General principles of biology focusing on the basic chemistry of life, cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics in all types of living organisms. Particular emphasis will be given to links between the fundamental processes covered and current challenges of humankind in the areas of energy, food, and health.

This course will examine the ways in which humans manipulate - and have been manipulated by - the organisms we depend on for food, with particular emphasis on the biological factors that influence this interaction. The first part of the course will cover the biology, genetics, evolution, and breeding of cultivated plants and animals; the second part will concern the ecological, economic, and political factors that influence food production.

Cellular physiology of neurons and excitable cells; molecular neurobiology and development. Topics include: action potential generation; synaptic transmission; molecular and physiological studies of ion channels; second messengers; simple neural circuits; synaptic plasticity; learning and memory; and neural development.

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 and taste, for example) and transmit the signals to the nervous system. Modern molecular/structural techniques (patch clamp, protein crystallization, molecular genetics, expression cloning and protein purification) will be introduced along with each topic. References will be primary research articles. Students will critically evaluate research discoveries by reading and presenting one to two original research papers. Each student is required to write a 10-page research proposal and to critique proposals written by fellow students.

Our focus will be on human physiology and we will cover most of the major organ systems in some depth. We seek to understand physiological phenomena using physical and chemical principles where possible. Basic cell and molecular biology, (bio)chemistry, physics and mathematics are prerequisites for the course, although we will quickly review the required background material when needed. Much of the motivation for the study of physiology is to understand disease, which in turn allows us to better appreciate normal physiology. We will discuss disease throughout the class. In physiology, structure often implies function, and we will thus also cover a fair amount of anatomy and histology.

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.

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 focuses on teaching students the Pennsylvania flora, both native and naturalized. Through weekly field trips, students will gain an appreciation for the diversity of plant species and plant communities in PA, and observe and discuss ecological and historical forces that influence plant species occurrences and plant communities. The ability to quickly and accurately identify plants in the field, through both sight identification and the use of a dichotomous key, is the major thrust of this course. Students will also learn how to appropriately collect plant materials for further study/identification in the laboratory and for archiving in an herbarium collection.