Food Microbiology

 

Professor: Gabriel Perron  

 

Course Number: BIO 102

CRN Number: 10003

Class cap: 18

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   1:00 PM - 5:00 PM Reem Kayden Center 111/112

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

Crosslists: Experimental Humanities

In this course designed for non-majors, we will study the microorganisms that inhabit, create, or contaminate food. The first half of the course will introduce students to topics in food safety such as food spoilage, food borne infections, and antibiotic resistance. In the second half of the course, students will learn how to harness the capabilities of the many microbes present in our environment to turn rotting vegetables or spoiling milk into delicious food. Students will also learn how next-generation technologies are revealing the important ecological dynamics shaping microbial communities in transforming food with possible beneficial effects on human health. Throughout the course, students will learn how to design, conduct, and analyze simple experiments while working with microbiology techniques, including DNA sequencing. No prerequisite.

 

Environmental Microbiology

 

Professor: Rob Todd  

 

Course Number: BIO 145

CRN Number: 10004

Class cap: 21

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

  Wed  Fri   10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 103

 

Laboratory:

Mon       8:30 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 114/115

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

This introductory level course will introduce students to examining microbes in their native habitats while covering such basic biological concepts as DNA, RNA, and protein production, cellular replication, metabolism, respiration, and microbial genetics. Topics specific to microbial life will include ecological life cycles and microbial habitats, microbiomes, the microbial role in food production, antibiotic resistance, biofilms and quorum sensing. There will be an introduction to reading of primary literature, case studies, and opportunities for in-class presentations on primary papers. During the inquiry-based laboratory, students will culture environmental microbes as well as learn techniques for identification and characterization novel environmental isolates. Prerequisites: High school biology and chemistry.

 

 

Biology of Infectious Disease

 

Professor: Michael Tibbetts  

 

Course Number: BIO 167

CRN Number: 10005

Class cap: 21

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    8:30 AM - 9:50 AM Reem Kayden Center 111/112

 

Laboratory:

    Fri   1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Reem Kayden Center 114/115

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

This course, which is intended for Biology majors, will examine various infectious agents; bacteria, viruses, and protozoans. The biological mechanisms employed by the pathogens are explored, as are the evolutionary relationships among the various pathogens and their hosts. In addition, the course will examine the problem of antibiotic resistance and some of the mechanisms employed by the human immune system to combat infectious agents. The laboratory portion of the course will introduce students to bacteria and viruses that are relatively nonpathogenic for humans. Prerequisite: experience in high school biology and chemistry. 

 

Natural History of the Hudson Valley

 

Professor: Bruce Robertson  

 

Course Number: BIO 169

CRN Number: 11010

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     10:10 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 102

 

Laboratory:

    Fri   8:30 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 111/112

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

This course is designed to train students in the field, lab and museum skills of natural historians and to teach them how to identify plants and animals of the Hudson Valley, both in the wild and in the lab. The smaller, lecture portion of the class will introduce students to concepts in systematics and taxonomy, the history of natural history, the value of natural history to science, and how citizen science is exploiting crowdsourcing of natural history data.  The laboratory portion of the course will focus on teaching students how to identify plants, birds, amphibians, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and fish. Students will learn how to use binoculars, dissecting scopes, traps, nets and other tools to visualize or capture specimens, and use field guides, phone apps, dichotomous keys and other resources to identify them. Field trips will take place on campus, in the Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area, and at several off campus locations throughout the Hudson Valley where students will practice their identification skills, collect specimens, and interact with naturalists from outside the Bard community.  Students will build and curate their own insect and plant collections that will be added to Bard’s existing collections, use natural history information to answer some basic questions about the distribution and abundance of a species they choose, and as a final project they will create a natural history guide for a focal taxonomic group of their choice.

 

Biology Cohort Workshop Year 1

 

Professor: Cathy Collins  

 

Course Number: BIO 199

CRN Number: 10015

Class cap: 30

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Reem Kayden Center 115

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

This non-credit bearing course is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire important information for successfully progressing through the biology major, and to discuss topics relevant to their particular academic stage.  It will also provide space for peer-to-peer interactions and community building. Topics will include, but will not be limited to: settling into the first year curriculum, crafting moderation papers, designing  appropriate, individualized course plans, planning meaningful summers, and support for senior project writing. Students are expected to register for this course each semester, at the appropriate level (BIO199 first year, BIO 299 sophomore year, BIO 399 junior year, BIO 499 senior year).

 

Genetics and Evolution

 

Professor: Brooke Jude  

 

Course Number: BIO 201

CRN Number: 10006

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     8:30 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 111/112

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

Crosslists: Global Public Health; Mind, Brain, Behavior

This course is an introduction to the mechanisms of inheritance and the generation of diversity in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.  This course takes a modern approach to the study of genetics in which classical ideas about genotype, phenotype and inheritance are integrated into the modern molecular and genomic understanding of the processes involved in the generation of diversity.  In addition to discussions of the molecular mechanisms involved in DNA replication,  recombination, the generation and repair of mutations, and the relationship between genotype and phenotype, special consideration is given to our understanding of the processes involved in generating population-level variation in complex traits and how this understanding can help us identify the myriad genetic and non-genetic factors influencing these traits.  The laboratory consists of several projects focused on genetics of distinct model systems to address one or more topics in the course.  Prerequisite: One biology course at the 140 level or higher.

 

Ecology and Evolution

 

Professor: Cathy Collins  

 

Course Number: BIO 202

CRN Number: 10007

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

  Wed  Fri   8:30 AM - 11:30 AM Reem Kayden Center 114/115

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

Crosslists: Environmental Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies

This core course for biology majors is an introduction to the general principles of ecology and evolution that, with genetics, form the core of biological understanding. In addition to studying foundational ideas in both ecology and evolution, we will explore modern topics at the boundary between these two areas. We will consider, for example, how genetic variation among individual organisms can influence ecological interactions, and how these interactions can influence fitness. We will focus on a mechanistic understanding of processes, using model-building to inform that understanding.  Prerequisite: Successful completion of a course in biology numbered 140 or above.

 

Biology Seminar

 

Professor: Bruce Robertson  

 

Course Number: BIO 208

CRN Number: 10008

Class cap: 55

Credits: 1

 

Schedule/Location:

   Thurs    12:10 PM - 1:10 PM Reem Kayden Center 103

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

This course will provide students with broad exposure to biology through the biology visiting speaker seminar series. Students will hear about the wide-ranging research interests of invited biologists and have opportunities to interact informally with them. The course is graded Pass/Fail and students are responsible for short follow-up assignments for at least 80% of the talks. Recommended for all biology majors and other interested students.

 

Biostatistics

 

Professor: Cathy Collins  

 

Course Number: BIO 244

CRN Number: 10009

Class cap: 16

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

Mon  Wed     1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Reem Kayden Center 114/115

 

Distributional Area:

MC  Mathematics and Computing   

 

Crosslists: Environmental Studies; Environmental & Urban Studies; Global Public Health; Mathematics

This course introduces students to the statistical methods biologists use to describe and compare data. Students will learn methods that are appropriate for different types of data. Topics covered include elementary probability and statistics, characteristics of frequency distributions, hypothesis testing, contingency tests, correlation and regression analysis, different ways to compare means, nonparametric tests, and an introduction to multivariate tests. This course is intended for sophomore and junior biology majors, although it is open to students of all years.  One objective of the course is to provide biology majors the statistical background they need to analyze data for their own senior research; biology students should take this course before their senior year, if possible. Notice, though, that the topics in this course are applicable to many advanced courses. Prerequisite: passing score on part I of the Math Placement and at least one introductory biology course.

 

Biology Cohort Workshop Year 2

 

Professor: Brooke Jude  

 

Course Number: BIO 299

CRN Number: 10016

Class cap: 30

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   11:50 AM - 1:00 PM Reem Kayden Center 111

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

This non-credit bearing course is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire important information for successfully progressing through the biology major, and to discuss topics relevant to their particular academic stage.  It will also provide space for peer-to-peer interactions and community building. Topics will include, but will not be limited to: settling into the first year curriculum, crafting moderation papers, designing  appropriate, individualized course plans, planning meaningful summers, and support for senior project writing. Students are expected to register for this course each semester, at the appropriate level (BIO199 first year, BIO 299 sophomore year, BIO 399 junior year, BIO 499 senior year).

 

Genomics

 

Professor: Rob Todd  

 

Course Number: BIO 322

CRN Number: 10012

Class cap: 14

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue  Thurs    1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Reem Kayden Center 111/112

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

Since the development of DNA sequencing in the mid-1970s, the field of biology has undergone a revolution. In these 50 years, nearly 100,000 genomes have been sequenced, providing deep insights into how organisms (and populations) develop, grow, and evolve. A genome, the complete set of genetic information contained within a cell, is a set of self-replicating instructions that encode the ability of an organism to use energy, sense and respond to its environment, and reproduce. This course, intended for biology majors interested in genetics, evolution, and biotechnology, will cover topics including sequencing technologies and methodologies, genome architecture, somatic mutation detection, copy number variation, aneuploidy and polyploidy, and phylogenomics. In laboratory sessions, students will work in groups on a semester-long project to design, propose, and execute an in vitro evolution study to identify how eukaryotic microorganisms respond and adapt to various cellular stresses, followed by whole genome sequencing and analysis. This class will require additional time in the laboratory outside of designated class time. Additional emphasis will be placed on engagement with relevant literature, analyzing and visualizing large data sets, and the production of ‘micro-manuscripts’. Prerequisites: Upper College standing in Biology. Completion of Biostatistics is helpful, but not required. Prior knowledge and use of bioinformatic pipelines are not required.

 

Biology Cohort Workshop Year 3

 

Professor: Michael Tibbetts  

 

Course Number: BIO 399

CRN Number: 10017

Class cap: 30

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Reem Kayden Center 102

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

This non-credit bearing course is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire important information for successfully progressing through the biology major, and to discuss topics relevant to their particular academic stage.  It will also provide space for peer-to-peer interactions and community building. Topics will include, but will not be limited to: settling into the first year curriculum, crafting moderation papers, designing  appropriate, individualized course plans, planning meaningful summers, and support for senior project writing. Students are expected to register for this course each semester, at the appropriate level (BIO199 first year, BIO 299 sophomore year, BIO 399 junior year, BIO 499 senior year).

 

Cancer Biology

 

Professor: Michael Tibbetts  

 

Course Number: BIO 411

CRN Number: 10013

Class cap: 12

Credits: 4

 

Schedule/Location:

 Tue      1:30 PM - 4:30 PM Reem Kayden Center 200

 

Distributional Area:

LS  Laboratory Science   

 

 

Cancer is a genetic disease that cannot be inherited, it is a disease in which one's own cells disrupt normal physiological functions, it is a disease for which some therapies result in the loss of the bodies ability to fight disease.  This advanced course will look at the complex reasons for these paradoxes and more by looking at a particular cancer from several perspectives: epidemiological, physiological, genetic, molecular and cellular.  A seminar style approach will be taken in which both text and the primary literature sources will be used to examine issues of cancer cause, progression, and treatment.  Students will be expected to present primary literature articles and to write a research paper on a type of cancer.  Prerequisites: moderated in biology and permission of instructor.

 

Biology Cohort Workshop Year 4

 

Professor: Felicia Keesing  

 

Course Number: BIO 499

CRN Number: 10018

Class cap: 30

Credits: 0

 

Schedule/Location:

    Fri   11:50 AM - 1:10 PM Reem Kayden Center 103

 

Distributional Area:

None   

 

 

This non-credit bearing course is designed to provide students with opportunities to acquire important information for successfully progressing through the biology major, and to discuss topics relevant to their particular academic stage.  It will also provide space for peer-to-peer interactions and community building. Topics will include, but will not be limited to: settling into the first year curriculum, crafting moderation papers, designing  appropriate, individualized course plans, planning meaningful summers, and support for senior project writing. Students are expected to register for this course each semester, at the appropriate level (BIO199 first year, BIO 299 sophomore year, BIO 399 junior year, BIO 499 senior year).