BioG1500

One observation can have multiple hypotheses. But only test one at a time.
Descriptive Statistics
Mean: average of all data values
Standard variation (variance): measures level of spread of data values
Median: middle data value
Range: difference between the smallest and largest value
Statistics
Normal distribution
Positive skew/right skew (high point leads to left) ORGO!
Negative skew/left skew (high point leads to right) (BIO1500)
Predicatable mean will have a small variance
Boxplots: distance between medians can be observed (median and IQR)
Barplots: distance between standard deviations can be observed (mean and standard deviation)
Variance: square all the values and add together then divide by the number of values
Standard deviation is the square root of the variance
Often a population is too large to sample everybody
Statistical distribution: normal or not (68%, 95%, 99.7%)
Statistical methods used in BioG1500
Differences between two groups of data Shapiro Wilk Test (normal: t-test) (non-normal: Rank
Sum Test)
Correlation between different variables Spearman Rank Correlation Test
Differences between observed and expected numbers in categories of samples chi-squared test
A hypothesis that continues to hold up after many years of rigourous testing may eventually be
considered a scientific theory.
Science is a process: publication
**peer review- review of an article by experts before publication which ensures that the authors
have appropriately designed and interpreted their study and hopefully will weed out sloppy
research
Parts of a Paper:
Abstract-brief synopsis
Into-motivation for study
Methods-experimental design and execution
Results-data, clearly explained
Discussion-interpretation of results

Scientific Posters-dedicated to communicate ideas clearly and concisely

Use library.cornell.edu or scholar.google.com
www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage
Refworks, zotero, mendeley, endnote
9/15
Why use bacteria cultures?
Short generation time, can pass on genetic information very quickly
Serratia marcescens cell density is 5.8 x 109 cells/mL
Is normally NON pathogenic
N=N02n
N=number of cells in final population
N0=number of cells in original population
N=number of generations
Why isnt the world being overrun by bacteria?
Because of antibiotics.
Two major groups of antibiotics:
Aminogycosides prevent protein formation (doesnt let ribosomes work properly) and affect all
bacteria the same way
Beta-lactams prevent cell wall formation. Greater effect on Gram-positive bacteria. Bacterial cell
walls are made of peptidoglycan. Gram positive bacteria have a greater dependence on the
peptidoglycan hence why there are more affected than gram negative bacteria.
Serratia is a gram negative bacteria.
Kanamycin, neomycin, and streptomycin are aminoglycosides
How are bacteria still alive?
Mutations. Alterations in nucleotide sequence. Can occur naturally due to errors in replication
or caused by environmental mutagens
Genetic makeup of an organism is the genotype. The phenotype is the physical expression of an
organisms genes.
Bacteria can obtain new DNA through transformation (transfer of free DNA), conjugation
(plasmid transfer), transduction (transfer by viral delivery), and binary fission (asexual cloning)
Methods to collect data
Colony count: counting the number of cells forming colonies on the plates
Disc diffusion: calculate average zone of inhibition