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Planning to go into Biotechnology or Bioinformatics research? Take this course if you are looking for a lab selection.

This course teaches you the basics of cloning (molecular biology) that are applicable to working in any molecular biology lab. Some of the techniques taught are restriction endonuclease analysis, primer design and PCR, gel electrophoresis, and DNA sequencing basics. As well, you explore introductory bioinformatics.

format of the course

I took this course in 2018W1, and we worked on two major projects: cloning of a GFP containing plasmid, and a bioinformatics research project on a gene with an unknown function. Both are done in groups. This course had many pre-lab activities to help students understand the concepts behind each lab procedure. With careful planning, you can finish all the lab activities in time and plan your bioinformatics project with your team. This course has a heavy course load, so time management and organization is key!

gpa 🙂 or 🙁

This course was marked fairly but it’s good to finish assignments early and ask for guidance from the TA’s and instructors who are marking. This course is definitely NOT a GPA booster and you should be prepared to work hard to get an A. Grade distribution from recent years:

BIOL 341 Grade Distribution (Credits: ubcgrades.com)

verdict? To take or not to take

Whether you are looking to go into industry or research, the fundamental skills taught in this class are important for many fields of Biology. If you take this class, be prepared to work hard .

We’re happy to announce the many new additions to our team! Please welcome the following new members as they share a bit about their passions and interests.

Chanelle Chow

Chanelle is graduating from UBC with a specialization in Biology. She is currently researching endophytic archaea and is working on the development of a non invasive bubble helmet ventilator system that can be used in healthcare settings. She has interests in photography, painting, and making drinks.  She also has 4 goldfish and a catfish!

Edgar Daniel Fuller Altamirano

Edgar is a graduate from Concordia University with a specialization in Cell and Molecular Biology and is currently studying at UBC as an Integrated Sciences Major. Interests vary from protein-protein interactions and metabolic pathways to environmental health and safety and public health policies. In his free time he plays DnD and volunteers to play tag with kids. Also naps.

ethan Rajkumar

Ethan Rajkumar is a third year Chemistry student at UBC. He doesn’t know what to do yet but is potentially interested in grad school. During his spare time, he likes to make and edit videos, graphics, garden, mountain bike and do weird and interesting things. However, most of the time you’ll either see him looking at cute pictures of puppies or cooking (although we all seriously doubt that his food is good) .

Golzar Ejadi

Golzar is a recent graduate from the Faculty of Science at the University of British Columbia with a Double Major in Biology and Psychology. She is interested in various topics, but one of the main is how early life experiences shape us. In her free time, she volunteers with a global non-profit and practices her vocals!

quentin Michalchuk

Quentin Michalchuk is a fourth-year student in Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia.  He is currently in the Pharmacology Co-op program, where he is working as a Research Assistant in the Lockwood Lab at the BC Cancer Research Institute investigating novel therapeutics for lung cancer.  His undergraduate career-related interests include geriatric and pathology-related research, participation in clubs such as the Pharmacology and Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences Student Association, and volunteering, playing chamber music at senior homes and as Treasurer of the Rotaract Club of Vancouver.  Personal interests include classical music, the outdoors, and hot chocolate and bubble tea.

rex chen

Rex graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BSc specializing in Chemistry. His interests are in materials chemistry with applications in renewable energy. He currently works as a Research Associate at NanoOne Materials Corp, working on High Voltage Spinels (HVS) with applications towards Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles and electronic devices. In his free time, Rex loves to ride his bike around Vancouver, watch obscure movies, and read “free” books on his Kindle because he thinks it’s economically feasible.

If you have any suggestions on what you would like to see in the blog please drop a comment below! This could be suggestions from the type of course reviews you want to see, more university tips, etc.

– The Undergraduate Scientist Team

Let’s face it, to most people gold is just an over-glorified rock with no real value; however, that’s not the case at all! Just this month, researchers from University College London have created a novel light-activated coating that kills infectious bacteria. The key ingredient? Gold.

upgrading with gold…

The invention of a bacteria-killing coating sounds ingenious; however, Hwang’s team was actually not the first to come up with this idea. Previous studies have already shown that coatings incorporating the chemical crystal violet can adequately kill bacteria. The problem was that the coating had to be light-activated by UV rays, which harm the skin by promoting skin cancer.

This was exactly the problem Hwang’s team looked to solve; to make a coating that did not require harmful wavelengths of light. They overcame this challenge by incorporating small clusters of gold into a polymer containing crystal violet. The result? Now this new coating could effectively eliminate bacteria upon activation with low intensity white light – the level of light found in offices.

Concentration of bacteria (CFU/mL) across three conditions after 6 hours exposure to low-intensity white light. Star indicates bacterial concentration is undetected. Sample size = 6 per treatment, error bars are standard deviation. Adapted from Hwang et al.’s data

The figure above perfectly illustrates their result. Statistical analyses show that bacterial concentration does not significantly differ between the violet crystal and control (no coating) condition. This indicates that low-intensity white light cannot activate the bacterial-killing function in the violet crystal coating. What’s interesting is that addition of gold with the violet crystal, reduces the bacterial concentration significantly to near zero values, indicating successful activation.

More than a novelty…

The results of Hwang’s study are truly impactful. It is well known that hospitals are a hotbed for infectious bacteria. In fact, 27% of surfaces in hospital rooms are contaminated with bacteria even after regular and thorough cleaning. As such, applying the coating on these surfaces will definitely reduce the chances of contracting a hospital-related disease. Who would have thought? Not only is gold more than just a hunk of rock, it can also save lives.