Practical Skills in Biomolecular Science

Preface
List of abbreviations

Study strategies
-Developing your skills
-Self-management
-Learning effectively
-Making the most of learning resources
-Locating and citing published information
-Evaluating information
-Working with others
-Mapping your personal development

Assessment skills
-Succeeding in assessments
-Scientific writing
-Writing essays
-Reporting practical and project work
-Tackling literature surveys and reviews
-Presenting written assignments
-Preparing a poster
-Giving a spoken presentation
-Revision strategies
-Improving your performance in exams

Fundamental laboratory techniques
-Preparing for practical work
-Working safely in the lab
-Basic laboratory skills
-Measuring and dispensing liquids
-Preparing solutions – principles and practice
-Measuring and maintaining pH
-Understanding microscopy
-Setting up and using a light microscope

The investigative approach
-Making measurements
-Understanding SI units and their use
-Designing experiments
-Understanding bioethics
-Recording data and images
-Tackling project work and placements

Working with microbes, cells and tissues
-Learning sterile technique
-Culturing cells and measuring growth
-Collecting and isolating microbes
-Identifying microbes
-Naming microbes and other organisms
-Working with bacteria
-Working with eukaryotic microbes: fungi and protists
-Working with viruses
-Working with animal and plant cells and tissues
-Homogenising and fractionating cells and tissues

Analytical techniques
-Understanding calibration and quantitative analysis
-Centrifugation techniques
-Measuring light
-Using advanced spectroscopy and spectrometry
-Carrying out basic spectroscopy and spectrometry
-Separating compounds using chromatography
-Detecting and analysing compounds after chromatography
-Methods of electrophoresis
-Advanced electrophoretic techniques
-Electroanalytical techniques
-Using immunological methods
-Using radioisotopes
-Analysing stable isotopes

Assaying biomolecules and studying metabolism
-Analysing biomolecules
-Assaying amino acids, peptides and proteins
-Assaying lipids
-Assaying carbohydrates
-Assaying nucleic acids and nucleotides
-Protein purification
-Studying enzymes
-Measuring membrane transport
-Quantifying photosynthesis and respiration

Genetics and molecular biology
-Studying Mendelian and population genetics
-Studying bacterial and phage genetics
-Understanding molecular genetics – fundamental principles
-Using the polymerase chain reaction in molecular genetics
-Genetic manipulation techniques
-Applying bioinformatics

Analysing and presenting data
-Manipulating and transforming raw data
-Analysing data with spreadsheets
-Summarising data in tables
-Illustrating data in graphs
-Solving numerical problems
-Using descriptive statistics
-Selecting and interpreting statistical tests

Appendix 1
Index