{"id":2779,"date":"2021-04-27T10:57:09","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T17:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/?page_id=2779"},"modified":"2023-04-12T12:41:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T19:41:03","slug":"2021-protein-portraits-syllabus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/welcome-to-protein-portraits-2015\/2021-protein-portraits-syllabus\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 Protein Portraits Syllabus"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Protein Portraits 2021: Proteins at turning points of history<\/h1>\n<h2>Course syllabus<\/h2>\n<h3><strong>What is involved in taking this course?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Protein Portraits BB 407H is an Honors College Colloquium, 2 credit hours. \u00a0We get to make the course anew each year. \u00a0Linked at the bottom are some past course syllabi. \u00a0None of these was finalized on the first day of class. \u00a0In those years we reached a consensus on the syllabi by class discussions. \u00a0True to form, this year have fashioned this year&#8217;s colloquium to fit our own interests. \u00a0Our goal is to artistically memorialize some of the great proteins of history. \u00a0Has this ever been done? \u00a0Will we succeed? \u00a0How can we systematize our activities?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What we expect to learn:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We will take up the general topic of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">protein history<\/span><em>\u00a0<\/em>through three main activities.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><u>Answers\u00a0from the world of science. <\/u>Our\u00a0<em>first activity<\/em>\u00a0will be to approach the above question from a scientific standpoint. We will\u00a0tour the chemistry and structure of proteins, guiding ourselves through the meanings and definitions of science by referring to the wealth of\u00a0graphical illustrations that scientists commonly use to depict protein molecules. \u00a0We will frequently turn\u00a0to the Protein Data Bank and the associated Molecule of the Month for examples of such illustrations.\u00a0 We will also be guided by\u00a0two wonderfully illustrated science books,\u00a0\u00a0<u>The Machinery of Life <\/u>by David Goodsell and\u00a0<u>Introduction to Protein Structure<\/u>\u00a0by Branden and Tooze.<\/li>\n<li><u>Answers\u00a0from the world of art. <\/u>The\u00a0<em>second activity<\/em>\u00a0will be to approach the above question using\u00a0our artistic instincts. \u00a0We will bring into discussion any and all forms of the arts as potentially suitable means to portray protein molecules. \u00a0We will\u00a0critique\u00a0existing examples from the small but growing genre of\u00a0protein-inspired artwork. \u00a0We will share ideas and float trial balloons to\u00a0carry ourselves\u00a0to new levels\u00a0of scientific-artistic inspiration.<\/li>\n<li><u>Our own creations<\/u>. \u00a0In the\u00a0<em>third activity<\/em>\u00a0each student will choose a protein molecule as a subject for artistic portrayal. \u00a0The artworks will convey meaning by giving a personal take on\u00a0<u>proteins that were at the scene when historical events transpired.<\/u>. History, conceived as our legacy that shapes us today, is undoubtedly filled with proteins ranging between those having prominent central roles to those that few have ever assigned importance to in defining events. \u00a0We, as students of proteins of all kinds, now take the role of protein champions. \u00a0Our artwork might highlight certain structural or functional features about proteins. \u00a0We might focus on protein evolution or how proteins fit in with society. \u00a0There are many facets to artistically consider in portraying a protein. \u00a0What is unique and different about this year is that our artwork will pinpoint an event in history when a protein played a role.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Inspiration<\/h2>\n<p>All art is infused with history because every artist projects facets into their work from our collective memory. \u00a0Sometimes a signature event serves as the ground for artistry. \u00a0Turnbull&#8217;s famous oil of the\u00a0signing of the American Declaration of Independence draws the eye toward the quill pen, the tip of which is an assembly of <em>keratin<\/em>, the protein responsible for the sharp and resilient point that delivers the iron gall ink to the parchment document. \u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Keratin inspires us as a central but largely unsung molecular instrument of history.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 482px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/f9\/Declaration_of_Independence_%281819%29%2C_by_John_Trumbull.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/f\/f9\/Declaration_of_Independence_%281819%29%2C_by_John_Trumbull.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"312\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Quill keratin marks a turning point in history<\/p><\/div>\n<p>History also provides the resonant color for many artworks, conjuring emotions and reactions that symbolically circulate in an event&#8217;s vicinity. \u00a0La Guernica and the mad eye of Picasso&#8217;s tortured bull bear witness to the madness of war. \u00a0Though no physical drop of red paint is anywhere to be found, the painting is emotionally colored everywhere by Spanish sangre &#8212; fresh wounds, fraught eyes, and bloody prints &#8212; making Picasso&#8217;s neutrally colored canvas a haunting display. This universally recognized witness of violent conflict &#8212; blood spilled from the body &#8212; is precious for the very reason that it is the carrier of life-sustaioning oxygen, and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">at the molecular level, the oxygen carrier is hemoglobin<\/span>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 685px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Guernica_%28Picasso%29#\/media\/File:Mural_del_Gernika.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/4\/4a\/Guernica_reproduction_on_tiled_wall%2C_Guernica%2C_Spain_%28PPL3-Altered%29_julesvernex2.jpg\" alt=\"A tile wall of Picasso's Guernica in the town of Gernika. The original painting is in Madrid and cannot be reproduced in full because it is still copyrighted.\" width=\"675\" height=\"353\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Black and white but stained red in trauma: hemoglobin bears molecular witness to massacre.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3><strong>What is expected of the student:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><u>Classroom participation is number one.<\/u>\u00a0The best kind of participation stimulates discussion across the whole classroom. \u00a0If you are not talking, you are not participating. \u00a0But if\u00a0you are the only one talking, you are not promoting discussion and need to work on your listening skills! At minimum you should supply\u00a0a comment or question\u00a0each day of the class. \u00a0Jump in!<\/li>\n<li>We will set various <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">deadlines<\/span> for our art projects, and you are expected to describe your progress. \u00a0Willingness to share personal progress at all stages will lend a team atmosphere to the course. \u00a0That is what we are after.<\/li>\n<li>In our early discussions in the first part of the term, we have come up with a number of personal choices of important moments in history. \u00a0These have included events of great renown as well as personal events few others know anything about. \u00a0We have also been thinking and imagining how proteins were there in those moments of history, participating as critical but unsung participants in the events. \u00a0Our goal is to bring the proteins to prominence. \u00a0Great events have occurred, but which proteins helped to make such history?<\/li>\n<li><u>Preliminary design review.\u00a0<\/u>You will describe and offering a\u00a0preliminary design review of your personal project by week five or six. \u00a0This will include your historical theme and your choice of protein (your top choice; this is preliminary, after all). \u00a0A good idea of the artistic media you have in mind should also be conveyed.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">A final design review<\/span>, present\u00a0by week seven or eight or nine, will reflect the progress you have made in the assembly of your work. \u00a0The design should be nearly complete at this point, subject to the practicalities of getting the projects complete by the end of the term for\u00a0a public showing.<\/li>\n<li><u>A caption for your artwork<\/u>. A brief, neatly printed title and description of your\u00a0artwork is expected to\u00a0accompany the work in our public display. \u00a0We will choose a style of captioning (a stylistic theme)\u00a0that applies to all of our displayed works so that our show will have\u00a0professional panache. \u00a0Polish counts!<\/li>\n<li><u>Attendance<\/u>. \u00a0100% classroom attendance is expected\u00a0(aside from excused absences). Please\u00a0realize that your absences detrimentally affect the whole class, not simply you alone. \u00a0The easiest way to lower your letter grade is to miss class!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>When\/where we meet<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We are completely online this term (Spring 2021). \u00a0We will meet by zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11 to 11:50. \u00a0Attendance is required and duly noted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Grading<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If a student comes to class, participates in our discussions, and meets each course deadline including the final deadline of producing a protein portrait artwork,\u00a0that effort will be a sufficiently strong performance to merit the receipt of an A letter grade in this 2-credit colloquium course.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Learning resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We will make heavy use of the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pdb.org\/pdb\/home\/home.do\">Protein Data Bank<\/a>\u00a0and its\u00a0affiliated\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/pdb101.rcsb.org\/motm\/motm-by-date\">Molecule of the Month<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>The optional\u00a0textbook (for your purchase) is\u00a0<u>The Machinery of Life <\/u>by David Goodsell (2nd edition, 2009).<\/li>\n<li>Another optional book is\u00a0<u>Introduction to Protein Structure<\/u>\u00a0by Branden and Tooze (Second edition; 1999; ISBN 0815323050; about $70.) \u00a0If you find a used copy, grab it! \u00a0This is a great book.<\/li>\n<li>I am also happy to lend you a biochemistry textbook if that will help.<\/li>\n<li>During the course of the term we will keep a running account of our progress by posting notes and pictures on our course blog at <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/\">http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Cost of materials<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Art materials will probably cost you around $10- $20 (glue, tape, wire, other cheap materials). \u00a0Let&#8217;s hold down the cost. \u00a0Try to use the stuff you find lying around in the back of your closet. \u00a0Save money.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Past syllabi<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Note how different the course can be from year-to-year.<\/p>\n<p>Syllabus from <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/syllabus-2018\/\">2018<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Syllabus from <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/syllabus-2015\/\">2017<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Protein Portraits 2021: Proteins at turning points of history Course syllabus What is involved in taking this course? Protein Portraits BB 407H is an Honors College Colloquium, 2 credit hours. \u00a0We get to make the course anew each year. \u00a0Linked &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/welcome-to-protein-portraits-2015\/2021-protein-portraits-syllabus\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":196,"featured_media":0,"parent":1644,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2779","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2779"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2812,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2779\/revisions\/2812"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/psquared\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}