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There will be four parts to the Individual Project:

Part 1. Pick an area in plant cell biology, development, or genetics that you find intriguing and that is amenable to genetic analysis. A good idea is to choose a process or phenomenon that has been described, but not yet extensively studied. One-sentence descriptions of three possible areas is due as part of the third homework set (due 10/13 at the start of class).

Part 2. Design a genetic approach to identify genes involved in one of the processes you identified in Part 1. A paragraph describing this approach is due as part of the fourth homework set (due 11/19 at the start of class). This approach must be designed with feasibility in mind, as well as the likelihood of false positives and false negatives.

Part 3. You will be assigned two genes to “find” in your screen. Using the online tools that will be demonstrated in class, characterize the likely function of the proteins encoded by these genes, and propose the role these proteins may play in your process of interest. This part will not be graded separately, but will be included in your presentation in Part 4.

Part 4. The final part of the project will be an oral presentation describing all of your work in Parts 1-3. Each presentation will be 15 minutes long and they will take place during class on 12/3, 12/8, and 12/10.

Grading
As stated on the syllabus, each homework set will be worth 5% of your grade. The individual project components will only be a portion of the homework assignment. Homework is due at the start of class and late homework will not be accepted. Put another way, if you don’t turn in your homework by the start of class, you will receive a 0 for that assignment. The oral presentation will be worth 15% of your final grade. In addition, your evaluation of the content of each other's presentation will contribute to your class participation grade, which is 5% of your final grade.

Notes
· The Individual Project is designed to give you hands-on experience in designing genetic screens and interpreting the information obtained from online genomic resources. You will also gain useful experience when evaluating your fellow students’ projects.

· Please come see me if you need more guidance or help. You may find the wiki on the class website (http://seedtosenescence.wetpaint.com/page/Individual+Project) useful for discussions with me and with your classmates.