15850

BIO 129 THE Biology OF PLANTS

Sasha Wright LAB:

M . W . . M . . . .

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

RKC 102 RKC 114

SCI

This course, intended for students NOT intending to major in Biology, provides an introduction to the essential biology of plants, including the use of plants in human society. We will conduct laboratory investigations to familiarize ourselves with plant form and function, with special emphasis on campus plants.

Class size: 18

15083

BIO 134 A Cancer Fundamentals

Andrea Henle LAB:

M . W . . M . . . .

8:30am-9:50am 1:30pm-4:30pm

RKC 101 RKC 112

SCI

Where are we in the war against cancer? This introductory course, intended for students not planning to major in biology, will discuss the many diseases and intricacies that comprise cancer. We will examine cancer from a historical perspective to understand its origins, diagnosis, and how potential treatments are developed. Several key experiments in cancer biology will be analyzed and discussed to introduce the importance of the scientific method, experimental design, and data analysis. In the laboratory, we will investigate some of the common mechanisms used by cancer cells and explore techniques used for cancer diagnosis. Class size: 16

15084

BIO 134 B Cancer Fundamentals

Andrea Henle LAB:

M . W . . . T . . .

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

RKC 101 RKC 112

SCI

See above. Class size: 16

15087

BIO 144 Biostatistics

Gabriel Perron

. . W . F

1:30pm-4:30pm

RKC 101

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 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

15088

BIO 151 From Genes to Traits

Michael Tibbetts

. T . Th .

1:30pm-4:30pm

RKC 114/115

SCI

Cross-listed: Global & Int’l Studies; Science, Technology & Society This course takes an introductory look at the relationships between genetics, environment, and biochemistry. It is intended for students with a strong interest in science and is appropriate for biology majors. The course will begin with an examination of heredity in both classical and modern molecular contexts. It will then focus on the relationships between genes and proteins, and the complex biochemical interactions that produce a phenotype. The course will culminate in a discussion of the ways in which the environment interacts with multiple genes to influence complex traits, for example schizophrenia, and the modern methods applied to the problem of identifying the genetic components of these traits. The laboratory will provide an opportunity to examine some of the principles discussed in the lecture in more detail and to become acquainted with some of the methodologies and instrumentation found in a modern biology laboratory. Prerequisites: passing score on part I of the Mathematics Diagnostic, and experience in high school biology and chemistry. Class size: 18

15089

BIO 155 Botany

Sasha Wright LAB:

. T . Th . . . W . .

8:30am-9:50am 1:30pm-4:30pm

RKC 111 RKC 114

SCI

Imagine a super toxin that killed every living plant on earth: how long do you think we would have before we felt the impact? Could human civilization survive forever without plants? This course, intended for students considering majoring in Biology, provides an introduction to the essential components of botany including: morphology and basic plant identification, photosynthesis, respiration, cellular function, reproduction, and the use of plants in human society. We will work from textbooks and spend a substantial amount of time discussing how to read and utilize primary literature. Labs will be used to familiarize ourselves with plant form and function, with special emphasis on campus plants. Class size: 18

15090

BIO 162 FROM SHRIMPS TO CHIMPS: Introduction to Neurobiology

Arseny Khakhalin LAB:

M . W . . . . . Th .

1:30pm-2:50pm 1:30pm-5:30pm

RKC 111 RKC 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

15091

BIO 201 Genetics and Evolution

Brooke Jude

M . W . .

8:30am-11:30am

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

15092

BIO 202 Ecology and Evolution

Felicia Keesing

. . W . F

8:30am- 11:30am

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 Biology 201, Genetics and Evolution. Class size: 18

15093

BIO 208 Biology Seminar

Bruce Robertson

. . . Th .

12:00pm-1:00pm

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

15095

BIO 303 Microbiology

Brooke Jude LAB:

. . . Th . . T . . .

3:10pm-5:10pm 1:00pm-5:00pm

RKC 111 RKC 112

SCI

This course is designed to investigate the principles of microbiology that make microbes unique. A systems based approach is taken, examining such topics as microbial cell structure and function, bacterial motility and chemotaxis, secretion systems, biofilm formation, quorum sensing and antibiotic resistance. The course examines primarily bacterial species, however a limited amount of time is devoted to the biology of eukaryotic microbes. The laboratory portion of the course is a semester long, inquiry based, team project that involves examination of local microbial populations using culture, molecular and biochemical approaches. The class will require lab work to be completed outside of the class times. Students will analyze primary literature and produce peer reviewed research manuscripts. This course is appropriate for both those interested in a career in the health professions and those interested in ecology. Class size: 16

15097

BIO 324 Animal Physiology

Arseny Khakhalin LAB:

M . W . . . . . . F

11:50am-1:10pm 8:30am-12:30pm

RKC 101 RKC 112

SCI

How do animals work? What is inside them, and more importantly, how do all those veins, membranes and tissues make it possible for animals to move, feel, and reproduce? What are the reasons for all those things to be there, and how are they different in different animals? Why do you have a spleen, and how can a crane breathe through a neck that long? Do fishes need to drink, and do they urinate? These are the kinds of questions we will tackle in this course, comparing human physiology to that of other animals; discussing how lungs, eyes, kidneys and intestines work, and putting it all in an evolutionary perspective. Prerequisite: Upper college standing in Biology. Class size: 12

15096

BIO 389 Advanced Cell & Molecular Biology

Michael Tibbetts

. T . Th .

10:10am- 11:30am

RKC 115

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

15100

BIO 411 ADVANCED SEMINAR ON Cancer

Michael Tibbetts

. . . . F

1:30pm-3:30pm

HEG 102

SCI

2 credits 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. Class size: 12

15099

BIO 415 Advanced Seminar in URBAN Ecology

Bruce Robertson

. . . . F

1:30pm-3:30pm

RKC 200

SCI

2 credits Urban development is among the most pervasive and ubiquitous forms of land cover change. Thus, urbanization poses significant challenges to many organisms, including humans. In this seminar course, we'll focus on the processes determining patterns of abundance and distribution of organisms in urban ecosystems, the interactions among organisms in the urban environment, behavioral and evolutionary responses that facilitate adaptation to urban environments, and the interactions between humans (and societies) and nature in urban environments. Urban organisms and ecosystems also provide services (e.g. temperature mitigation, pest control) to humans and we will focus on aspects of urban planning as it relates to maximizing those services. Prerequisites: BIO 202 or consent of instructor. Class size: 12

Of related interest for biology students:

15094

EUS 221 Water

Elias Dueker

. T . Th . . . W . .

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

RKC 111 RKC 112

SCI

This course offers a detailed exploration of the earth’s hydrosphere and its interactions with the biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. Topics will include origins of the hydrosphere, origins of life, the global hydrologic cycle, and anthropogenic influences on that cycle. We will further explore pressing global environmental issues associated with the hydrosphere: climate change, protection of drinking water resources, freshwater and marine ecosystem degradation, and waste water treatment. Lab work will be guided by scientific questions related to these issues, and will focus on detection of anthropogenic influence, management and maintenance of water resources, and frontiers of scientific approaches to sustainable human interactions with water resources. Specifically, students will conduct field sampling and utilize microbiological and chemical assays in the lab to better understand the ecological ramifications of water pollution in marine, estuarine and freshwater systems. Prerequisites: EUS 102, Bio 202, or permission of instructor. Class size: 16

15385

HR 223 Epidemiology: A Human Rghts Perspective

Helen Epstein

. . W . F

1:30pm-2:50pm

RKC 115

SSCI

Epidemiologists study how diseases and other health-related events spread through populations.  They track down the sources of outbreaks, they explore trends in the incidence of cancer, heart disease and mental illness, and they try to understand the social forces that influence sexual behavior, weight gain and other complex human phenomena.  Because the spread of diseases is frequently influenced by economic conditions and/or government policies, epidemiology can also serve as a powerful forensic tool in the hands of human rights activists. By the end of the course, students will understand how epidemiological studies are designed and carried out; be able to generate hypotheses about the underlying causes of diseases based on prevalence and incidence data; and understand how the presentation of data and the design of studies can restrict or expand our understanding of the human condition.  Examples will be drawn from many sources, including research on international public health emergencies such as Ebola and AIDS and mysterious increases in mental illnesses including schizophrenia and autism. Class size: 17