- B,C & D of protocol

- Due on SUNDAY OCTOBER 8th

Marking Scheme:

- Do not include basic techniques (i.e. spreading until the plate is dry; placing the plates upside
down); deduce 0.5 for every unnecessary detail up to 2 pt. 1/2
-
- Do not include unnecessary details (container used, tool used); deduce 0.5 for every
unnecessary details up to 2 pt 0/2
-
- Do not start with a verb or a number. Do not use a personal tone; Deduce 0.5 point for each
instance up to a max for 1 pt 1/1.5
-
- Explain controls; 0.5 in the body of the text (must be after the description of the experimental
group); 0.5 correctly describe the positive control; 0.5 correctly describe the negative control.
0/1.5
-
- Explain what the steps are for; 0.5 45s at 42oC for heat shock; 0.5 add LB for cell recovery/gene
expression. 0.5/1
-
- Include a sentence analysing the results; 1 sentence well written; 0.5 sentence need
improvement; 0 no analysis. 0.5/1
-
- Intro sentence: 1 the intro sentence is well written; 0.5 there is intro sentence but needs
improvement; 0 there is no intro sentence. 0.5/1
-
- Key words; 0.5 for each (plasmid; bacteria are not appropriate key words) ; 0 if incorrect or no
key words. 0/1.5
-
- Media with reference or source (e.g Miller 1972 or Thermo Fisher + others). 0/0.5
-
- Plasmid name with reference; 0.5: pRSET-FPx; 0.5 Shaner et al., 2004. 0/1
-
- Reference; should have at least 1; 1 for properly referencing APA style; 0.5 if not in APA style; 0
for no references or for citing the lab manual or for providing references not cited in the text or
that are irrelevant. 0/1
-
- Strain name with source: 0.5 E. coli JM109-DE3; 0.5 Promega corporation. 0.5/1
-
- Subtitle: 1 for non descriptive tilte (only techniwue's name ; 0.5 for descriptive title; 0 for no
subtitle. 0.5/1
-
- Title page: 2 well written an cover the whole semester; 1 if it is too general; Deduce 0.5 if they
mention M&M; 0 if it is incorrect or they do not have a title ½
 - The first sentence (or part of the sentence) of each section must

explain what a particular procedure is for (for example; Genomic DNA was extracted

from peas using...)

- It should therefore contain all pertinent technical details, the instruments used and experimental
variable (e.g. temperature, incubation time, masses, sizes and volumes, concentrations, voltage,
type and % of gel, markers used, centrifuge time and speed, etc.). You should also indicate
what the different steps are for.
- do not mention details of standard and generally known procedures (i.e. size
of the flask used; that you used a marker to label the tubes; how to use a microscope
or a centrifuge; how to perform dilutions, etc.).
- reference an
article in the M & M section is the same as what you would do in the Introduction and
Discussion sections: for one author (Smith, 2018); for two authors: (Smith and John,
2005); for more than two authors (John et al., 2014). Note that “et al.” is always written in italic.
Make sure to also include the full reference in the reference section

When writing a M&M section, make sure you include:

• Scientific name and source of the organisms used

• Types of treatment

• Number of replicates

• Controls used

• Variables measured

• Equipment used, model number and the manufacturer’s name (written in

brackets). This information is only required for the specialized type of equipment

(large centrifuge; PCR machines; Plate readers; Genetic analyzer; etc.)

• Chemicals and chemical companies (written in brackets)

• Describe the composition of the solutions used. If the solutions are standard and

have been described in another publication, cite the publication instead of writing

the composition (one or the other; not both!)

• Specific procedures you developed

• The date and location of the sites for field studies

• Explain how the data were collected and analyzed (statistical analysis, calculation

such as the equation for the calculation of an enzyme activity, etc.)

• Computer software used with associated reference

Make sure you start each section with an intro sentence that clearly explains what
the protocol is used for.
- M&M is not a laboratory manual or a recipe book. Never use point forms or bullets
to write this section. You must write full sentences.
- Be careful not to be too wordy; try to combine several related actions into one
sentence.
- Avoid using ambiguous terms to characterize treatments such as Tube 1, Tube 2,
etc. Instead indicate what tube 1 and 2 contain.
- Avoid using “then”, “afterwards”, “next”, etc.
- Do not start sentences with a verb (reword the sentence).
- Avoid starting your sentence with a number. Do not write the number in full, instead
use the Arabic notation (1, 2, 3,...).
- Explain how data were collected and analyzed (including statistical analysis)