BIO 150: FORENSIC BIOLOGY

Transcription

1 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 1 01/19/12 CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SACRAMENTO Department of Biological Sciences BIO 150: FORENSIC BIOLOGY Spring 2012 Lecture: 2-2:50 PM, 338 Sequoia Hall Laboratory: 9-11:50 AM or 1-3:50 PM, 220 Humboldt Hall INSTRUCTOR: OFFICE HOURS: OFFICE: RESEARCH LAB: RESEARCH AREA: PHONE/ WEB SITE: REQUIRED TEXTS: Dr. Ruth Ballard, Professor M/W 3:30-5:00 PM 120-B Sequoia Hall 108 Sequoia Hall Forensic serology and DNA (916) ; ballardr@csus.edu Forensic Biology, Richard Li, 2008 (Hornet Bookstore) Murder and Molecules: A Laboratory Manual for Forensic Serology and DNA, Ballard and Spear, 2012 edition (Hornet Bookstore) The Blooding, Joseph Wambaugh (available on Amazon.com and at local bookstores) REQUIRED FOR LAB: PREREQUISITES: $25 lab fee; Lab coat; Laboratory notebook; USB thumb drive BIO 001 and 002 (or equivalent); BIO 184 (strongly recommended; required for students enrolling in spring 2013 and later) CATALOG DESCRIPTION BIO 150. Forensic Biology. Principles governing the application of biology and biological statistics to solve crimes. Topics include : (1) the structure and administration of the modern crime laboratory (2) the role of the forensic biologist and other personnel in crime scene investigations and in the legal process (3) evidence collection, documentation, examination and preservation (4) the use of alternative light sources and serological tests to detect biological stains on crime scene evidence (5) microscopy for the analysis of sexual assault evidence and hair (6) extraction and quantification of human DNA (6) generation of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA profiles, and (7) statistical analysis of DNA evidence. Lecture two hours; laboratory three hours. Fee course. Prerequisites: BIO 001, BIO 002, BIO 184. Offered spring only. 3 units.

2 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 2 01/19/12 What a Forensic Biologist? Welcome to the world of the criminalist a scientist who uses his or her scientific skills and training to help law enforcement and the courts solve crimes and resolve other types of legal issues. Criminalists have many roles and specialties in crime labs. Criminalists with degrees in chemistry may help solve crimes that require chemical analyses for toxins, accelerants, or illegal drugs. Criminalists with degrees in physics (and some other degrees) may help identify tool mark impressions, analyze the flight path of a bullet, or analyze blood spatter patterns. Criminalists with degrees in the biological sciences spend most of their time looking for biological stains or other materials on crime scene evidence and performing DNA analyses. It is this latter group the forensic biologists that we will focus on in this class, examining in depth the tools and techniques these specialists use to help the courts exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty, thereby building a safer and more just society. According to the U.S. Department of Labor ( the job market for forensic scientists will be much better in the next several years than for most other science technicians with B.S. degrees. The passage of Proposition 69 in California, in particular, will open up many new jobs for forensic biologists in the coming years in this state alone. Moreover, the starting salary for criminalists is the third highest among all science technicians and quickly increases after one year of employment in most government crime labs. Finally, criminalists at many government agencies enjoy the same excellent benefits as law enforcement personnel because they are considered to be part of the law-enforcement work force. Criminalists have fascinating jobs that require them to solve complex scientific puzzles on a daily basis. No crime is ever the same as any other, and the criminalist must identify the most probative evidence, analyze it to the best of his or her ability, generate a report for submission to the attorney prosecuting the case, and be prepared to go to court to discuss and explain his/her work. Criminalists need to have excellent written and verbal communication skills, be honest and objective about their findings, and hold to the highest ethical values in all the work they do. It is a wonderful profession for someone who wants to feel that their work makes a difference in people s lives, who loves solving scientific puzzles, and who wants to help build a safer, more peaceful world. Does that describe you? If so, this course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the profession and help you decide if the career is a good match for your interests and natural talents. If not, the course will (hopefully) be a fun and eye-opening introduction to the real world of forensic science not the forensic science you see on CSI, Bones, and other television shows that are rich in entertainment but seriously flawed in their representation of how real forensic science is done! Whatever your reason for taking this class, I invite you to join me on the journey and allow me to lead you into a fascinating world that is rarely seen by persons outside of crime labs. If you like this course and want to pursue forensic biology as a career, please come see me and we can discuss enrolling you in the Forensic Biology concentration. The courses required in the concentration at Sacramento State are specifically designed to prepare you to compete effectively for criminalist jobs upon graduation or to gain entrance to graduate programs in forensic science that will provide you with further preparation for the job market.

3 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 3 01/19/12 COURSE POLICIES I. EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE Students may earn up to 800 points in the course, 400 from lecture and 400 from lab. Lecture Mid-Term Exams 75 pts each) 150 Final Lecture Exam (Comprehensive) 100 Homework 25 pts each) 150 Lab Preparation 8 pts each; Drop two lowest scores) 80 Case Files 75 pts; 75 pts) 150 Lab Practical Exam 150 Perfect Lab Attendance 20 TOTAL 800 Lecture Exams: Lecture exams will include a mixture of different types of questions, including short answer, fill-in-theblank, matching, multiple choice, drawings, definitions, etc. Questions will be derived from the PowerPoint slides, additional material covered during lecture, and the assigned reading. Two noncumulative mid-term exams will be given, each lasting 50 minutes. The final exam will be comprehensive and will follow the same general format as the mid-term exams. Students will be given two hours to take the final exam and it will be given during the allotted time slot during finals week. Lecture Homework: Homework assignments will give students the opportunity to apply the concepts they are learning in lecture to real-world forensic casework problems and scenarios. See the Lecture Schedule for dates when homework assignments will be due. Homework assignments submitted after the due date will not be graded; however, assignments may always be turned in early. Laboratory Preparation: Students will be required to provide the instructor with copies of their lab notebook write-ups before each lab exercises. Students who do not submit the write-up will not be allowed to work in lab that day and will be counted absent. More information on the requirements for keeping a laboratory notebook in BIO 150 can be found in the laboratory manual. Case Files: Students will be required to submit two Case Files during the course of the semester. Case file submission requirements, along with model case files submitted by students in past semesters, will be provided well in advance of the dates that the files are due (twice per semester; see lab schedule).

4 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 4 01/19/12 Lab Practical Exam: There will be one Lab Practical Exam at the end of the semester In the exam, you will be asked to identify and answer questions about various items, reagents, data, etc. that you encountered in lab. Please note that due to the amount of work involved in setting up and taking down a lab practical exam, students will NOT be allowed to make-up the Lab Practical Exam. If a student must miss the Lab Practical, acceptable documentation of an illness or another emergency will be required, and the student will be administered a separate paper exam to make up the points. Calculation of Grades: At the end of the semester, points from all assignments will be totaled and grades will be assigned as detailed below. However, to pass the class, students must earn at least 60% of the points in both lecture and lab, regardless of their total percentage score overall % = A % = B % = C % = D less than 60% = F Plus and minus grades will be assigned in these same categories as appropriate. II. STUDENT CONDUCT A. Lecture: Lecture is a technology free zone. Students are required to turn off or silence all electronic devices (including cell phones, laptops, ipods, etc.) during class. Although I will use PowerPoint and students will be able to download the slides before coming to class, I will also use the white board or chalkboard. Therefore, students should be prepared to take notes in class. Exams: No communication is permitted between students during exams. No materials other than a pencil (with a good eraser), a simple calculator (NOT one associated with a cell phone or other sophisticated electronic device that might contain other data), may be used during an exam. You should bring a pencil and calculator with you to every exam. Students may not leave the room during a mid-term exam. Lecture periods are only 50 minutes in length and I expect you to use the bathroom before coming to class. If you have a medical condition that does not allow you to sit through a 50 minute exam, please arrange to take the exam at the testing center. Students may opt to use the bathroom during the final exam but will be required to leave all personal belongings in the classroom and return the classroom promptly.

5 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 5 01/19/12 If I obtain evidence of cheating on any quiz or exam, I will report the incident to the Department Chair and the Dean of Students for immediate disciplinary action. B. Laboratory: Roll will be taken in lab, and students who miss more than three lab sessions regardless of the reason - will be assigned a either a "F" or WU grade in the course. Students must follow all laboratory safety rules (see the Murder and Molecules laboratory manual) and must come to lab prepared and ready to work safely and efficiently. Laboratory Practical Exams: No communication is permitted between students during the lab practical exam. Students may refer to their laboratory notebooks during the practical exam but NOT to the lab manual or any other materials. Students must have a pencil (with a good eraser) and a simple calculator (NOT one associated with a cell phone or other sophisticated electronic device that might contain other data) for use during the Lab Practical Exam. If I obtain evidence of cheating on a Lab Quiz or Practical Exam, I will report the incident to the Department Chair and the Dean of Students for immediate disciplinary action. Special Considerations for Case Files: Students are strongly encouraged to study in groups and to discuss the content of their Case Files freely. However, students must write up their case files in their own words. If I receive two case files that contain identical wording that has clearly been copied, both assignments will be given a grade of 0. If the pattern continues, I will also refer the students involved to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. The University policy on academic dishonesty can be reviewed at the following web link: If you have never read this policy, take the opportunity to do so because it will help you avoid inadvertently engaging in plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in all of your classes, not just this one. III. COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR OUTSIDE OF CLASS I will communicate with you through My Sac State. Be sure to log onto your My Sac State site regularly to check for messages. Students should communicate with me via rather than by telephone, using the address provided on the first page of this syllabus. Please use the rules of etiquette for provided on my website. If you do not use these rules, you probably will not get a reply! IV. ADD/DROP POLICY The Add/Drop policy will be followed per University policy. If you have questions about this policy, please me. Students who are registered into the class and do not attend lecture and lab for the first week

6 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 6 01/19/12 will be administratively dropped from the course. Students who stop attending lecture or lab after the official drop deadline, and do not follow proper procedures to do so, will be assigned a grade of WU (unauthorized withdrawal) of "F" (depending on whether the student stops attending early or late in the semester). A WU grade is calculated as an F grade in your GPA, so make every effort to avoid earning one! Drops during finals week are not permitted for any reason. Students with an emergency during this time can request to be assigned a grade of I in the course and must make up the missed assignments/exams within 12 months or the I grade will automatically become an F. A special form is required to request an I grade. The form can be obtained from the Biological Sciences Department office (SQU 202) and must be completed and signed by both the student and the instructor. Earning an "I" grade is not a right; you must be able to convince me that there is serious and compelling reason why you legitimately need extra time to complete the course. V. HOW TO SUCCEED IN THIS CLASS 1. Read the PowerPoint presentations and assigned readings before coming to class. I will NOT have time to cover all of the material in the textbook or other readings during my lectures. However, you are responsible for all of the information in the readings. Therefore, please come to class ready to ask questions and gain clarification on any topics from your readings that you did not understand. 2. Don t be shy about coming to office hours and don t wait to come to office hours until you are failing the class! If you can t meet me during my regularly-scheduled office hours, I will be happy to arrange another time to meet with you. 3. Always attend lab unless you are sick or have another emergency. Missing one or more lab sections will put you at a serious disadvantage compared to other students in the class. Expect to stay in lab for the entire 3-hour lab period. We will use every minute of it!

7 Dr. Ruth Ballard Page 7 01/19/12 DATE 1/23 1/25 1/30 2/1 2/6 2/8 2/13 2/15 2/20 2/22 2/27 2/29 3/5 3/7 3/12 3/14 3/19 3/21 3/26 3/28 4/2 4/4 4/9 4/11 4/16 4/18 4/23 4/25 4/30 5/2 5/7 5/9 LECTURE TOPIC Introduction to the course Forensic biology: A sub-discipline of forensic science Sources of DNA Evidence Crime scene investigation and Laboratory Analysis of Biological Evidence Serology concepts (Homework 1 due) Serology techniques Identification of semen Identification of semen continued Identification of blood (Homework 2 due) Blood group typing and protein profiling Identification of saliva and other body fluids Introduction to the human nuclear genome (Homework 3 due) Mid-Term Exam 1 Introduction to the human mitochondrial genome DNA sequencing DNA amplification by PCR SPRING BREAK (No classes) DNA quantitation DNA quantitation continued (Homework 4 due) DNA electrophoresis DNA detection methods Mid-Term Exam 2 Variable number tandem repeat profiling Autosomal STR profiling Autosomal STR profiling continued (Homework 5 due) Evaluation of strength of forensic DNA profiling results Y chromosomal typing and gender typing Single nucleotide polymorphism profiling DNA databases (Homework 6 due) California Association of Criminalists Meeting, Bakersfield CA - No Class 5/16 FINAL EXAM (Includes questions on The Blooding): 12:45-2:45 ASSIGNED READINGS (Li, 2008) Chapter 1 (all) Chapter 2 (all) Chapter 3 (all) Chapter 4 Chapter (Sec 5.1) Chapter 8 (all) Chapter 6 (all) Chapters 10 (Sec ) Chapter 9 (all) Chapter 11 (all) Chapter 21 (all) Chapter (Sec ) Chapter 13 (all) Chapter 15 (all) Chapter 16 (all) Chapter 17 (Sec ) Chapter 18 (Sec ) Chapter 23 (all) Chapter 19 (all) Chapter 20 (all) Chapters 22 (all)