargon is defined; precise language; some minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. 16–20 points. •Writing is sometimes muddled; imprecise language; minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. 12–16 points •Major grammatical errors; muddled writing; imprecise language. 0–10 points •Jargon clearly defined and defined correctly; background correctly describes previous work; no scientific gaffes or inaccuracies. 20 points •Some problems with interpreting primary literature cited in report; science mostly correct and accurate. 13–19 points •Inaccuracies in interpreting previous work; scientific concepts inaccurate; materials and methods inaccurate. 0–13 points. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 IG001 Page 10 II.E. Grading Rubric for Science Journalism Based on Published Research Content (30) •Clearly states the take-home message, explains the science to the nonscientist, clearly indicates the relevance of the research to the reader. (30 points) The news story opens with a lead that clearly states the take-home message of the research. The news story clearly explains the study conducted •Missing a lead, fails to explain the science, fails to show relevance or generate interest. (0–29 points) and the science behind it in a concise manner. The piece shoud give a nonscientist a rudimentary understanding of the research and, importantly, its relevance to his or her life. Writing Quality (35) -Grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct. -Writing is clear and reader-centered. Scientific Accuracy (35) -Scientific concepts are presented clearly and explained accurately. •Clear, reader-centered writing; all jargon is defined; language is precise; grammar, spelling and punctuation are stellar. (35 points) •Clear, reader-centered writing; jargon is defined; precise language; some minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. (25–34 points) •Writing is sometimes muddled; imprecise language; minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. (1–24 points) •Major grammatical errors; muddled writing; imprecise language. (0–10 points) •Jargon clearly defined and defined correctly; science explained accurately; no scientific gaffes or inaccuracies. (35 points) •Science mostly correct and accurate. (25–34 points) •Scientific inaccuracies. (0–24 points) II.F. Grading Rubric for Writing a Letter of Transmittal Letter Contents (30) •Contains an accurate, precise summary of the study and major findings, and a statement of relevance of the work, professional tone. (30 points) -The letter clearly explains the study conducted and the science behind it •Missing either summary of the study, the major findings or statement of in a concise manner. The letter should give a nonscientist executive a rudi- relevance for the work. (0–29 points) mentary understanding of the research and its relevance. Writing Quality (35) -Grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct. -Writing is clear and reader-centered. Scientific Accuracy (35) -Scientific concepts are presented clearly and explained accurately. •Clear, reader-centered writing; all jargon is defined; language is precise; grammar, spelling and punctuation are stellar. (35 points) •Clear, reader-centered writing; jargon is defined; precise language; some minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. (25–34 points) •Writing is sometimes muddled; imprecise language; minor grammar, spelling or punctuation errors. (1–24 points) •Major grammatical errors; muddled writing; imprecise language. (0–10 points) •Jargon clearly defined and defined correctly; science explained accurately; no scientific gaffes or inaccuracies. (35 points) •Science mostly correct and accurate. (25–34 points) •Scientific inaccuracies. (0–24 points) Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com IG001 Page 11 Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 III. Suppliers and Ordering Information Product E. coli S30 Extract System for Circular DNA Cat.# L1020 Provides enough control plasmid for 20 student reactions. (Each student group will perform 10 reactions.) Be sure to request an additional vial of pBESTluc™ DNA to ensure that you have enough DNA template. Steady-Glo® Luciferase Assay System E2510 Provides enough reagent for 100 luciferase assays. (Each student group will perform 10 luciferase assays.) Transcend™ Non-Radioactive Translation Detection System L5070 For Laboratory Use. For laboratories that do not have access to a luminometer or multimode instrument that can measure luminescence. Also, instructor’s who wish to introduce students to SDS-PAGE can use this system. Nuclease-Free Water P1193 For Laboratory Use. Promega Training Support Program: Discounts for Educators in the United States To order Promega products for your teaching laboratory (U.S. only) at a significant educational discount, visit www.promega.com/us/trainingsupport/default.htm Materials required from vendors other than Promega Product Mueller Hinton Agar Mueller Hinton Broth (dehydrated medium) Ampicillin antibiotic disks (10 µg) Chloramphenicol antibiotic disks (30 µg) Streptomycin antibiotic disks (10 µg) Tetracycline antibiotic disks (30 µg) Erythromycin antibiotic disks (15 µg) Neomycin antibiotic disks (30 µg) Blank paper disks Ampicillin sodium salt Chloramphenicol Streptomycin sulfate salt Tetracycline hydrochloride Erythromycin Neomycin solution Cycloheximide ready-made solution Petri dishes (10 cm) Vendor Cat.# BBL Microbiology 211438 BBL Microbiology 211443 BBL Microbiology 230705 BBL Microbiology 230733 BBL Microbiology 230942 BBL Microbiology 231344 BBL Microbiology 230793 BBL Microbiology 230882 BBL Microbiology 231039 Sigma-Aldrich A2084 Sigma-Aldrich C7795 Sigma-Aldrich S8090 Sigma-Aldrich T7660 Sigma-Aldrich E5389 Sigma-Aldrich N1142 Sigma-Aldrich C4859 Fisher Scientific 08-757-9B Products may be covered by pending or issued patents or may have certain limitations. Please visit our Web site for more information. Promega Corporation · 2800 Woods Hollow Road · Madison, WI 53711-5399 USA · Toll Free in USA 800-356-9526 · Telephone 608-274-4330 · Fax 608-277-2516 · www.promega.com Printed in USA. Revised 2/08 IG001 Page 12
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