Courses

2300 Introduction to Biostatistics
Introduction to the collection, description, and analysis of data with statistical methods appropriate for biological sciences.
2343 Evolution Ecology Biodiversity
Reviews three significant aspects of organismal biology and presents current hypotheses concerning the origin and diversification of life on earth. The ecological and behavioral interactions between organisms and their biotic/abiotic environments are considered from an evolutionary perspective.
3310/5310 Developmental Biology
The major goal of this course is to teach about how organismic complexity is generated during embryonic and post-embryonic development. The course will cover current areas of research in developmental biology, which includes the roles of genetic networks, induction events, cell lineage, maternal inheritance, cell-cell communication, and hormonal control in developmental processes in well-studied organisms such as vertebrates, insects, and nematodes.
3310/5310 Essentials of Genomics
Rapid developments in computer science and biotechnology on one hand, and the eruption of DNA sequence information in databanks on the other, have led to formation of new disciplines - genomics and bioinformatics. This course will prepare students to confront the exciting challenges of post-genomic era and will help in their future careers related to this field. It intends to present an integrative approach to genome science, combining elements of genetics, statistics and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on state of the art technologies in genomic analysis. Although it offers a genome-wide rather than a gene-focused perspective, a basic knowledge of genetics and probability concepts is required. Use of the World Wide Web will be an essential part of the course.
3310/5310 Evolution of Development
The diversity of animal and plant forms can largely be traced to evolutionary changes in the genes that control the development of the embryo. Changes in when and where these genes are active have been important in the diversification of body form. A major goal of this course is to provide an interdisciplinary framework for studies related to evolution, genetics, and development.
3310/5310 Molecular Evolution
The interpretation of the new wealth of sequences can only be achieved through understanding the dynamics of evolutionary change at the molecular level. Molecular evolution focuses on understanding how genes and genomes evolve. Molecular biology provides the data while population genetics provides the theoretical framework. A major goal of this course is to provide tools to interpret the genetic variation within and between species, reconstruct the evolutionary history of genes and species, and reveal the fingerprints of natural selection in action at the molecular level.
3312/5310 Immunobiology
An introduction to the components, properties, and manifestations of the adaptive immune response that occurs in vertebrates.
3315 Genetics
Principles of molecular and classical genetics. The function and transmission of hereditary material in microorganisms, plants, and animals, including humans.
3319/5319 Human Genetics
The course will enable the students to comprehend the basic principles of genetics applied to human inheritance and disease, to interpret the research strategies aimed to identify and study the genes responsible for diverse functions and traits, as well as to assess the consequences of the genetic technologies in our society.
3339 Introduction to Evolution
Processes and mechanisms which cause evolutionary changes in organisms.
3444 General Microbiology
Fundamental principals of microbiology including the structure and function of microbial cells and their activities in nature. Bacteria will be used in the laboratory to provide training and experimental methodology.
4308/5310 Genome Structure and Dynamics
This course will describe how genes and genomes are organized in a variety of species from all kingdoms of life and will provide a detailed overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying the function and evolution of genomes.
4312 Intro Virology
The nature, reproduction, and host cell interactions of viruses and virus-like agents of bacteria, animals, and plants.
5101 Microbial Journal Club
Most of the semester will be conducted like a readings class in which we all read and discuss papers on controversial and/or interesting topics in the field. In addition, at some point during the semester, each student will select one research article from the recent literature from any area of microbiology to present during a class session. (For those students conducting research in a laboratory, you may present the progress in your research instead.) Papers for individual presentations are to be selected from the recent literature in the field, preferably from top-ranking journals, and the article should be a primary research paper (i.e. not a review article).
5101 Evolution Journal
5101 Genomics Seminar
5301 RNA Viruses
5304 Virology
Concepts and learning goals include (but are not limited to): the unique nature of viruses; taxonomy of the major groups of animal viruses; virus replication cycles; the outcome of viral infection; the impact of viral replication on host cells and organisms.
5302 Microbial Genetics
To introduce the student to fundamental and advanced concepts of microbial genetics including, but not limited to, DNA replication, gene expression, DNA damage and mutagenesis, Mobile genetic elements, bacteriophage genetics, and genetic engineering. Upon completion, students should be able to read and comprehend current literature and understand the application of the discussed concepts towards isolating and characterizing mutants.
5303 Molecular Genetics
A comprehensive survey of molecular genetics with an emphasis on eucaryotic systems: DNA structure and chromosome arrangement; molecular evolution; gene regulation and expression; RNA processing; signal transduction; cancer biology.
5310 Bioinformatics for Biologists
This course is designed for students who wish to develop competence in bioinformatics analysis. It will address basic concepts of bioinformatics and will allow students to gain familiarity with commonly used bioinformatics programs and biological databases.
5310 Microbial Gene Expression
Discussion of the principles and mechanisms of the transcriptiona and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression in prokaryotes.
5311 Evolution
Study of the origin of living systems and the mechanism of their evolution.
5312 Advanced Genetics
In this course, we will focus on understanding how biological information is store, expressed, changed, and transmitted. We will study the genetic principles and concepts, how the information can be manipulated to understand its function, new genetic tools and model organisms.
5314 Biometry
An examination of statistical methods and procedures in relation to the design of biological experiments and the analysis of their results.
5316 Advanced Evolutionary Biology
An analysis of existing biological phenomena with regard to their selective advantage in biological systems.
5361 Advanced Biometry
Introduction to various computerized statistical application packages. Topics include multiple regression analysis, path analysis, partial correlation, residual analysis, and various techniques useful for data analysis.
5362 Experimental Design
This course will provide a background for establishing a research program and understanding the necessary components of hypothesis testing andexperimental design. We will cover such topics as philosophy of science, exploratoryvs. confirmatory science, parametric vs. non-parametric statistics, ANOVA designs, randomization approaches, and multivariate statistics.
5364 Population Genetics
The genetics of evolution with emphasis on measuring, predicting, and modeling genetic change in populations.
And more coming soon...