FRS 001I - Sec. 001 - (1 unit) - CRN 75081 - W 3:10 - 4:00 pm - 25 Wellman
The 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Instructor: Richard Tucker, Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, School of Medicine

Description: Fifty years ago a paper was published in the journal Nature detailing the structure of DNA. The authors of the paper were a young American postdoctoral fellow, James Watson, and a British graduate student, Francis Crick. The Watson and Crick model of DNA revolutionized biology, and for its discovery Watson and Crick were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. In this course we will read and discuss Watson's best-selling autobiography The Double Helix, in which he describes not only the history of the discovery, but the personalities and foibles of the major players involved. We will follow this by reading Rosalind Franklin & DNA, a biography of the scientist described as "Rosy" by Watson who many believe should share credit for the discovery. Questions we will try to answer in discussion and essays include: Who really discovered the structure of DNA? What kind of scientist wins the Nobel Prize and why? The class will end with a discussion of this year's recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which is awarded each October. The goals for student learning will include: critical analysis of the Web as an information resource, how to use the campus libraries, critical reading of popular literature, creative writing based on class discussion, and working in groups.

Format: The class will meet for one hour each week. In addition to the assigned reading students will be given "scavenger hunt" items to find on either the Internet or in campus libraries to bring to class for discussion. Grading: 10% class participation, 10% scavenger hunts, 20% Essay 1 (1-2 pages), 20% small group presentation, 40% Essay 2 (4-6 pages).

About the Instructor: Dr. Tucker is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy at the School of Medicine. He earned his Ph.D. in Zoology from UC Davis in 1986. After postdoctoral studies in Europe and a junior faculty position on the East Coast, he joined the UC Davis faculty in 1994. His research interests center around understanding the molecules that direct the development of the nervous system. Dr. Tucker is the director of the School of Medicine’s Gross Anatomy course and also enjoys giving anatomy lectures to undergraduates in CHA 101. His long-standing interests in scientific fraud and misconduct led to the development of this Freshman Seminar, which has been offered since 1998.