First assignment:

Please read article "An amazing sequence arrangement at the 5′ ends of

adenovirus 2 messenger RNA" by Chow et al. (PDF of the article can be downloaded

from IS.) Please write 1 page (font Calibri, font size 12) essay addressing

following questions:

1. What is the research question of the paper? 2P

2. What is/are the conclusion(s) of the paper? 2P

3. What is the evidence supporting the conclusion(s)? 1P

4. Does the presented evidence really justify the conclusion(s)? 2P

5. Were experimental methods chosen appropriately with respect to the research question(s)? 1P

6. Are the presented results "important"? Why? 1P

7. Did the researchers fully appreciate impact (importance) of their conclusions

at the time of publication? 1P

Justify all your answers.

DEADLINE FOR THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT IS 30.4. 10 Points in total




Second assignment please choose from the following two options:


A. Write a description of a research project that addresses an important open

question in virology. Your project should have the following structure:

1. Abstract (up to 200 words)

2. A summary of the current state-of-the-art in the area (up to 1000 characters

including spaces).

3. Explanation why the research question is important (up to 500 characters

including spaces).

4. Description of research design including evaluation of suitability of

proposed research methods. (Up to 2500 characters including spaces. A figure

might be included in this section.)

5. Discussion of the expected results and explanation how they contribute to our

understanding of viruses. Also, suggest a journal for publication of the

results. (up to 1000 characters including spaces)


B. Choose a research journal article (not a review) related to virus research

and write a comprehensible description of the presented discovery. (Up to 2000

words.)


It is my suggestion that PhD students choose assignment type A.