Interdisciplinary Web-Based Teaching Laboratory Materials

Wiess School of Natural Sciences
George R. Brown School of Engineering
Rice University

Laboratory Courses in Science and Engineering at Rice University

Welcome to the undergraduate laboratory program in science and engineering at Rice. If you plan to major in any scientific or engineering discipline and/or plan to take labs in order to qualify for a professional program such as in the health professions, you should look over the information on this page. All of us who develop and teach labs in sciences and engineering have contributed to this statement of the philosophy behind laboratory education.

Learning objectives

Despite the unique character of each discipline and corresponding academic department, we share a common set of teaching goals. Scientists and engineers approach problems differently, and within each discipline different concepts and strategies are emphasized. Nevertheless, employers and admissions committees are looking for candidates who are critical thinkers, cooperative team-players, and excellent problem solvers. Many of these attributes are developed in laboratory courses at Rice University. We enthusiastically recommend individuals to employers, graduate schools, and professional programs such as medical school, who demonstrate these attributes.

Five major learning objectives in the laboratory courses contribute to development of these attributes. Review the objectives, their components, and their descriptions. These are the real goals of our program, which transcend all majors, departments, and individual courses, regardless of content.

Course clusters

We have identified four sets of laboratory courses (clusters) that are taken in order to satisfy laboratory requirements for ten science/engineering majors as well as for non-science/engineering students such as premedical students, who take labs. The laboratory coordinators and faculty who are responsible for the teaching labs are working together to create conceptual links among the courses within each cluster. In order to accomplish your learning objectives we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you take your laboratory courses in the recommended sequence. Please identify your area of interest, take note of the recommended sequence, and come up with a plan.

For each course in a sequence we have expectations of you. As you progress through a sequence those expectations will be raised. You will be held responsible for the skills students are expected to retain from previous course work. Keep expectations in mind if you take courses out of sequence and/or have advanced placement credit for any required lab.

Required labs are listed, which along with appropriate lecture courses make up part of the minimum requirement for each major. Additional laboratory courses are listed under "Electives" and some programs will require that you take one or more elective labs. Provided that space is available, you are encouraged to take additional science and/or lab courses in OR outside of your field, if you have time. You will benefit from the experience.

Geology; geophysics; physics; civil, electrical, environmental, mechanical engineering

Freshman year
Chem 123 and 124 or Chem 153 and 154
Phys 101 and Phys 102 or Phys 111 and Phys 112 [laboratory component is included with each lecture course]

Sophomore year and above

Laboratory requirements vary with discipline - you will need to apply concepts and skills acquired in freshman physics and chemistry

Chemistry; chemical engineering

Freshman year
Chem 123 and 124 or Chem 153 and 154
Phys 101 and Phys 102 or Phys 111 and Phys 112 [laboratory component is included with each lecture course]

Sophomore year
Chem 215 or Chem 217 (Laboratory in organic chemistry)

Junior year and above

Laboratory requirements vary with discipline - you will need to apply concepts and skills acquired in freshman physics, freshman chemistry, and organic chemistry

Biology (cell & molecular), biology (ecology & evolutionary), biochemistry, bioengineering

Biology and Biochemistry

Freshman year
Chem 123 and 124 or Chem 153 and 154
Phys 125 and Phys 126, or Phys 101 and Phys 102, or Phys 111 and Phys 112 [laboratory component is included with each lecture course]
——Note: Phys 125/126 are recommended if these are the only two physics courses to be taken.

Sophomore year
Bios 211* (Introductory laboratory in experimental biosciences) and Bios 213 (Introductory laboratory in ecology& evolutionary biology)
Chem 215 (Laboratory in organic chemistry)
——For this course you will need to apply concepts and skills acquired in freshman physics and chemistry labs

Junior year
Bios 311
Junior level electives and/or independent study
——For these courses you must be prepared to apply concepts and skills acquired in organic chemistry and other previous labs

Senior year

Senior level electives and/or independent study

Electives
Bios 312: Molecular biology lab module
Bios 313: Microarray lab module
Bios 315: Lab module in physiology
Bios 316: Lab module in ecology
Bios 317: Lab module in behavior
Bios 318: Lab module in microbiology

Advanced/specialized
Bios 314: Lab module in cell biology
Bios 319: Tropical field ecology
Bios 530: NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Modeling
Bios 532: Spectroscopy
Bios 533: Computational biology
Bios 535: Practical X-ray crystallography

*Bios 211 may be taken freshman year, provided you have considerable prior laboratory experience. It is not recommended for freshmen who have little or no such experience. The order in which Bios 211 and 213 are taken depends upon the student's area of specialization.

Bioengineering

Freshman year
Chem 123 and 124 or Chem 153 and 154
Phys 125 and Phys 126, or Phys 101 and Phys 102, or Phys 111 and Phys 112 [laboratory component is included with each lecture course]
——Note: Phys 125/126 are recommended if these are the only two physics courses to be taken.

Sophomore year
Bios 211* (Introductory laboratory in experimental biosciences) is strongly recommended but not required
Bioe 320 (Systems physiology laboratory)
——For these courses you will need to apply concepts and skills acquired in freshman physics and chemistry labs

Junior year
Bios 311 (Laboratory in protein purification) or Bios 312 (with instructors' permission only)
Bioe 320 (lab module in systems physiology) and Bioe 342 (Lab module in tissue culture)
——For these courses you must be prepared to apply concepts and skills acquired in organic chemistry, Bioe 320, and other previous labs

Senior year
Bioe 441 (Advanced bioengineering laboratory)

*Bios 211 may be taken freshman year, provided you have considerable prior laboratory experience. It is not recommended for freshmen who have little or no such experience.

Students planning careers in medicine, veterinary medicine, other health professions

Take laboratory courses in the order recommended for your major. If you are not majoring in science or engineering, the following sequence is recommended.

Freshman year
Chem 123 and 124 or Chem 153 and 154
Phys 125 and Phys 126, or Phys 101 and Phys 102, or Phys 111 and Phys 112
——Note: Phys 125/126 are recommended if these are the only two physics courses to be taken.

Sophomore year
Bios 211*
Chem 215
——For these courses you will need to apply concepts and skills acquired in freshman physics and chemistry labs

*Bios 211 may be taken freshman year, provided you have considerable prior laboratory experience. It is not recommended for freshmen who have little or no such experience.

Laboratory teaching faculty

• Beth Beason, Biochemistry & Cell Biology <bbeason@rice.edu> ext. 2535
• Dave Caprette, Biochemistry & Cell Biology <caprette@rice.edu> ext. 3498
• Ken Cox, Chemical Engineering <krcox@rice.edu> ext. 3529
• Susan Cates, Biochemistry & Cell Biology <mscates@rice.edu> ext. 5777
• Stan Dodds, Physics <dodds@rice.edu> ext. 2510
• Mary McHale, Chemistry <mmchale@rice.edu> ext. 5837
• Ann Saterbak, Bioengineering <saterbak@rice.edu> ext. 6243
• Barry Sullender, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology <bws@rice.edu> ext. 2661