Bio 200 (Freshman/Sophomore)/Bio 500 (Junior/Senior)

PURPOSE OF COURSE WORK FOR STUDENTS

To provide opportunities for students to gain experience in using the scientific method to resolve problems of scientific importance. This includes acquiring technical skills, reading and evaluating articles in the scientific literature, gaining experience in design and conduct of experiments, learning to evaluate experimental data in relation to existing knowledge, and in expanding skills at communicating results of research both orally and in writing. Students who spend several semesters and a summer(s) in the same laboratory often accomplish enough to be co-author of a paper in a scientific journal.

EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS AND MENTORS

Typically a student will start Bio 200/500 in the sophomore or junior year, often in the spring. Much of the first semester is taken up with the student learning techniques and mastering the background and intellectual context of the ongoing research in the laboratory. Our experience is that students will often ask questions if they do not understand one or another specific point, but that sometimes they need help in assimilating the overall perspective even when they correctly understand each detail.  We ask that the student be given material to read and then report back to the mentor.  Many people find a more or less formal presentation by the student to be a good way to report. In addition, students should participate in lab meetings and journal club, if their schedule permits, and should be asked to present at appropriate intervals. For the student's first semester in the lab, the "description of research" may be general and is often derived from material written by the mentor.  However, the student should write the description.  By the end of the first semester, the student should have sufficient mastery of techniques and intellectual context to participate in developing an experimental plan and to prepare the "description of research.”  The description of research can be short - a paragraph or two - but should include information about the research question being addressed and the main methods to be used.  It should be easily understandable to a researcher who is not familiar with the specific area of research.

Projects should have defined goals. Most often the goals are not realized in one semester. The Biology Department recommends that the student be asked for a brief formal report(s) either at times dictated by the rhythm of the work or at the end of the semester. This should require the student to think hard about what she or he has been doing.  This is an extremely useful experience at this early stage.

Students may work either directly with the mentor or with someone of the mentor's choice; e.g., research associate, post-doc, senior graduate student, technician. Most often the latter works out very well. However, in such cases we ask two things of the mentor: (1) The mentor should be sure, on the basis of a specific discussion, that the lab member who will work most closely with the student is enthusiastic about the prospect. If that lab member is hesitant, please reconsider the arrangement. (2) The mentor should consider herself or himself still responsible. We encourage the mentor to meet from time to time with the student to monitor progress in understanding and achievement, as well as to lend encouragement.

As all mentors know, considerable care must be taken if the initial research experience of an undergraduate student is to be successful. It is important that the student be in an active and productive setting, one in which good work is done and then published. However, students are advised to exercise caution before going into a lab that is so large that the undergraduate might get lost in the shuffle. We ask mentors not affiliated with the Division of Biology and Biomedical Science to provide a current CV (unless one is already on file in the Department) to the student who will submit it, along with the Bio 200/500 form, to Ms. Irma Morose or Ms. Jessica Ochoa in the Student Affairs Office located in the Plant Growth Building, Room 105.

Although project goals usually cannot be met in one semester, occasionally, either student or mentor does not care to extend the arrangement beyond the first semester and both must feel absolutely free to terminate the relationship after one semester. In that case, we hope the student will come away with a working knowledge of new techniques and a taste of the culture of experimental science. But usually students continue in Bio 500 for at least 3 semesters. In addition, they often have paying jobs/fellowships in the laboratory during the summer. In the remaining time in the lab beyond the first semester, the student builds, in obvious ways, on the foundation that has been laid. There is some danger that, during the second semester or so, the mentor will begin to view the student as an experienced researcher and that the amount of interaction between the mentor and the student will decrease as a result. We ask mentors and students to guard against this possibility.

Occasionally, there is confusion on the part of a student or a mentor on the difference between Biology 200/500 (Independent Study), General Studies 400 (Laboratory Assistant) and a paid job. Sometimes the actual work performed for a paid job is quite consistent with independent study, but the employer certainly has the right to ask an employee to pour plates, wash dishes, etc., with the aim of facilitating the work of someone else in the lab. Facilitating the work of others would, of course, be an inappropriate primary goal for a Bio 200/500 student. Tasks assigned a Bio 200/500 student should have as their object learning things that will probably be needed in the student's project. This does not preclude the Bio 200/500 student doing a fair share of the routine lab chores, if these are shared by all lab personnel. There are occasions when a student would prefer to be "another pair of hands" while taking no independent responsibility for the scientific work. That is a legitimate experience and is provided for under the rubric of General Studies 400.

In addition, we offer Bio 365, (Experiences in the Life Sciences) for students whose primary goal is to gain practical experience; e.g., by "shadowing" a physician or developing and teaching primary or secondary school curriculum in collaboration with a classroom teacher.  For a more complete description go to: http://www.nslc.wustl.edu/handbook/research.html.

The Biology Department realizes that the distinctions among the categories are not absolutely clear-cut. We ask either students or mentors who are uncertain about the department's expectations to discuss the matter with us.

TO FIND A MENTOR

• Strategy for finding a mentor
• A list of Potential Mentors who have affirmatively responded that they are willing to serve as mentor to an undergraduate student.
• A large majority of the nearly 300 faculty listed in the Research Interests Book (RIB) of the Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (Division) are willing to mentor students in their labs. In addition to this link, three copies of the "RIB" are also on reserve in the Biology Library. 
• Students perspective - finding a mentor

TO REGISTER

• Ms. Jessica Ochoa in the Student Affairs Office located in the Plant Growth Building, Room 105. (South of the NSLC) to get the appropriate forms and details for compliance. Some students may be subject to HIPAA regulations about Patient Records. After you turn in your forms, you will be notified if you are subject to the regulations and required training
• After Biology Department approval, Ms. Jessica Ochoa will register you.

 CREDIT

• Students should schedule two big blocks of time, 4-5 hours each.
• Students average 9-10 hours a week at the bench for 3 units of credit. Preparation for lab, data reduction and reading requires additional time. Field-based research requires a comparable expenditure of time.
• If a student wants to spend 6 hrs/wk for 2 units of BIO 200/500, the mentor will be asked to verify that it will provide a useful experience.
• The mentor should assign a grade of Incomplete (I) if the time commitment agreed upon has not been met. This "I" can be changed to "Pass" by work the student completes after the semester is over. Please consult Kathy Miller at the earliest time any problem is perceived.
• BIO 200/500 is a demanding experience. It should not be treated as an add-on to a full schedule. If total course load is above 16 units, consult your advisor about dropping a course or BIO 200/500.

HONORS INFORMATION

QUALIFICATIONS FOR HONORS

To qualify for Latin honors in biology a student must meet the following requirements. For requirements 1, 2, and 3, only courses taken at Washington University are considered; these averages are computed AFTER 7 SEMESTERS.

1. Cumulative B+ average (3.3) or better in biology courses.

2. Cumulative average of B+ (3.3) or better in the science courses required for a biology major (math, chemistry, and physics)

3. Overall 3.5 average.

4. Six units of independent work (BIO 500). Generally, research to be considered for honors starts in spring of the junior year or earlier.  Most students spend full time devoted to this research the summer following their junior year and complete their work during the senior year.

5. Submission of an honors thesis that describes the research done under Bio 500.  This thesis is to be written by the student.  In order to ensure that each of student and mentor has a clear understanding of our expectations, good examples from past years are available in the Biology Student Affairs office (Plant Growth Room 105) or in the Biology Library [ask at the library desk].  An honors thesis should be closer in format to a Master's thesis than to a journal paper, but usually will contain less material than a Masters thesis. An abstract that presents the essence of the problem and the main conclusions is required. This should be followed by an introduction that describes the biological context of the problem (that is, why the problem is interesting and as yet unsolved and the information known at the time the work was undertaken which served as a basis for the work).  The introduction should be more extensive than a typical journal article, introducing a non-specialist to the field and specific work.  The methods section should describe the methods used in enough detail to make it clear that the student understands them. The typical journal article format - "... was done according to the method of Schwartz, et al (1987)" - is too brief, but protocols are inappropriate.  To report on the data that were obtained, typically a results section is included with figures, followed by a discussion section that provides context for the observations and conclusions that can be drawn.  Some people prefer to handle results and discussion as two sections. Others prefer to handle them together.   Some like to have a Conclusions section, which allows the investigator to summarize the findings, but this is not required.  It is appropriate [but not required] to discuss where the work is likely to proceed from here using a section entitled, "Future Work."  Mentors often have their own ideas about the organization. STUDENTS NEED TO CONSULT WITH MENTORS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND CONTENT OF THE THESIS WELL IN ADVANCE.

The Biology department suggests that initial planning begin before the end of the fall semester, with actual writing beginning no later than the first week of Spring semester.   Sections like introduction and materials and methods can be written starting in late fall or over winter break, even if all results are not finalized until much later.  Usually students work with their mentors and other members of the lab to generate the final version, as any researcher would in writing results for publication.  HOWEVER, THE WRITING SHOULD BE PRIMARILY THE STUDENTS RESPONSIBILITY and others’ contributions should be limited to commenting on student drafts.  I ask mentors to certify the acceptability of the thesis and to suggest reviewers who are knowledgeable on the subject matter of your research. STUDENTS WILL NOT BE DESIGNATED FOR HONORS WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF THE THESIS BY THE MENTOR. 

From time to time, despite considerable effort, students have few, if any, results to report.  If the absence of results is because of bad luck or an intractable (perhaps too ambitious) problem, then the criterion for writing a thesis is that the student has invested considerable physical and intellectual time and effort in the work.  In that case, the thesis will be heavy on background.  It may include the results of others in the lab, as long as the person who did the work is acknowledged.  If the source of the absence of results can be identified, writing about this would be appropriate, especially if the student has any advice for anyone else who might pursue the same question.  Having definitive results IS NOT REQUIRED to write a suitable honors thesis. (revised 11/07)

6. A mentor's letter certifying the acceptability of the thesis MUST accompany the thesis.

7.  Presentation of thesis work in poster or oral form at the spring Undergraduate Research Symposium, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research.  This symposium is usually held late in April. [This presentation is considered a departmental oral examination and is required for student receiving honors starting in 2008.]

Time Table for Honors

Honors theses are due the Monday following spring break of the senior year. (Students graduating in Dec. will have a different deadline - consult Ms. Irma Morose or Ms. Jessica Ochoa) To have an acceptable thesis, students must begin writing and submit draft versions of each part of their honors thesis to their mentors to get feedback well in advance of this deadline. Students are advised to consult with their mentors about an appropriate time table by the end of the Fall semester of the senior year. Generally, writing should begin no later than January (start of spring semester) and preliminary drafts of sections like introduction, methods should be presented to mentors for feedback beginning early in February. There should be several rounds of revision and discussion among mentor, possibly others in the lab (bench mentor and others who are familiar with the project) and the student to generate the final version. The process is akin to writing a manuscript for publication and students should seek advice and feedback as would any researcher writing up results for publication. Mentor approval is required on the final version. If a mentor has not seen and approved the final version prior to the deadline, the department will NOT recommend the student receive honors. If any delay or problem in submitting an acceptable thesis by the deadline is anticipated/suspected, students and/or mentor must discuss the problem with the department (begin by notifying Ms. Irma Morose or Ms. Jessica Ochoa) as soon as possible.

NOTE: The Marion Smith Spector Prize is awarded annually to an undergraduate who has compiled an excellent academic record and submitted an outstanding honors thesis. The Biology Department also awards the Harrison D. Stalker Prize to a graduating senior whose college career has been distinguished by scholarship, service, and breadth of interest. For details, please see the Biology Major's Handbook.

Biology 500W will no longer be offered, as of Fall semeter 2007