Biology

Ecology of vertebrates at individual and population levels, with emphasis on birds and mammals. Natural selection and adaptation; demography; life history ecology and evolution; behavioral ecology; speciation and species interactions; biodiversity and extinction; population viability; and endangered species management. Laboratory exercises, field trips, and student projects complement lecture material, with emphasis on collection and analysis of field data, and on familiarity with regional organisms, habitats, and conservation problems. Prerequisites: BIO 3012 or BIO 3255 or BIO 3405 or BIO 4305, or one equivalent course, or consent of instructor.

For each of several elements of the periodic table, this course will focus on patterns of geological abundance, biotic and abiotic factors affecting solubility and therefore availability, and the role of each element in biological systems (deficiency, essentiality, toxicity). While the course will emphasize the essential elements, some attention will be paid to nonessential, but potentially toxic metals.

The course will provide an in-depth coverage of methods for the collection, preservation, and storage of water and soil samples, as well as methods for the biological, chemical, and physical characterization of water and soil samples.

Examination of how living organisms interact and role of non-living entities such as climate, soil and atmosphere in large-scale processes. Includes coverage of topics such as biodiversity and ecosystem function, climate change, and link between ecosystem processes, community ecology and genetics. Prerequisite: Course in ecology or permission of instructor.

Physiological mechanisms used by vertebrates and invertebrates to survive in different environments. Laboratory to provide an in-depth study in a selected area of animal physiology. Prereq: A course in animal physiology or invertebrate zoology.

Fundamental principles underlying innate and adaptive immunity. Cellular and molecular mechanism of development and function of immune cells including lymphocytes and mechanisms related to self-tolerance, antigen processing and presentation, lymphocyte activation, lymphocyte death and generation of cullular and humoral immune response. Consequences of malfunctioning of the immune response and clinical implications discussed.

Experimental methods used to analyze humoral and cell mediated immune responses. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of immune response, with the focus on the understanding of the rationale behind the methods used and its applicability. Develop skills in researching the literatire related to cellular and molecular immunology.

Study of characteristics, causes, genetic influences, and treatment strategies, with readings from primary literature. Emphasis on experimental approaches and analyses. Prerequisite: coursework in cell and/or molecular biology.

Explores roles of ecology in documenting, responding, feeding back to, and mitigating human-caused changes to Earth's chemistry, geography and climate. Accompanying lab includes ecological techniques, such as carbon flux measurements, and develop independent research projects in the laboratory. Prerequisite: Course in ecology or permission of instructor.

Advanced course in topics relating to animal behavior, including foraging, communication, sexual selection, parental care, and sociality. Emphasis on critical analysis of research papers from the primary literature. Prerequisite: Undergraduate course in ecology or animal behavior or permission of instructor.

The application of molecular techniques to ecological and evolutionary questions. The lecture will emphasize the impact of molecular biology on advances in ecology and evolutionary biology. The laboratory will focus on applications of some molecular techniques in the examiniation of genetic variation present in field populations of field organisms. Prereqs: Undergraduates: genetics, molecular biology; Graduates: two of the following: genetics, evolution, ecology, or molecular biology.

Ecological principles are considered at the plant species, population, community, and ecosystem levels of organization. Topics discussed in detail include ecological plant physiology, succession, productivity of ecosystems, soils, nutrient cycling, the effects of disturbances on ecosystem structure and function, and the major vegetation types in North America. Field and laboratory studies complement the lecture material.

Plant interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment. Lecture emphasizes plant Anatomical, Morphological, Physiological, and Biochemical adaptations and acclimations determining plant and population survival, performance and distribution in dynamic ecosystems. Laboratory focuses on field methods and techniques culminating in student- driven, independent research projects.

Conceptualization of experimental design, hypothesis testing, execution of statistical analyses, expression of statistical results, and effective graphical presentation of quantitative data. Includes a written exercise emulating peer-reviewed journal publication.

The structure, function, and taxonomy of representative free living and parasite protozoa; methods of culturing protozoa and preparation of permanent slides in laboratory. Prereq: Invertebrate Zoology or consent of instructor.

Current topics in biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information will be available in the department office.

Current topics in cellular, molecular, and development biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information available in the departmental office.

Philosophical, methodological and practical aspect of systematics, from species description to phylogeny reconstruction. The role of systematics in comparative biology and its applications in bioogeography, molecular biology, and other fields are investigated. Methods of biodiversity assessment and the implications of biodiversity data for conservation. Emphasis on the practical aspects of data collection, computer-assisted phylogeny reconstruction, and taxon identification.

More intensive coverage of current topics in cellular, molecular, and developmental biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information available in the departmental office.

Lab to accompany Advanced Topics or other 3-credit graduate course in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology. Topic to be determined by term. Three hours laboratory per week.

Current topics in ecological, evolutionary and organismal biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information available in the departmental office.

More intensive coverage of current topics in ecological, evolutionary and organismal biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information available in the departmental office.

Lab to accompany Advanced Topics or other 3-credit graduate course in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology. Topic to be determined by term. Three hours laboratory per week.

Advanced bacterial genetics, including applications to medicine, biotechnology, and public health. Uses current literature and lab techniques to study molecular mechanisms driving lateral gene transfer in bacteria, the spread of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors, and methods for manipulating these mechanisms to analyze and engineer bacteria. Two lectures per week. Prereq. a previous course in microbiology, molecular biology, or genetics is helpful, but not required.

Experimental studies in advanced bacterial genetics involving conjugative plasmid transfer, bacterial transformation, growth of bacterial viruses, construction of targeted mutations, and gene expression assays. Two lab periods per week.

Gene replication, transcription and translation; the regulation of gene expression; molecular aspects of gene recombination and genre interaction; critical analysis of research papers from the primary literature. Prereq: Undergraduate biochemistry or molecular biology.

Fundamental cellular processes; information storage and transfer; energy transformation and utilization, metabolic control mechanisms; control of the intracellular environment

Current cellular and moecular approaches to cell and tissue differentiation as regulating organogenesis will be assessed by analyzing experiments from primary literature with the final goal of presenting the analysis in the form of a grant application. Prerequisites: Genetics, and undergraduate course in cell, development, or molecular biology; the instructor may waive any of these preprequisites based on relevant work experience of the student.

Cell and tissue differentiation applied to organogenesis; review of primary literature with submission of a grant proposal. Labs: cell and molecular techniques; organ culture. Prerequisites: genetics; plus a cell, development, or molecular biology course; or permission of instructor.

Introduction to imaging technologies, including light and fluorescent microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Course covers both theoretical and applied microscopy.

A study of the molecular and physiological mechanisms by which hormones regulate homeostasis in animals. Prereq: A course in animal physiology with laboratory.

Selected experiments designed to illustrate fundamental principles in endocrinology. Biochemical and whole-animal experimentation will be included in the laboratories.

Experimental and analytical skills to address questions in the field of cellular and molecular biology. Instruction in experimental methods to analyze DNA, RNA and proteins central to the functioning of a cell. Analyses at both the cellular and the sub-cellular level. Development of skills in experimental design and literature research related to cellular and molecular biology and presentation skills. Students will propose their own hypotheses and design experiments.

Explores use of molecular data to infer histories of populations and species. Using DNA sequence data, fragment analyses, and whole genome analysis, examines theoretical foundations of molecular evolution such as the neutral theory of molecular evolution and Bayesian statistical methods as it applies to both population genetics and phylogenetics. Practical aspects of downloading, aligning and analyzing DNA sequence data from public databases. Includes student presentations and discussion of primary literature.

The biology of natural and experimental populations; theoretical and experimental considerations of selection, the balancing selection/neutrality controversy; the mating system; temporal and spatial variation in fitness; coadaptation; population growth; interspecies interactions; the niche; population cycles.

Fundamental principles of neurophysiology including synaptic integration, sensory physiology and selected functional aspects of neurophysiology. The laboratory experiments will illustrate sensory, motor and integrative neurophysiology. Prereq: A course in physiology or consent of the instructor.

Scheduled group meetings with other research students in the department, focusing on general and specific aspects of thesis research. Fall semester. Continues as BS/MS Res Prospectus & Thesis, which culminates in a thesis proposal in Spring.

Fundamental methods of analysis most commonly used in modern molecular biology: bacterial and phaze vectors, gene cloning, DNA and RNA preparation and analysis, screening of recombinant libraries, polymerase chain reaction, protein expression and in situ hybridization. Theoretical underpinning and application to contemporary research problems. Prerequisites: Organic chemistry and undergraduate genetics.

The structures and activities of animal, plant, and bacteria viruses; experimentation in handling, growing and assaying, with special emphasis on the tissue culture method.

Attendance at departmental seminars and student presentations in small seminar groups.

Development of thesis through proposal. Work primarily with thesis mentor on developing project, completing background reading, establishing experimental design, writing proposal, and presenting the thesis proposal to the department. Spring semester. Counts for the undergraduate capstone requirement.

Topics covered include library reference use, computer searching of scientific literature, presenting an effective seminar, preparing visual aids, word processing, publishing a scientific paper, and radiation safety and radioisotope use.

Advanced topics in biology. Topics will be announced on a semester by semester basis. Specific information will be available in the Department office.

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Laboratory work and conferences dealing with a selected research problem. Prereq: Consent of chairperson.

Laboratory work and conferences dealing with a selected research problem. Prereq: Consent of chairperson.

This course is offered for 0 credits and is classified as a Thesis/Dissertation Continuation. This course is offered by the Biology Department, in the College of Sciences.

Basic studies in biological fields relevant to the research of graduate thesis students. Requires approval of thesis committee and relevant course instructor.

Basic studies in biological fields relevant to the research of graduate thesis students. Requires approval of thesis committee and relevant course instructor.

Basic studies in biological fields relevant to the research of graduate thesis students. Requires approval of thesis committee and relevant course insturctor.

Laboratory and library work dealing with a specific research problem.

Laboratory and library work dealing with a specific research problem.

Laboratory and library work dealing with a specific research problem.

Laboratory and library work dealing with a specific research problem.

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