92413

BIO 114 biology of noninfectious disease

John Ferguson

. T . . . . . . Th .

3:00 pm -5:00 pm 3:00 pm -6:00 pm

HEG 204 ROSE 205

SCI

While both morbidity and mortality from infectious disease declined steadily during the 20th century in developed nations, they remained constant for noninfectious diseases. Students examine the reasons for this failure to deal more effectively with these conditions as they study various specific diseases. Examples include inherited diseases such as sickle-cell anemia, Huntington's disease, and cystic fibrosis; endocrine disorders such as acromegaly; nutritional disorders such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies; therapeutic drug addiction and toxicities; various poisonings such as plant intoxications and rattlesnake envenomation; cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents; neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease; allergies; and autoimmune diseases such as myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes mellitus. Many of the readings are relatively nontechnical case histories, but the biology underlying each condition is thoroughly developed. This course is of interest to those focusing on a career in the health professions, but is also designed to provide liberal arts students with some degree of medical literacy in these health issues. The laboratory portion introduces students to human physiology as it relates to disease. Prerequisites: experience in high school biology and chemistry.  

91590

BIO 145 Environmental Microbiology

Brooke Jude

. T . Th .

8:30 am - 11:30 am

RKC 111/112

SCI

Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies 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, microbial fuel cells, 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. Class size: 18

91586

BIO 154 ON THE SHOULDERS OF GREEN GIANTS: Introduction to Plant Biology

Emily Pollina Lab:

M . W . . . . . Th .

1:30 pm -2:50 pm 1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RKC 101 RKC 114

SCI

Plants are an important part of every ecosystem they inhabit, providing carbon and energy to the organisms that feed on them. Plants perform all the tasks we are familiar with from animal studies- acquiring energy, nutrients and water, growing and reproducing, sensing and responding to their environments- but the ways in which they do these tasks differ from animals. In this introductory course, we will examine the ways in which plants perform each of these tasks differently from animals. Topics include photosynthesis, cellular respiration, food webs, organism interactions and plant defenses. In the lab, you will explore the scientific process- reading and critiquing works by practicing scientists in the discipline to help you determine what is already known, asking questions, designing experiments, and reporting results. In the lab, you will perform field explorations of local ecosystems, explore antimicrobial properties of plant chemicals, and test hypotheses about plant-microbe interactions, and control of plant signaling and behavior. Open to First-Year students only. Class size: 18

91591

BIO 162 FROM SHRIMPS TO CHIMPS: Introduction to Neurobiology

Arseny Khakhalin

M . W . .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RKC 111/112

SCI

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain & Behavior Many neuroscience textbooks begin with the description of the brain's nuts-and-bolts (neurons, synapses, ion channels), while all the fun topics (behavior, cognition, memory) get clumped at the end. This happens because most textbooks pretend to be discussing human brains, even though the majority of what we know about the brain we learned from model organisms, such as rats, flies, and sea slugs. In this course, we will gradually climb up the ladder of complexity: from single neurons in invertebrates, through small circuits in fishes and birds, and up to large-scale networks in primates, to see how simple elements can combine and interact to produce meaningful behaviors. The course provides an introduction to neuroscience, and is recommended for students with interests in biology, psychology or computation. Class size: 18

91592

BIO 201 Genetics and Evolution

Michael Tibbetts

M . W . .

8:30 am - 11:30 am

RKC 111/112

SCI

Cross-listed: Mind, Brain & Behavior; Global & Int’l Studies This course is an introduction to the mechanisms of inheritance and the generation of diversity in eukaryotic 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 a semester long project involving the genetic manipulation of a model organism’s genome to address one or more topics in the course. Prerequisite: One biology course at the 140 level or higher. Class size: 18

91594

BIO 202 Ecology and Evolution

Felicia Keesing

. . W . F

8:30 am - 11:30 am

RKC 114/115

SCI

Cross-listed: 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. Class size: 18

91588

BIO 208 Biology Seminar

Gabriel Perron

. . . Th .

12:00 pm -1:00 pm

RKC 103

1 credit 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.

Class size: 60

92017

EUS 222 Air

Elias Dueker

. T . Th . . . W . .

10:10 am -11:30 am 1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RKC 102 RKC 114

SCI

Of related interest: Biology This course offers a detailed exploration of the earth’s atmosphere and its interactions with the biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Topics will include origins of the atmosphere, origins of life, anthropogenic influences on the atmosphere, and connections and exchanges with the hydrologic cycle. We will further explore pressing global environmental issues associated with the atmosphere: climate change (extreme weather events, shifting precipitation patterns), air pollution, acid rain, and depletion of the ozone layer. Lab work will be guided by scientific questions related to these issues, and will focus on detection of anthropogenic influence on air quality. Specifically, students will conduct field sampling and utilize microbiological and chemical assays in the lab to better understand sources for and tracking of contaminants in air. Prerequisites: EUS 102, Bio 202, or permission of instructor. Class size: 16

92002

BIO 244 Biostatistics

Arseny Khakhalin

. T . Th .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RKC 111

MATC

Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies, Global & Int’l Studies, 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 Mathematics Diagnostic and at least one introductory biology course. Class size: 18

91597

BIO 304 Cell Biology

Michael Tibbetts

. T . Th .

8:30 am -9:50 am

RKC 115

SCI

This course examines the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in processes relating to eukaryotic cellular organization, communication, movement, reproduction, and death. These topics are considered through close reading of the primary and secondary literatures. Discussions of review articles on particular topics precede in-depth discussions of one or more research articles in those areas. The literature is read with the objective of understanding the current models describing cellular processes, as well as the experimental rationale and the modern techniques used to probe fundamental cellular mechanisms and test the models. The laboratory consists of a semester-long project in which a cellular process is investigated. Prerequisites: Biology 201-202, and Chemistry 201-202. Class size: 16

91596

BIO 317 Advanced Ecology: Ecology and Behavior of plants

Emily Pollina

. T . Th . . . . . F

10:10 am-11:30 am 8:30 am - 11:30 am

RKC 115 RKC 112

Plants are crucial producers in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem, and understanding their physiology, ecology, and behavior can help us to conserve them, and in turn, the ecosystems of which they are a part. In this class, we will explore topics including plant ecophysiology and stress adaptations, reproduction and dispersal mechanisms, plant defenses, plant sensory and response systems, and phytoremediation. As part of this course, you will lead in-depth discussions of primary literature relating to these topics. In the lab you will learn have the opportunity to design, carry out, and communicate results of a study related to one of these topics. Prerequisite: Upper college standing in biology. Class size: 16

91598

BIO 340 Metagenomics

Gabriel Perron

M . W . .

1:30 pm -4:30 pm

RKC 115

How does the extensive genetic diversity of microbes affect human health? How do anthropogenic actions such as pollution affect microbial populations around us? This research intensive course will use genomics and metagenomics to study the ecology and evolution of antibiotic resistance in environmental microbes. For one week prior to the start of the semester, students will meet daily with the instructor to design and conduct their own metagenomic survey of microbial populations found in the Saw Kill and the agricultural lands surrounding it. During the semester, students will learn how to use open-access bioinformatics tools such as de novo assemblers and how to create their own customized database to analyze their unique metagenomic dataset. More specifically, students will learn how to assemble DNA sequence reads generated by next-generation sequencers and to identify antibiotic resistance genes among diverse microbial genomes. Students will also use statistics and phylogenetics to study the links between antibiotic resistance in environmental microbes and human pathogens. The course format creates an immersive research experience where students will study the applications of evolutionary biology and genomics to pressing public health issues, while taking an active role in an ongoing research program. Students can request campus room and board for the duration of the August laboratory session for an additional charge. Contact the instructor for more information. Prerequisite: Upper College standing in biology, or permission of instructor. Class size: 16

91593

BIO 389 Advanced Cell & Molecular BioLOGY

Michael Tibbetts

. . . Th .

1:30 pm -3:30 pm

RKC 112

This course is a continuation of the Molecular Biology Laboratory. Students who have successfully completed Biology 302, Molecular Biology, will continue working with the gene they chose at the beginning of that course. They will use cellular techniques to ask questions about the role of the gene product in zebrafish hair cell function. In addition to utilizing various cell labeling techniques, students will perform knockdown experiments in which they examine the cellular and physiological effects of limiting the production of the gene product in zebrafish larvae. In addition to the laboratory component of the class, students will be examining the literature pertaining to their gene and will write a literature review that places their results into a broader context. Prerequisite: BIO 302, Molecular Biology. Class size: 8

91600

BIO 427 TOPICS IN VIROLOGY: Ebola

Brooke Jude

. . W . .

10:10 am– 12:10pm

RKC 200

2 credits This course, designed to examine the field of virology through one particular virus, is focused on the outbreak of Ebola in 2014. This course will utilize inquiry-based learning, including journal-club presentations, case studies, and public health analyses to explore all aspects of the Ebola crisis. Using primary literature as our texts, we will investigate the molecular biology and genetics of the Ebola virus and related filoviruses, as well as the host response to and defense of viral infections. Specific topics will include viral structure and assembly, host specificity, and molecular/genetic mechanisms of viral cellular entry, mRNA production, and genome replication. Primary papers will be selected to introduce classic virology studies in direct comparison to the most current laboratory techniques and assays being developed in the Ebola field. Students will read and analyze relevant primary, secondary, and historical literature, as well as participate in group work, give oral presentations, and produce original writing. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: BIO201 is required. Class size: 12

91599

BIO 431 Parasitology

Amy Savage

M . . . .

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

RKC 200

Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies 2 credits Parasitic diseases cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide.  Not all vectors or hosts are equally susceptible to parasite challenge, a factor that influences disease transmission dynamics.  In this seminar, we will focus a variety of eukaryotic parasitic diseases relevant to human health.    Emphasis will be placed on the examination of invasion and establishment processes used by these organisms as they are transmitted to their definitive or intermediate hosts. Discussion will be based on an examination of current primary research. Prerequisite: Upper College standing in biology. Class size: 12