BTC Buffer and Media 102 40 2 cr.                                                 Summer 2024

Lecture and Lab Syllabus

Professor:      David Peal, Ph.D.

Office Location:   122 Arlington Street, Boston, 2^nd Floor

Email: david.peal@quincycollege.edu

Dean’s Office Phone: Natural Health Sciences: 617-405-5960    

 

 

 Class Time and Location:   

	Dates	Days/Time	Location
Lecture/Lab	7/12-8/23	Fridays, 10:00am-2:00pm	Arlington Lab, 208

   

Office Hours:  

M	T	W	T	Fr
10:00am-11:00am Zoom				3:00pm-4:00pm In-person

We can also find other mutual times to meet if the office hours do not work.  

  

 

 

 

 COURSE DESCRIPTION

This laboratory-based course is designed to introduce the student to the skills required to prepare chemical buffers and cell culture media for use in the bio manufacturing industry. The student will become skilled in the techniques and equipment necessary to prepare high quality buffers and media for use in the manufacturing of protein products. The goal of this course is to manufacture buffers and media following strict aseptic techniques while adhering to current good manufacturing practices (cGMP). Quality control methods will stringently test the buffering capacity, ionic strength and purity of products.

 

 

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

1. THERE ARE NO TEXTBOOKS FOR THIS COURSE. Study material will be suggested or provided during class as and when necessary.

 

2. Required Readings:

• Buffers: A Guide for the Preparation and Use of Buffers in Biological Systems
• Food and Drug Administration, (2011) Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 21, 210, 211.

 

3. Lab Manual- Lab Protocols will be posted in Canvas

4.   Bound Lab Notebook

  

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:

1. Discuss the importance of laboratory safety.
2. Demonstrate laboratory safety in handling chemicals and equipment in a laboratory
3. Perform calibration and laboratory equipment while adhering to cGMP guidelines.
4. Calculate appropriate mass and volume requirements for buffer and media solutions.
5. Demonstrate proper aseptic technique in the preparation of chemical buffers and cell culture media.
6. Evaluate buffer and media solutions for sterility.
7. Validate the composition of the buffer solution.

COURSE DELIVERY FORMAT

On Campus (C): This course meets on campus according to the schedule posted above. Most of the course content will be delivered through lectures and other activities conducted during class meetings. Additional course resources are available via the Canvas Learning Management System to supplement the textbook or provide interaction with the content and/or assessment

 

LAB SAFETY

All lab experiments have been designed so they can be completed within the semester. However, the laboratory can be an unpredictable environment and you should always be aware of your surroundings. To maintain a safe learning environment, a set of laboratory rules have been established. You are required to conform to standard safe laboratory practices outlined in these rules. You are required to perform all experiments as written in the laboratory protocol or as stated by your instructor and to follow all safety instructions given. Failure to adhere to these requirements will result in dismissal from the lab session, and an irrevocable grade of zero for the entire laboratory portion of the course.  

Cell Phones: The use of cell phones and other electronic devices in the lecture and laboratory are forbidden without the explicit permission of the instructor. 

  

QUIZ AND EXAM FORMAT

• True/False, Open-Response, Multiple Choice, Matching, Lab Practicum

 

• You will be provided with a study guide, and you will be allowed a one page (standard size) 8 x11 " cheat sheet". You can use front and back.
• Modality: Paper Quiz and Exam

 

*NOTE   There will be NO make-ups for exams unless the student has a written excuse from a medical doctor or another competent authority. Late homework assignments will not be accepted  

  

  CLASS EXPECTATIONS  

1. Please arrive to class on time. Constant tardiness or absences will result in a Notice of Concern.
2. Raise your hand to ask a question.
3. Do not be afraid to answer and ask questions.
4. Treat others the way THEY wish to be treated.
5. Complete all assignments, quizzes, and exams.
6. Attending office hours and watching my pre-recorded lectures will greatly enhance your learning of the course material and impact your ability to do well in the class.
7. Please come to class with a positive attitude for yourself and your peers as this will create a positive and respectful learning space.
8. Refrain from talking or whispering with others (REGARDLESS OF TOPIC) or interrupting the instructor, this is rude to others as well as the instructor. 9. Check email and Canvas daily

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HOMEWORK/IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

There will be several in-class and homework assignments.

 

 

 

COMMUNICATION WITH THE INSTRUCTOR

You are responsible for checking the Quincy College Portal often!  

All email communication between Quincy College faculty/adjunct faculty and enrolled students must occur via the College issued email account or through the Quincy College Portal. Mostly, my response time is between 1-24 hours. If you do not have a working Quincy College email account please contact Information Technology atsupport@quincycollege.edu.

Class cancellations, schedule changes, assignments and grades, etc. will be communicated through the announcements in Canvas or through the portal, so check it often.

  

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

You must attend all lecture and labs.  

Participation in each session for the entire period is mandatory.

 Penalty for Absence: Missing any lecture or lab or part of a lecture/lab results in loss of attendance/participation points. If a student needs to be absent due to an unavoidable emergency, please contact me in advance and/or as soon as possible, to work out something. Absence for 3 or more classes might result in failure of the course.  

If a student needs to be absent due to an unavoidable emergency, please contact me in advance and/or as soon as possible, in order to work out something. Absence for 3 or more classes might result in failure of the course. PLEASE NOTE: A class compensated/made up may not be worth the class attended.

 

WITHDRAWAL POLICY

Students are allowed to withdraw from a course during the first twelve weeks of classes (see academic calendar for last date to withdraw).  To receive a grade of “W”, students must officially withdraw from a course by completing a withdrawal form.  These withdrawal forms, also called drop/add forms, are available in the Enrollment Services Office, at Presidents Place or at the Plymouth front desk.  Failure to attend classes does not constitute a course withdrawal.  Students who stop attending class, without officially withdrawing, will receive an earned final grade, which may be a failure, if requirements have not been met.

 

ACADEMIC INETGRITY STATEMENT

In keeping with our mission, Quincy College will foster a high standard of academic honesty for students, faculty, and staff and will seek to preserve the rights of our entire College community.  As part of our academic integrity policy, all members of the college community will adhere to the basic values of mutual respect and responsibility as well as individual and institutional integrity.  Students will be informed about those actions that constitute a breach of integrity and about those sanctions that may result from academic dishonesty.  In the interests of promoting the best environment for learning, we, the community of Quincy College, pledge to advance the principles of honor and integrity in all of our actions.

Using large language models (LLM’s) such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, or other generative AIlanguage tools to produce any aspect of a writing assignment, including but not limited to brainstorming, outlining, drafting, or revising, will be considered a violation of academic integrity.  

To promote the best environment for learning, courses utilize test proctoring and Turnitin, similarity/plagiarism software to maintain integrity of tests and coursework. Please reach out to your instructors for specific information about the academic integrity software used in your courses.

Our test proctoring software, Respondus Lockdown Browser, does require a working microphone and webcam. A student guide to Respondus Monitor will be made available during the course.

Please refer to the 2023-2024 Student Handbook for more information on our Academic Integrity Policy.

  

Turnitin:

Written assignments in the course may be submitted to Turnitin for a similarity/plagiarism review. This can be done by you or your instructor.

Turnitin generates a similarity report of your writing by comparing it with a database of journals, books, websites, student papers and other work. This report can help determine when the sources are used fairly, cited properly, and paraphrased effectively. Detection of similarities does not necessarily mean plagiarism has occurred, as the copied text might be properly referenced.

Turnitin helps to foster academic integrity and encourages you to produce original academic work.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STUDENT GUIDELINES

Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the coursework they submit.  Therefore, to assist students in observing academic integrity, the following guidelines have been developed.

1. Students must do their own work and submit only their own work, unless otherwise permitted by their instructor. If appropriate citation guidelines are not stated on the syllabus, students are encouraged to contact their instructor for guidance.
2. Students may collaborate or cooperate with other students on assignments or examinations only as directed by the instructor.
3. Students must follow all written and/or oral instructions given by instructors or designated college representatives for taking exams, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and other evaluative instruments. Academic dishonesty includes:
4. Cheating - is using or attempting to use any materials, information, notes, study aids or other forms of assistance—human, digital or otherwise—during in-class or take-home quizzes, examinations or assignments of any kind without the prior consent of the course’s instructor.

  

1. Plagiarism- is intentionally or carelessly presenting the work, ideas, representations and/or words of another person as one’s own, without proper attribution and citations in accordance with academic and discipline-specific standards. This would also include purchasing or using another person’s work.

  

1. Fabrication - is the use of invented, counterfeited, altered or forged information in assignments of any type, without the prior consent of the instructor.

  

1. Multiple Submission- is the submission of the same or substantially the same work for credit in two or more courses, without the prior written approval by the instructor of the current course. Multiple submissions shall include the use of any prior academic effort previously submitted for academic credit at this or a different institution.

  

1. Complicity- is assisting or attempting to assist another person in any act of academic dishonesty.

  

1. Misconduct in Research and Creative Endeavors- is any deviation from the accepted professional and ethical practices within a discipline, or from the policies of the College, in carrying out, reporting, publishing, or exhibiting the results of research. It includes the fabrication or falsification of data, plagiarism, and scientific or creative misrepresentation.

  

1. Misuse of Intellectual Property- is the illegal use of copyright materials, trademarks, trade secrets or intellectual properties. Students are afforded a great deal of discretion, under the legal principle of fair use, to employ copyrighted materials for academic purposes, but should consult with their instructor prior to using such materials for coursework of any kind. “

Using large language models (LLM’s) such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, or other generative AIlanguage tools to produce any aspect of a writing assignment, including but not limited to brainstorming, outlining, drafting, or revising, will be considered a violation of academic integrity.  

STUDENT SUCCESS COACHES

Student Success Coaches offer support for students to develop plans to overcome obstacles and achieve their academic goals.  Coaches assist students by actively listening, providing short term, solution focused coaching on a wide variety of personal issues and making professional referrals as needed.  The Quincy Office is located in Suite 508, President’s Place at 617-984-1681.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, please contact Mary Chartrand – mchartrand@quincycollege.edu, on Mondays and Wednesdays, please contact Lori Earl – learl@quincycollege.edu.  

The Plymouth Office is located in Room 1B in the rear.  Please contact Joseph Weeks  - jweeks@quincycollege.eduat 617-405-5953.

DISABILITY SERVICES

Disability Services works with the campus community to provide equal access and opportunity to educational programming and services for students with disabilities.  If you are a student with a documented disability and would like to request an academic or other accommodation, you first must register in the Disability Services Office. Please contact the Disability Services Officer, Mary Moore, mmoore@quincycollege.com or by telephone at 617-405-5915 and allow a reasonable amount of time to process your request.

TITLE IX POLICY

Title IX prohibits sex discrimination, including sexual misconduct, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and retaliation. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, click here for more information about QC’s Title IX Policies and Procedures.

 TUTORING SERVICES

Quincy College offers free academic tutoring to help students become better learners. Students can walk in to the scheduled tutoring hours or students may submit a tutoring request form to ask for a tutor in a particular subject. On the Quincy campus, we are located in Presidents Place Suite 508, and you can contact Lewann Mina at lmina@quincycollege.edu or 617--984--1664. At the Plymouth campus, we are located in Room 220 and you can contact Roger White at 617--984-1731. An official Quincy College student ID is required to access tutoring services.

We also offer free online tutoring at http://services.smarthinking.com. A student’s username is qc followed by the student’s ID number and the password is quincy.   

IT SUPPORT

For assistance with the Quincy College portal, please contact http://support.quincycollege.edu

COLLEGE LIBRARIES

The college libraries in Quincy and in Plymouth are open many hours each day for your convenience.  Each library contains a copy of required textbooks for each course as well as other materials that may be recommended.  The library staff offers instruction in how to use a wide variety of print and electronic resources and can provide individual assistance as you begin your research for class assignments.  Access the library website at www.quincycollegelibrary.org

VETERANS BENEFITS

Students may contact the Veterans’ Benefits Office at 617-405-5928   for assistance with their GI Bill benefits.  Those who are using the Post-9/11 GI Bill may have their tuition and fees covered at their appropriate eligibility percentage.  However, any educational costs not charged as tuition or a fee at the time of registration cannot be certified to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.  The book stipend is additional funding intended to cover other educational costs including, but not limited to, books, uniforms, supplies, and lab equipment.  The Veterans’ Benefits Office requires a copy of the student’s Certificate of Eligibility to process education claims.  Students can apply for eligibility at www.gibill.va.gov.

 

STUDENT ID’S

All students are required to purchase a student ID. Every student must have a QC picture ID to access buildings and facilities. In addition, you can use your ID to check books out of the college library and city and town libraries in the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). Students who already have a QC ID must update their IDs for the new semester through Enrollment Services, Information Technology at Presidents Place or the Plymouth campus front desk. To obtain a Student ID, please visit the following locations:

Student Life Office Location:

 Presidents Place, Room 337

 Information Technology Office Location:

 Presidents Place, Room 501

 Admissions Quincy Office Location:  Presidents Place

 Plymouth Office Location:  36 Cordage Park Circle

  ELECTRONIC DEVICES

Students are expected to SWITCH OFF all electronic devices or not bring them to class. Cell phones, beepers, and music and gaming devices cause disturbance during class, distracting yourself as well as the instructor and your fellow classmates. Texting/ gaming/ engaging in any kind of social media (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) is NOT allowed during the class. The use of laptops, video recorders and tape recorders, iPads are allowed only with the instructor’s permission. Do not let your electronic device disturb our class.  

   

  

  

  

  

Grading Criteria:  

  

	Points	Percentage
Quizzes	100	16.6%
Homework/In-class Assignments	100	16.6%
Final exam	200	33.3%
Lab Notebook	100	16.6%
Lab Participation	100	16.6%
	600

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Week	Date	Topic/ Concept	Reading assignment	Lab exercise	Evaluation method *
1	7/12	Lab Safety   Introduction to equipment    Measurement   In-class Problem Set	Handouts/ PowerPoints	Introduction to equipment and measurements	HW1 Quiz 1
2	7/19	Making Solutions  Problem Sets    pH calibration, measurement and storage	Handouts/ PowerPoints	Using pH meters    Solution Preparation	HW 2  Quiz 2
3	7/26	Prepare Buffer	Buffer guide pg: 1-7      Buffer guide pg: 8-14      Handouts/ PowerPoints	Solution Preparation	HW 3  Quiz 3
4	8/2	Prepare Buffers	Buffer guide pg: 1-7      Buffer guide pg: 8-14      Handouts/ PowerPoints	Titrating Buffers	HW 4 Quiz 4
5	8/9	Cell Media	Handouts/ PowerPoints	Media Preparation, Sterilization, and storage	HW 5 Quiz 5
6	8/16	Cell Media	Handouts/ PowerPoints	Media Preparation, Sterilization, and storage	HW 6
7	8/23	Cell Media	Handouts/ PowerPoints	Media Preparation, Sterilization, and storage	Final exam

  

Homework: Due the next class after assigned.

  

Lab Notebook Check Dates: 7/26 and 8/23.

  

Quiz / Exam	Dates
Quiz #1	7/19
Quiz #2	7/26
Quiz #3	8/2
Quiz #4	8/9
Quiz #5	8/16
Final Exam	8/23