Divisions of Environmental Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, and Pharmacology

Graduate Student Handbook

Departmental Faculty Approval - August 24, 2015

SOP Vision

We are a highly respected community of learners, educators, scientists, and practitioners whose innovative achievements position us as leaders in improving health and wellness.

SOP Mission

The mission of the University Of Mississippi School Of Pharmacy is to improve health, well being, and quality of life of individuals and communities through educating students, pharmacy practitioners and pharmaceutical scientists, conducting research, and engaging in service.

We will accomplish this by providing:

Innovative models of practice, with an emphasis on underserved populations and those with health disparities.

Quality education for current professional and graduate students.

Quality post-graduate training opportunities.

Quality continuing professional development opportunities.

An environment that promotes the generation and dissemination of new biomedical knowledge and technologies through collaborative and interdisciplinary research.

Opportunities for discovery and dissemination of knowledge of natural products and novel pharmaceuticals.

Leadership in the development and implementation of advanced pharmacy practice models.

Service to internal and external stakeholders and the general population.

Opportunities to conduct practice-based and translational research to address health disparities.

Members of the BMS Faculty

Division of Environmental Toxicology

Dr. Deborah Gochfeld

Dr. John Rimoldi

Dr. Marc Slattery

Dr. Kristie Willett

Division of Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Stephen Cutler, Chair

Dr. David Colby

Dr. Robert Doerksen

Dr. Christopher McCurdy

Dr. John Rimoldi

Division of Pharmacognosy

1° Appointment

Dr. Mark Hamann

Dr. Dale Nagle

Dr. Marc Slattery

Dr. Jordan Zjawiony

2° Appointment

Dr. Xing-Cong Li

Dr. Alice Clark

Dr. Ikhlas Khan

Dr. Shabana Khan

Dr. David Pasco

Dr. Samir Ross

Division of Pharmacology

1° Appointment

Dr. Tracy Brooks

Dr. Zia Shariat-Madar

Dr. Joshua Sharp

Dr. Kristine Willett

2° Appointment

Dr. David Allen

Dr. Ameeta Agarwal

Dr. Asok Dasmahapatra

Dr. Mark Hamann

Dr. Christopher McCurdy

Dr. Babu Tekwani

Dr. Karen Sabol

Dr. Kenneth Sufka

Dr. Larry Walker

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACADEMICS

GENERAL INFORMATION

Registration

Guidelines for Graduate Student Support

Time in Residence

Application for a Degree

Vacation and Work Schedule

Academic Performance

GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATORS

SELECTION OF A MAJOR PROFESSOR

CURRICULUM

M.S. and Ph.D. Core Curricula

Minor Area of Study

Enrollment in Coursework

Seminar Requirements & Guidelines

THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL (ORP)

ANNUAL STUDENT ACTIVITY REPORT

ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY FOR THE DOCTORATE

THESIS AND DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS/ADVISORY COMMITTEES

DISSERTATION AND THESIS PREPARATION

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION/DEFENSE

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH ETHICS

DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS

TELEPHONE USAGE

COMPUTER USAGE

COPYING AND OFFICE SUPPLIES

PURCHASING

MAIL

SHIPPING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

SHIPPING WITH DRY ICE

RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

SAFETY & SECURITY

Safety Training Requirements

Emergency Procedures

Emergency Telephone Numbers

Chemical & Biological Spills/Emergency Spill Procedures

Food & Drink in the Laboratories

Personal Electronics in Laboratories

Security

Clean Laboratories

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL 100 & ETHANOL 96 & ETHYL ETHER

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS

WASTE SOLVENT DISPOSAL

FUME HOODS

HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

HYGIENE & LABORATORY TIDINESS

THE OVERNIGHT RUNNING OF EQUIPMENT

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

AUTOCLAVING

COMPRESSED GASES

REFRIGERATOR & FREEZER SPACE

SHARPS/BROKEN GLASSWARE

STORAGE & LABELING

VESSELS UNDER VACUUM

SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL REACTIONS

POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE REACTIONS

RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION

THE LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

EQUIPMENT
THE UNIVERSITY IT APPROPRIATE USE POLICY

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL CHECK OUT

APPENDIX

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE PH.D.

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth/Fifth Year

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE M.S.

First Year

Second/Third Year

BIOMOLECULAR COURSES AND DESCRIPTIONS

SEMINAR TIPS

SEMINAR ANNOUNCMENT FORMAT

EXAMPLE OF A SEMINAR ABSTRACT

THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL (ORP)

Getting Started With an Idea

INTRODUCTION

This Handbook is intended to acquaint graduate students with applicable policies and requirements relating to study for the Doctorate and Master’s degrees in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences and to inform them of the procedures that must be followed in accordance with Graduate School and Departmental Regulations.

This Handbook summarizes the general requirements for the Doctoral and Master’s Degrees of Pharmaceutical Sciences with an emphasis in Environmental Toxicology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, or Pharmacology to serve as a guide for those students who desire to obtain these advanced degrees.

It is in the best interests of the student to acquaint themselves with the location of the Graduate School, and develop and maintain a friendly and professional relationship with the staff therein. It is the student’s responsibility to keep up-to-date on changes in Graduate School requirements and policies and procedures relating to the degree he/she is pursuing. The Department’s Graduate Coordinators can also be of assistance in many instances. Please see http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/ for resources and information.

This Handbook is to be used as a supplement to the Bulletin of the Graduate School and other applicable information, which may be obtained from the Graduate School office.

ACADEMICS

GENERAL INFORMATION

REGISTRATION

Each semester, each student needs to register for courses during the registration period. The student should secure approval for the schedule of courses by either their Major Professor (if one has been selected) or Graduate Coordinator (if a Major Professor hasn’t been selected). New graduate students should obtain registration instructions from their Graduate Coordinator prior to, or at the beginning of, their first period of enrollment. Continuing or re-admitted students are encouraged to take advantage of the priority registration periods.

Guidelines for Graduate Student Support

The faculty of the Department of BioMolecular Sciences is committed to financially supporting all graduate students at the highest level of support. Financial assistance is dependent upon the availability of funds for this purpose and the student’s satisfactory progress toward fulfillment of departmental requirements for the degree sought.

Departmental faculty review all graduate students at least once a year and always at the end of each academic year to determine if satisfactory progress is being made and to guide students towards meeting all requirements and expectations.

As a general rule, financial support will be provided to those students making satisfactory progress for a maximum period of three years for students in the M.S. program and of five years for students in the Ph.D. program.

There are a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships and graduate research assistantships available. Entering students are awarded such assistantships on a competitive basis, while the departmental faculty members base the continuing students’ receipt of an award on a review of their scholarly activity and progress toward the degree’s objective. Awards are generally made for one calendar year. Students awarded teaching or research assistantships are required to be present during normal working hours at a minimum (weekdays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm). Students with multiple absences are subject to the loss of their awards.

Students awarded teaching or research assistantships are considered full-time students and may not hold jobs outside of the department. Students taking employment outside of the department automatically forfeit their assistantship.

TIME IN RESIDENCE

The average doctoral student requires four to five years to complete the Ph.D. degree requirements (no student may exceed seven years in their attempt to attain the Ph.D.). As a general rule, after seven years a doctoral student will be dismissed from the graduate program. The average M.S. student requires two to three years for completion of degree requirements (may not exceed four years). As a general rule, after four years a Master’s student will be dismissed from the graduate program. Departmental financial support will be terminated at the end of the 5th year for Doctoral students and the end of the 3rd year for Master’s students.

APPLICATION FOR A DEGREE

As described in the Graduate School catalog, a student is expected to submit an application for a degree during the last semester of resident enrollment. A student’s application must be formally approved by the Departmental faculty and the Graduate School prior to the beginning of the semester in which the degree is awarded and must meet the requirements of the University catalog under which the student was admitted or readmitted to the degree program. All students planning to receive their graduate degrees must be enrolled for at least 3 hours during the fall or spring semester in which they successfully defend their theses or dissertations. Students planning to graduate during the summer must be enrolled for at least one hour. It is the responsibility of the student to apply for the degree in a timely fashion.

VACATION AND WORK SCHEDULE

Students receiving assistantships from the department are expected to be present at their assigned desks/laboratories each workday when not in classes (during normal 8 am to 5 pm work hours) as required in the terms of the financial support. Most students find it helpful to work extended hours including nights and weekends, and the department provides encouragement towards such activities by providing 24 hour safe access to departmental facilities to those wishing to take advantage of the opportunity.

When it is required for a student to be absent from duties for an extended period during the day, please notify the appropriate faculty advisor. It is requested that all students notify their advisor when they expect to be away from the department for extended periods.

Holidays are set by the University and can be located online:

http://www.olemiss.edu/hr/_files/benefits/holidays.pdf

Graduate students are required to work normal staff hours and days, including spring break, working days before the Thanksgiving break, after fall and spring semesters, and the summer breaks.

Students awarded a departmental assistantship are provided with a two-week vacation period each year. It is vital that students inform the appropriate faculty advisor of their plans to take vacation time, and discuss it with them, as early as possible to ensure that their progress to completion of degree requirements not be impeded. Students out for >4 weeks in a 1 year period will have to seek re-admission through departmental faculty – prior approval can be obtained, and we suggest that it be sought prior to finalizing travel plans.

Any personal or sick leave must be recorded on Annual Leave Forms and filed with the administrative assistant for students. Failure to submit such forms can result in a forfeiture of a student’s assistantship. All University and federal guidelines on leave (including FMLA, maternity http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2015/04/Parental-Leave-Policy.pdf, etc.) will be followed.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH PERFORMANCE

A graduate student must maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0 to graduate. The Graduate School will place a student whose GPA falls below 3.0 in any given semester on academic probation. A student on probation who earns less than a 3.0 GPA the following semester will be dismissed from the program.

Students have the initial responsibility to recognize when they are having academic difficulties and are expected to initiate steps to resolve the problem. A student can be dismissed from the program not only for failure to maintain an adequate grade point average, but also for such reasons as unsatisfactory progress toward a degree as defined by the department or division, inability to pass a comprehensive examination, failure to prepare or to defend a thesis or dissertation in a satisfactory manner or complete thesis or dissertation work in an acceptable amount of time. Termination due to inadequate academic progress is a decision made by the department

GRADUATE PROGRAM COORDINATORS

Each Division in BioMolecular Sciences has a Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC). The GPC will be your first point of contact with our graduate program, and will continue to serve in an advising capacity throughout your tenure. GPCs also serve as liaisons between you and the UM Graduate School. The GPC for each of the divisions are:

Dr. Zia Shariat-Madar, Pharmacology

Dr. John Rimoldi, Medicinal Chemistry

Dr. Marc Slattery, Pharmacognosy

Dr. Kristie Willett, Environmental Toxicology

SELECTION OF A MAJOR PROFESSOR

Students will be required to select a major professor by the end of their first semester in the program.

CURRICULUM

Each Division has curricular requirements: See Graduate Catalog

M.S. AND PH.D. CORE CURRICULA

A core BMS601 class titled “Graduate Student Survival Strategies”, to be taken by all first year graduate students in BMS (offered in the Fall semester).

Seminar BMS641 (taken by students presenting) or BMS643 (taken by students NOT presenting). Graduate students must be enrolled for one of these courses each academic semester (Fall and Spring).

Two core classes are required within each division as detailed below.

Environmental Toxicology

PHCL 675 (Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology I, 4 credits)

PHCL 547 (Introduction to Environmental Toxicology, 2 credits)

Medicinal Chemistry

MEDC 501 (Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I, 3 credits)

MEDC 502 (Advanced Medicinal Chemistry II, 3 credits)

Pharmacognosy

PHCG 620 (Bioassays in Natural Products Research, 3 credits)

PHCG 627 (Natural Product Chemistry I, 3 credits)

Pharmacology

PHCL 563 (Fundamentals of Pharmacology I, 4 credits)

PHCL 564 (Fundamentals of Pharmacology II, 4 credits)

Classes beyond those to complete the 24 (M.S.) or 36 (Ph.D.) credit hours are to be decided by the GPC in the first semester/year, and then by the advisor and committee past that.

Division Classes available to complete 24-hour (M.S) or 36-hour (Ph.D.) requirements

PHCL 676	(Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology II, 4 credits)

PHCG 628	(Natural Product Chemistry II, 3 credits)

PHCG 635	(Introduction to Molecular Cell Biology, 3 credits)

PHCL 661	(Advanced Physiology, 4 credits)

PHCL 669	(Physiological Chemistry, 4 credits)

PHCL 675	(Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology I, 4 credits)

BISC 504	(Biometry, 3 credits)

PSY 603	(Quantitative Methods, 3 credits)

MEDC 711	(Drug Action and Design I, 3 credits)

MEDC 712 (Drug Action and Design II, 3)

MEDC 713 (Drug Action and Design III, 3)

MEDC 714 (Drug Action and Design IV, 3)

MEDC 709	(Drug Action and Design V, 3)

MEDC 718	(Drug Action and Design VI, 3)

MEDC 720 (Drug Action and Design VII, 3)

Elective Requirements: Each division has its own requirements for additional elective hours.

ENROLLMENT IN CLASSWORK

Students are responsible for enrolling in classes each semester and summer term.

Students should register for 12-semester credit hours in the fall and the spring semesters, of which only 9 credit hours can be graded with the other 3 as un-graded courses, e.g., dissertation or thesis hours (per Graduate School requirement or there will be a loss of financial scholarships). Students should consult with the Graduate Coordinator as whether to register for the full summer session each year. In general students should not register for intersession or the individual summer sections. Students are also required to register for 6 hours of dissertation or thesis in the full summer term.

A student’s advisor should approve all coursework before registration. For students without advisors, the graduate coordinator should approve all coursework.

When possible, students should always check with the “instructor of record” of a course before enrolling. In some instances, the course may not be offered or the student may not have the appropriate background for enrolling in the course.

SEMINAR REQUIREMENTS

Students are to enroll in one of these two courses each semester:

Students presenting: BMS 641 (graded)

Students not presenting: BMS 643 (P/F)

All BMS students are expected to attend both the student seminars and the outside speaker seminars (as their class schedule allows)

If a non-presenting student (enrolled in BMS 641 or BMS 643) is late for or misses a student seminar, penalties will be ascribed according to the course syllabus.

Students will be scheduled according to seniority (more senior students go first), alphabetically by last name within each year’s students.

Titles and 250 word abstracts are due to the departmental secretary no later than one week before the scheduled seminar to the departmental secretary, along with a title. This abstract must also be submitted to the course instructor via Blackboard (each seminar course will have a BBV page).

First year students give a 20-25 minute literature presentation following the format chosen by the faculty seminar organizer. Two first year students will present in a one-hour slot.

From year 2 and until defense, seminars will be on student’s research progress.

In year 2, the research presentation will be 30 minutes.

Two students will present in a one-hour slot.

One presentation (generally in the third year) should be the prospectus defense.

The only valid excuse for not presenting a seminar in a semester for which a student is scheduled is if they are defending their thesis that semester, or if they are not on campus (e.g., participating in an internship or off-site field work).

BMS 641 grades are calculated as follows:

The average grade from all faculty members present are calculated

A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, etc.

Grades from staff and students that fall within 2 standard deviations of the faculty average above are then added into the grade calculation and a new grade average is calculated. The overall percentage will be assigned a letter grade according to the course syllabus.

THESIS AND DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS/ADVISORY COMMITTEES

A thesis/dissertation committee should be identified, and a first committee meeting held as soon as possible. This is to be no later than the end of the student’s second semester for an M.S. student, and no later than the end of the first full academic year for a Ph.D. student.

A Ph.D. committee consists of the student’s advisor, two other faculty members from the student’s major division (adjunct faculty included) and one member from an external division/department. A M.S. committee consists of the student’s advisor, one other faculty member from the student’s major division, and one external member. Additional faculty members can be added to the committee if needed.

Membership of the committee is recommended by the student, in consultation with his or her major advisor, and then submitted to the departmental chair for approval.

For the thesis and dissertation committees the student’s major professor will serve as chair (or co-chair if the major professor is at the assistant professor rank).

Of the divisional faculty, one must have a primary appointment in that division (see page 3 for a comprehensive list).

Once a committee is appointed, the student is responsible for filling out the required form and obtaining signatures by the major professor and the departmental chair. All sections of the form are to be completed. Copies of the completed form should be submitted to the major advisor, the graduate coordinator, the departmental secretary, and the original should be submitted to the graduate school. The form can be found at: http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/current-students/forms-and-manuals-library/

The committee will receive the Annual Student Activity Reports (see above), and they will minimally meet with the once per academic year, recommended to be early each summer within one month of the annual report submission.

The students must have a committee meeting within 6 months of their defense date.

Committee meetings are minimally to include:

10-15 minute student presentation with a research update

Review of the Annual Report

Discussion of plans for the coming year, as well as problems encountered to date

ORP committee: This will be the student’s Ph.D. committee, plus additional faculty members, as need, to ensure that each of the three other divisions will be represented. The other ORP committee members should be invited by the student and should be present for the ORP defense (described below).

ANNUAL STUDENT ACTIVITY REPORT

All graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D.) are required to submit annual reports (due May 15th of each year) to their advisor (to be signed within 2 weeks), and to their committee members in preparation for an annual committee meeting. Reports should be compiled according to a rubric containing:

Status of all degree requirements, such as:

An ongoing record of classes taken (each division will have its own table of classes) and grades achieved

Yearly seminar given, with a statement of plans to improve/items to address

ORP status. If completed: grade achieved and passing date

Prospectus projected or completed date

Major research accomplishments

Research goals for the coming year

Papers submitted/published

Posters and seminars presented

All signed reports, including advisor evaluations and department chair signatures, are to be left on file with the advisor, the divisional GPC, and the Department Chair.

QUALIFYING EXAMS/ORPs

An Original Research Proposal (ORP) is a requirement that serves as the official University of Mississippi assessment of Ph.D. candidacy qualifications.

By the first semester of the student’s third year (or by the second semester of the third year for a student admitted in Spring), the ORP should be completed.

The ORP should be taken as a 1-credit class (BMS 605), and will be graded (A-F grading scale).

The format is recommended to be a full NIH-R21/NSF/EPA-STARR major grant1, on a project not directly related to the student’s research. The full and completely edited grant is due to the student’s ORP committee two full weeks before the presentation.

Before embarking on writing the full grant, a ~3 pg abstract should be submitted to the students ORP committee members and department chair for comments and approval.

NOTE: For an NIH formatted proposal, the style and requirements are the same as an R21, but the length is extended to a 12 page limit. The faculty would like the students to particularly focus on a detailed method section.

The ORP presentation (not related to a student seminar) is to be ~20-30 minutes. All departmental faculty members are requested to be present, in addition to the student’s ORP committee as described above. The remainder of the “ORP time” (students should reserve a room for 3 hours) is to be a rigorous, oral exam-type questioning from the ORP committee faculty.

Grading of ORP should follow the appropriate organizational (NIH/NSF/EPA) rubric and guidelines

If the ORP is not successfully completed, it may be re-attempted within no more than 60 days

The second ORP will be an extensive revision of the first, either in written form or in oral form as decided by the ORP committee, addressing all of the faculty’s concerns.

ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY FOR THE DOCTORATE

Once a student passes the ORP requirement, he/she will apply to be admitted into degree candidacy.

After the successful completion of the ORP requirement, the student is responsible for filling out the required form and obtaining signatures by the major professor and the departmental chair. In this department the ORP is considered the comprehensive examination. Copies of the form should be submitted to the major advisor, the graduate coordinator, the departmental secretary, and the original should be submitted to the graduate school. The form can be found at:

http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2013/11/gs5_auth_to_sit_for_exam.pdf

http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2013/10/gs51_admission_to_doctorate_degree.pdf

This notification to the Graduate School that a doctoral student has successfully completed all portions of ORP (comprehensive examination) is required for admission to candidacy. After admission to candidacy, enrollment must be continuous.

PROSPECTUS

A “pre-prospectus” is to be completed before the full prospectus (e.g. before the start of the student’s 6th semester, provided that the ORP was successfully completed). It should consist of a list of committee members and an abstract (1 page)

The prospectus should follow NIH-R21/NSF/EPA-STARR major grant1 appropriate formats, including abstracts, specific aims, bigger impact, biosketch, etc., as appropriate.

The prospectus plan should be presented and defended in a 45-minute seminar (generally a Ph.D. student’s 3rd year seminar) to be followed immediately by a committee meeting to discuss the plans and presentation.

Note:	NIH grants & funding- http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/r21.htm

NSF funding - http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf15001/gpg_index.jsp

EPA grants and funding- http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/

Graduate School Form – http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2013/11/gs6_dissertation_prospectus_procedure.pdf

DISSERTATION AND THESIS PREPARATION

The Graduate School’s Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Manual can be found online at: http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2013/11/Theses-and-Dissertations-Manual_final.pdf

The dissertation or thesis in the Department of BioMolecular Sciences will be a high quality compilation of the student’s research, should include a survey or introduction of the current knowledge base in the research area, and should adhere to the format and style suggested by the Graduate School. As you write, remember the steps of the scientific method are to:

Ask a Question;

Do Background Research;

Construct a Hypothesis;

Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment;

Analyze Your Data;

Draw a Conclusion; and

Communicate Your Results.

In a thesis/dissertation these points generally fit into a standard format:

Introduction;

Hypothesis;

Experimental;

Results;

Discussion;

Appendix;

Vitae

Copies of older thesis and dissertations are available in the departmental office and can be checked out for short periods of time.

Not only is the dissertation/thesis the compilation of your research, it is also the experiments and analyses that will always be proof of the conclusion to your hypothesis. In this vein, it greatly behooves the student to include as much raw data as possible in the dissertation. Such data is commonly inserted in the form of an appendix or set of appendices. Common data elements include 1H, 13C NMR spectra, UV, IR, LCMS, HRMS, elemental analysis, computer programs or macro’s used, spreadsheets, Western blots, PCR gels, IHC images, etc. Your research must be able to withstand rigorous critique by the scientific community, and the standard in the business is that a thesis/dissertation/manuscript must contain all of the information needed to repeat the experiments and prove the hypotheses. A basic rule of thumb is that the more data, the better. The student should consult closely with his/her major professor and/or advisory committee on what data is necessary or optional.

A thesis/dissertation is considered a rough draft until the required number of advisory committee members officially signs it.

The final draft of the dissertation/thesis should contain all scientific data, be free of spelling, grammatical, and other errors, and meet all formatting regulations. This draft must be provided to the advisory committee members 2 full weeks in advance of the final oral examination. The candidate should provide an electronic copy and hard copy to the members of the advisory committee, and as a courtesy, an electronic copy to all members of the departmental faculty.

Special notes:

Students may start writing their dissertations after their committee gives permission (majority of committee must agree, including advisor).

Written dissertations are due to the whole committee at least 2 full weeks prior to the scheduled defense date

Defense of dissertation work will be presented in a 1-hour seminar, with questioning open to the public, and then further questioning by the committee only in a closed session.

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION/DEFENSE

A minimum of two hours should be set aside for the oral examination defense.

The student is asked to present a 40-50 minute overview of their hypothesis, approach, experiments, results, conclusions, future directions, and acknowledgements. Generally a few minutes for questions and answers are allowed after which the general audience will be dismissed and the advisory committee will begin the oral examination of the candidate. As a courtesy, non-advisory committee departmental faculty members in attendance for the presentation are asked if they would like to participate in the examination.

At the time of the final oral examination the advisory committee members will have already approved the candidates overall research conclusions; however, a high quality presentation and the level of defense expected of a Ph.D. are required for the successful completion of the examination.

In general, members of the advisory committee will provide the candidate with corrections to be made to the rough draft of the thesis/dissertation. In general, all corrections must be acceptable to the committee members before they will sign a final copy of the thesis/dissertation.

The student must bear the expense of reproduction of the dissertation or thesis

Arrangements must be made by the student for copies of the final dissertation/thesis to be provided to the committee members.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide the advisor and the Department with a hardbound copy of the dissertation/thesis.

A fee for binding and microfilming theses/dissertations is required of all candidates/graduates; current fees can be found at:

http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/current-students/the-end-game-preparing-to-graduate/

HOODING POLICY

Getting a Master’s or Doctoral hood is the pinnacle symbol of successfully completing a graduate dissertation. Thus, hoods will only be donned in graduation ceremonies after the successful defense of one’s thesis, as described above. Under no circumstances is a student to submit their name to the Graduate School for hooding ceremonies. They must request that their names be sent on their behalf by the department, subject to approval. If a student wants to be hooded in the spring graduation ceremonies, documentation of a successfully completed oral dissertation must be submitted to the department chair no later than 5 pm on the last day of the spring semester.

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH ETHICS

Ethical behavior is an integral part of any professional status. Graduate students at the University are governed by the academic code of ethics, which can be found in the University’s M-Book.

http://conflictresolution.olemiss.edu/m-book/

In addition, all members of the department must observe the highest research integrity. There are many publications related to research integrity; however, probably the most standard guide is Sigma Xi’s The Responsible Researcher: Paths and Pitfalls, which can be found at:

https://www.sigmaxi.org/docs/default-source/Programs-Documents/Ethics-and-Research/responsible-researcher.pdf?sfvrsn=2

The ethical behavior of students is not an issue that is taken lightly in this department and those found guilty of such behavior will be summarily dismissed from the program. .

DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS

GRADUATE STUDENT TRAVEL ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS

From time to time, students travel to scientific meetings. In general, travel is limited to the student presenting their scientific results (e.g., MALTO and ACCP) at regional conferences. Major advisors may choose to reimburse students’ presenting research at a professional meeting. In addition, students should fill out a request for travel assistance from the Graduate School when appropriate. A sample of this form can be found online at:

http://gradschool.olemiss.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2013/10/2013_travel_form.pdf

Whenever a student is traveling to present a research paper, the travel request should be accompanied by an abstract of the work and evidence that the abstract has been accepted for presentation.

Such travel time does not count as vacation; however, the appropriate travel forms must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the travel date to ensure that the University approves all travel time and related expenses.

All travel requests must be approved prior to the trip. Reimbursement for expenses will not be made if travel is undertaken prior to receiving written travel request approval.

The departmental secretary can help with travel related issues and questions; however, the student should prepare well in advance of the trip.

The University can generally provide advances on some percentage of the expected expenses. In general, travel expense reimbursement is a relatively fast process (usually no more than one week). Reimbursement for expenses will not be made if expense statements and receipts are not turned in within thirty days.

TELEPHONE USAGE

Telephones are available for local calls only. An attempt has been made to have a phone where each student can be reached. For students, the Departmental number (915-7101) should be considered an emergency contact. No long distance calls will be made without permission from the Department Chair or Research Advisor (when applicable). Incoming calls should be kept to an absolute minimum. Personal cell phones should be kept with one’s personal items in their desk area and should not be worn or used while at the hood or while engaged in other laboratory experiments.

COMPUTER USAGE

The Department maintains many computers in the laboratories, which should be treated with care and respect. These computers are NOT one’s personal computer and should not be cluttered with personal data/programs unrelated to research activities. Although not required, it is suggested that students obtain a personal computer, preferably a laptop, for their class work and personal use. The Department does not take responsibility for damage or theft of personal computers.

The University provides a free web service to all students, staff and faculty on campus. There are many rules of use and limitations of this service. While most computer/internet rules are obvious, it is highly suggested that all students review the University’s appropriate use policy at:

https://secure4.olemiss.edu/umpolicyopen/ShowDetails.jsp?istatPara=1&policyObjidPara=10642998

COPYING AND OFFICE SUPPLIES

The use of the photocopy machine for official departmental activities is open to students, faculty and staff of the department. The photocopying of a large number of documents (>50 pages) requires prior approval by a student’s advisor and/or the departmental secretary.

Students must not use the departmental photocopier for personal copying.

Office supplies are available from the Administrative Office, located in Faser 413; however, students are allowed to make purchases for their lab with permission from their advisor.

PURCHASING

The Pharmacy Stockroom currently only keeps paper products and a few solvents but it is required to seek permission from your Research Advisor and get an account number in order to make a purchase there. For all other purchases, purchase recommendation forms are available in the Department Office. The student’s advisor must sign all purchase recommendations before they will be processed. Written quotes must be obtained before the University will generate a purchase order. The student’s advisor and/or departmental secretary can help new students get started with this procedure. It is vital that all receipts (generally found within the product shipment package) be given to the departmental secretary immediately on receipt of materials. Lost or misplaced packing slips will create significant problems so please pay close attention to this matter.

MAIL

The University prohibits the use of personal mailing and receipt through the campus system. The new post office service for all students is called Pak Mail at Crosby Hall, http://www.pakmailolemiss.com/

The Departmental secretarial staff on a daily basis will deliver official departmental mail. Student mail will be placed in their assigned boxes found in Faser room 436. Packages will be held in the departmental office for pick up to allow for the receivers to immediately provide the secretary with the afore-mentioned receipts.

SHIPPING HAZARDOUS MATERIAL

Mailing and shipping of hazardous and potentially hazardous materials is highly regulated, and can be a federal crime if abused. There are specific procedures for the mailing of ANY chemical or biological samples. Personnel from the department of Health and Safety will provide assistance with package selection, material classification and documentation. It is your responsibility to notify Health & Safety that you will be shipping a hazardous material, and to make an appointment for assistance in advance of shipping. Directions for such transport of potentially hazardous materials can be found on the University’s Health and Safety website:

http://safety.olemiss.edu/

SHIPPING WITH DRY ICE

Dry ice represents a potential safety hazard. In particular, shipments involving dry ice are carefully monitored by the University of Mississippi for compliance with Federal Laws. If you plan to ship dry ice outside of UM, you must work with the Health and Safety office on campus. Keep in mind, this often requires 48 hours prep time, so plan accordingly.

RESEARCH

INTRODUCTION

Research is the search for knowledge or any systematic investigation to establish facts. Those who are able to use existing knowledge to conceptualize original scientific ideas for investigation to produce new scientific knowledge are known as scholars. Those who perform the investigations to produce the knowledge are researchers. The Ph.D. is a sacred degree given to those few who have the skills of a researcher and the potential to become a scholar.

Scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method to provide scientific information and theories for the explanation of the nature and the properties of the world around us. It makes practical applications possible.

This section of the handbook will provide merely the very basic information concerning the research rules and procedures in the Department.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Safety Training Requirements

The University mandates that no student may enter a chemical and/or biological research laboratory before successfully completing chemical and/or biological safety training. The training course must be completed within the first two weeks in residences. The departmental secretary can help schedule this training.

The laboratory can be a place of discovery and learning. However, by the very nature of laboratory work, it can be a place of danger if proper common-sense precautions aren't taken. While every effort has been made to eliminate the use of explosive, highly toxic, and carcinogenic substances from the experiments, which you will perform, there is a certain unavoidable hazard associated with the use of a variety of chemicals and glassware.

Most questions that one will have can be found online at the University’s Health and Safety Department:

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-programs/chemical-safety/chemical-safety-manual/

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-programs/biological-safety/biological-safety-manual/

You are expected to learn and adhere to the following general safety guidelines to ensure a safe laboratory environment for both yourself and the people you may be working near.

The following safety training requirements apply to faculty, staff and graduate students working with biological, chemical, radiological materials or ionizing radiation producing devices on the Oxford Campus, as well as visiting investigators working with these materials under the supervision of trained University personnel on the campus.

These training requirements will also apply to undergraduate students when they are working in these areas in other than a regularly scheduled University course.

Use of any of the materials/devices listed below requires the signing of the appropriate "Safety Agreement" form.

You must present Proper Identification (Student ID, Social Security Number, Passport/Visa) at the beginning of the training sessions.

Please call Health & Safety to schedule a date and time for your training session(s).

Training classes start promptly at the Scheduled Time. If you are late, you will have to reschedule.

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-training/safety-training-information/

General Biological Safety Training: All faculty, staff or graduate students working with biological materials are required to take the biological safety-training program and pass a written quiz on biological safety. Annual retraining is not required. Time required for the training is approximately 1.5 hours

General Chemical Safety Training: All faculty, staff and graduate students working with chemicals on the Oxford campus are required to take the chemical safety-training program and to pass a written examination on chemical safety. Annual retraining is not required. A special safety-training program is required for Physical Plant Personnel. Time required for the training is approximately 3 hours.

Carcinogenic Safety Training: All University personnel and all students are required to have special safety training in the handling and use of carcinogenic materials and written authorization prior to starting any work with carcinogenic compounds. A laboratory with a Class II or better Fume Hood is required for the handling of carcinogenic materials. A pre-requisite to this training is completion of the General Chemical Safety Training. Application to use carcinogens is made through the Department of Health & Safety. Annual retraining is not required for continued authorization. Training is part of the Chemical Safety Training.

Radiological Safety Training Materials: All University personnel including all students working with, or in areas that use or store, radioactive material are required to have completed the Radiation Safety Training program for Materials including passing a written examination and have obtained written authorization prior to working with, or in areas that house, radioactive isotopes. Authorization of personnel to work in University laboratories where personnel use or store Radiological Materials is contingent upon their direct supervisors and Department Heads receiving and maintaining similar authorization. A pre-requisite to this training is completion of the General Chemical Safety Training program and Carcinogen approval. Annual retraining is required for continued authorization. Annual retesting is not required. Time required for the training is approximately 3 hours.

Emergency Procedures

Familiarize yourself with the emergency procedures to adopt in the event of accident or fire, etc. When the fire alarm sounds you must exit the building immediately. Personnel are requested to wait on the northeast side of University Avenue until the “all clear” sign is given. Do not interfere with emergency personnel.

When you come to work in a new laboratory, check out and ask the laboratory supervisor or more senior students about the location of fire extinguishers, fire alarms, first-aid equipment, eyewash facilities and emergency spill kits.

Any questions concerning these safety-training requirements should be referred to the Department of Health and Safety at 662-915-5433.

Emergency Telephone Numbers

FIRE	9-911

UNIVERSITY POLICE	7234

STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES	7275

BAPTIST HOSPITAL NORTH MISSISSIPPI	9-232-8100

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY	5433

Chemical & Biological Spills/Emergency Spill Procedures

Minor spillages should be dealt with as indicated here. Major spills may require the immediate evacuation of an area.

If you have been properly trained, you may clean up a small chemical spill with the assistance of other personnel in your area. For small spills, wear appropriate protective clothing, particularly gloves. Be certain to wash out any cloths/paper towels etc. contaminated with chemicals before disposal. Take corrective action to neutralize toxic or hazardous materials. Wash out any contaminated clothing. Remember to wash protective gloves before disposing of them.

A small spill is defined as a spill where:

There is little threat to human health personnel property or to the environment, and;

There are no injuries beyond what simple first aid can manage, and;

The characteristics and the hazards of the material are known, and;

You have both the supplies and the knowledge necessary to clean up the materials.

If your spill does not fit all of the specifications above, you have a Large Spill.

Report injuries to the University Police at (915)-4911 immediately.

Contact Health and Safety at (915)-5433.

Tend to injured personnel if you can do so without

Food & Drink in the Laboratories

Eating, drinking, chewing (including chewing gum and all sweets), smoking and the application of cosmetics are strictly forbidden in all laboratories, office areas within laboratories, preparation rooms and washing-up rooms. This includes the preparation of such items. Food and drink, as well as cups, etc., must not be stored in the laboratories, or in refrigerators, cold rooms, deep freezers or ice storage bins provided for chemical or microbiological use.

Personal Electronics in Laboratories

The use of personal electronics (e.g., cell phones, iPods, laptops, televisions) in laboratory areas may constitute a safety hazard as well as annoyance to other users. The wearing of headphones is a particular problem (especially in possible failure to hear alarms) and is therefore asked to be limited in the general area of the School. The use of mobile phones, radios, etc. may be prohibited in certain laboratories or other facilities.

Security

In general, students must assume responsibility for their own personal safety and security of their personal property by practicing common sense and good judgment.

While the pharmacy complex is a relatively safe environment, from time to time personal property is reported stolen. It is incumbent on the student to lock and secure their possessions. If there is a need for special secure storage, the student should consult with their major professor.

All laboratory doors should be left closed and locked from 5:00 pm to 8:00 am on weekdays, and 24 hours a day on weekends and holidays.

For safety reasons, the laboratory door windows may not be obstructed or covered in any manner.

No student is allowed to perform research experiments alone in the building. If a student must work alone in the laboratory, they are required to notify another individual of their intention, when they will be in the lab and when they leave the lab.

The outside doors of Faser Hall and the Natural Products Center must not be left ajar at night or on weekends for any reason, and can be considered a criminal offense by the University. On days of football games be especially cautious if you have to enter the building that you make sure the outside door is locked behind you. Do not allow access to the building to the public when the building is locked.

Clean Laboratories

The cleaning of laboratory space is assigned to individual workers. Cleaning items in the lab is not the same as cleaning at home.

The cleaning problems that commonly occur in the laboratory are so varied that they cannot generally be solved using standard household cleaners. Everything that comes in contact with chemicals or biologicals must to be free from contaminates before and after use in order to eliminate interferences and to ensure personal safety and to protect the environment. Good clean science can only happen if laboratory and production facilities are well cleaned.

For example in the case of glassware the minimal procedure is: Rinse the glassware with the appropriate solvent. Use deionized water for water-soluble contents. Use ethanol for ethanol-soluble contents, followed by rinses in deionized water. Rinse with other solvents as needed, followed by ethanol and finally deionized water. If the glassware requires scrubbing, scrub with a brush using hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly with tap water, followed by rinses with deionized water.

Dirty glassware piled in sinks, countertops, and/or hoods is unacceptable.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

Any person introducing new equipment, substances or microorganisms into the department which may have any hazardous implications, must address storage, transport, circumstances of use and disposal before the substance or microorganism is introduced into the Department. University rules and regulations may be found at:

http://safety.olemiss.edu/

ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL 100 & ETHANOL 96 & ETHYL ETHER

Absolute Alcohol 100 and Ethanol 96 are covered under regulations set forth by the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, which allow their relief from taxes provided they are used solely for scientific or medical research, or teaching purposes.

These alcohols are normally issued in quantities up to 250 cm3 and, in general, quantities are expected not to exceed one day's requirements.

Due to the manufacturing of illegal drugs, ethyl ether has become highly regulated. When possible this material should be kept out of sight when at all possible.

Research workers and technical staff are responsible for ensuring that no improper use is made of these alcohols. Containers should be kept in a cabinet when not in use.

FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS

Detailed guidance on the use of flammable liquids is provided in the Chemical Safety guidelines. In particular note that the use of ethanol is subject to legal constraints, and that stocks of flammable liquids in the laboratory should be kept to a minimum.

Always use solvents with the highest possible flashpoints to reduce the risk of creating flammable mixtures of solvent vapor and air. Solvents with flashpoints below ambient temperatures should only be used where absolutely necessary and in as reduced a quantity as possible.

Due to the manufacturing of illegal drugs, ethyl ether has become highly regulated. When possible this material should be kept out of sight.

In addition, solvents should be kept in flammable lockers except when in use under the hoods.

WASTE SOLVENT DISPOSAL

Employing the detailed procedures involving the hazardous waste disposal process at the University is extremely important. Laboratories and/or individuals may be cited for improper disposal and an individual can lose all access to research facilities in some cases. Procedures are given in detail at:

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-programs/chemical-safety/chemical-safety-manual/

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-programs/biological-safety/biological-safety-manual/

FUME HOODS

The fume hoods are one of the most important safety devices in the Department. All users should be thoroughly familiar with their safe operation. Fume hoods should be used when handling hazardous substances in order to reduce the risk of exposure. The performance of each cupboard is maintained and tested by the Department of Health and Safety.

The following is a brief guideline only and does not replace proper instruction in fume hood use.

Always make sure that the fume hood is on before using.

The sash height should always be as low as possible and in any case never greater than 600 mm gap when in operation.

Always place apparatus as far back as possible in the hood.

Do not obstruct the extract slots at the rear of the hood. Take great care that tissues and scraps of paper or metal foil do not get sucked into the ducting as they can damage the fan blades.

Fume hoods are valuable and expensive pieces of equipment. Never use fume cupboards for storage.

Always close the sash when you have finished working at the hood.

The fume hood sash may give some limited protection against minor explosions. It must never be used as a blast shield.

Each fume hood is fitted with a device which monitors the airflow, so should an alarm sound and a light flash, do not use the cupboard. The audible alarm can be turned off.

HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

Research workers should familiarize themselves with the properties of, and the emergency arrangements for, the substances with which they are working.

HYGIENE & LABORATORY TIDINESS

Do not put your fingers in or near your mouth or eyes.

Do not chew the ends of pens or pencils.

Do not scratch, or bite your nails.

Wash your hands frequently, and always before leaving the laboratory.

Keep your working area clean and tidy; there must be sufficient bench space to allow safe working procedures.

Keep notebooks, reference books and all other paperwork separate from areas where cultures or chemicals are being handled.

Keep aisles and hallways clear.

In order to give clear visibility and thus avoid collisions, posters and notices must not be attached to the glass of corridor and laboratory doors.

Equipment and furniture, etc., must not be discarded into corridors or stairwells, which must be kept clear for escape in an emergency.

THE OVERNIGHT RUNNING OF EQUIPMENT

In general, experiments and apparatus should not be left running overnight, or outside normal working hours, unless it is absolutely necessary and then only subject to the following conditions:

The user has checked that the apparatus is functioning normally and that all the safety regulations have been complied with. Water pressure may rise at night, so all tubing must be properly secured with plastic or Jubilee clips. Check that waste outlets are clear of obstruction.

The windows in the laboratory door must not be obscured, so that during night patrols the Security staff can see easily into the laboratories.

Unauthorized experiments left running are liable to be terminated and the person concerned held responsible for any damage that might be caused.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Suitable protective clothing must be worn when working in the laboratories. At the minimum, this means a laboratory coat, properly fastened, and adequate footwear. Open sandals and open-toed shoes are not permitted.

Laboratory coats must not be worn in refreshment areas and offices in the department or in amenity areas of the School or University.

Depending upon the nature of the work undertaken, additional items of protective wear (gloves, plastic aprons, safety spectacles, visors, dust masks, respirator masks, etc.) are available in laboratories or from the storeroom.

One of the most common accidents that can occur is injury to the eyes through splashing of reagents; therefore, appropriate eye protection must always be worn at all times in the laboratory (with the exception of the desk areas).

Gloves are available and the appropriate type should be worn when handling hazardous substances; always check their integrity before use. One must never touch surfaces with contaminated gloves; especially those that receive public use (phones, door handles, etc.) and remove gloves when leaving the work area.

AUTOCLAVING

Autoclaves may only be operated by competent, named operators, who have received adequate and suitable instruction both in the normal operation of the machine and in emergency actions and procedures. No operator may carry out any procedure other than those set down in the operating instructions. Autoclaves are too dangerous for unqualified tinkering.

Autoclaves use superheated steam to sterilize materials and supplies for laboratory use and to prepare contaminated items for disposal. Because there are several brands and types of machines, it is the responsibility of the laboratory supervisor to properly train all of the personnel in the safe operation of the specific type of autoclave they are using. As a general rule the following table can be used as a guide for preparation and disposal.

COMPRESSED GASES

Cylinders of compressed gas must carry the correct regulator and must be secured by the bench strap.

When not in use the cylinder valve should be turned off. Cylinder valves, that are stuck, should not be forced open, but should be returned to the manufacturer. Oil or grease must never be used to ease stuck valves or lubricate threads as it can cause an explosion in contact with oxidizing agents.

Cylinders of hydrogen or other flammable gases should only be opened using a bronze spanner to avoid the risk of sparks causing ignition. PTFE tape must not be used.

Remember that the valve outlets of combustible gases have a left-hand thread.

Whenever more than one gas is being used, a special non-return valve must be incorporated into the system to prevent the contamination of one cylinder by another.

Gases that are toxic (e.g. carbon monoxide) must not be used without approval from the Department of Health and Safety.

REFRIGERATOR & FREEZER SPACE

Only materials which are unstable at room temperature, reaction mixtures, or samples being recrystallized or which are liable to be contaminated should occupy cold space.

Drinks and foodstuffs must not be stored in any cold space designated for laboratory use.

Flammable solvents or reagents may only be stored in spark proof refrigerators.

All containers must be clearly labeled with the name of the contents, the hazard warning sign, the name of the research worker and the date. Solutions should not be stored in volumetric apparatus as this impairs the accuracy of the glassware and prohibits their use by others.

Cold space must be regularly cleaned and defrosted and advance notice of this is given. On occasions, failure of cold spaces, etc. may necessitate the clearance of the space.

Any materials not clearly labeled will be discarded.

Freezer space should not be used for material, which could be accommodated in a refrigerator, and likewise -70oC/-80oC freezer space should not be occupied with material, which could be stored at higher temperatures.

Since water and chemical vapors can initiate many potentially hazardous chemical reactions, containers in refrigerators and freezers should be tightly sealed and appropriately labeled. Freezers must be defrosted at least once per year and preferably whenever the buildup is more than ½ inch thick.

Cold space within the Department is assigned.

SHARPS/BROKEN GLASSWARE

Glassware must not be disposed of with normal trash. Building Services Personnel and others have been injured when carrying trash bags with broken glassware in them.

Broken glassware should immediately be cleaned up. Forceps or duct tape can be used to pick up the smaller pieces of broken glass.

Discarded glassware must not contain any hazardous wastes, Medical Waste, Pathological Waste or Radiological Wastes.

If the glassware contains hazardous wastes or Radiological Wastes, please call Health & Safety (5433) for disposal instructions.

Details on the proper disposal of glassware can be found at:

http://safety.olemiss.edu/safety-training/safety-training-information/disposal-of-laboratory-glassware/

STORAGE & LABELING

All containers used to hold chemical or biological substances must be securely closed and clearly labeled to show precisely what each container holds.

All manufacturer labeled chemical and solvent containers must show the date in which they were opened, and preferably the dates and amounts after each use.

Labels must not be written over and one label should not be placed upon another.

The label must be written in "plain English"; the chemical formula alone is not acceptable. The concentration of solutions and the solvent used must be stated. In addition the name of the owner and a date should be given plus any hazard warning appropriate.

Toxic and highly toxic chemicals must be stored in locked cabinets or refrigerators, or kept in a secured laboratory.

Always secure the tops of reagent bottles immediately after use and return stocks to their storage safety cabinet.

Solvent bottles and other large glass vessels should not be stored above waist height or left unprotected on the floor.

Flammable liquids must be stored in the fireproof cabinets provided.

Correct storage and labeling of biologicals and chemicals is a legal requirement.

VESSELS UNDER VACUUM

There is always a risk of implosion of any vessel under vacuum.

Vessels under vacuum must be approved for such use and within the manufacturers tolerance range.

All vacuum applications must be performed under a fume hood and/or behind a safety shield.

SYNTHETIC CHEMICAL REACTIONS

All synthetic chemical reactions must be performed in a chemical fume hood in which the sash is appropriately pulled down to still allow for proper airflow. Synthesis performed on a bench top is unacceptable. Violations of this rule can endanger the lives of many laboratory personnel and those found in violation of this rule will be expelled from the graduate program.

POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE REACTIONS

Many chemical reactions pose the possible risk of explosion. Always know the risk of any reaction before it is attempted.

Potentially explosives reactions must be performed under a fume hood and behind a safety shield. Violations of this rule can endanger the lives of many laboratory personnel and those found in violation of this rule will be expelled from the graduate program.

All laboratories are equipped with safety shield, if one is unsure whether a reaction requires special safety consideration use a shield.

RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION

Research data should be collected in a method suitable for publication in an internationally recognized journal such as one published by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the inclusion of such data be required for publication in a journal and your thesis/dissertation. Students can examine in detail the requirements as described in the instructions to authors section of a journal appropriate to the scientific discipline the student works within. Students should become familiar with these requirements as they gather scientific data. Of course, one’s major professor can answer and specific questions.

The student must keep a record of all computer programs, scripts and macros that are written during their degree. The copyrights for all such written materials belong to the University of Mississippi.

Each student is responsible for backing up all of his/her electronic data and notes. The student’s supervisor is responsible for providing the backup resources, but the student must make sure that regular backups are performed.

THE LABORATORY NOTEBOOK

The technical notebook is one of the basic tools for any experimental work, whether it is basic research, product development, or engineering design. It is primarily for the experimenter's own use, but another person with similar technical background should be able to understand and duplicate any experiment, data, and conclusion, or to prepare a technical report by following only the lab notebook details.

Your laboratory notebooks MUST contain all the information that would be required for you or someone else to completely reproduce your experiment.

A good reference to consult in these regards is the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) publication, Writing the Laboratory Notebook. Copies of this book are kept in the departmental office for loan.

Various electronic notebook programs are now available and students should consult with their major advisor before using these formats.

The research notebook is the property of the Department of BioMolecular Sciences and the University of Mississippi. Upon completion of the degree program, the students may furnish themselves with a photocopy of his/her research notebook.

While each major professor may require somewhat different formats and media, most notebooks contain certain commonalities, which will be discussed here.

There are many reasons to keep an accurate and complete record of experimental work. Among these are:

1. To establish the authenticity of the work.

2. To defend patents.

3. To act as a basis for technical reports and articles.

4. To avoid duplication of effort.

5. To avoid repetition of erroneous procedures.

The nature of the work and the purpose of the experimenter will influence the content and format of the laboratory notebook. Many companies have rigid internal requirements tailored to their specific needs.

Notebooks should be bound, never loose-leaf, and the pages numbers consecutively, preferably by the manufacturer.

A neat, organized, and complete lab notebook record is as important as the investigation itself. The lab notebook is the record of what was done. You must use ink, and write directly in the notebook as the experiment is done. You will have to date and sign each entry. Sometimes you may be required to make an entry of no progress made today, just to show that you were working on the project. If a mistake is made, you should X it out and start over. This leaves the original entry readable and keeps a permanent record of all your work, which can be used as evidence in a patent court.

Use all the pages of a notebook to prevent accusations of adding data after the fact. If pages are left bank after your graduate career, you should draw a large X on each page. In addition; if blank spaces are on a page, these areas should also have an X drawn through them.

Date and initial each page at the top as it is used.

In industry it is very important to sign and date all work and leave no spaces where additions might be added later in order to preserve the legal integrity of the notebook. Your major professor may require his/her signature in your notebook at the end of each day.

Leave several pages blank at the beginning of the notebook so that they may be used as a table of contents upon completion of experiments.

For each experiment, you should adhere to following format. Each experiment should be started on a new page with the following information at the top of every page:

date

experiment number

experiment title

your name

On the first page of each experiment list the names of any partners (postdocs, graduate students, undergraduate students, etc.) that worked on this experiment with you. You may start with a data page to include all the data for the experiment. Depending on your graduate advisor, this data page may need to be initialed and dated by the major professor before you leave the lab. Make sure you include all information that will be necessary for use in the final write up. Then start on the following page with:

Objectives

Briefly state the major goals of the experiment.

Preliminary

State your approach to the experiment, i.e., how you intend to achieve the objectives.

Equipment and Supplies List

The manufacturer, chemical formula, purity, and lot number must be used in the identification of all the supplies employed in the experiments. All instruments used must be identified by make, model, and serial number.

Procedure

Give essential details on how the experiment was conducted. Make sure that this information is complete. Data should be inserted in the procedure description so that it appears near the corresponding procedure.

Results

These are the physical observations, whether it is the temperature of a water bath, a melting point, an explosion (lets hope not), or an NMR spectrum. Record as much detail as possible, there is no such thing as too much observation only too little. Try not to put yourself in the situation of having to repeat an experiment because “I forgot what happened”.

Conclusions

Write scientific conclusions about the results of the experiment. Base your conclusions on what you actually did, not on what you think you should have done. Be factual and concise. Do not conclude something unless your results actually support that conclusion. Remember a scientific conclusion is a statement about the behavior of some physical system based on the observation of facts.

The laboratory notebook must answer the following questions (the 5 Ws) in at least one part of the report. You can use this as a checklist.

What Was Done

Who Did It

When Was It Done

What Were The Results

What Does It Mean

EQUIPMENT
Scientific laboratory equipment can be extremely expensive to purchase, replace, and maintain; therefore, it is vital that all equipment be kept in working order.

A student should never use ANY equipment on which they have not been trained by an appropriate person in this department regardless of whether they have been trained on the equipment at another institution. A student should never use, move, adjust, or modify any instrumentation without prior approval of the person in charge of that equipment. Students should also be vigil the reporting individuals who do misuse equipment. A student must immediately report any malfunctioning equipment to the person in charge of the equipment. After use, a piece of equipment should be left in the condition in which it was found, that is operational, clean, and ready for the next user.

Failure to obey the above rules will result in the dismissal of a student from the Ph.D./M.S. program.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL CHECK OUT

The general rule of thumb when checking out, leave the laboratory as you found it when you arrived. Remember, you are leaving the space to a new student to begin their studies; please don’t make them start out having to clean up your mess.

Each advisor will direct what you are expected to do and how and where you are to place valuable samples, and original lab notebooks & electronic files.

Most importantly, make sure that toxic and dangerous materials are either disposed of or safely stored. You should make your advisor aware of any such materials left in the lab.

Make sure to return all keys to your advisor!

Finally, make sure to clean your desk area. Papers, manuscripts, and personal items have a very high disappearance rate once the student/graduate leaves the lab.

APPENDIX MATERIALS

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE PH.D.

First Year

Emphasis on Coursework

Selection of Research Advisor (must be completed before the end of the first semester)

Selection of Dissertation Committee

Present Topic or Literature Departmental Seminar (30 min)

Second Year

Continue Coursework: Should Be Completed or Near Completion by the End of Year 2

Well into Research Project

Present First Research-Based Departmental Seminar (30 min)

Completion of ORP Requirement and Admission to Candidacy

Third Year

Coursework Should Be Completed or Near Completion

Emphasis on Research Project

Present Research-Based Departmental Seminar (45-50 min)

Approval of Dissertation Prospectus

Fourth/Fifth Year

Completion of Research Project

Complete Dissertation and Dissertation Defense

Completion of Graduate School Requirements

Laboratory Checkout

APPROXIMATE TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF THE M.S.

First Year

Emphasis on Coursework

Selection of Research Advisor (must be completed before the end of the first semester)

Selection of Thesis Committee

Present First Research-Based Departmental Seminar (30 min)

Second/Third Year

Complete Coursework

Complete Research Project

Present Research-Based Departmental Seminar

Complete Thesis and Thesis Defense

Completion of Graduate School Requirements

Laboratory Checkout

BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES CORE COURSES AND DESCRIPTIONS

BMS 641, BMS 643. Seminar on Current Pharmaceutical Topics. (1, 1). (A-F, Z grade)

Medicinal Chemistry Courses

MEDC 501. Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I. Advanced study of organic medicinal agents with emphasis on names, synthesis, chemical properties, and pharmacological properties. Readings in the current literature required. Prerequisite: Consent of the department (3).

MEDC 502. Advanced Medicinal Chemistry II. Continuation of Medicinal Chemistry 501. Readings in the current literature required. Prerequisite: MEDC 501. (3)

MEDC 503. Medicinal Chemistry Research Methodology. Lecture and hands-on laboratory in various methods used in medicinal chemistry research. (3)

MEDC 507. Organic Chemistry of Drug Synthesis. Discussion of the synthetic approaches to many of the therapeutic classes of drugs studied in medicinal chemistry courses with an accent on the relationship of chemical structure to improved efficacy. Prerequisite: MEDC501 or equivalent and consent of department.

MEDC 541, MEDC 542. Problems in Medicinal Chemistry. Investigation of individual problems. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (1-4,1-4)

MEDC 697. Thesis (1-12)

MEDC 710. Selected Topics in Medicinal Chemistry. Recent advances emphasizing mechanisms of drug action and other new concepts. (May be repeated for credit. (3).

MEDC 730. Pharmaceutical Protein Design and Development. This course focuses on the chemical and structural characteristics of protein pharmaceuticals, which make them different from conventional pharmaceutical products. (3)

MEDC 711. Drug Action and Design I. Introduction to Computer-Aided Ligand Design. Modern molecular modeling methods and techniques as they pertain to molecular design and the simulation of molecular properties and interactions. Examples include modeling of small molecules at the level of mechanics calculations up to ab initio calculations; homology modeling of proteins and related validation methods; docking interactions of ligands and receptors. (3)

MEDC 712. Drug Action and Design II. Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships in Drug Design. Introduction to simple mathematical models of drug action (2D-QSAR) and application of the concepts to the use of computer-aided drug design to develop 3D pharmacophore models based on quantitative structure-activity relationships (3D-QSAR) (3)

MEDC 713. Drug Action and Design III. Drugs Affecting the Central and Peripheral Nervous System. Discussion and application of the design, synthesis, and biological activities of drugs affecting both the central and peripheral nervous system. Prerequisite: 501 or equivalent. (3)

MEDC 714. Drug Action and Design IV. Chemotherapy of Cancer and Infectious Diseases. Overview of anticancer, antimicrobial and antiviral chemotherapy as related to drug design, chemical synthesis, structural classes, mechanisms of pharmacological action, toxicities, resistance mechanisms and clinical usefulness (3).

MEDC 709. Drug Action and Design V. Heterocyclic Compounds. Methods of synthesis of medicinally important compounds that contain a heterocyclic ring system. (3).

MEDC 718. Drug Action and Design VI. Bioorganic Chemistry. The study of chemical interactions and catalytic strategies fundamental to drug design and development, using the principles of organic chemistry as the intellectual framework for addressing biological problems at the molecular level. (3)

MEDC 720. Drug Action and Design VII. Combinatorial Chemistry: Theory and Practice. A combined lecture and laboratory experience in the field of high-throughput synthesis including background, theory, and specific solid-supported or solution-phase chemistries as applied to the generation of drug libraries for drug discovery and lead optimization. (3)

MEDC 797. Dissertation (1-12)

Pharmacognosy Courses

PHCG 620: Selected Topics in Pharmacognosy (Bioassays In Natural Products Research) Selected Topics in Pharmacognosy. An in-depth discussion of recent advances in knowledge of plant and animal materials with biological properties of interest to pharmaceutical scientists. (May be repeated once for credit). (3 hours).

PHCG 627: Natural Products Chemistry I Natural Product Chemistry. A comprehensive consideration of the chemistry and pharmacology of those plant constituents important because of their biological activity. Included are the bread classes, the alkaloids, the terpenoids, the steroids, the flavanoids, and other related groups. (3, 3 hours).

PHCG 628: Natural Products Chemistry II Natural Product Chemistry. A comprehensive consideration of the chemistry and pharmacology of those plant constituents important because of their biological activity. Included are the bread classes, the alkaloids, the terpenoids, the steroids, the flavanoids, and other related groups. (3, 3 hours).

PHCG 635: Molecular Cell Biology for Pharmacognosy (CHEM 580: Molecular

Biochemistry I can be substituted for this course as needed

PHCG 321: Pathogenesis & Etiology of Infectious Diseases

PHCG 422: Natural Product Derived Pharmaceuticals. This course covers all aspects of natural products used as pharmaceuticals including both plant derived and microbial derived (antibiotics). Prerequisites: PHCG 421, MEDC 324, PHCL 343. (4 hours).

PHCG 541/542: Problems in Pharmacognosy Problems in Pharmacognosy. Individual investigation of problems of current interest in Pharmacognosy. (1-4, 1-4 hours).

PHCG 545/546: Individual Study in Pharmacognosy Research

PHCG 632: Analysis of Natural Products II (Isolation Theory and Practice) Analysis of Natural Product Drugs. A discussion of techniques used for identification and determination of structure of substances of natural origin. Included for discussion are physical methods and spectroscopic techniques of structure elucidation. (3 hours).

PHCG 633: Analysis of Natural Products III Analysis of Natural Product Drugs. A discussion of Fourier-transform nuclear magnet resonance techniques including 2D-NMR for the determination of structure of substances of natural origin. Prerequisite: 632. (3 hours).

PHCG 697. Thesis (1-12)

PHCG 797. Dissertation (1-12)

Pharmacology Courses

PHCL 501. Principles of Life Science Research. This course consists of facilitated discussions of the topics in the syllabus. Students are assigned to be discussion facilitators for one or two topics. (1).

PHCL 505. Modern Pharmacology. Novel drugs in clinical trials. An in-depth discussion of topics of current importance in pharmacology of commonly occurring diseases are emphasized. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor. (2).

PHCL 541. Problems in Pharmacology. Investigation of individual problems. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (May be repeated for credit). (1-3).

PHCL 547. Introduction to Environmental. (2).

PHCL 563. Introductory Pharmacology I. General principles of pharmacodynamics; drugs affecting central nervous system. Prerequisite: 361, 362, 373. (4).

PHCL 564. Introductory Pharmacology II. Continuation of 563. Autonomic, cardiovascular, and renal drugs; endocrinological and chemotherapeutic agents. Prerequisites 563. (4).

PHCL 569. Drug Abuse Education. Pharmacological, legal, and sociopsychological aspects of drug abuse. Prerequisite: fourth-year standing, graduate standing with nonpharmacy major, or consent of instructor. (2).

PHCL 581. Introduction to Toxicology. (3).

PHCL 586. Receptors and Channels. (3).

PHCL 651, 652. Directed Studies n Pharmacology and Toxicology. Research tutorials requiring individual conferences, literature assignments, and laboratory experiences with departmental faculty members. (1, 1).

PHCL 661. Advanced Physiology. Physiology of those systems, organs, and physiological mechanisms of special significance to pharmacology, including a comparative cross-species emphasis for selected organ systems. Prerequisites: PHCL 361-364 or equivalent, or consent of instructor. (Lecture and lab). (4).

PHCL 668. Externship in Pharmacology. Credit given for participation in pharmacological screening procedures carried out in the laboratories of a pharmaceutical manufacturer. (1-8).

PHCL 669. Physiological Chemistry. Carbohydrate, protein, and nucleic acid structure and function, enzyme catalysis, intermediary metabolism, biochemical endocrinology, membrane structure, mechanisms of solute transport, and molecular genetics. (4).

PHCL 675. General Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology I. General principles of toxicology; biotransformation of toxicants; chemical carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, teratogenisis; systemic toxicology. Prerequisite: PHCL 669 or consent of instructor. (4).

PHCL 676. General Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology II. Toxicity of organic and inorganic compounds; toxins of animal and plant origin; food additives and therapeutic agents; environmental toxicology; risk assessment. (4).

PHCL 677. Advanced Topics. Lectures, readings, and discussions of special areas of experimental pharmacology and allied subjects. (May be repeated for credit). (2).

PHCL 681. Selected Topics in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Topics may include pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics and receptor selectivity of biologically active agents, food additives, drug toxicity, toxicology of agricultural and industrial chemicals, clinical toxicology, toxicity of plastics; naturally occurring toxins. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. (May be repeated for credit) (2).

PHCL 685. Externship in Toxicology. Credit given for research performed in toxicology at other academic institutions or private industrial concerns. (1-8) (Z grade).

PHCL 697. Thesis (1-12)

PHCL 797. Dissertation (1-12)

Annual Report Format

STUDENT ACTIVITY REPORT

Prepared by Student Name

May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015

I. Degree Requirements

A. Courses (example for current PHCL requirements)

Class	Title	Semester completed	Grade

Address any grades <B, including remediation plans:

B. Seminar

Title:

Date:

Grade:

C. Original Research Proposal

Circle one:	Completed	Projected

Date:

If completed, grade:

D. Prospectus

Circle one:	Completed	Projected

Date:

Approved on:

II. Research

A. Major Accomplishments for previous year

B.	Plans for the next year

III. Papers published

A. Complete Bibliographic Citations for Journal Articles.

B. Posters Presented at Professional Meetings.

C.	Seminars and oral presentations given, not including department seminar

D. Papers Submitted and Accepted for Publication or Presentation.

IV. Other notable mentions (e.g. grants, awards, teaching, service)

Student:

Date:

Advisor:

Date:

Advisor Evaluation and comments:

Progress is (circle one):	Satisfactory	Not Satisfactory

Department Chair:

Date:

Department of Biomolecular Sciences Student Seminar Series Eval Sheet

Student Name:

Division:

Date:

Poor Quality	Needs Improvement	Average	Very Good	Exceptional
Visual Aids
Clarity
Voice Quality/Variation
Organization
Pace
Information content
Comprehensibility to a broad audience
Did the speaker make the material interesting?
Depth of speaker’s knowledge of the subject
Ability to answer questions
Overall – please give an overall letter grade (A, B, etc.; including +/- scale) for the seminar

Strengths of the seminar:

Suggestions to improve future seminar presentations:

What have you learned from this seminar?

General comments:

SEMINAR TIPS

The Golden Rule of any presentation is:

"Tell 'em what you are going to tell 'em.

Tell 'em.

Then tell 'em what you told 'em."

Audiences tend to absorb very little information at first exposure.

Hence, multiple exposures are the best way for information to sink in.

1) Prepare your material carefully and logically.

Tell a story. The story should have four sections:

(a) The Introduction to the subject,

(b) The Overview,

(c) The Subject Matter, and

(d) The Conclusion/Summary.

The Introduction should provide the audience with the information leading up to present day knowledge of the subject matter. This usually includes a description of the problem, a history of the means by which a solution to the problem has been addressed, and an introduction to the most recent solution attempts. You should strive to convince the audience that the problem is important to them. The Introduction should be no more than three or four slides.

The Overview should be a single slide describing what you will be covering in your presentation. These are major points that you want to emphasize, and there shouldn’t be more than four or five. This will orient the audience with what to expect. You will want to come back these points in your Conclusion/Summary as well.

The Subject Matter is the “meat” of the presentation and should focus on only the most recent advances in the field. The most recent advances include seminal publications and recent journal articles usually within the past two or three years. Remember, a seminar is only a summary in itself, include only the most salient details. In order words, don’t get bogged down in minutiae such as “busy” slides of tables and graphs. Such materials will usually bore your audience. More in-depth details will emerge as people ask questions.

The Conclusion/Summary section should connect with the Overview statements. Again, don't have too many points – four or five is usually the maximum – and one slide should be sufficient.

Good speakers may also add fifth item: Future Research.

2) Practice your talk.

There is no excuse for a lack of preparation. The best way to familiarize yourself with the material and get the talk's timing right is to practice your talk. Many scientists believe that they are such good speakers, or so super-intelligent that practice is beneath them. This is an arrogant attitude. Practice never hurts and even a quick run through will produce a better talk. Even better, practice in front of a small audience.

3) Speak proper English.

Everyone speaks with some kind of an accent; however, it is unacceptable to speak with an accent that is not understandable by your audience! Most international students from non-English speaking backgrounds will require a great deal of practice. Poor grammar is a no-no as well. Avoid slang and addressing the audience as you may address your peers.

4) Don't put in too much material.

Good speakers will have one or two central points and stick to that material. How many talks have you heard where the speaker squanders their time on unessential details and then runs out of time at the end? The point of a talk is to communicate scientific information, not to show people how smart you are (in case they can't figure it out for themselves). Less is better for a talk. Here is a good rule of thumb - each slide should take about 1.5 – 2.0 minutes to cover, thus for a 45-minute presentation on should have somewhere between 23 and 30 slides. One should leave approximately 10 minutes for Q&A, hence a 45-minute talk is what to “shoot” for. The seminar host will generally end the Q&A session after 10 minutes. Remember, it is considered rude for a presenter to exceed their allotted time.

5) Know your audience.

Assume most of the audience will know very little about the subject, and will need a clear explanation – it is good to know your audience. Show only very simple tables/synthetic routes/equations if you show any at all. Ask yourself - is showing this important? Is it central to my talk? People are used to studying tables/synthetic routes/equations, not seeing them flashed on the screen for a minute or two. When showing tables/synthetic routes/equations simplify them.

6) Have only a few conclusion points.

People generally take away only a couple points from a presentation, especially if they are hearing many presentations at large meetings. For example, if a colleague asks you about someone's talk you heard, how do you typically describe it? You say something like "So and so looked at such and such and they found out this and that." You don't say, "I remember all 6 conclusions points." The fact is, people will only remember one or two things from your talk - you might as well tell them what to remember rather than let them figure it out for themselves.

7) Talk to the audience not to the screen.

One of the most common problems is that the speaker will speak to the screen. It is hard to hear the speaker in this case and without eye contact the audience loses interest. This is difficult to avoid, but the speaker needs to consciously look at the object on the screen, point to it, and then turn back to the audience to discuss the feature. Speak loudly and slowly.

8) Avoid making distracting sounds.

Everyone gets nervous speaking in public. But sometimes the nervousness often comes out as annoying sounds or habits that can be really distracting. Try to avoid "Ummm" or "Ahhh" between sentences. Don’t put your hands in your pockets, and make sure to take the keys and change out so you accidently jingle them during your talk. Don’t even take your cell phone to the presentation!

9) Polish your graphics.

Use large letters (no fonts smaller than 16 pts!!)

Keep the graphic simple.

Don't crowd the slide.

Don't use different fonts or type styles - it makes your slide look like a ransom note.

Make sure the tables/synthetic routes/equations are simple and clear.

A little professional effort on graphics can really make a talk impressive.

Avoid red in the text - red is difficult to see from a distance.

Careful with color schemes some look great on a small computer screen, but project poorly.

A cartoon such as a Rube-Goldberg sort can be great for explaining complex ideas.

10) Be personable in taking questions.

Questions after your talk can be scary. But questions are very important. If there are no questions after a talk that I give, I am disappointed. It means that I failed to stimulate the audience, or that they understood nothing of what I said. I failed to communicate. Questions tell you what part of your talk the audience did not understand. Questions may also help you focus your research or help you in the write up. So what is the best way to answer questions?

First, repeat the question. This gives you time to think, and the rest of the audience may not have heard the question. Also if you heard the question incorrectly, it presents an opportunity for clarification.

If you don't know the answer then say "I don't know, I will have to look into that." Don't try to invent an answer on the fly. Be honest and humble. You are only human and you can't have thought of everything.

If the questioner disagrees with you and continues to harp on the same point, a good way to move on is to de-fuse the situation e.g. "We clearly don't agree on this point, let's go on to other questions and you and I can talk about this later." A good moderator will usually intervene for you, but if not then you will have to handle this yourself.

Never insult the questioner. He/she may have friends, and you never need more enemies.

11.) Miscellaneous.

Thank you

Thank the audience for their attention. Unless the presentation is a dissertation or thesis talk or you are presenting at a scientific meeting avoid an acknowledgement slide!!!

Dress appropriately.

People are there to hear your material, but when you dress up you send the message that you care enough about the audience to look nice for them.

Check your slides and equipment before you give the talk.

Does this equipment work? Do I know how to use it? Do I have a pointer? Is my software compatible with the projection equipment? Stopping to have to fix problems is embarrassing and will destroy your time schedule!

EXAMPLE OF A SEMINAR ABSTRACT

Title: G-quadruplex formation in the kRAS promoter: a new molecular target

Authors: Christine E. Kaiser, Chi-Fan Hockings, Vanessa C. Gaerig, Laurence H. Hurley, and Tracy A. Brooks*

Abstract:

kRAS is one of, if not the, most prevalent oncogenic aberrations identified to date. It is either upregulated or mutationally activated in a multitude of cancers, including 95+% of pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Pancreatic cancer carries the highest mortality rate of all cancers, with only a 3-6 month median survival, and a 5-year survival of <5%. There is a desperate need for new therapeutics, particularly those targeting kRAS. The presented works describe a novel target to downregulate kRAS expression – secondary structures within the proximal promoter, which contains a unique string of G-rich DNA. Negative superhelicity induced by transcription results in this region opening up to form unique secondary structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). These G4s most often act as silencer elements, forming globular structures that mask binding sites for transcriptional factors, allowing for specific molecular targeting by small molecule drugs, modulating transcription, and protein expression. The G-rich region of the kRAS promoter is extensive, containing three separate putative G4-forming regions. Initial works have described the near G4 as a unique ‘kinked’ structure, as well as described two compounds that stabilize different isoforms of this structure. Further elucidation of promoter activity has highlighted new, and more biologically important, G4s exists more distal from the promoter. Stabilization of this region in a plasmid system significantly decreases luciferase expression, and initial examinations indicate that the mid-G4-forming region forms a stable, complex structure that is currently the target of further elucidation efforts with the ultimate goal of describing a new molecular structure for further drug development.

THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL (ORP)

Getting Started With an Idea

Sometimes seeing what others have been funded to do can help one develop their own ideas or even provide seeds for new ideas (although be careful to avoid plagiarism and/or stealing others intellectual property). NIH provides a terrific database search engine for examining summaries of NIH-funded research projects.

http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm

NIH Application Information

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/oer.htm

NIH Page for Downloadable Forms

http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms.htm

University of Mississippi Grant Proposal Information

https://www.research.olemiss.edu/proposal-development/transmittal

EXAMPLE OF ORP ABSTRACT SUBMISSION TO FACULTY

Note: Please ensure that you are following the most up-to-date guidelines for your application. Items in the following example may be no longer current.

EXAMPLE OF AN OUTSTANDING ORP (submitted by and intellectual property of Mr. Pankaj Daga). Please note that the length of this example may not apply to the current guidelines.

GRADUATE SCHOOL REQUEST FOR TRAVEL FUNDS FORM

EXAMPLE OF A TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT FORM

EXAMPLE OF WASTE DISPOSAL FORM

THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK

I have read the graduate student handbook and acknowledge my responsibilities as a graduate student and the policies and procedures at the University of Mississippi, Department of BioMolecular Sciences.

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