ANG 6460L, ADVANCED MOLECULAR ANTHROPOLOGY LABORATORY

Prof. Connie J. Kolman

Class meets in 436 (oral presentations) and 415 (laboratory research) UF Genetics Institute

Contact information:

UF Genetics Institute

409 Cancer Genetics Research Complex

352-273-8092

cmulligan@ufl.edu (best contact)

Class time: TBA

Research time is scheduled as needed by each student

Office hours: Friday, 10:30-12:30, B119 Turlington Hall

Course summary, format and grading:

The purpose of this class is to examine current applications of molecular data to questions of anthropological interest through class discussions and original laboratory research. Approximately 1/3 of class time will be spent on oral presentations and class discussions of journal articles (chosen by the student) and lab results. The remaining 2/3 of class time will be spent on original laboratory research focused on the student’s PhD research topic. All research will be conducted in Dr. Mulligan’s laboratory (415 UF Genetics Institute).

All students will present at least two 60 min oral presentation of either: 1) a journal article of molecular anthropological interest or 2) their own laboratory results. All students will be responsible for reading all articles assigned for each week and generating at least 2-3 questions or comments for articles that the student is not presenting. We will also discuss one ethical question (concerning anything to do with conducting original scientific research including lab conduct, publishing a paper, collaborations, etc) each week and all students are responsible for submitting at least two questions for discussion. Students will also design laboratory experiments that address a specific question within the broad area of their thesis research. The oral presentation and questions/comments plus regular class participation will account for 25% of the course grade. Experimental design, performance of experiments, and maintenance of a laboratory notebook will account for 75% of the course grade.

Useful websites:

http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/mulligan/Webpage/Advancedseminar.2009/SYLLABUS.html – website for class

http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/ej/ - UF database of available electronic journals (may only be available from a campus computer)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed - National Library of Medicine database of over 11 million journal articles dating back to the 1960s

http://www.genome.gov/glossary.cfm – NIH-maintained glossary of genetic terms

http://medical.webends.com - Online medical dictionary

http://www.genomesonline.org/ - status of genome sequencing projects

http://www.stanford.edu/group/morrinst/hgdp.html – Human Genome Diversity Project (dated, good for historical perspective)

Class attendance policy: Because the class meets only one time per week and because the class format is mainly discussion, it is very difficult to make up missed classes by borrowing notes, etc. Therefore, students are strongly encouraged to attend all classes. Computers are allowed in class for taking notes. Class discussions/lectures cannot be recorded in any manner without special permission.

Accommodations for students with disabilities: If you require accommodation due to a disability, please make an appointment during my office hours so that we may discuss your needs. Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

Academic honesty: As a result of completing the registration form at the University of Florida, every student has signed the following statement: “I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University.” An excellent website that discusses plagiarism (provides a definition and many useful examples) is http://www.csubak.edu/ssric/Modules/Other/plagiarism.htm. All students should read this material at least once.

UF Counseling Services: On-campus services are available for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals. They include:

1. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling
2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling
3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual assault counseling
4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling

Schedule of oral presentations:

TBA once the semester starts.