Global Arc

Many organisms are agents of disease in humans, but few can cause a pandemic. This course will survey where pandemic pathogens come from, how they replicate and cause disease, and what technologies have been invented to combat them or predict where they may emerge next.

How did the human brain become the most complex organ in the animal kingdom? How do genetic and environmental forces interact to produce its capabilities and its maladies? These questions have fascinated philosophers, humanists, physicians, and scientists for millennia. We will address the above questions using human genetics, genomics, and systems neuroscience. Topics to be considered include evolution of the human brain, development of language and reading, and individuality. We will link these topics with related disorders as autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer

The molecular biology and biochemistry of pharmaceuticals and natural products that target CNS function will be examined. Specific topics include: the blood-brain barrier, addiction and tolerance, analgesia, treatments for mood disorders, cognitive enhancement, stimulants and ADHD, treatment of dementias such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease, psychotropic drugs, antipsychotics and the treatment of schizophrenia.

Viruses are unique parasites of living cells and may be the most abundant, highest evolved life forms on the planet. The general strategies encoded by all known viral genomes are discussed using selected viruses as examples. A part of the course is dedicated to the molecular biology (the tactics) inherent in these strategies. Another part introduces the biology of engagement of viruses with host defenses, what happens when viral infection leads to disease, vaccines and antiviral drugs, and the evolution of infectious agents and emergence of new viruses. Prerequisite: MOL 214 or permission of instructor.

Within a broader context of historical, social, and ethical concerns, a survey of normal childhood development and selected disorders from the perspectives of the physician and the scientist. Emphasis on the complex relationship between genetic and acquired causes of disease, medical practice, social conditions, and cultural values. The course features visits from children with some of the conditions discussed, site visits, and readings from the original medical and scientific literature. Prerequisite: MOL 214. Two 90-minute classes and an evening 90-minute precept.

The course will be a detailed overview of the practice of light microscopy as applied to scientific investigation. The emphasis of the course will be on the use of the light microscope by biological scientists, however students of other disciplines are welcome. We will cover optical microscope theory, microscope components and mechanics, and all modern optical techniques from brightfield through super-resolution and lightsheet microscopies. Instruction will consist of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on experience using the light microscopes in the Molecular Biology Confocal Imaging Facility (CIF) and others provided by vendors.

The course is intended for students interested in biological applications of mathematics and modeling in biology, aiming at demonstrating how relatively simple mathematics can be applied to a variety of models to draw interesting conclusions. Connections will be made between diverse biological examples linked by common mathematical themes. A variety of discrete and continuous ordinary and partial differential equation models will be explored.

The Molecular Biology Research Experience is a two-semester sequence that provides sophomore students with an in lab research experience mentored by faculty in the department. MOL 280, offered in the fall semester, is a non-credit bearing P/D/F course and the required prerequisite for MOL 281, which is offered in the spring semester and carries one unit of credit. Students must earn a "P" in MOL 280 to enroll in MOL 281. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 6 hours per week engaged in research and attend weekly meeting as determined by the mentoring faculty.

The Molecular Biology Research Experience is a two-course sequence that provides sophomore students with an in lab research experience mentored by faculty in the department. MOL 280: Molecular Biology Research Experience I, offered in the fall semester, is a non-credit bearing P/D/F course and is a prerequisite to MOL 281: Molecular Biology Research Experience II. MOL 281, offered in the spring semester, is a credit bearing course. Students must earn a "P" in MOL 280 to enroll in MOL 281. Students are expected to spend a minimum of 6 hours per week engaged in research and attend weekly meeting as determined by the mentoring faculty.