Introductory computational biology course designed for both biology students and computer science, engineering students. The course will cover fundamentals of algorithms, statistics, and mathematics as applied to biological problems. In particular, emphasis will be given to biological problem modeling and understanding the algorithms and mathematical procedures at the "pencil and paper" level. That is, practical implementation of the algorithms is not taught but principles of the algorithms are covered using small sized examples. Topics to be covered are: genome annotation and string algorithms, pattern search and statistical learning, molecular evolution and phylogenetics, functional genomics and systems level analysis. Prerequisite: College level introductory biology required; undergraduate or graduate level statistics taken previously or concurrently required; molecular biology and/or genetics encouraged; programming experience encouraged

We will use the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG) in Costa Rica as a living laboratory and case study in how to effectively foster community based environmental stewardship of natural ecosystems. This is an immersion course that broadly covers four major themes including: 1, biodiversity; 2, conservation philosophies and practices; 3, primary ecosystems within the Costa Rican ACG and their major species composition; and 4, fundamentals of field ecology (terrestrial and marine) including the practice and implementation of the scientific method. Students will learn how to develop and conduct research experiments via field-based activities, and will gain familiarity with a diversity of terrestrial and marine organisms including insects, endemic and invasive species of terrestrial flora and megafauna, corals, algae, invertebrates, fish, sea turtles and marine mammals. Additional topics covered will include fundamentals of oceanography, ecological and evolutionary principles as applied to ecosystem structure, function, and biodiversity, and environmental and management challenges of the Costa Rican ACG and tropical ecosystems globally. Application required through Penn Global: https://global.upenn.edu/pennabroad/pgs

This course will focus on the molecular basis of neurological diseases, exploring in detail key papers that cover topics including defining the disease genes, development of animal models that provide mechanistic insight, and seminal findings that reveal molecular understanding. Diseases covered will include neurological diseases of great focus today such as Alzheimer's, Fragile-X and autism, dementia, motor neuron degeneration, and microsatellite repeat expansion disorders. The course will provide a perspective from initial molecular determination through current status. Students will gain an understanding of how the molecular basis of a disease is discovered (from classical genetics to modern genomics) and how such diseases can be modeled in simple genetic systems for mechanistic insight. The course will be comprised of lectures with detailed analysis of primary literature and in-class activities. Grading will be based on class participation, exams, and written papers. Prerequisite: BIOL 251 and BIOL 421 are recommended.

An introduction to marine biology and oceanography. Topics will include chemical and physical oceanography, a survey of form, function and phylogeny of algae, invertebrates and vertebrates, and an examination of ecological and evolutionary principles as applied to marine organisms and ecosystems.

Integrative seminar on current biological research for first-year PhD students.

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.

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.

Cytoskeleton and cell motility plays a crucial role in many aspects of normal and pathological physiology of individual cells, tissues, and whole organisms, including morphogenesis, immune response, wound healing, oncogenesis, and infection. This course will cover current topics in cell biology with emphasis on cytoskeleton and cell motility and their roles in these processes. Lectures, student presentations, and discussions in the class will be based on primary scientific literature.

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.