This course will investigate neural processing at the systems level. Principles of how brains encode information will be explored in both sensory (e.g. visual, auditory, social, etc.) and motor systems. Neural encoding strategies will be discussed in relation to the specific behavioral needs of the animal. Examples will be drawn from a variety of different model systems.

The evolution of multicellularity required that cells be able to both send and receive signals from their neighbors. The development of organs and differentiation of cells and tissues requires reliable and continuous communication between cells. Consequences of inappropriate or anomalous signaling include development abnormalities and cancer. This class will examine mechanisms of cell-to-cell signaling between cells in plants and animals with an emphasis on the cell biology of development.

Intensive laboratory class where open-ended, interesting biological problems are explored using modern lab techniques. Topics may include protein structure/function studies; genetic screens, genomics and gene expression studies; proteomics and protein purification techniques; and molecular cloning and DNA manipulation. The course emphasizes developing scientific communication and independent research skills. Course topics reflect the interests of individual Biology faculty members. This course is recommended for students considering independent research.

Urban environments present unique challenges and opportunities for plant species. After a review of plant taxonomy and anatomy, this course will examine the ecological impacts of plants in urban settings. We will explore landscapes in and around Penn’s campus to understand how plant communities contribute to ecosystem services in these environments. The applied uses of plants in agriculture, medicine, bioremediation, and other aspects of community health will also be explored.

The goal of this course is to develop a deeper understanding of techniques and concepts used in Computational Biology. Both theoretical and practical aspects of a range of methods will be covered. Theoretical aspects will include statistical analysis, modeling, and algorithm design. This course cannot provide a comprehensive survey of the field but focuses on a select core set of topics and data types. We will discuss the genome browser, alignment algorithms, classical and non-parametric statistics, pathway analysis, dimensionality reduction, GWAS, multiple testing and machine learning, with primary focus on biomedical data. UNIX, R and Python will be utilized to learn to execute big data analysis pipelines, including RNA-Seq and DNA-Seq. UNIX and R will be taught from first principles but programming experience in Python is expected. Students without prior experience with Python should consider taking PHYS 1100 before taking this class. You will be provided with a computational (cloud based) platform on which to do all programming and assignments.

Introduction to basic theoretical tools to study the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of populations. Topics to be discussed include: basic population dynamics and population genetics theory, evolutionary game theory/adaptive dynamics, social evolution (kin selection/multilevel selection), life-history evolution, and stochastic models. Other topics may be added based on the specific interests of students in the class.

This course will focus on fundamental topics related to the ecological and evolutionary processes driving the transmission of pathogenic microbes among hosts including life-history strategies; evolution of pathogenic traits; the impacts of temporal, spatial and host-trait heterogeneity; and factors causing the emergence of an infectious pathogen. Examples will be drawn from human, wildlife, and plant pathogens to illustrate these ecological and evolutionary topics. Students will learn to develop and apply current ecological and evolutionary theory to infectious microbe research and gain practical experience accessing, interpreting and synthesizing the peer-reviewed scientific literature through a combination of popular and scientific readings, discussion, and lecture.

This course is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in molecular physiology of sensory signal transduction. The major topics to cover will be signal transduction mechanisms used by membrane ion channels and receptors that detect the sensory stimuli (light, sound, temperature, smell and taste, for example) and transmit the signals to the nervous system. Modern molecular, genetic and structural techniques (electrophysiology, protein structural determination/analysis, animal genetics, and human disease, for example) will be introduced along with each topic. References will be primary research articles. Students will critically evaluate research discoveries through analysis of research papers. Each student will deliver two presentations and write a 10-page research proposal.

This course will investigate neural processing at the systems level. Principles of how brains encode information will be explored in both sensory (e.g. visual, auditory, social, etc.) and motor systems. Neural encoding strategies will be discussed in relation to the specific behavioral needs of the animal. Examples will be drawn from a variety of different model systems.

This course will focus on the molecular mechanisms by which fundamental cellular processes are disrupted in the development of cancer.