Winter 2021 Class Schedule

First Year Seminars

Distribution courses

IPS courses

core courses

300 Level courses

Winter 2020 course descriptions

First Year Seminars & 100 Level courses

BIOL_SCI 101.6.04: First Year Seminar - Animal Thinking

BIOL_SCI 101.6.05: First Year Seminar - The Immortal Cell: The Biology, Medical Implications, and Bioethics Surrounding Stem Cell Research 

What exactly are stem cells? How are these cells advancing the medical field today? And why is there so much controversy surrounding this microscopic unit of life? Stem cells have the amazing potential to develop into a variety of cell types in both the early embryo and later in adult life. At the end of the course, students will gain a basic understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of stem cells, an appreciation for the pros and cons of stem cell use in medicine, and become introduced to the process of evaluating primary scientific literature. First-years only.

BIOL_SCI 116.6: First Year Seminar - Science Research Preparation

This course will provide students with skills and training to be successful in research environments. Under the guidance of faculty, graduate mentors and peer facilitators, students are expected to develop an independent research project, write a research funding proposal, give an oral presentation on their project, and develop basic laboratory skills. Registration Requirements: enrollment open only to participants in the Bioscientist program. Students should contact Dr. Flores to obtain a permission number.

BIOL_SCI 109: The Nature of Plants

This courseis meant to be a gateway into the fascinating world of plants. It is designed to give students an exciting and stimulating understanding of the biology and ecology of all plants, while at the same time not overwhelming students with levels of detail and specialized terminology that are not useful to non-science-majors. We will learn how plants make food, move around to new places, reproduce, deal with extreme weather, and defend themselves against natural enemies. We will investigate the partnerships plants form with other groups of organisms, such as those with animal pollinators, fungi, and animal body guards. We will consider how plant form and function relates to global biodiversity patterns and contributes to the healthy functioning of ecosystems everywhere. Finally, throughout all of these topics, we will consider how humans use plants as sources of food, fiber, shelter, medicines, drugs, and more. Comment: While this is a synchronous course, students looking to attend from over-seas should contact the Dr. CaraDonna directly for approval to attend asynchronously before enrolling in the course.

BIOL_SCI 150: Human Genetics

This class will examine basic principles of human inheritance and the role of genetic variation in human biology. The course will progress from simple Mendelian genetics to the study of complex traits controlled by multiple genes. We will examine how genetic variation affects disease, learn how genes are mapped in humans, and discuss the implications of the human genome project and gene editing in medicine and society.

Core Courses

BIOL_SCI 219: Cell Biology

This course is part of the four-course introductory biology sequence. The cell biology course covers mechanisms the cell uses to compartmentalize and transport proteins, to move, to regulate growth and death, and to communicate with their environments.

BIOL_SCI 221: Cellular Processes Laboratory

Students will design their own laboratory experiment using a defined model. Laboratory techniques and experiments in fundamental aspects of cell biology will be used.

ISP COurses

BIOL_SCI 241: Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology - 2 for ISP

Extending the biochemistry segment from Biol_Sci 240, this class seeks to provide deeperunderstanding of select topics in biochemistry, including the structure and function of macromolecules, biological transport and signaling, chemical logic of metabolic reactions and select cellular pathways. The course strongly emphasizes conceptual understanding and aims to develop and integrated understanding that allows students to apply their knowledge to solve complex problems. Pre-requistites: General Chemistry 171, 172 Organic Chemistry Chem 212-1 BiolSci 240 (Instructor Permission required if missing).

300 level courses

BIOL_SCI 303: Molecular Neurobiology

This course will be part lecture course and part seminar, and will explore how the fields of neurobiology and molecular biology have converged to answer questions about the function of the central nervous system, in health and disease, and ethical considerations in the use of molecular biology techniques. Topics may include: Crispr -Cas9 system and gene editing; transgenic animals; molecular techniques employed to understand and treat neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Pre-requisites: Biol Sci 302-0 Fundamentals of Neurobiology I is required.

BIOL_SCI 315: Advanced Cell Biology

Current themes and experimental approaches in cell biology will be discussed through readings of text and original research articles.Discussion sections will focus on experimental approaches, includingcontrolsand statistical significance,and understanding data as presented in primary literature. Pre-requisites: BIO 215, 219; 301 or 308.

BIOL_SCI 323: Bioinformatics

In a knowledge-based economy, critical thinking and coding skills are paramount for success. This course will prepare students to address informatics challenges in academia and industry. The course will explore through case studies and classroom discussions, the principles and practical applications of computational tools in contemporary molecular and structural biology research. Besides gaining an appreciation for the algorithmic aspects of these tools and their limitations, students will learn to code in Python, design and perform experiments in silico, and critically evaluate results. Pre-requisities: BIOL SCI 241, BIOL SCI 301, OR equivalent; BIOL SCI 361 OR equivalent recommended but not required. Aptitude for computers and software is required; coding experience would be advantageous but not required.

BIOL_SCI 337: Biostatistics

BIOL_SCI 341: Population Genetics

Change in the genetic composition of populations over time is the basis of evolution. The field of population genetics describes this genetic change, both as replacement of genes within populations, and as diversification among populations which can become species. This course reviews the dynamics of genetic variation in populations through evidence from natural history, experimentation, and theory. Topics include: natural selection, genetic drift, inbreeding, mutation, and geographic structure of populations, based on single-locus models, molecular sequences, and quantitative traits. More specialized topics such as sexual selection, kin and group selection, and the evolution of sexual reproduction and recombination will be included as time allows. 

BIOL_SCI 349: Community Ecology

Community ecology investigates the dynamics, structure, and function of assemblages of organisms. Readings, discussions, lectures, and activities will address how communities are organized, how they interact with their biotic and abiotic environments, how they are studied, and how they are influenced by anthropogenic impacts.

BIOL_SCI 350: Plant Diversity & Evolution Laboratory

This course is an introduction to the diversity and evolutionary history of land plants for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. It will introduce principles of plant structure, classification, phylogeny, and paleontology in an evolutionary framework. Morphological, anatomical, molecular and fossil evidence for the evolutionary history and relationships of each group will be presented. Laboratories will focus on diversity and structural characteristics of each group and their fossils.

BIOL_SCI 355: Immunobiology

Immunobiology is the study of the response of higher organisms to foreign substances and pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses. This course examines the cells and organs of the vertebrate immune system and how they function to protect us against microbial infection. We will also briefly examinedisorders of the immune system, including immune deficiency, hypersensitivity, and autoimmune diseases. Prerequisites: BIOL_SCI 201 or BIOL_SCI 215; BIOL_SCI 219; and BIOL_SCI 301.

BIOL_SCI 360: Principles of Cell Signaling

The ability to sense external and internal signals and dynamically respond lies at the core of cellular homeostasis and is one of the most important properties of all forms of life. In this course, general molecular principles of signaling through which cells capture, process, store and send information are discussed. The emphasis of this course in on the design principles, components, and molecular mechanisms that are common to different signaling systems. Modern experimental techniques for studying cellular signaling as well as the implications of disruption of cell communication pathways in diseases will be described. 

BIOL_SCI 381: Stem Cells & Regeneration

The use of stem cells for growth, repair, and maintenance of tissue is widespread throughout the animal kingdom. In addition, species vary in their natural abilities of repair tissue in adulthood, from wound healing and scar formation to complete cell/tissue/organ regeneration after damage. What are the molecular processes that imbue stem cells with their unique abilities, how are these controlled by the organism, and how can they be harnessedtherapeutically? This course takes a comparative approach to explore this fascinating problem by critically examining classic and modern scientific literature about the developmental and molecular biology of regeneration and both embryonic and adult stem cells.

BIOL_SCI 395: Molecular Genetics

Recent advances in genetics and molecular biology have revolutionized the fields of gene expression, cell regulation and functional genomics. These advances have fundamentally changed not only our basic understanding in these areas but how we make discoveries. We will explore this revolution directly through the primary research literature. The required reading material will be provided and will consist of now classic papers as well as recent papers from the most highly respected research journals. Representative topics will include how genes are manipulated, how gene expression is regulated in vivo, how molecular/genetic analysis of model organisms such as yeast is used to advance understanding in higher organisms, how human disease genes are discovered and a how every gene in an entire genome can be analyzed simultaneously. We will delve deeply into two of the hottest fields in molecular genetics today: epigenetics (chromatin modification and its consequences) and recently developed methods that allow rapid and simple engineering of the genome of almost any organism. Although lectures are provided, the class is small enough to allow students to take an active role through questions and discussion.

Pre-requisite Requirements: BIOL_SCI 215-0 & BIOL_SCI 219-0.

BIOL_SCI 397: Honors Colloquium 

A student intending to write a Thesis in Biological Sciences must register for Senior Thesis Colloquium (BIOL SCI 397) during Winter Quarter of the Senior Year.I t is in the context of this class that Senior or Honors Theses are written. Do not also register for a 399 that quarter; for the Winter, BIOL SCI 397 replaces 399 with regard to both your research and its write-up. Pre-requisities: At least one BIOL SCI 398 or 399 registration must have preceded BIOL SCI 397. Do not register for a 398 or 399 during the same quarter as 397.

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