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