17102 |
BIO 111
Microbes in the Environment |
Brooke
Jude LAB: |
M W 1:30pm-2:50pm T 9:00am-11:30am |
RKC 102 RKC 111
/ 112 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Environmental
& Urban Studies Bacteria, viruses, and other microbial species are
present and persist in all environments on Earth, ranging from aquatic, soil,
skin or gut, and are in all climates, temperate to extreme. Some microbes can
be pathogenic and cause disease while others are essential for maintaining
individual’s/ecosystem’s health. In this class, with an associated laboratory,
students will learn about what makes a microbe able to survive in their
environments, as well as learn how microbes contribute to the community they live
in. Students will learn about microbial biology in the class and lab, as well
as examine case studies of microbes that part of the daily news cycle [Ebola,
influenza, Bacillus anthracis, Vibrio cholerae],
considering what strategies are necessary for management, containing, treating
and preventing infections. Prerequisite: passing score on part 1 of Mathematics
Diagnostic. This course must be taken for a letter grade. Class size: 20
17101 |
BIO 117
Botany for Herbivores |
Emily
Pollina LAB: |
T Th 10:10am-11:30am T 1:30pm-4:30pm |
HEG 102 RKC 112 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Environmental
& Urban Studies Wild
relatives of many important crop species, including potatoes, tomatoes, and
broccoli, contain potent defenses against animals that might eat them. How did these plants become safe for us to
eat? How do we deter other organisms
from eating them? In this course, designed for non-majors, we will explore the
ways in which humans have modified, and continue to modify, the plants we use
as food and the challenges of ecosystems dominated by crop plants. Through critical examinations of papers about
agricultural science and laboratory explorations on plant physiology, growth,
and defense, this course will equip you to evaluate evidence for the safety and
efficacy of crop development and food production strategies. Class size: 20
17103 |
BIO 151
From Genes to Traits |
Michael
Tibbetts |
M W 1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 111
/ 112 |
LS |
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: 20
17104 |
BIO 154
on the shoulders of green
giants: Introduction to Plant Biology |
Emily
Pollina LAB: |
M W 10:10am-11:30am W 1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 103 RKC 114 |
LS |
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: 20
17118 |
BIO 157
Food Microbiology |
Gabriel
Perron |
T Th 1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 114
/ 115 |
LS |
SCI |
In this course
designed for intended biology 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, foodborne
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. Class size: 20
17105 |
BIO 166
Methods in Field Ecology |
Bruce
Robertson |
F 8:30am-11:30am |
RKC 111
/ 112 |
N/A |
N/A |
This 2-credit course, intended for majors,
is designed as an introduction to the general methods of conducting ecological
research in an outdoor setting and students will gain essential skills for
future coursework or research in ecology. Emphasis will be placed on the
scientific method generally, and more specifically how it is applied to the
process of ecological research. In so doing students will gain skills in:
developing ecological questions; formulating testable hypotheses; designing
experiments; collecting and analyzing data; and presenting results in both oral
and written formats. These skills will be learned through a hands-on process in
which students conduct a series of individual and collaborative field studies
that test core hypotheses in the science of ecology, spanning multiple scales
of inquiry and with special focus on Hudson Valley ecosystems. Students will be exposed to a broad spectrum
of species (e.g. microbes, plants, insects, vertebrates) and ecosystem types
(e.g. meadows, forests, streams) and the different methods used in their study.
Field techniques will include time-budgets, point counts and transects of wild
birds, line-transects of amphibians and plants, sweep-netting and pitfall
trapping of insects, seine netting of fish, and acoustic sampling of insects
and birds. Class size: 20
17106 |
BIO 201
Genetics and Evolution |
Brooke
Jude |
M W 8:30am-11:30am |
RKC 111
/ 112 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Environmental
& Urban Studies; Global
& International Studies; Mind, Brain, Behavior 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: 20
17107 |
BIO 202
Ecology and Evolution |
Cathy
Collins LAB: |
W 8:30am-11:30am F 9:30am-11:30am |
RKC 114
/ 115 |
LS |
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: 20
17108 |
BIO 208
Biology Seminar |
Arseny
Khakhalin |
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
17109 |
BIO 244
Biostatistics |
Gabriel
Perron |
W F 1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 115 |
MC |
MATC |
Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies; Global &
International 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: 20
17110 |
BIO 301
Biochemistry |
John
Ferguson LAB: |
T Th 10:00am-12:00pm M 1:30pm-6:30pm |
RKC 101 RKC 114 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Mind, Brain & Behavior An introduction to general biochemistry,
including protein structure, enzyme mechanisms and kinetics, coenzymes,
thermodynamics, central metabolic pathways, biological membranes, DNA structure
and replication, and ribosomal translation. An emphasis is placed on
integrating knowledge of fundamental organic chemistry into a biological
context. Laboratory work provides practical experience in the topics covered. Offered in alternate fall semesters. Prerequisites: Biology 141, Chemistry
201-202. Class size: 20
17111 |
BIO 316
Animal Behavior |
Bruce
Robertson LAB: |
M W 10:10am-11:30am T 8:30am-11:30am |
RKC 101 RKC 114
/ 115 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Environmental
& Urban Studies;
Mind, Brain, Behavior
Have you ever asked
yourself, “Why did that animal do that?” There are many levels at which we
could seek answers, running from proximal mechanisms (firing neurons and
hormonal stimuli) through ultimate mechanisms (the evolutionary selective
pressures which produce adaptive behaviors through natural selection). This
course is primarily about the latter. In it, we seek answers to why organisms
evolve various mating strategies, what accounts for differences in sexual
characteristics and mate choice among males and females, how organisms use
signals, the information they contain, whether they signal honest information
or whether we expect to see cheaters within populations, conflicts of interest
between siblings, parents and offspring, males and females, and so on. We
explore these questions through lab and field experiments and using
evolutionary game theory, which provides the underlying framework for
understanding the evolution of animal behaviors. The lab portion of the class
will allow you to learn new methods and technologies (e.g. bioacoustic
recording and analysis, avian point counts and transects) useful in studying
animal behavior, work individually and in groups to design experiments and
models to test your own hypotheses. Research will focus on captive animals in
Bard’s laboratories, wild animals on Bard’s campus and within the surrounding
natural landscape, and on captive animals housed in a local zoo. As a capstone
achievement, you will identify an important basic or applied question in animal
behavior and write a professional National Science Foundation-style proposal
advocating for the funding of a research project of your own design.
Prerequisite: moderated biology student or permission of instructor. Class
size: 16
17112 |
BIO 324
Animal Physiology |
Arseny
Khakhalin LAB: |
W F 8:30am-9:50am F 1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 102 RKC 112 |
LS |
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: 16
17114 |
BIO 417
Topics in computational neuroscience: analysis of biological neural
networks |
Arseny
Khakhalin |
Th 1:30pm-3:30pm |
RKC 200 |
NA |
NA |
Cross-listed: Mind, Brain, Behavior
2 credits. We know that
brains consist of multiple functional regions that each host multiple neural
networks, which in turn are built of anything from dozens to millions of neural
cells. To understand how brains work we need, among other things, to know how
individual neurons within each of these networks are connected (at least
statistically speaking), and how their properties are tuned to make the network
function as it should. In this seminar course you will read and present primary
papers that use imaging, electrophysiology, advanced statistical analysis, and
modeling to study how neural networks are tuned and shaped in various
biological systems. For the final assignment you will have a choice between a
mini-project on data analysis and a short review paper. The course is
recommended for upper college students with neuroscience or/and computational
background. Class size: 12
17115 |
BIO 418
Plant Fungal Interactions |
Cathy
Collins |
T 1:30pm-3:30pm |
RKC 200 |
|
|
Cross-listed: Environmental & Urban Studies 2 credit. Plant-fungal interactions play a major role in
maintaining diversity in natural systems, and are at the core of modern
agricultural practices. Their evolutionary significance ranges from mycorrhizal
symbioses—a key innovation in the evolution of land plants, to fungal diseases
implicated in contemporary plant species extinctions. Some plant-fungal
interactions are context-dependent, shifting on a continuum between mutualism
and parasitism depending on the environmental conditions. As a consequence, anthropogenic changes in
climate and land use may alter the very nature of plant-fungal interactions and
their effect on ecosystem function. In this weekly seminar, we will read
primary literatu
re
to explore the evolutionary and ecological importance of plant-fungal
interactions. Prerequisite: moderated biology student or permission of
instructor. Class
size: 12
17113 |
BIO 426
Vector Biology |
Amy
Savage |
W 1:00pm-3:00pm |
RKC 200 |
|
|
(2 credits) Viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases
transmitted by insect vectors cause significant morbidity and mortality
worldwide. In this seminar, we will focus on a variety of insect vectors
responsible for transmitting some of the most significant diseases of our
global society. Emphasis will be placed on the biology of the insects,
including factors such as behavior, immune defenses, and life cycle which all
contribute to disease transmission. Understanding these features will
allow us to appreciate the complexities associated with disease control.
Discussion will be based on an examination of current primary research.
Prerequisite: Upper college standing in biology. Class
size: 12
Cross-listed course:
17119 |
EUS 318
Land |
Elias
Dueker Jennifer
Phillips |
T Th 1:30pm-4:30pm Th
1:30pm-4:30pm |
RKC 111/112 |
LS |
SCI |
Cross-listed: Biology Class size: 16