Basic science writing and presentation skills for PhD students in Biology. Designed for second year graduate students preparing for qualifying exams. In the first half of the course, students will produce weekly writing assignments and critique writing submitted by others. In the second half, students will learn techniques for effective research presentations in both seminar style environments and chalk-talk settings.

Advanced version of BIOL 376: Microbial Diversity and Pathogenesis Lab for graduate students only. Additional readings and course work as directed.

Advanced version of BIOL 375: Microbial Diversity and Pathogenesis for graduate students only. Additional readings and course work as directed.

The logic and methodology of genetic analysis in plants and animals. This lecture course will focus on the use of mutations to study gene function and higher order biological processes, methods for reporting and manipulating gene expression, and analysis of the genetic basis of natural variation.

This course will survey the discipline of molecular genetics. Two broad areas will be considered: 1) Molecular biology: DNA replication, transcription, translation, and the regulation of gene expression in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems and genomics and 2) Genetics: basic Mendelian & molecular genetics.

This course will survey the discipline of molecular genetics. Two broad areas will be considered: 1) Molecular biology: DNA replication, transcription, translation, and the regulation of gene expression in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems and genomics and 2) Genetics: basic Mendelian & molecular genetics.

Advanced seminar on current topics in human genomics and human evolution. Topics include the methods used for mapping and sequencing genomes; phylogenetic and population genetic analysis; and detecting variation in the human genome. This course is designed for graduate students but advanced undergraduates with a strong background in genetics are also welcome.

Life depends on the propagation of genetic material from one generation to the next through cycles of genome replication and cell division. The genome is copied by the parent, and one exact copy is inherited by each daughter cell. We will treat chromosomes as discrete entities, rather than collections of genes, that are replicated and divided with high fidelity to ensure that the genome remains stable over many generations. By reading selected primary literature covering several decades, we will build an understanding of the cell cycle by focusing on chromosomes and the associated molecular machinery. We will explore mechanisms that underlie replication and division, particularly control mechanisms that maintain genome integrity and are critical to prevent disease. The goal of the course is to develop a picture of the cell cycle by examining some of the key experiments and insights that have led to our current understanding.

This course is designed for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates with a particular enthusiasm for cell biology. Biology 480 does not attempt to cover all aspects of cell biology, and is therefore not appropriate for students seeking a lecture course which provides a comprehensive survey of the field. Rather, the primary objective of this course is to teach those students considering a career in the biomedical sciences how to read, discuss, and question original research papers effectively. Intensive classroom discussions focus on the experimental methods used, results obtained, interpretation of these results in the context of cell structure and function, and implications for further studies. There is no assigned text; students learn to critically evaluate current literature by reading original papers on selected topics in modern cell biology. Accordingly, class participation/discussion is essential and the grade will be determined significantly by that. In addition, there will be two exams including answering short questions and an essay critiquing an original paper that is selected on a topic in Cell Biology.

This course is designed for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduates with a particular enthusiasm for cell biology. Biology 480 does not attempt to cover all aspects of cell biology, and is therefore not appropriate for students seeking a lecture course which provides a comprehensive survey of the field. Rather, the primary objective of this course is to teach those students considering a career in the biomedical sciences how to read, discuss, and question original research papers effectively. Intensive classroom discussions focus on the experimental methods used, results obtained, interpretation of these results in the context of cell structure and function, and implications for further studies. There is no assigned text; students learn to critically evaluate current literature by reading original papers on selected topics in modern cell biology. Accordingly, class participation/discussion is essential and the grade will be determined significantly by that. In addition, there will be two exams including answering short questions and an essay critiquing an original paper that is selected on a topic in Cell Biology.