Application in Biology I

Worksheet 1
Searching for relevant scientific articles
(Due in class in week 2)

Name: Donna Kwon.

This exercise will help you locate and access research journals and articles.

1. By visiting the library or searching online.

a. Identify three journals which publish primary research articles in the subject area of
molecular biology.
i. The Journal of Molecular Cell Biology (JMCB) publishes primary research. It can be
found here: http://jmcb.oxfordjournals.org/.
ii. Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) publishes primary research. It can be found
here: http://mcb.asm.org/.
iii. Molecular Biology of the Cell (MBoC) publishes primary research. It can be found
here: http://www.molbiolcell.org/.
b. How did you identify these journals? (note the specific internet search engine, or
publication search engine that you used)
I used Google, using the key words molecular biology research journal. I clicked on the
links of journals that appeared. I then checked the journals to see if they contained
original research.
2. Browse the three journals you selected in question 1, and look at the website/journal
layout/topics of articles:
a. Note one similarity across all three journals.
All journals contain articles which are able to be viewed freely and others which
require membership to view.

b. Note two differences that you found between the journals. These might be difference
between two of the journals, or differences between all three, both will be accepted as
answers.
i. JMCB is published bi-monthly while MCB and MBoC are both published twice per
month.
ii. JMCB and MCB both clearly label display their previous year and 5-year impact
factors, while MBoC does not.
3. Browse through the current issue of Science
(http://www.sciencemag.org/content/current).
a. Write down the reference (authors, title, journal, year, volume and page numbers) of
one of the primary research articles which you think is most relevant to this course.
(If you dont know how to correctly cite an article please refer to this website:
http://www.easybib.com/reference/guide/mla/journal)
Chen, Lu, Kostadima, Myrto, Martens, Joost H.A., Canu, Giovanni, Garcia, Sara P., Turro,
Ernest, Downes, Kate, Macaulay, Iain C., Bielczyk-Maczynska, Ewa, Coe, Sophia,
Farrow, Samantha, Poudel, Pawan, Burden, Frances, Jansen, Sjoert B.G., Astle, William
J., Attwood, Antony, Bariana, Tadbir, de Bono, Bernard, Breschi, Alessandra, Chambers,
John C., Bridge Consortium, Choudry, Fizzah A., Clarke, Laura, Coupland, Paul, van der
Ent, Martijn, Erber, Wendy N., Jansen, Joop H., Favier, Rmi, Fenech, Matthew E., Foad,
Nicola, Freson, Kathleen, van Geet, Chris, Gomez, Keith, Guigo, Roderic, Hampshire,
Daniel, Kelly, Anne M., Kerstens, Hindrik H.D., Kooner, Jaspal S., Laffan, Michael,
Lentaigne, Claire, Labalette, Charlotte, Martin, Tiphaine, Meacham, Stuart, Mumford,
Andrew, Nrnberg, Sylvia, Palumbo, Emilio, van der Reijden, Bert A., Richardson,
David, Sammut, Stephen J., Slodkowicz, Greg, Tamuri, Asif U., Vasquez, Louella, Voss,
Katrin, Watt, Stephen, Westbury, Sarah, Flicek, Paul, Loos, Remco, Goldman, Nick,
Bertone, Paul, Read, Randy J., Richardson, Sylvia, Cvejic, Ana, Soranzo, Nicole,
Ouwehand, Willem H., Stunnenberg, Hendrik G., Frontini, Mattia, and Augusto Rendon.
Transcriptional diversity during lineage commitment of human blood progenitors.
Science 345.26 (2014): 1251033 Sciencemag. Web. 28 Sept. 2014
b. Explain why you think this article is relevant to this course.
I believe this article is relevant to this course because it discusses transcription, which
is a molecular processes dealing with DNA. DNA transcription is an important
portion of molecular biology, the field in which biology interactions on the molecular
level are discussed. This article is important because it advances both the biological

and medical fields through the determination of how stem cells differentiate into
progenitor cells.
4. Research has shown that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a result of protein misfolding.
a. Using the Gene database on the NCBI website
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/), search for one gene which has been associated
with this disease. Name the gene you have identified.
The genes official symbol is PRNP. Its name is prion protein. The type of gene is
protein coding.
b. Read the Summary and in your own words explain how abnormalities in the gene
can contribute to this disease.
Due to octapeptide repeats in a segment of DNA, a different protein than the one intended
is produced. The altered protein leads to diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
c. Look at the Genomic context, state the chromosome that this gene is located on.
It is located on chromosome 20 at position 13.
5. Another student suggests that you cite material that you have found on Wikipedia. Do
you think Wikipedia is a reliable source to include in a scientific article? Explain your
answer.
No, Wikipedia is not a reliable source. It contains information that could be altered by
anyone on the planet regardless of qualification. It may contain information that has not
been properly researched. Also, it doesnt contain information that was discovered
through direct research. As such, Wikipedia would not be considered a primary source.