Week

ASSIGNMENT AND READING TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE FIRST CLASS
Pre-course Survey: Complete before doing readings for this week. Available Noon Friday Aug 18th until 11:59pm Wednesday 23rd.
Course Background Reading: All from Purves et al. 7th ed. (The edition with lions on the cover. If you do not have access to a copy of this text please contact me)
Chapter 3: Life and Chemistry: Large Molecules: Focus on 38-45 and 54-57
Chapter 6: Energy, Enzymes and Metabolism: Focus on 113-118 and 121-123
Chapter 10: Genetics: Mendel and Beyond 187-199
Chapter 16: Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology 318-321, 335-337

Background reading contains review of terms, theories and technologies.
Note: there is a quiz on this material during the first class meeting. Quiz assumes 'Bio111' level of understanding and should be review.

MEETING MOVED in WATSON 247 (room with the big heads)
Introduction to Course
Quiz on Background Reading
2:30-3:30 Science Librarian (F. Molinek) review library resources and search strategies

READING FOR THIS WEEK:
+Accepting evidence and expert witness testimony: Daubert Decision, Rehnquist opinion, Blackmun opinion, Daubert in NC, Federal Rules of Evidence #702.
+Presentation guidelines and evaluation forms. All in 'Guidelines and Forms' folder on Blackboard

1-2pm: MEETING Dana 153: Discussion of Daubert and rules for accepting evidence.
2+: Discussion of presentation expectations and forms
Assignment of first set of topics--Literature search. Turn in list of at least 4 sources and three points you plan to discuss

Remember presenters must give one critiqued practice talk before 9pm Monday so that peer reviewer can turn in form by 10pm.

TOPIC: Forensic analysis of Sweat/Breath - focus on alcohol
Assigned topics:

• The law: Alcohol related law-- what are the rules, the limits, and the consequences (limit to breath and sweat)? Focus on field sobriety testing
• The biology: What is in your breath? What is sweat?
• The forensic technology: Detection of alcohol by 'breathalyzer', SCRAM and other field methods (not Blood Alcohol). What is the technology and what is the science behind it.

READING: Saliva Proteome Paper
Remember presenters must give one critiqued practice talk before 9pm Monday so that peer reviewer can turn in form by 10pm.

During Class
Last week's groups discuss questions
Presentations
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Saliva Proteome Paper Discussion

TOPIC: Analysis of Blood Alcohol
Assigned topics

• The law: Alcohol related law-- what are the rules, the limits, and the consequences (limit blood alcohol)?
• The biology: Metabolism of alcohol (alcohol pharmokinetics and dynamics of alcohol transport in the body)
• The forensic technology: Detection of Blood Alcohol Levels

READING: Sadzuka et al. (2005) Effects of Theanine on Alcohol Metabolism and Hepatic Toxicity Biol. Pharm. Bull 29: 1702-1706

Marshfields Laboratories "Urine Alcohol Testing" 2005. Sept 1 2005. <www.marshfieldlaboratories.org/nida/alcurine.pdf>

During Class
Further questions for last week's groups
Presentations
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Discussion of articles
Review of Debate proceedings. Assignment of debate positions

DEBATE #1 TOPIC: DUI/DWI

1. If person has consumed 2 alcoholic beverages in one hour, legally, they should not drive. (Debaters should include metabolic and detection methods to support their claims)

2. DWI courts are a good use of resources and ensure better handling of DWI cases.

(No additional reading)

Further questions for last week's groups
DEBATE #1: BAC limit and DWI courts
Peer evaluations of debate
Assign topics for Blood section

TOPIC: Blood
Assigned topics:

• The biology: What is blood? General overview of blood's functional parts and their roles
• The forensic technology 1: How do you determine if blood is present at a crime scene?Presumptive methods: present different means of determining blood from non-blood and the biological/chemical support for those methods
• The forensic technology 2: How do you determine if blood is human? Approaches to discriminating between human and non-human blood

READING: Antibody Profiling-- IgD
Isotachophoretic analysis of Human DNA

Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Discussion of articles

TOPIC: Blood
Assigned topics:

• The law: Use of blood evidence in the courtroom (not DNA): Can include history of use/acceptance, role blood plays in modern trials, case law regarding its admission.
• The biology 1: The ABO blood typing system (We know about blood-- go beyond to details of this marker system: What are the molecules? Where are they? Why are they present?)
• The biology 2: Human Blood Markers: Beyond ABO (We know about blood and ABO-- what other blood markers are there? What kinds of molecules are these? What role(s) do they normally play in blood?

READING: Shabazz Case

Last week's groups discuss questions
Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Assign topics for Analysis of Blood Markers and Detection of Semen seetcions

Discussion: Shabazz Case: Should an appeal be granted?

(Fall Break)
FORENSIC SEROLOGY IN THE NEWS:
EACH person will report on a development, case, public debate that concerns the use of forensic serological technology. 5min with time for questions (no powerpoint)

FS in the News presentations
Initial brainstorming for public presentation

TOPIC: Analysis of Blood Markers

• The biology 1: Basic Properties of Inheritance (relate to blood markers)
• The biology 2: Antibody antigen interactions (relate to forensic detection methods)
• The forensic technology: Methods for detecting Blood Markers

READING: Determining ABO blood grouping from human oral squamous epithelium (2002)

Week before Fall Break's groups discuss questions
Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard

Public presentation planning/prep

TOPIC: Detection of Semen

• The forensic technology 1: What is semen? Presumptive tests for semen. What are they? How do they work?
• The forensic technology 2: Confirmatory tests for semen/ for human semen. What are they? How do they work?
• The law 3: Law relating to sexual assault. What is it? How is it proven? What are the consequences of conviction?

READING: 'Evaluation of PSA Membrane Test' paper
Sexual Assault Case

Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Discussion of Articles

TOPIC: DNA evidence

• The law 1: Use of DNA in evidence in the courtroom
  (How long has DNA evidence been admissable? In what conditions/types of cases would DNA evidence be helpful?)
• The biology : What is DNA, at both chemical level and functional level? Similarities and Differences between genomic and mitochondrial DNA
• The forensic technology : Methods for DNA analysis-- RFLPs. SNPs, microsatellites-- what are they, how are they detected?

READING: Out of the Icebox article
Allelic Discrimination article

Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Discussion of Articles
Public presentation run through
Expectations/trepidations about public presentation
Assign topics for DNA evidence section

Public Presentation will be this week.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 11th: 'Discover Chemistry Day': One hour hands-on exercise with Middle School Participants

After presentation:
Write critique of presentation. Include discussion of parts that went well, parts that didn't go well (and reasons why that might have been) and comparison of expectations vs. reality
DUE MONDAY 11/13 by midnight: email word document as an attachment

TOPIC: DNA evidence

• The biology and forensics 1: Mitochondrial DNA and victim identification in mass disasters
• The forensics: CODIS and DNA databases: Their development and the population genetics behind them
• The biology and forensics 2: Theory vs practice: complications introduced by crime scene samples

READING: Mauney case

Presentation of topics
Peer evaluations -- form available on Blackboard
Discussion of Mauney case
Assignment of Debate positions

Thanksgiving Break: Watch any of the many CSI or Law & Order and discuss the forensic serology with your friends and relatives

DEBATE #2:
A: DNA profiling technology has been developed, and accepted, for use in forensics cases. Connecting a suspect to a crime scene by DNA profiling is the shining gold standard.

B: The tenets of California’s Proposition 69 should be adopted and implemented by the federal government.

DEBATE #2:

Peer evaluations of debate
Course Evaluations