Department of Biological Sciences

BIOL 51100 - Introduction to X-Ray Crystallography - Session Offered: Spring

 

Analysis of crystal structures by X-ray diffraction methods.  Growth and properties of protein crystals.  Geometry of diffraction.  Measurement of diffraction.  Intensity of diffracted waves.  Symmetry of crystals.  The phase problem.  Isomorphous replacement.  Molecular replacement.  Anomalous diffraction methods.  Structure refinement and analysis.  Crystallography is a primary method for the determination of the structures of biological macromolecules at near atomic resolution.  As such it has a tremendous impact on aspects of biological and biochemical research as diverse as the protein folding problem, the regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, the catalytic functions of enzymes, and the design of therapeutic agents to bind to known receptors.

BIOL 51100 is an introduction to the use of crystallography to determine the structures of biological macromolecules and is designed for students with typical backgrounds in biology or chemistry.  The goal is to familiarize students with all aspects of crystallography that are usually encountered in the course of the analysis of a crystal structure, including crystallization methods, aspects of symmetry, diffraction experiments, solving and refining the structure, and building and interpreting a model.  Students who have completed BIOL 51100 should possess sufficient knowledge of crystallography to understand and evaluate the technical aspects of structure determinations reported in the general or biochemical literature.  The course also provides a base for research in crystallography and is recommended as preparation for the advanced crystallography course, BIOL 61100, which is designed for graduate students involved in research in crystallography or related areas of physical biochemistry. 

BIOL 51600 - Molecular Biology of Cancer - Session Offered: Spring

The course begins with a review of the current research techniques used to examine the biology of eukaryotic cells and then covers seminal discoveries in the areas of cell cycle regulation, DNA, and RNA tumor virology, growth factors and their receptors, signal transduction and oncogenes.  For all topics, an emphasis is placed on the molecular mechanisms governing growth regulation and how alterations in these mechanisms can give rise to disease states such as cancer.  Reading of both historical and current primary literature is required as a supplement to a course textbook.

This course is designed primarily for students interested in professional careers in which a knowledge of molecular biology, as it pertains to growth control and human cancer, would be useful.  There are three scheduled guest lecturers, each of whom presents a seminar on a current cancer research topic in their laboratory.

BIOL 51700 - Molecular Biology: Proteins - Session Offered: Spring

The principles of protein three-dimensional structure are examined.  The course is divided into "theoretical" and "application" sections.  In the theoretical section, general principles of protein structure are discussed in detail.  In the application section, the structural principles learned in the first part of the course are applied to particular protein systems.  Topics covered in the theoretical section of the course include:  covalent structure of proteins; protein secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure; physical forces influencing protein structure; protein surface areas and internal packing; internal motion in protein molecules; protein folding; comparison of protein primary and prediction of tertiary structures; and structural features of integral membrane proteins.

Students use computer graphics to visualize the principles of protein architecture that are described in class, to take quizzes, and to do homework assignments.

BIOL 52900 - Bacterial Physiology - Session Offered: Spring

 

A detailed consideration of several of the following topics from the primary literature:  function and regulation of central metabolic routes; mechanisms controlling intercellular signaling and differentiation; transport and secretion; specialized metabolism, including photosynthesis, methanogenesis and microbial alternative energy production; evolution and interaction of regulatory systems. 

The course emphasizes metabolic features that are common for all bacteria or for large groups of organisms and is intended for students in many different departments who need an understanding of bacterial physiology.  A major section of the course revolves around genomics and high-throughput techniques such as transcriptomics, proteomics and next-generation sequencing.  As part of this section, students are taught how to use free, web-based computer software that is available for finding and analyzing such information.

BIOL 53300 - Medical Microbiology - Session Offered: Fall

This is an advanced undergraduate course on bacterial pathogenesis. Topics will include basic principles of the infectious process, infectious agents, mechanisms of pathogenesis, technologies for studying bacterial pathogens, and genomics of human bacterial pathogens. Reading assignments will be from course textbook and scientific literature.

BIOL 53700 - Immunobiology - Session Offered: Spring

BIOL 53700 is an introductory course intended for graduate and senior undergraduate students interested to learn why we do not die from a common cold and why you cannot always give a kidney to your best friend.  This course will define the role of the immune system in fighting infection, its potential to prevent cancer, and describe how through the use vaccines people can avoid these illnesses.  We will also discuss the other side of the immune system, the one causing problems, such as autoimmunity, allergy, and transplant rejection.

BIOL 53800 - Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Neurobiology - Session Offered: Spring

From Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease to stroke and neurotrauma, neurological disease and injury present some of the most debilitating and intractable medical problems.  Recent progress in molecular neuroscience has begun to reveal the mechanisms of several human neurological diseases and to suggest potential therapies.  Biology 538 explores topics in basic cellular, molecular and developmental neuroscience and their connections to neural disease and injury.  Readings are derived from the current literature.

BIOL 54100 - Molecular Genetics of Bacteria - Session Offered: Fall

Advanced bacterial genetics, with emphasis on the use of genetics as a powerful and creative intellectual activity that enables us to discover biological functions and to construct new organisms by the manipulation of DNA. Major topics include mutations, genetic selections, recombination, regulatory mechanisms, genomic evolution.

BIOL 54200 - Lab in Neurophysiology - Session Offered: Fall

In this five-week module, students will study laboratory methods in electrophysiology by focusing on membrane potential, action potentials and their propagation, and neuromuscular transmission. Students will be introduced to the theory and use of amplifiers, electrodes, data collection and analysis.

BIOL 55900 - Endocrinology - Session Offered: Fall

This course is an investigation into the role of hormones in regulating physiological and biochemical processes. An experimental approach to a variety of topics is emphasized. Topics include: hormone structure and mechanism of action and the role of hormones in regulating homeostasis, growth, development, and reproduction.

BIOL 56200 - Neural Systems - Session Offered: Spring

This course will focus on questions regarding how the functions of the individual cellular components of the nervous system are integrated in the brain and nervous system to produce behavior and higher mental functions.  The course will address the structure and function of specific neural systems such as the motor systems, somatosensory systems, visual and auditory systems, learning and memory, and higher cortical function.  It will draw extensively on subject matter concerning the molecular and cellular biology of the nervous system presented in BIOL 43600, Neurobiology, while combining and integrating this material with the relevant neuroanatomy.

BIOL 58000 - Evolution - Session Offered: fall

The course explores evolution as a basic concept of the biological sciences and examines current methods of experimentation within the area, as well as evidences for and possible mechanisms of evolutionary change.

BIOL 58500 - Ecology - Session Offered: Spring

BIOL 58500 is a general course in population and community ecology, designed to build on the coverage of these topics provided in BIOL 12100. Beginning with a review of natural selection, topics include physiological, behavioral, and life history adaptations of animals and plants. "Life tables" provide a bridge to population dynamics: how do intra- and inter-specific competition, predation and parasitism influence population growth and limitation? In turn, how do these processes determine which and how many species can coexist? The final part of the course focuses on the determinants and consequences of biotic diversity.

 

Emphasis is on basic principles, but the applied consequences are not far in the background: how do life history characteristics influence species vulnerability to hunting or habitat loss? How can humans act as "prudent predators" to harvest, but not eliminate, biotic resources? What are the consequences of disturbance and habitat loss for species diversity? What difference does it make to the rest of the community if species are lost?

BIOL 59100 - Field Ecology - Session Offered: fall

This course is an alternate year course, offered fall semester even numbered years.  BIOL 59100 is an interactive approach to understanding strategies for testing ideas about the organization and evolution of ecological systems under natural conditions.  Emphasis is on the role of comparative and experimental field studies in the development and testing of ecological principles, especially at the population and community levels of organization, with an eye toward developing models useful for conservation.  Class field projects trips are the focus of the first half of the course, including wetlands, lakes and forests of northern Indiana and Michigan, local plant-animal interactions during bird migration, as well as forest and stream ecosystems of the Great Smoky Mountains.  Individual and small-group projects ranging from animal behavior to forest ecosystems are the focus of the second half.  Students are responsible for written and oral presentations of group and individual projects, including research proposals and final papers in journal format.  Readings are mainly current review articles and original research papers from the primary literature, emphasizing the issues addressed by class field projects.  Readings, lectures and discussions assume a basic understanding of ecological principals and some experience in natural history.

BIOL 59200 - Evolution of Behavior - Session Offered: Spring

An investigation of behaviors as adaptations: specializations of sensory and motor mechanisms involved in behavior; animal communication systems; behavioral ecology; patterns of social behavior as solutions to ecological problems, such as predator avoidance and resource exploitation. Emphasis will be on theoretical principles; examples will be broadly comparative, ranging from microorganisms to mammals. 

BIOL 59500 - Methods & Measurements in Physical Biochemistry - Session Offered: Fall

This course is intended as an introduction to physical methods in biochemistry and aims to provide an understanding of the techniques of spectroscopy, diffraction, magnetic resonance and other physical methods.  The purpose of the course is to expose students to the application of these techniques to specific problems in biological systems, the interpretation of the resulting data, and analysis of the strengths and limitations of each technique.  Examples from research articles will be discussed that illustrate how these methods are used in modern biochemistry.  Given the scope of the course, each topic will be treated only at the level of an introduction to the method.  Students interested in studying these techniques in-depth could then take more specialized or advanced courses such as BIOL 51100/51400/61100 (x-ray crystallography), CHEM 61500/61600 (Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy), BIOL 59500 (Electron microscopy and 3D reconstruction), or other special topics courses to be offered by the faculty.  Analysis of techniques used in physical measurements of biological systems.  Application of these techniques to studies of structure and dynamic behavior of biological macromolecules, composition and orientation of structural elements and cofactors, ligand binding and conformational change in biological interactions and detailed probes of local changes in structure, solvent accessibility and specific bonds formed in biological reactions. Specific techniques to be covered are:  UV/Vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism, IR and Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence and single particle methods, analytical ultracentrifugation, surface plasmon resonance, scattering, x-ray crystallography, NMR and ESR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, mass spectroscopy.   Comments:  Although designed for students in biochemistry and biophysics, this course is also appropriate for upper level undergraduates and graduate students in the areas of chemistry and physics who are interested in the applications of physical methods to biological problems.

BIOL 59500 - Cell Biology of Plants - Session Offered: Fall

 

This lecture course, aimed at upper division undergraduates and graduate students, will cover aspects of cellular biology which are fundamental to our understanding of plant growth, differentiation and development.  The course content assumes that the student will have a strong background in the cell biology of eukaryotes, and some exposure to basic problems in plant biology.  Topics to include:  techniques of modern cell biology; cell division and cell cycle regulation; cytoplasmic streaming and intracellular motility; structure and function of peroxisomes, vacuoles, cell walls, and plastids; protein import, cell-cell communication and plasmodesmata.

BIOL 59500 - Introduction to Bioinformatics - Session Offered: Fall

This course is designed for graduate students to be taken in conjunction with the BIOL 47800 (Introduction to Bioinformatics) lecture course. It provides additional background in bioinformatics by focusing on reading and critical analysis of classic and current papers from the bioinformatics literature. While intended primarily for graduate students, this course would be appropriate for well-prepared undergraduates, especially those contemplating graduate studies in computational biology or bioinformatics. This course is not a programming course and would be beneficial for graduate students in any area of molecular or cellular biology in which computational analysis is important. This course covers the same topics as BIOL 47800, including sequence comparisons, database searching, genomics, microarrays, protein structure, etc.

BIOL 59500 - Ecological Statistics - Session Offered: Fall

This course covers topics that are useful for successfully designing and analyzing statistically observational and experimental studies in ecology, animal behavior, evolutionary biology, forestry, wildlife sciences, fisheries, etc. Some topics are: differences between hypotheses and predictions, design of an ecological study, general linear models, assumptions, different types of designs (factorial, nested, repeated measures, blocks, split-plots, etc.), fitting models to data, etc. The course will focus on the conceptual understanding of these topics (e.g., interpreting the results of statistical tests) and practice with statistical programs and real datasets.

BIOL 59500 - Biology Teaching Methods Secondary School - Session Offered: Fall

Reading, discussions, written reports, seminar presentations, and field or laboratory work provided for enrichment in special areas of the biological sciences.

BIOL 59500 - Special Assignments - Session Offered: Fall Spring Summer

59500 (Seniors/Graduate). Reading, discussions, written reports, seminar presentations, and field or laboratory work provided for enrichment in special areas of the biological sciences.

BIOL 59500 - Next Generation Lrn Challenges - Session Offered: Spring

Peer leadership training for biology students who will serve as TAS for the Tu/Th section of BIOL 13100. The Provost has committed a budget for a new learning space in Hicks B848 and support services for this pilot BIOL 13100 course. Funding from the Gates Foundation makes it possible to loan students a headset with microphone, webcam, and a USB document camera called IPEVO for groups to work online to solve problems.  Peer leaders will guide a team of BIOL13100 students as they collaborate on the problem sets, sometimes defining a research question related to a biological problem, locating, identifying, and retrieving information resources related to the problem, using journals and web resources, evaluating and treating critically the information received, citing sources, and using information ethically and legally in writing about the development, structure, and function of organisms. In addition the peer leader will schedule and conduct weekly meetings in the Adobe Connect learning environment online where workshops will be held with a team of BIOL13100 students. For this reason, students who enroll in this class to become a peer leader will need a computer to use with the equipment.

BIOL 59500 - Water Supply In Dev Countries - Session Offered: Fall

Sustainable solutions to water supply and sanitation problems in developing countries require a multidisciplinary, holistic approach.  To address this issue, a multidisciplinary service-learning class will be initiated beginning in the Fall 2012 semester.  Enrollment in the class will be limited to 12-15 students and is limited to undergraduate and graduate students in the academic units listed below.  Students selected for enrollment in the class will be identified by application, which will include a copy of the student’s academic transcripts a document (statement of purpose) of no more than 2 pages in length describing your interest in this class and your motivations for participating in it.  Interested students should submit an application by email to Professor Blatchley (blatch@purdue.edu)

The objective for this service learning class will be to define feasibility of community-scale water treatment systems for use in the Dominican Republic.  Feasibility will be characterized based on issues relating to scientific and engineering principles of the proposed systems, as well as the effects of these systems on public health and economic/entrepreneurial issues.  Work on this project will involve coordination with Aqua Clara International (Holland, MI), a non-profit organization who work to provide affordable safe water solutions for communities in developing countries.

 

BIOL 59500 - Synthetic Biology - Session Offered: Fall

Principles of synthetic biology with a primary focus on design of bacteria will include readings from “Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves” and the scientific literature. All sessions will be participatory lectures.

BIOL 59500 - Ecological Impacts of Climate Change - Session Offered: Spring

TBA

BIOL 59500 - Neural Mechanisms In Health And Disease - Session Offered: Fall

An examination of the mechanisms by which nervous systems process information in normal and pathologic states. Cellular and systems-level information processing will be studied with a focus on sensory and motor systems.  Students will gain some hands-on experience in the analysis of neural data. Some neuroanatomy will be included to understand how nervous systems are organized. Pathological states such as Alzheimer’s, autism, and aging will be studied, both in terms of understanding the systems and cellular deficits as well as examining potential solutions to improve the outcomes for these neural disorders.

 

BIOL 59500 - Protein Bioinformatics - Session Offered: Spring

Accumulation of biological data, such as genome sequences, protein structures and sequences, metabolic pathways, opened up a new way of research in biology - bioinformatics.  Through the survey of the various active research topics in bioinformatics, in this course we will learn bioinformatics databases, tools, and algorithms behind these tools.  Special emphasis is placed on protein sequence and structure analyses.  Covered topics will include methods for protein sequence comparison, protein structure comparison, protein structure prediction/modeling, protein docking prediction, protein function prediction, and protein network analysis.

BIOL 59500 - Practical Biocomputing - Session Offered: Spring

Electronic resources and high-throughput technologies are transforming biology; becoming a "power use" of these resources is essential for all graduate students in biology today.  Unfortunately, these resources are often incomplete (requiring various sources to be combined), massive (making it difficult to find the specific information one is seeking) or in the wrong format (making them difficult to use).  This course will teach how to use the Perl programming language to find and retrieve information, to develop user-agents to process information using new and existing programs, how to create relational databases for storing information, and how to make information available via dynamic websites.
This course is designed for beginning graduate students in the life sciences, but would be a useful addition of most biology undergraduate majors.  Prior computer programming experience is not required.

BIOL 59500 - Transmission Electron Microscopy Laboratory - Session Offered: Spring

Two focus areas.  Students can choose either one of the areas.  First area is a rudimentary introduction to high-resolution electron microscopy of macromolecules.  Upon completion of the course, a student should be able to examine negatively stained samples and to record publication-quality images.  Though some training in cryo-electron microscopy will be given, students will not be sufficiently proficient in this technology without advanced training.  The second area is a practical introduction to preparation of cells and tissues for TEM evaluation of ultrastructure.  Staining, fixation, embedding and sectioning techniques will be covered.  It is expected that students enrolled in this course will need this technique for their research in the near future.

BIOL 59500 - Transmission Electron Microscopy Theory - Session Offered: Spring

Principles of Electron Optics; Instrument Design and Construction; Microscope Operation and Alignment; Image Recording and Photographic Theory; Related Techniques and Instrumentation; Biological Specimen Preparation Overview.

BIOL 59500 - 3D Reconstruction of Macromolecules - Session Offered: Spring

Introduction to the theory and practical image processing and 3-D reconstruction techniques used to solve structure of macromolecules.  Analysis of 2-D crystal, helical filament, single particle, and tomographic cryo-EM images will be covered.

BIOL 59900 - Quantitative Physiology - Session Offered: Spring

This course is designed to give upper division Biological Sciences and Biomedical Engineers the ability to quantitatively understand the physical and chemical factors that are responsible for living systems.  Normal relationships, both empirical and theoretical, will be covered primarily.  This foundation in normal physiological systems will also be complemented by subsequent topics on system pathologies.

BIOL 60000 - Bioenergetics - Session Offered: Fall

Energy transduction in biological membranes: physical chemical foundations; electron-proton transfer; active transport. Atomic structures of integral membrane protein complexes responsible for respiratory, photosynthetic generation of electrochemical potential; ATPase motor; structure-based mechanisms. Mitochondria-related diseases. Experimental, particularly spectroscopic, methods.

BIOL 60200 - Cellular Neurobiology - Session Offered: Fall

This course is intended as a first course in cellular and molecular neurobiology for graduate students from a wide range of disciplines. Topics will include neuronal and glial structure, axonal transport, electrical properties of neurons, the ionic basis of the action potential, ion channel structure and function, synaptic release, neurotransmitters and neurohormones, neurotransmitter receptors and transduction mechanisms, sensory receptors, neural induction, patterning of the embryonic nervous system, neural growth and trophic factors, neural stem cells, axon guidance, and synaptic plasticity during development. Class meetings are 75% lectures and 25% small-group discussions of the primary literature or computer-based tutorials.  Grading is based on tests of lecture material and assigned textbook readings (40%), homework problems based on paper readings and tutorials (35%), and participation in discussions (25%). Pre-requisites are an undergraduate major in Science or Engineering that included a college level course in Physics as well as a course in Cell Biology or Biochemistry. Students lacking this basic background may be admitted with the permission of the instructor, if they are willing to backfill some basic material with extra readings.

BIOL 61100 - Crystallography of Macromolecules - Session Offered: Fall

The special techniques required in the structure determination of biological macromolecules. Symmetry of macromolecules. Data collection and processing. The isomorphous replacement technique. The molecular replacement technique. Use of anomalous dispersion. Restraint and constraint refinement. Computational techniques. Instructor approval is required

BIOL 62000 - Advanced Topics in Eukaryotic Cell Biology - Session Offered: Spring

A study of current areas of cell biological research, including the cytoskeleton, the regulation of the cell cycle, and the functions and dynamics of membrane-bound organelles.

BIOL 64700 - Membrane Proteins - Session Offered: Spring

This course will focus on the structural basis of the functions and dys-functions of diverse membrane proteins, analyzed by x-ray, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy.  The functions will include biogenesis, ion channels, transport, energy transduction, and trans-membrane signaling.  Unique problems associated with the structure analysis of integral membrane proteins will be discussed.

BIOL 65001 - Techniques in Molecular Biology - Session Offered: Fall

Techniques in Molecular Biology will introduce graduate students to the theory and practice of many commonly used methods.  Emphasis will be placed on understanding the theoretical basis for these techniques, their utility in various circumstances, and their limitations.  Although taught as a lecture, students should be able to take this knowledge back to the laboratory to help them in their research efforts.  The course will be as close as possible to a laboratory experience without being in an actual laboratory setting.  This course is designed to prepare students for other in-depth 600-level scientific courses, for their rotations, and for future laboratory work.  Exams will be "experimental" in nature (e.g., "design an experiment to do something..." or "in this type of situation, which technique/vector/etc. would best be used, and why...").

Biology 69500 is NOT intended to be a first course in molecular biology.  Students should have taken an upper-level undergraduate molecular biology course.  If not, please get the permission of the instructor before taking Biology 69500.

Topics to be covered will include:

1. Renaturation kinetics (including how to set stringency to look at gene
2. families, setting PCR primers, etc.)
3. Blotting strategies (Southern, Northern, Western, South-western, far
4. western, etc.)
5. Recombinant DNA (how to choose the right type of vector to get the job
   1. done, differences between selection and screening, different types of marker
   2. systems, etc.)
6. Nuclear run-on transcription (to look at rates of RNA synthesis) vs. Northerns
7. and RT-PCR.
8. Protein-DNA interaction systems (gel mobility shift, DNAse protection,
9. methylation interference)
10. Protein-protein interaction systems (in vivo and in vitro)

BIOL 65200 - Advanced Ecology Discussion - Session Offered: Fall

Weekly meetings to discuss and evaluate seminal papers in the fields of evolutionary, population, and community ecology. During the last week, students will critically evaluate a contemporary paper on a topic related to the "classic" papers discussed during the semester. Students will have a choice among papers submitted by participating faculty members; their critique will be assessed on content, originality, rigor, and clarity.

BIOL 65300 - Advanced Evolution Discussion - Session Offered: Spring

Weekly meetings to discuss and evaluate seminal papers in the fields of evolution and population biology.  Each participating member is responsible for two meetings, chooses the papers and guides discussion.  As in any graduate discussion class, students must participate rather than just attend for experience.  During the last week, students will critically evaluate a contemporary paper on a topic related to the "classic" papers discussed during the semester.  Students will have a choice among papers submitted by participating faculty members; their critique will be assessed on content, originality, rigor, and clarity.

BIOL 66200 - Seminar Methods in Professional Development I - Session Offered: Fall

An introduction for incoming graduate students to methods of seminar presentation and critique and to various guidelines for professional development during their graduate school experience. Topics include research laboratory safety (REM), how to give a talk, acclimating to graduate studies (especially time management), how to select a major professor and an advisory committee, how to prepare for qualifying exams, Purdue University guidelines for responsible conduct of research, how to organize a poster presentation, how to negotiate with mentors, and expectations for success. The course also serves to socialize the incoming cohort of students among themselves and with more senior students in the broad range of research disciplines available.

BIOL 66300 - Seminar Methods & Professional Development II - Session Offered: Spring

This course is a continuation of BIOL 66200 and expands the introduction for incoming graduate students to methods of seminar presentation and critique and to various guidelines for professional development during their graduate school experience.  Topics include seminar topic selection and 20-minute seminar design. Tutorials on electronic services at the P. U., Library and Citation Management Programs, and evaluating classmate presentations.  Using the skills learned the previous semester, each student is required to make a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation to the class based on a pre-approved topic of their choice.  The speaker is asked questions and the presentation receives written evaluations by all members of the class.  Each student practices with Prof. Levy prior to the public presentation.  The course also continues to socialize the incoming cohort of students among themselves and with more senior students in the braod range of research disciplines available.

BIOL 69100 - Biological Research Methods - Session Offered: Fall Spring

Open to graduate students in the Department of Biological Sciences and designed primarily for students in their first year of graduate study. The course consists of two laboratory assignments, each of which lasts about two months. Students may take one or two of these per semester. During each laboratory assignment, the student will be exposed to methods, equipment, and experimental procedures currently in use in a particular departmental research laboratory selected by the student and through arrangement with the professor in charge of that laboratory. This course may be repeated for credit.

BIOL 69500 - Career Development - Session Offered: Spring

Special work, such as directed reading; independent study or research; supervised library, laboratory, or field work; or presentation of material not available in the formal courses of the department. The field in which work is offered will be indicated in the students record. Primarily for Ph.D. candidates.

BIOL 69500 - Structural Biology Seminar - Session Offered: Fall

Each semester there are several separate seminar offerings. In this seminar students will present, and we will critically discuss, foundational classic papers and cutting-edge manuscripts in pathogenesis of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections.  The student record will indicate the specific seminar(s) in which he/she has participated. Oral presentations required. At least two credits are required of Ph.D. candidates.

BIOL 69500 - Special Assignments - Session Offered: Fall Spring Summer

69500 (Graduate). Reading, discussions, written reports, seminar presentations, and field or laboratory work provided for enrichment in special areas of the biological sciences.

BIOL 69500 - New Assessment Tools for Biology Classes - Session Offered: Spring

Seminar on building questions/problems using an assessment tool ideal for large enrollment biology classes. This seminar is for graduate students who have plans to teach biology classes as a faculty member at another college or university. Every effort is made to pair a graduate student in this seminar with one of our faculty teaching a large enrollment biology class with the sole purpose of translating their "old fashioned" homework problems into LON-CAPA questions and problems. This seminar will cover the authoring of LON-CAPA questions and problems with all enrollees building a portfolio of questions/problems to be used in a course offered by our department during the following academic year, or later.

BIOL 69500 - Structural Biology Research Seminar - Session Offered: Spring

In this course, students will give a 50 minute, professional seminar on their research to the faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students involved in the area of structural biology.  Development of seminar presentation skills at the level of professional or postdoctoral interviews is expected.  Students will also be required to critique the research talks and/or to participate in student interaction events scheduled for outside lecturers in this series.

BIOL 69500 - Origin of Species - Session Offered: Spring

BIOL 69500 - Development and Disease Study - Session Offered: Spring

Development and Disease Cluster Qualifier Exam Course.  Weekly meetings to discuss a set of assigned research topics and required readings in areas of interest to Biological Sciences faculty in the Development and Disease Cluster.  Each student will present at least one lecture based on the assigned topics or related methods.  The final grade (Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory) will be based on peer evaluations of the students presentation and faculty evaluation of the lecture material presented.  The Qualifier Examination that take places after the semester ends is not included in the grade.

BIOL 69600 - Vesicle Trafficking & Signaling in Health & Disease Seminar - Session Offered: Spring

It is well established that vesicle trafficking and signaling are functionally linked. For example, endocytosis can contribute to the regulation of ligand availability and receptor levels at the cell surface. It is through this mechanism that endocytosis leads to receptor downregulation  and shapes extracellular morphogen gradients. However, endocytosis is also required for signaling activation; it is now recognized that localization of ligand-receptor complexes at endosomal compartments (‘signaling endosomes’) is required for the initiation of specific signaling events. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, endocytosis also plays a crucial role in the activation of the Notch-DSL developmental pathway.

In this class, we will cover a series of topic that illustrate the link between vesicle trafficking & signaling and its potential applications.

 

The seminar will be run as a journal club, with students making a 45 min. presentation of a recent paper from the literature.   The paper will be selected by the instructor and provided to the student at least 2 weeks prior to the seminar.

 

BIOL 69600 - Ethics: Life & Research Labs - Session Offered: Fall

Reading, discussions, written reports, seminar presentations, and field or laboratory work provided for enrichment in special areas of the biological sciences.  This seminar will be a discussion of the everyday "real-life" ethical problems that arise in basic research laboratories, in the Life Sciences and elsewhere.  The discussion is not recommended for students with relatively little research experience, i.e., 1st-2nd year.

BIOL 69600 - Structural Biology & Biophysics Seminar - Session Offered: Summer

Each semester there are several separate seminar offerings. They will likely be on the following topics: biochemistry, crystallography, ecology and population biology, genetics, mechanisms of development, microbiology, neurobiology, and plant physiology. The student record will indicate the specific seminars in which he/she has participated. Oral presentations required. At least two credits are required of Ph.D. candidates.

BIOL 69600 - Emerging Biophysical Tech - Session Offered: Spring

In this seminar students will critically discuss classic papers and cutting-edge manuscripts using structural and biophysical methods to address biological problems.  Each semester will have a different overall biological theme, and students will be expected to present at least one full seminar within the biological theme that involves these techniques.  An emphasis on the connection between basic biological problems and the results presented will be important.  This seminar is one of several separate 696 seminar offerings.  The students record will indicate the specific seminar(s) in which he/she has participated. Oral presentations required. At least two credits are required of Ph.D. candidates.

BIOL 69600 - Development & Disease Seminar - Session Offered: Fall

Credit Hours: 1.00. Each semester there are several separate seminar offerings. They will likely be on the following topics: biochemistry, crystallography, ecology and population biology, genetics, mechanisms of development, microbiology, neurobiology, and plant physiology. The student record will indicate the specific seminars in which he/she has participated. Oral presentations required. At least two credits are required of Ph.D. candidates. Typically offered Fall Spring.
1.000 Credit hours

BIOL 69600 - Computational & Systems Biology - Session Offered: Spring

BIOL 69600 - Nature of Sci Discovery Discussion - Session Offered: Spring

Each semester there are several separate seminar offerings. They will likely be on the following topics: biochemistry, crystallography, ecology and population biology, genetics, mechanisms of development, microbiology, neurobiology, and plant physiology. The students record will indicate the specific seminar(s) in which he/she has participated. Oral presentations required. At least two credits are required of Ph.D. candidates.

BIOL 69600 - Visual Ecology Seminar - Session Offered: Fall

TBA

BIOL 69800 - Research MS Thesis - Session Offered: Fall Spring Summer

Research MS Thesis. Permission of instructor required.

BIOL 69900 - Research PH.D. Thesis - Session Offered: Fall Spring Summer

Research PhD Thesis. Permission of instructor required.