DNA Melting Report Requirements
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Revision as of 06:02, 30 August 2011 by Steven Nagle (Talk | contribs)
Report outline
Use the following format for your report:
- Results
- Samples run
- List all of the samples you characterized (length/match/ionic strength)
- Data plots
- All plots should be complete with title, axis labels, and legend. Plot both your experimental data and the best fit curves from the DNA melting mode. Plots in this section should include only data that was created by your group's own hands in the lab. Analysis of other people's datasets belongs in a different section (see below).
- Single set of axes with plots of dsDNA concentration versus temperature for the known samples you ran.
- Single set of axes with plots of ΔdsDNA concentration/Δtemperature for the known samples.
- Similar plots showing results for unknown sample, possibly including other samples run for comparison.
- Table of estimated thermodynamic parameters for each sample. Include estimated ΔH, ΔS, and Tm values (by multiple methods)
- Comparative data analysis and plots
- Plots of any data you analyzed that came from other groups
- Data analysis overview
- Bullet point summary of your data analysis methodology.
- Discussion of results
- Bullet point discussion of results. Compare your results to theoretical models and/or other group's datasets. Be concise, but express yourself clearly.
- Sources of error
- Detailed discussion of error sources. Indicate whether each source causes a systematic or random distortion in the data. (The uncertainty from a random error decreases with additional experimental runs; systematic error does not.)
- Instrument documentation
- Block diagram
- Include component values, relevant distances, and possibly a photographs or two. It is not necessary to document construction details.
- Signal to noise results
- Design evolution
- Bullet point summary of changes you made to your instrument design to address problems in the lab.