BIOL4250 - Molecular Genetics of Development

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Molecular Genetics of Development
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4250401
Course number integer
4250
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Aman Yebio Husbands
Description
Development is the process by which organisms grow and acquire their final shape. This remarkably complex process requires exquisite spatiotemporal control, and principles of developmental biology have implications for nearly all other biological disciplines. This course is a deep dive into these general biological principles, using plants as a model system. Students will prepare presentations on primary literature and engage in vigorous discussions in a "journal club" format. Our goal is to learn how developmentally significant genes and cellular interactions control differentiation and pattern formation.
Course number only
4250
Cross listings
BIOL5250401
Use local description
No

BIOL4234 - Epigenetics

Status
A
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Epigenetics
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4234401
Course number integer
4234
Meeting times
MW 1:45 PM-3:14 PM
Meeting location
LEVN 111
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Doris Wagner
Description
This course investigates epigenetic phenomena: heritable alternate states of gene activity that do not result from an alteration in nucleotide composition (mutations). Epigenetic mechanisms regulate genome accessibility and cell differentiation. They play a key role in normal development and in oncogenesis. For example both mammalian X-chromosome inactivation and nuclear transfer (cloning) are subject to epigenetic regulation. Amongst the epigenetic mechanisms we will discuss in this course are chromatin organization, histone modification, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs. The course is geared toward advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students and is a combination of lectures, student presentations and research presentations by guest speakers. Students will work with the current scientific literature.
Course number only
4234
Cross listings
BIOL5234401, CAMB4830401
Use local description
No

BIOL4233 - The Genetics of Adaptation: How sex, conflict, and pathogens shape modern genomes

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
The Genetics of Adaptation: How sex, conflict, and pathogens shape modern genomes
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4233401
Course number integer
4233
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Mia Tauna Levine
Description
In this course we explore the genetic basis of adaptation. We will investigate the forces that drive adaptation (e.g., environmental stress, pathogens, conflict, sex), the genetic mechanisms of adaptation (protein sequence changes, expression divergence, gene duplication, etc.), and the consequences of adaptation for contemporary cellular functions, developmental processes, and ecological interactions. The class meetings will be structured around both lectures and student-led discussions of the primary literature.
Course number only
4233
Cross listings
BIOL5233401
Use local description
No

BIOL4231 - Genome Science and Genomic Medicine

Status
A
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Genome Science and Genomic Medicine
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4231401
Course number integer
4231
Meeting times
TR 1:45 PM-3:14 PM
Meeting location
LEVN 111
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Brian Gregory
Description
This course will be a focused study of genomes, genomic techniques, and how these approaches are and will be used in diagnosing and treating human disease. Topics will include genome sequencing, analysis of sequences and microarrays, and new techniques including high-throughput sequencing and reverse genetic analysis with a focus on genome-wide mutant collections.
Course number only
4231
Cross listings
BIOL5231401, CAMB4310401
Use local description
No

BIOL4119 - Biological Basis of Animal Diversity

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Biological Basis of Animal Diversity
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4119401
Course number integer
4119
Meeting times
T 3:30 PM-6:29 PM
Meeting location
GLAB 100
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Yun Ding
Description
Animals display extraordinary diversity in their morphology, physiology, and behavior. Traditionally, these topics have been mostly studied from an ecological perspective. This course will focus on recent advances and discoveries that address the underlying biological mechanisms of animal diversity. Specific topics will include the genetic, molecular, and developmental basis of animal morphological diversity, and genetic, molecular, and neural basis of animal behavioral diversity. Students will gain an understanding of how animal diversity is encoded at the different levels of biological organization. The course will be comprised of lectures to introduce topics, discussion of primary literature, and in-class activities.
Course number only
4119
Cross listings
BIOL5119401
Use local description
No

BIOL4116 - Neural Circuits for Survival

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Neural Circuits for Survival
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4116401
Course number integer
4116
Meeting times
W 3:30 PM-6:29 PM
Meeting location
LLAB 109
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
John Nicholas Betley
Description
A fundamental goal of neuroscience is to understand how neural circuits in the brain function to influence behavior. The aim of this course is to highlight the neural basis of behavior and discuss modern approaches and novel methods to study the neuronal control of classically studied aspects of behavior. Through a combination of discussions, student presentations, and interactive lectures, we will explore the neural systems that regulate the interactions an animal has with the external world. We will explore sensory systems (such as vision, taste, and olfaction), motor systems, and survival behaviors (such as feeding, drinking, mating, and aggression). The course evaluation will be based largely on written work, participation, and presentations.
Course number only
4116
Cross listings
BIOL5116401
Use local description
No

BIOL4026 - Chromosomes and the Cell Cycle

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Chromosomes and the Cell Cycle
Term
2024A
Syllabus URL
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4026401
Course number integer
4026
Meeting times
TR 8:30 AM-9:59 AM
Meeting location
GLAB 102
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Michael A. Lampson
Description
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.
Course number only
4026
Cross listings
BIOL5026401, CAMB4860401
Use local description
No

BIOL4018 - Cell Communication and Disease

Status
X
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
601
Title (text only)
Cell Communication and Disease
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
601
Section ID
BIOL4018601
Course number integer
4018
Meeting times
CANCELED
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
John D Wagner
Description
Effective coordination between cells through cell communication and signaling enables multicellular organisms to develop and survive. Conversely, aberrations in these pathways are at the heart of a wide variety of human diseases. In this seminar course, we will discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cell communication using a series of human diseases as a framework. The course will introduce postbac and advanced undergraduate students to the fundamental principles of cell signaling and will explore current questions of interest to the field. The synergistic nature of research directed at understanding basic cell biology, development and physiology with research aimed at elucidation and control of specific human ailments will be emphasized. The course will be comprised of a combination of introductory lectures and extensive discussion of primary literature. Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry and cell structure. BIOL 2201 and BIOL 2801 are recommended pre-requisites.
Course number only
4018
Use local description
No

BIOL4018 - Cell Communication and Disease

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
301
Title (text only)
Cell Communication and Disease
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
301
Section ID
BIOL4018301
Course number integer
4018
Meeting times
MW 3:30 PM-4:59 PM
Meeting location
LEVN L57
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
John D Wagner
Description
Effective coordination between cells through cell communication and signaling enables multicellular organisms to develop and survive. Conversely, aberrations in these pathways are at the heart of a wide variety of human diseases. In this seminar course, we will discuss the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cell communication using a series of human diseases as a framework. The course will introduce postbac and advanced undergraduate students to the fundamental principles of cell signaling and will explore current questions of interest to the field. The synergistic nature of research directed at understanding basic cell biology, development and physiology with research aimed at elucidation and control of specific human ailments will be emphasized. The course will be comprised of a combination of introductory lectures and extensive discussion of primary literature. Students are expected to have a basic knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry and cell structure. BIOL 2201 and BIOL 2801 are recommended pre-requisites.
Course number only
4018
Use local description
No

BIOL4016 - Molecular Mechanisms of Infectious Disease Biology

Status
A
Activity
SEM
Section number integer
401
Title (text only)
Molecular Mechanisms of Infectious Disease Biology
Term
2024A
Subject area
BIOL
Section number only
401
Section ID
BIOL4016401
Course number integer
4016
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
David S. Roos
Description
This course is designed for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students with a particular interest in infectious disease biology. Note that this course is not a comprehensive survey of the field and is not appropriate for students seeking a lecture course on disease. The primary objective of this course is to teach students considering a career in the biomedical sciences how to read, discuss, and question research papers effectively. Intensive classroom discussions focus on the experimental methods used, results obtained, interpretation of these results in the context of pathogen interactions with host cells and organisms, and implications for basic research and therapeutic development.
Course number only
4016
Cross listings
BIOL5016401
Use local description
No