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Biocore 383: Cellular Biology
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Course Information
Spring 2023
Overview of the Biology Core Curriculum
The Biology Core Curriculum (Biocore) is a four-semester honors sequence that provides a solid foundation for
any biologically oriented field of study. Biocore faculty come from all across campus and are eager to work with
you! They are scientists and instructors with diverse expertise—from human genetics to plant pathology, from
ecological restoration and evolutionary biology to cellular, developmental and neurological biology. The courses
offer an integrated, research-focused approach to biology with rich opportunities to practice scientific
communication, problem solving, critical thinking and group learning.
Biocore consists of seven Honors courses (4 lectures, 3 labs) taken over four semesters:
Lecture courses (3 credits)
Lab courses (2 credits)
Biocore 381: Evolution, Ecology and Genetics
Biocore 382: Evolution, Ecology & Genetics Lab
Biocore 383: Cellular Biology
Biocore 384: Cellular Biology Lab
Biocore 485: Principles of Physiology
Biocore 486: Principles of Physiology Lab
Biocore 587: Biological Interactions
The lecture courses must be taken in sequence since they integrate and build on one another. There is more
flexibility to take lab courses out of sequence, however we recommend taking either 382 or 384 prior to taking
Biocore 486. For students who choose to study abroad or take a break in the middle of Biocore, it is possible to
return to complete the program prior to graduation.
Fulfilling Major Requirements
Biocore is not a major but it fulfills many of the requirements for most biological science majors including
Biology, Biochemistry, Zoology and Genetics. Biocore courses fulfill introductory biology requirements, upper
level genetics (Genetics 466 equiv), and physiology for some majors (Phys 335 equiv). In addition, students earn
Comm-B credit and can fulfill intermediate/advanced laboratory requirement by taking Biocore 486 lab.
Recognition for taking Biocore
All Biocore courses are recognized on your transcript with an ‘H’ designation.
You will be eligible to earn a certificate in the Biology Core Curriculum that will be printed on your transcript as
“Certificate in Biology Core Curriculum Honors”. To earn this recognition, you must
• Complete all four Biocore lecture courses (Biocore 381, 383, 485, 587) and TWO of three Biocore lab
courses (Biocore 382, 384, 486)
• Earn a ‘B’ grade or better in all Biocore courses
• Complete your degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher
We realize the hard work and dedication you commit to complete four semesters of challenging Biocore courses.
Regardless of whether your goals include earning the official certificate or not, we look forward to working with
you ~ and celebrating with a cupcake at Biocore graduation!
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Honors Learning Outcomes
By the end of your Biocore Honors experience, you will
Be able to
• Reach for and achieve high standards in the quality of your learning
• Actively engage in and practice group learning, collaboration and team work
• Demonstrate a learning mindset and intellectual curiosity for biology that
transcends grades
• Demonstrate sophistication in your ability to reason scientifically and integrate
your understanding of biology- from molecules to ecosystems and different life
forms
• Demonstrate the process of science including development of novel scientific
questions, formulate hypotheses, carry out experiments, and make logical
conclusions based on evidence
• Demonstrate advanced scientific communication skills, oral and written, and the
ability to translate their understanding to the broader community
• Articulate the value of your Biocore Honors experience
Gain
• Advanced level biology content knowledge, critical thinking, scientific reasoning,
and process of science skills
• A supportive community of academically engaged peers
• A dedicated group of Biocore instructors who will support you in your learning
and professional development
• A portfolio of materials demonstrating your research, communication and
collaboration skills
• Certificate of Biology Core Curriculum Honors
Approved by Biocore Exec Committee 2/9/17
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Biocore 383: Cellular Biology
Welcome to Cellular Biology, the second course in the four-semester Biology Core Curriculum.
Prerequisites are Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics (Biocore 381) and Organic Chemistry (Chemistry 343).
Calculus (Math 221) is no longer required, but it is strongly preferred. (Students with questions concerning
prerequisites should check with the Biocore Associate Director, Janet Batzli, 363 Noland Hall).
Course Description
Biocore 383 deals with various aspects of life at the cellular and molecular levels. As is evident from the
lecture schedule on pp. 12-13, we will be concerned with several major themes. In Unit 1, Dr. Jeff Hardin
will provide an introduction to cells and cell membranes and will then discuss macromolecules and the flow
of energy in cells, considering how cells obtain, store, and use energy. In Unit 2, Dr. Shelby O’Connor will
take up the flow of information in prokaryotes and eukaryotes, including the storage, transmission, and
expression of genetic information. The course then concludes with Unit 3 by Dr. Erik Dent on signal
transduction, focusing especially on the importance of receptor-ligand interactions, cell signaling, cell
motility, the regulation of the cell cycle, and cancer. Drs. Hardin, O’Connor and Dent are happy to meet with
you to discuss questions you have with course material and will be more available prior to exam weeks.
Course Designations, Instructional Mode, and Attributes
Biocore 383 is a 3-credit Honors, face-to-face, intermediate-level lecture course that includes three 50-minute in-
class lectures per week led by Drs. Jeff Hardin, Shelby O’Connor, and Erik Dent, and one 50-minute discussion
section led by your graduate TA and supported by your undergraduate TA as listed below in the table. Discussion
sections enroll 14-16 students and are a significant component of the course that are separate from lecture, yet
guided by the learning objectives introduced in lecture. During discussion sections, you will work together with
guidance from a TA to clarify and extend concepts introduced in lecture through activities and problems. You will
also have time to ask and discuss questions about lecture concepts, problem sets, exams, and written assignments.
You should plan to spend a minimum of 6 hours outside of regular class hours each week to complete lecture
readings and video/podcasts, work on problem sets, and prepare for in class activities and exams. The breath for
this course is “Biological Science” and counts toward the Natural Science requirement. The L&S credit counts as
Liberal Arts and Science credit in L&S. Biocore courses are honors courses and no additional work is required
for honors credit because each course is appropriately rigorous already.
Learning Outcomes for Biocore 383
• Integrate concepts from Biocore 381 (previous Biocore course in ecology, genetics, and evolution) with
what we know, how we know, and what we don’t know in cell biology at the intermediate level
• Apply scientific concepts, reasoning, and quantitative and qualitative approaches to solve problems in
cell biology, cell signaling, and molecular genetics at the intermediate level
• Use scientific terms to accurately describe the concepts of cell biology, biochemistry, cell signaling,
and molecular genetics
• Build logical arguments to explain how cellular systems and processes function
• Analyze cell biology problems that require synthesizing knowledge about cellular structure, function,
and genetics
• Diagram and explain the complex interplay of how cellular function is regulated through biochemical
and genetic processes
• Make predictions about cell biology and molecular genetics data based on evidence and quantitative
reasoning.
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Biocore 383 Scheduling and Enrollment
Biocore will meet in Room 168 Noland Hall at 8:50 AM MWF. In addition, each of you will attend a 50-
minute discussion section on Thursdays. Two evening exams are scheduled in person, as indicated in the
schedule. Please try to avoid conflicts with these evenings. The third exam will be given on Wednesday May
10
th
at 5:05pm during final exam week. If you have any questions regarding enrollment or changing
discussion sections, contact Carol Borcherding (carol.borcherding@wisc.edu). If you have questions
regarding grade records or scheduling a conflict exam, please contact Diana Tapia Ramon
Discussion sections will meet in Room 342 Noland Hall. The following lists the discussion sections, the TA, and
the undergrad TA (uTA). In addition to the discussion section, please expect to see the TAs and uTAs floating
between breakout groups during class. These individuals are there to help you achieve your learning goals in this
course.
Section
Time
TA
uTA
301
8:50
Amanda Polanski
Gabrielle Drucker
302
9:55
Amanda Polanski
Gabrielle Drucker
303
11:00
Mollie Comella
Olivia Valentine
304
12:05
Mollie Comella
Olivia Valentine
305
1:20
Abigail Meder
Walter Camp
306
2:25
Abigail Meder
Walter Camp
COVID-19 and other illness policy
There are no requirements to wear a mask in the classroom, but you are more than welcome to wear one. No one
should be criticized for wearing a mask or choosing not to wear one. If you are made to feel uncomfortable, please
reach out to one of the instructors or TAs.
Please do not come to lecture or discussion if you are sick with symptoms, particularly those consistent with
COVID-19. We will record lectures, but they will only be made available to students who cannot come to class
because of illness. We have also incorporated flexibility in our grading scheme to allow for the potential that
students will need to be absent for illness. These are outlined below. If you have an extended illness requiring
additional accommodations, please reach out to your TA, Diana, and/or Dr. O’Connor so we can identify the best
path forward to get you access to class materials.
Canvas – Online Course Management System
We will use Canvas to deliver our course materials over the internet. Canvas is a course management system that
provides access only to students enrolled in a course and thus enables us to provide course materials in a secure
environment. You will be able to use our Canvas site to download copies of course materials. You can log-on at
the following web address http://canvas.wisc.edu.
Online Materials available through Canvas include:
1. Course information and syllabus
2. Lecture notes and/or slides
3. Online lectures or podcasts to watch prior to class, if necessary
4. Problem sets are available in Word or PDF
5. Biocore textbook (see below)
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Required Biocore 383 Materials:
1. TEXTBOOK:
Hardin, J. & Lodolce, J., Becker’s World of the Cell, 10e, (2021)
We will use the 10
th
edition text, but some of the images in the lecture slides may have come from the 9
th
edition text. Many figures are similar between the two editions. Biocore 383 participates in the UW-Madison
Engage eText Program. Your eText is available from the Engage tool in your Canvas course page. To access your
eText and learn more about Engage, follow these steps:
1. In the menu at the left of the screen, click on “Unizin Engage” to open the Engage reading platform.
2. In the top right corner of Engage, click on your initials/photo.
3. Click on the Help link.
4. Click on “Students” to access quick overviews of how to navigate the platform and all the general
studying/learning features – reading, note-taking, highlighting, questioning, printing, bookmarking,
searching, and collaborating.
Please familiarize yourself with the Engage platform before the first day of class. A short demo of Engage can be
found here. Additional resources can be found on the Engage site. You will be able to print up to 50 pages at a
time, for free (not including the cost of printing), via the Engage tool. If you wish to opt-out of using the Engage
eText, please contact me as soon as possible at [email protected] before doing so. Opting out of using
Engage has some considerations. Engage works best when viewed online in Firefox or Chrome.
If you wish to request an accessible version of the eText, please contact the McBurney Disability Resource Center
as soon as possible. More information is available here.
A personal note from Dr. Hardin:
Becker’s World of the Cell was originally written by its founding
author, Dr. Wayne Becker (professor emeritus, UW-Madison Botany department), specifically for teaching
in this course. The 10
th
edition continues this tradition, and you will find that many aspects of the lecture
content will dovetail well with your text. We hope it helps you! I also hope that you'll help me. First, we
count on you to find mistakes in the text! If you find one, please let me know, as it helps all of us and the
Becker’s World of the Cell author team. Second, in addition to factual issues or typographical errors, I'll be
looking to you for suggestions for how to make the book better. I hope you'll take this opportunity to put all
of the community-based learning that you've come to expect in Biocore to good use in 383, as we learn
together.
2. STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
We will use the iClicker Cloud system that integrates with the iClicker Student Mobile App or Web App. You
will need to purchase an iClicker Student App subscription. The subscription is $15.99 for 6 months, which
should cover your costs for the semester.
To get started you must register online using this link https://join.iclicker.com/MYES and create an iClicker
student account (use your Wisc. email to register). Upon creating an iClicker student account, you will have a
two-week free trial period. Before the free trial ends, you need to purchase an iClicker student app subscription.
Here are instructions on how to purchase a subscription (Diana recommends purchasing the subscription using the
mobile app). Now you’re ready to download the iClicker Student Mobile App. The app can be downloaded to
your iOS or Android mobile device through the App Store or Play Store, respectively. Sign in using your iClicker
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Student username/password that you created, and you should see that the Biocore course is synced with your
account. If you have any concerns about purchasing the iClicker subscription or if you have difficulties obtaining
Biocore 383 Unit Readings, Videos, and Handouts
For each of the units in this course, the lecturer has prepared material available for download via CANVAS
(http://canvas.wisc.edu). As in 381, you will be expected to download the handouts for each lecture. You are
welcome to print them. The material for each unit will indicate appropriate reading assignments in the eText.
You are expected to do the assigned reading
before
coming to lecture; not
doing so will make it more
difficult to follow the lecture presentations.
The readings are designed to reinforce lecture material. You
will
not
be responsible for material not covered in lecture unless
explicitly
stated.
Biocore 383 Exams and Assignments
Your grade in this course will be determined by your performance in several categories. The maximum
possible points will be 481, as outlined below:
1.
Exams:
Three exams (2 x 100 + 1 x 120 = 320 points). Each exam will deal primarily with the
subject matter of the specified lectures but is likely also to include questions that presume
information and understanding from the preceding units. The first two exams will be at night, while
the third exam is during the final exam period.
2.
Problem sets:
The best 10 out of 11 problem sets (10 x 10 points = 100 points). There will be a
problem set almost every week (see schedule). Only 10 points of the problem set will be graded. The
problem set must be turned in at the back of 168 Noland Hall by 8:50am on Fridays. We expect
assignments will be turned in on time. In the occasional event that you are sick, please do not come
to class just to turn in your assignment. In that case, please email your TA, let them know you are
sick, and email your assignment to your TA by 8:50am on Friday. We will NOT accept assignments
from sick individuals that are emailed after 8:50am on Friday.
3.
Discussion activities:
26 points during 14 discussion sections. Each week, there will be an in-class
activity in discussion. We expect everyone will participate. They will be graded on participation. The
nature of the activity will differ from week to week. It will be designed to build on material that was
learned in lecture over the past week. You will receive 2 points for participation in the discussion in class
activity. There are 14 discussion periods. You will be allowed to drop one discussion activity during the
semester. That means you can earn a total of 26 points for discussion in class activity In addition, your
attendance in discussion section is mandatory, unless you are sick.
Your participation in discussion
will be taken into consideration during assignment of final grades.
4.
Participation by poll or breakout group in lecture:
35 points earned during 40 lecture periods. In-
class lecture activities by iClicker questions or in small groups will help you learn the course material
and give you practice in developing the “higher level thinking” skills needed to truly understand
modern biology. These activities will reflect materials highlighted in lecture and allow you to test
your understanding by using the iClicker System, followed by class discussion. These activities are
designed to aid your learning in a ‘low stress’ setting. To account for illness and other circumstances
during the semester, we will allow you to drop five points for a total of 35 points out of 40 for active
participation in lecture. In particular, we want to make sure that symptomatic students do not come
to class, which is why we have this flexibility to participation points.
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Exam
Points
Date
Time
Emphasis of Exam
Exam 1
100
Feb 28
7:30 PM
Unit 1 (lectures 1-14)
Exam 2
100
Apr 11
7:30 PM
Unit 2 (lectures 15-28)
Exam 3
120
May 10
5:05 PM
Unit 3 (lectures 29-41) and comprehensive
Biocore 383 Exam Policies
All students are expected to take the regular exams as scheduled. Students with academic conflicts for a
particular evening exam or McBurney accommodations may communicate with Diana Tapia Ramon,
Biocore’s High Impact Practice Facilitator, for an early make-up exam to be given earlier on the same day as
the evening exam. Permission to take an early make-up exam must be obtained in advance. No other exam
arrangements are possible, except in case of personal hardship and then only by prior arrangement with Dr.
O'Connor. Exams given after the regularly scheduled exam may be only at the discretion of the lecturer. No
make-up exams will be given for exam 3 because that exam is scheduled during final exam week.
For the first exam, please talk to Diana as soon as possible. We would like to know by February 6
th
if you
have a conflict, but the deadline for the first exam is February 15
th
. We need enough time to get the conflict
exams scheduled. We will announce similar deadlines for exams 2 and 3 later in the semester.
Policy for Submitting Regrade Requests
You will be able to submit regrade requests. Please give your regrade requests in-person to Diana at her office
(361 Noland Hall). You will have 1 week from the time the exam key is posted on Canvas to submit these
requests. You will need to include answers to the 2 questions below. Unit instructors (not Diana or TAs) will
review regrade requests and will decide if extra points are warranted. When exams are submitted for individual
question regrade, unit instructors reserve the right to review the entire exam for regarding. Exam regrade requests
should include the following information:
1. State which question(s) are you requesting be reviewed for a regrade.
2. Explain how your answer compares to the answer key and why your answer should earn additional
credit.
Biocore 383 Grades
In Biocore, students do not compete with one another for grades, because neither the individual exams nor
the overall grade distribution is "curved." The grade ranges are set in advance and we guarantee that you will
not receive a lower letter grade than that specified below. ABs and BCs are determined at the discretion of
the teaching staff at the end of the semester. No one would be more delighted than the instructional staff
should it prove "necessary" (=possible) to give everyone A's, provided everyone earns an A! The only
"competition" is therefore with our standards of expectation:
Letter Grade Total Points
A 432.9-481 (90-100%)
B 384.8-432.8 (80-89%)
C 336.7-384.7 (70-79%)
D 288.6-336.6 (60-69%)
F < 288.5 (< 60%)
Biocore 383 Course Policies
We will continue the practice from last semester of emailing you announcements with the goal of sending
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them to you on Wednesday. We will also post key announcements on the Canvas site (http://canvas.wisc.edu).
It is your responsibility to pay attention to these announcements since most of them will not be repeated in
class. Please be on time for class. We also recommend removing distractions during class. Phone and app
notifications are both distracting and disruptive. You will get more out of the lecture period if you can focus
during the lecture period.
We expect you to hand in assignments on time and appear for the regularly scheduled exams unless you have
made specific alternative arrangements in advance. You will find us very willing to make whatever
provisions we can to assist you in coping with illness, death in the family, observance of religious holidays
or other extenuating circumstances, but you must let us know as soon as you are aware of the problem.
Student Board of Directors (BOD)
We are soliciting student representatives who would like to represent both Biocore 383 and Biocore 384 in
the weekly staff meeting which occurs after lecture on Wednesdays. These students will serve as
representatives to let the faculty know of issues and concerns of all students in Biocore 383 and 384. The
representatives are expected to write a short statement summarizing the meeting. This summary will be
included in the weekly announcement by the TAs to all the Biocore 383 students. This is a good opportunity
to contribute to course improvement and student advocacy. In addition, as a BOD member, you can get to
know the course faculty instructors better. If you are interested in being a student representative, please
contact Dr. Janet Batzli or your TA.
Biocore 383 Peer Mentored Study Groups
As we did in Biocore 381, we will offer peer mentored study opportunities for Biocore 383 students.
Although we have evidence that consistent participation in a peer mentored study group improves overall
performance, this activity is VOLUNTARY and will NOT be graded in any way. In this program, second
year Biocore students or alums of the program (juniors & seniors) facilitate study sessions for groups of 5-10
Biocore 383 students. Peer mentors (PM) facilitate weekly study sessions related to the material you will be
covering in Biocore 383. It is important that you understand that PM are NOT expected to ‘teach,’ lecture, or
have the correct answers to the questions you have. They are NOT TAs or instructors. They are peer learning
guides to help you think about how to approach problems, improve study skills, navigate through material,
and broaden your network. We hope that you become more confident in your learning and understanding of
cell biology while establishing a relationship with the larger Biocore learning community. Janet Batzli serves
as the program advisor. To sign up, look for details coming soon in your course email.
Dr. Janet Batzli coordinates the program together with experienced Biocore alums and Peer Mentor Leaders
Ellen Abad Santos, Sarah Fahlberg, and Keeley Kuru who are the undergraduate program assistants this
academic year. Look for details about this exciting program coming soon in your weekly email
announcements and sign up! If you have any questions, please contact Janet Batzli (jcbatzli@wisc.edu).
Special Needs and Religious Holidays
Please let Diana Tapia Ramon (dtapia2@wisc.edu) know by February 6th if you have any special needs that we
should accommodate, scheduled absences, a potential exam conflict, or a religious holiday that conflicts with a
course activity.
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Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Community and Classroom
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each
person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion
enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research,
outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public
mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people who as
students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. https://diversity.wisc.edu/
In Biocore, we strive for the utmost equity for all students, TAs, and faculty/ staff. We are a community of
students and instructors committed to and in full support of students who identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous,
students of color, students with disabilities; students with racial, ethnic, gender, LGBTQ+ diverse identities. Your
perspective, your learning, your interests, and your contributions matter within our engaged learning community.
Our community and our science depend on engaging and embracing different perspectives and this starts with
each of us understanding and recognizing our own biases. It takes a great deal of awareness and self-work to
recognize bias and our own lack of awareness/ ignorance on specific topics. As a program, we all need to work on
this recognition and how to hold each other accountable. Accountability in this context is a willingness to accept
responsibility for ourselves, our intentions, words, and actions—when it comes to mitigating discrimination,
microaggressions, and bias in all of its forms.
If you experience or notice discriminatory behavior or language: We, as Biocore program faculty and
staff, encourage you to speak up in the moment if it is safe to do so and to let us, Biocore faculty and staff, know.
We promise to hold ourselves accountable in the event of any such offenses. If the incident reoccurs despite
intervention or you continue to experience bias, do not hesitate to bring this to your instructor’s attention and/or
report the case through UW Madison’s Bias Incident Reporting system
Accountability: What to do when you do or say something that offended: Apologize, say ‘I’m sorry’
and take ownership when you have offended someone, even if it was unintentional. Saying nothing to remedy the
situation perpetuates inequality. Taking responsibility for your words, actions, and behaviors is how you can be
accountable to our community and our inclusive classroom goal. It takes everyone to create an accountable,
supportive, and productive learning environment. Biocore thrives when all individuals feel supported,
especially those who are historically underrepresented at the university. As a learning community, we hope to
support all students and staff to the fullest extent. This relies on instilling a trustful, accepting, and accountable
environment for all.
See strategies and suggestions for navigating difficulties in the classroom (adapted from “Promoting Inclusive
Classroom Dynamics in Higher Education” by Kathryn C. Oleson).
Students' Questions and Feedback
The staff of this course, lecturers and TAs alike, welcome your questions, suggestions, and comments. We want
to get to know you, and we appreciate your feedback. Our email addresses are listed on page 14. Dr. Janet Batzli
serves as Biocore’s Director and would be happy to talk with you about any aspect of the program.
Getting to Know You: Our Open-Door Policy
In this course, you will find the staff to be genuinely interested in interacting with students. Toward this end,
you are invited to call upon any of us, lecturers and TAs alike, with questions, suggestions, or constructive
criticism. Contact by telephone or e-mail is especially convenient. If you want to come in person, it is
important to make an appointment in advance, or to stop by during the office hours posted for each
instructor. Do not make the mistake of assuming that professors are "too busy to see students." In this
course, at least, we find that to be one of the most rewarding times spent with students. Try it—you might
like it!
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BIOCORE 383: CELL BIOLOGY
Spring 2023
Lecture Schedule
Lecture or
Disc No.
Date
Lecturer
Topic
Problem set due?
Unit 1: Cell
structure,
Bioenergetics,
and the Flow
of Energy
1
1/25
Hardin
Introduction: The Cellular Revolution
D1
1/26
2
1/27
Hardin
Imaging and Analyzing Cells (podcast)
3
1/30
Hardin
Studying cells/Cellular Chemistry
4
2/1
Hardin
Macromolecules
D2
2/2
5
2/3
Hardin
Bioenergetics
PS1 due
6
2/6
Hardin
Enzyme catalysis
7
2/8
Hardin
Enzymes (cont.); Membranes
D3
2/9
8
2/10
Hardin
Membranes (cont.); Transport
PS2 due
9
2/13
Hardin
Global energy currency: ATP
10
2/15
Hardin
Glycolysis & anaerobic respiration
D4
2/16
11
2/17
Hardin
Aerobic respiration & the citric acid cycle
PS3 due
12
2/20
Hardin
Citric acid cycle (cont); electron transport
13
2/22
Hardin
Oxidative phosphorylation
D5
2/23
14
2/24
Hardin
Photosynthesis: chloroplasts
PS4 due
Exam 1
Unit 1 exam Feb 28 from 7:30pm to
9:30pm; Review session time TBD
Unit 2:
Molecular
genetics and
the flow of
information
15
2/27
O’Connor
DNA - structure
16
3/1
O’Connor
DNA: Chromatin and Replication
D6
3/2
17
3/3
O’Connor
DNA: Replication and Telomeres
18
3/6
O’Connor
Transcription (watch videocast before
class/ICA day!)
19
3/8
O’Connor
RNA Processing (ICA day!)
D7
3/9
20
3/10
O’Connor
Mutation, DNA repair, recombination and
transposons
PS5 due
Spring break!
3/11
to
3/19
21
3/20
O’Connor
Revisit Transcription and RNA processing
22
3/22
O’Connor
Translation
11
D8
3/23
23
3/24
O’Connor
Genomics & Deep Sequencing
PS6 due
24
3/27
O’Connor
Genomics & Deep Sequencing/Molecular
tools for cell biologists
25
3/29
O’Connor
Molecular tools for cell biologists
D9
3/30
26
3/31
O’Connor
Prokaryotic Gene Regulation (watch
videocast before class/ICA day!)
PS7 due
27
4/3
O’Connor
Eukaryotic Gene Regulation (watch
videocast before class/ICA day!)
28
4/5
O’Connor
Fragile X case study
D10
4/6
Exam 2
Unit 2 exam April 11 from 7:30pm to
9:30pm, Review session time TBD
Unit 3: Cell
signaling,
movement,
and the flow
of intracellular
messengers
29
4/7
Dent
Introduction to Cell Signaling and Cancer
PS8 due
30
4/10
Dent
Nuclear and Protein Trafficking
31
4/12
Dent
Vesicular Trafficking
D11
4/13
32
4/14
Dent
G-protein Signaling and Second Messengers
PS9 due
33
4/17
Dent
Calcium and Hormonal Signals
34
4/19
Dent
Growth Factors, RPTKs and Steroid
Signaling
D12
4/20
35
4/21
Dent
The Cytoskeleton
PS10 due
36
4/24
Dent
Motors and Muscles I
37
4/26
Dent
Motors and Muscles II
D13
4/27
38
4/28
Dent
Cell Adhesion and Movement
PS11 due
39
5/1
Dent
Cell Division
40
5/3
Dent
Cell Cycle and Apoptosis
D14
5/4
41
5/5
Dent
The Cell Biology of Cancer (last day of
classes)
PS bonus
Final Exam
Final exam on May 10 from 5:05pm to
7:05pm, room TBD; Review session
time TBD
12
BIOCORE 383 STAFF DIRECTORY
Spring 2023
Category
Person
Role
Email
383 Course
Lecturers
Shelby
O’Connor
383 Course chair, Unit
2 instructor, and
Biocore Faculty
Director
Erik Dent
Unit 3 instructor
Jeff Hardin
Unit 1 instructor
jdhardin@wisc.edu
384 Laboratory
staff
Janet Batzli
384 Co-Course chair,
Associate Director
Biocore
jcbatzli@wisc.edu
Anna
Kowalkowski
384 Co-Course chair
Seth McGee
384 Lab manager and
knower-of-all-things
383 Teaching
assistants
Mollie Comella
mscomella@wisc.edu
Amanda
Polanski
Abigail Meder
383 undergrad
TAs
Walter Camp
Olivia Valentine
Gabrielle
Drucker
Biocore
Administration
Shelby
O’Connor
Faculty Director
Janet Batzli
Associate Director
jcbatzli@wisc.edu
Carol
Borcherding
Program Manager
Diana Tapia
Ramon
High Impact Practice
Facilitator
13
BIOCORE STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
What is academic integrity and why are we promoting it? Academic integrity means being honest about your
intellectual work which is fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge. We ask you to sign this honor code as a pact
between you and the Biocore Program faculty/staff to abide by the academic rules of conduct laid out by the
University. Without these rules of conduct our institution would be severely limited in its capacity to function as
community of higher learning. We encourage you to visit the following web sites and get familiar with the
University policy concerning Student Conduct and Disciplinary Rules
(https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/academic-integrity/). As a student of the University of Wisconsin it is your
responsibility to become familiar with, understand, and abide by the general Statement of Principles and
Disciplinary Guidelines outlined by the Dean of Students and the UW Board of Regents. These guidelines protect
both you and the university if an infraction has occurred. Ignorance of these regulations is not a defense in cases
of infringement. So.. Just DON'T Do It!
Definition of Academic Dishonesty. from UW Academic code 14.03.
https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/academic-integrity/
"Academic misconduct is an act in which a student:
1. Seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization or citation;
2. Uses unauthorized materials or fabricated data in any academic exercise;
3. Forges or falsifies academic documents or records;
4. Intentionally impedes or damages the academic work of others;
5. Engages in conduct aimed at making false representation of a student's academic performance;
6. Assists other students in any of these acts
“Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to: cheating on an examination; collaborating
with others in work to be presented, contrary to the stated rules of the course; submitting a paper or
assignment as one's own work when a part or all of the paper or assignment is the work of another; submitting
a paper or assignment that contains ideas or research of others without appropriately identifying the sources of
those ideas; stealing examinations or course materials; submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work
previously presented in another course; tampering with the laboratory experiment or computer program of
another student; knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including
assistance in an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance, examination or other activity is
submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name the work is submitted or
performed”
Consequences for Academic Dishonesty
To determine whether academic dishonesty has occurred, the instructor and Biocore administrators will meet with
the student. In Biocore, students who commit acts of academic misconduct will write letter describing what they
did and, if appropriate, apologize to individuals who were involved in the incident. In alignment with the penalties
listed in the University's UWS14, Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures we recognize three levels of
consequences (1) An oral reprimand; and (depending on the severity of the case) written reprimand presented only
to the student; or an appropriate assignment to be evaluated by the instructor or Biocore administrative staff, (2) a
lower or failing grade on the assignment, exam, or course; removal of the student from the course or program; and
a written reprimand included in the student's university disciplinary file, (3) recommendation for disciplinary
probation for up to 2 years, suspension, or expulsion from the University. See misconduct process chart
(https://conduct.students.wisc.edu/documents/academic-misconduct-flow-chart/)
14
Biocore Honor Code
You will be asked to sign a statement upon entering the Biocore program during the first week of class in Biocore
381. In order to participate in the Biocore Program you must agree to the following principles:
1. I will report laboratory data honestly and accurately. Under no circumstances will I fabricate data or
change data to fit what I think it should be.
2. All work that I submit under my name to a peer for peer review or to an instructor for final grading will
be my own. I will not copy or paraphrase from another student presently or previously enrolled in this
course. For projects where collaboration is explicitly permitted, I will list the names of students with
whom I worked.
3. I will not allow another student to copy or "borrow" my laboratory reports or other assignments.
4. I will not forge or falsify academic documents including graded assignments and examinations
5. I will not copy from fellow students nor share contents or answers associated with current semester exam
or quizzes.
6. I will strive to make Biocore a community that is based on honesty and integrity.
UW Student Rights and Responsibilities
Every member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community has the right to expect to conduct his or her
academic and social life in an environment free from threats, danger, or harassment. Students also have the
responsibility to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with membership in the university and local
communities. UWS Chapters 17 and 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code lists the university policies
students are expected to uphold and describes the procedures used when students are accused of misconduct.
Chapter 17 also lists the possible responses the university may apply when a student is found to violate policy.
The process used to determine any violations and disciplinary actions is an important part of UWS 17. For the
complete text of UWS Chapter 17, see https://students.wisc.edu/student-conduct/nonacademic-misconduct/, or
contact the on-call dean in the Dean of Students Office, 608-263-5700, Room 70 Bascom Hall.
No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or discriminated against in any service,
program, course, or facility of the [UW] system or its institutions or centers because of the student’s race, color,
creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or
parental status.
Accommodations for Students With Disabilities
The University of Wisconsin-Madison supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal
educational opportunity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12), and
UW-Madison policy (Faculty Document 1071) require that students with disabilities be reasonably
accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is
a shared faculty and student responsibility. Students are expected to inform faculty [Dr. Shelby O’Connor]
of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as
possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [Dr. Shelby O’Connor] will work either
directly with the student [you] or in coordination with the McBurney Center to identify and provide
reasonable instructional accommodations. Disability information, including instructional accommodations
as part of a student’s educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.”
http://mcburney.wisc.edu/facstaffother/faculty/syllabus.php
