“This is a fabulous book to use every day to solve those vexing arithmetic problems you once knew how to solve. This belongs on the shelf for easy access to every biotechnology operation.” Barnes and Noble review
Basic Laboratory Calculations for Biotechnology, Second Edition, is a textbook designed to help students become comfortable with the basic math tools that are used everyday in the biotechnology environment. The most common types of calculations are introduced along with hundreds of practice problems that involve real world scenarios. Answers to these problems, along with discussions of (often multiple) strategies to achieve them, are provided. There are problems where the required math tool is “hidden,” and students will learn to recognize and address these situations. The textbook enables students to complete the material in a self-paced course structure with minimal teacher assistance.
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Table of Contents
UNIT I: BRIEF REVIEW OF SOME BASIC MATH TECHNIQUES
CHAPTER 1. Exponents and Scientific Notation
Section 1.1 Exponents
Section 1.2 Exponents Where the Base Is 10
Section 1.3 Scientific Notation
Section 1.4 More about Scientific Notation
Section 1.5 Calculations with Scientific Notation
CHAPTER 2. Logarithms
Section 2.1 Common Logarithms
Section 2.2 Antilogarithms
Section 2.3 Natural Logarithms
Section 2.4 Why Do We Care About This? An Application of Logarithms: pH
Section 2.5 Why Do We Care About This? Other Applications of Logarithms
CHAPTER 3. Units of Measurement
Section 3.1 The Meaning of “Measurement”
Section 3.2 Units of Measurement
Section 3.3 Converting from One Metric Unit to Another Metric Unit
Section 3.4 Sizes of Biological Molecules
Section 3.5 Metric Prefixes for Large Numbers
CHAPTER 4. Measurements and Significant Figures
Section 4.1 Measurement Uncertainty and Significant Figures
Section 4.2 Indicating Whether Zeros are Significant
Section 4.3 Calculations and Significant Figures
CHAPTER 5. Using Equations to Describe a Relationship
Section 5.1 Introduction to Equations
Section 5.2 Units and Mathematical Operations
Section 5.3 Why Do We Care About This?
UNIT II: APPLICATIONS OF PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BIOLOGY LABORATORY
CHAPTER 6. Ratios and Proportions
Section 6.1 Ratios
Section 6.2 Proportions
CHAPTER 7. Unit Conversions
Section 7.1 Overview
Section 7.2 Proportion Method of Unit Conversion
Section 7.3 Unit Canceling Method of Unit Conversion
Section 7.4 Comparing Proportions and the Unit Canceling Methods of Unit Conversions
Section 7.5 Word Problems Requiring Multiple Steps
CHAPTER 8. Density
Section 8.1 Density
CHAPTER 9. Dosages
Section 9.1 Calculations of Dosage
CHAPTER 10. Percents
Section 10.1 Basic Manipulations Involving Percents
Section 10.2 An Application of Percents: Percent Error
Section 10.3 Percents and Log Reduction Values
CHAPTER 11. Introduction to Concentration Problems
Section 11.1 Concentration is a Ratio
Section 11.2 Amount and Concentration Are Not Synonyms
Section 11.3 Preparing a Solution with the Right Concentration of Solute
Section 11.4 Solutions with the Same Concentration of Solute
Section 11.5 How Much Solute is in a Solution?
Section 11.6 The Term “Parts”
Section 11.7 Finding the Math: The Concept of Cell Concentration (Density)
CHAPTER 12. Preparing Laboratory Solutions That Contain One Solute
Section 12.1 Preparing Biological Solutions
Section 12.2 Method 1: Concentration Expressed as a “Weight /Volume” Ratio
Section 12.3 Method 2: Concentration Expressed as a Percent
Section 12.4 Method 3: Concentration Expressed Using the Word “Parts”
Section 12.5 Method 4: Concentration Expressed in Terms of Molarity
Section 12.6 Variations on a Theme: Millimolar and Micromolar Solutions
Section 12.7 Variations on a Theme: Hydrates
Section 12.8 Variations on a Theme: Converting Between Different Concentration Expressions
Section 12.9 Variations on a Theme: Reagents That Are Not Pure
CHAPTER 13. Preparing Laboratory Solutions That Contain More Than One Solute
Section 13.1 The C1V1 = C2V2 Equation
Section 13.2 Introduction to Solutions with More Than One Component
Section 13.3 Example 1: SM Buffer
Section 13.4 Example 2: TE Buffer
CHAPTER 14. Dilutions
Section 14.1 Introduction
Section 14.2 Introduction to Dilution Terminology
Section 14.3 Dilution Expressed as a Fraction
Section 14.4 Dilutions and Proportional Relationships
Section 14.5 Calculations for Preparing a Dilution with a Particular Dilution and a Particular Volume
Section 14.6 Calculating the Concentration of Solute after Diluting a Stock Solution
Section 14.7 Calculating the Concentration in a Stock Solution if You Know the Concentration in the Diluted Solution
Section 14.8 Dilution Series
Section 14.9 Planning a Dilution Series
Section 14.10 Summary
UNIT III: DESCRIBING RELATIONSHIPS WITH EQUATIONS AND GRAPHS
CHAPTER 15. Graphing Linear Equations
Section 15.1 Brief Review of the Basic Techniques of Graphing
Section 15.2 Graphing Straight Lines
Section 15.3 An Application of Graphing: Standard Curves and Quantitative Analysis
Section 15.4 Using Graphs to Display the Results of an Experiment
Section 15.5 A Statistical Method to Calculate the Line of Best Fit
CHAPTER 16. Spectrophotometry
Section 16.1 Introduction
Section 16.2 Transmittance and Absorbance Measurements in a Spectrophotometer
Section 16.3 Standard Curves and Spectrophotometry
Section 16.4 The Equation for the Calibration Line; Beer’s Law
Section 16.5 Calculating the Absorptivity Constant
Section 16.6 Quantitative Analysis of a Sample
Section 16.7 Introduction to ELISAs
CHAPTER 17. Graphing Exponential Equations
Section 17.1 Exponential Relationships: Growth of Cell Populations
Section 17.2 Semilogarithmic Plots
Section 17.3 Limits to Growth
Section 17.4 Determining Generation Time
Section 17.5 The Decay of Radioisotopes
Section 17.6 Case Study: The Concept of “Half-Life” Has Broader Applicability
UNIT IV: INTRODUCTION TO DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
CHAPTER 18. Descriptive Statistics: Measures of Central Tendency
Section 18.1 Introduction and Terminology
Section 18.2 Measures of Central Tendency
CHAPTER 19. Descriptive Statistics: Measures of Dispersion
Section 19.1 Calculating the Range, Variance, and Standard Deviation
Section 19.2 Distinguishing Between the Variance and Standard Deviation of a Population and a Sample
Section 19.3 The Coefficient of Variation (Relative Standard Deviation)
Section 19.4 Application: Using Measures of Dispersion to Describe Variability
Section 19.5 More about Variability
CHAPTER 20. Statistics and Graphical Methods of Describing Data
Section 20.1 Using Bar Graphs to Represent Data
Section 20.2 Thinking about Variability in Experimental Work
Section 20.3 Describing Data: Frequency Distributions and Graphical Methods
Section 20.4 The Normal Frequency Distribution
Section 20.5 The Relationship between the Normal Distribution and Standard Deviation
Section 20.6 Statistics and Controlling Product Quality
Section 20.7 Control Charts
UNIT V: BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
CHAPTER 21. Common Calculations Relating to Animal Cell Culture Techniques
Section 21.1 Introduction
Section 21.2 Simple Cell Splits
Section 21.3 The Concept of Cell Density
Section 21.4 Using a Hemocytometer
Section 21.5 Seeding Plates at Specific Cells Densities
Section 21.6 Finding the Math: Following a Written Cell Culture Procedure
CHAPTER 22. Amount And Concentration of Nucleic Acids
Section 22.1 Introduction and Brief Review of Nucleic Acid Structure
Section 22.2 Reaction Mixtures
Section 22.3 Amount and Concentration
Section 22.4 Units of “Bases”
Section 22.5 Grams, Milligrams, Micrograms, Nanograms, and Picograms
Section 22.6 Moles, Millimoles, Micromoles, Nanomoles, and Picomoles
Section 22.7 Concentration Expressed as a Fraction
Section 22.8 Molar Concentrations
Section 22.9 Units of Daltons
Section 22.10 The Molecular Weights of Oligonucleotides
Section 22.11 The Molecular Weight of DNA Based on Fragment Lengths
Section 22.12 Spectrophotometric Analysis of DNA, RNA, and Proteins
Section 22.13 Finding the Math: Setting Up Reaction Mixtures
CHAPTER 23. Calculations Relating to Common Molecular Biology Techniques
Section 23.1 Restriction Digests
Section 23.2 Setting up Restriction Digests
Section 23.3 Electrophoresis
Section 23.4 Analysis of The Size of Fragments in an Agarose Gel
Section 23.5 Determining How Much DNA to Load onto an Agarose Gel
Section 23.6 Variation on a Theme: Deciding How Much Protein to Load on a Polyacrylamide Gel
Section 23.7 Quantitation of DNA Using Gel Electrophoresis
Section 23.8 Transformation Efficiency
CHAPTER 24. The Polymerase Chain Reaction
Section 24.1 Introduction to PCR
Section 24.2 Conventional Endpoint PCR
Section 24.3 PCR Is an Enzymatic Reaction
Section 24.4 Setting up a PCR Amplification: Overview
Section 24.5 Reaction Buffer
Section 24.6 Primers
Section 24.7 Nucleotides
Section 24.8 Enzyme
Section 24.9 Template
CHAPTER 25. Quantitative PCR
Section 25.1 What Does it Mean That PCR Amplification is Exponential?
Section 25.2 PCR and Efficiency
Section 25.3 qPCR
Section 25.4 Preparing a Standard Curve for PCR
Section 25.5 Using the Standard Curve to Determine Efficiency
Section 256 Finding the Math: Case Study, Gnomegen COVID-19 qPCR Detection Kit
Additional References
CHAPTER 26. Calculations Relating to Protein Purification and Analysis
Section 26.1 Introduction
Section 26.2 Determining Protein Concentration by UV Spectrophotometry
Section 26.3 Spectrophotometric Colorimetric Assays of Total Protein
Section 26.4 Assays for Specific Proteins
Section 26.5 An Example of a Specific Enzyme Assay: The β-Galactosidase Assay
Section 25.6 Specific Activity
Section 26.7 Calculations of Purification Factor and Yield
Section 26.8 Summarizing the Results of a Purification Procedure
Section 26.9 Footnote: the Β-Galactosidase Formula
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