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

This interactive course is intended for a small group of students aspiring to pursue research in microbiology, preferably using prokaryotes. Students will study selected papers and will attend the Prokaryotic Microbiology Seminars on Fridays. Specific problems of importance to a given field at a particular time will be critically analyzed and discussed: How were cutting edge techniques of the time used to address these problems? How would the same problems be approached using current techniques? The emphasis of the course will be on learning to become a thoughtful experimentalist rather than acquiring the hottest emerging knowledge.

This course is designed to introduce the undergraduate student to the structure of tissues at the cellular level and to the way in which those tissues are assembled into organs. This knowledge of structure will be the basis for discussion of tissue and organ function. This course is open to students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies only.

An intermediate level exploration of cell structure and function including membrane structure, intracellular organelles, membrane trafficking, surface receptors and signal transduction, the cytoskeleton, cell motility and communication, and the cell cycle. This course is open to students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies only.

A comparative and quantitative approach to the physiological function of vertebrates. Topics include muscles, nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiration, and renal function. This course is open to students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies only.

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. Biology 2210 is a pre-requisite. Seniors are prioritized for the course

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.

Microbiology plays a central role in diverse areas of human life such as infectious disease, ecology, and biotechnology. This course will cover aspects of modern microbiology with an emphasis on prokaryotic organisms. The topics will include basic aspects of microbial diversity, genetics, and pathogenesis as well as examples of applied microbiology. This course is open to students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies only.

Microbiology plays a central role in diverse areas of human life such as infectious disease, ecology, and biotechnology. This course will cover aspects of modern microbiology with an emphasis on prokaryotic organisms. The topics will include basic aspects of microbial diversity, genetics, and pathogenesis as well as examples of applied microbiology. This course is open to students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies only.

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.