BIOL 404 HISTOLOGY & ULTRASTRUCTURE
The organization of biological tissues as exemplified by their microscopic anatomy. Emphasis on the functional activities of biological units. Laboratory focuses on the study of prepared slides of normal vertebrate tissue. Two lecture and two laboratory sessions per week.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 414 QUANT ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION
Designing ecological experiments to answer critical questions about climate change, urbanization, ecosystem processes and conservation. This course will be skill-based with a focus around experimental designs, experimental manipulation, emphasizing statistical analyses, intensive field and laboratory exercises, and scientific report writing. Lectures and discussions will review current information on climate change and ecosystem processes in the context of current paradigms of global conservation.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 419 BIOLOGY INTERNSHIP
Credits:
3
BIOL 430 Wetlands Delineation
Scientific, technical, legal, and public policy issues involved in defining, delineating, regulating, conserving, and restoring wetlands. Preliminary assessment of a natural or disturbed area¿s wetland status, including biology, hydrology, and soils. Potential issues involved in developing, conserving, or restoring the area. This course alone will not qualify students as professional wetlands delineators.
Credits:
3
BIOL 435 GREAT LAKES
Ecology, chemistry, and environmental policy issues surrounding the Great Lakes, with emphasis on Lake Michigan. Lecture, field trips and guest lecturers. Recommended for science and education majors.
Credits:
3
BIOL 438 Organ System Physiology
Selected topics, such as water balance, neurophysiology, endocrinology, in general at the organ/tissue level of complexity. Laboratory involves the use of modern physiology equipment to conduct experiments in neurophysiology, muscle physiology, respiratory, and endrocrinology. Graduate students are required to do oral and written presentations based on current scientific information.
Credits:
2
-
5
BIOL 440 TOPICS IN MODERN BIOLOGY
Content varies. May be repeated up to six semester hours.
Credits:
3
BIOL 449 INTRO TO BIONANOTECH
A brief introduction to material science and chemistry used for synthesis and construction of bionanomaterials and an overview of the bionanomaterials used in biomedical science. Emphasis will be placed on possible directions for expansion of this field, need for development of new tools and approaches for nanomaterials evaluation, and the potential benefits of bionanomaterials in cancer research. Students will gain basic knowledge needed to absorb and evaluate information about bionanotechnology and its emerging role in biomedical sciences.
Credits:
3
BIOL 450 CANCER BIOLOGY
This course provides students with knowledge of the fundamental principles of the molecular and cellular biology of cancer cells. Biology of Cancer is designed to illustrate basic aspects of cancer development, and to discuss how molecular genetic approaches can be used to reveal fundamental processes of carcinogenesis. Lectures and demonstrations explain the role of growth factors, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, angiogenesis, and signal transduction mechanisms in tumor formation. Discussion of aspects of cancer epidemiology, prevention, and principles of drug action in cancer management is part of the course.
Credits:
3
BIOL 451 GENERAL GENETICS
Classical and molecular genetics. Transmission genetics, chromosome genetics, interaction of genes with sex and environment, mapping, DNA structure and replication, transcription, translation, chromosome structure and genome organization, extrachromosomal inheritance, mutagenesis, gene expression. Genetics of plants, insects, vertebrates, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 453 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Structure of nucleic acids and chromosomes, DNA replication and repair, general and site specific recombination, control of gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels, oncogenes and retroviruses. Laboratory techniques include PCR, DNA fingerprinting and DNA sequencing.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 454 EXP METH IN BIOCHEM & BIOTECH
Biochemical techniques including enzyme and lipid assays, isolation, and analysis of macromolecules.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 455 BIOCHEMISTRY
Electron transport chain, protein structure, enzyme kinetics, biosynthesis, and intermediary metabolism of amino acids, and carbohydrates and lipids. Lecture only. Included in the biotechnology certificate program.
Credits:
3
BIOL 456 DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Basic principles and processes of embryology and development; selected invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. )
Credits:
3
BIOL 458 CELL BIOLOGY
Molecular interactions that underlie the structure and functions of the cell. Topics include protein structure and function, membrane transport, post-translational modifications of proteins and protein secretion, cell cycle regulation, cell signaling and mechanisms of development and differentiation. Laboratory techniques include SDS-PAGE, cell fractionation, bacterial protein expression and purification, and immunohistochemistry.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 460 MICROBIOLOGY
Structure and function of prokaryotic cells, including metabolic and genetic diversity; emphasis on differences and similarities with eukaryotes. Roles microbes play in human body, soil, and water ecosystems. Special emphasis on human diseases and microbial processes for the maintenance of biosphere. Applications to medicine, biotechnology, food processing, agriculture, pollution control. Laboratory includes proficient and safe handling of microorganisms, identification of unknown bacteria, and biochemical and microscopic methods. Included in the biotechnology certificate program.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 461 INFORMATION TECH FOR SCIENCES
Methods of finding biological and biotechnological information. Online and hard copy methods will be discussed; emphasis on the use of various computer databases and the Internet. Genbank and protein sequence databases will be accessed. DNA and protein sequences will be analyzed using various computer-based homology programs.
Credits:
3
BIOL 462 DATA MINING IN LIFE SCIENCES
The advent of high throughput techniques in biology and chemistry requires a data mining approach to discover new knowledge from these large data sets. Data mining techniques allow an investigator to understand the collection of data and then to classify and/or make predictions from the data. It is a combination of statistical, informatics and other analytical techniques. This course is designed to be an introduction to data mining techniques for biologists. Examples will be drawn from genomic, proteomic and epidemiologic data sets.
Credits:
3
BIOL 463 Introduction to Genome Analysis
This course will provide an in-depth exposure to advanced techniques in computational genomics. Lectures will discuss numerous available computational tools for extracting biological information from nucleotide and protein sequences. The computer-based laboratory will utilize a number of bioinformatics software to demonstrate how to manage, search and analyze genetic sequences. This course will specifically emphasize on current trends and developments in bioinformatics.
Credits:
3
BIOL 464 PROTEIN STRUCTURE DETERM.
Computer methods for converting electron microscopy of purified proteins into 3D protein structures.
Credits:
3
BIOL 465 AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
This course will explore the world of anthropogenic toxicants: harmful elements or compounds whose level in the environment is increased by human activities. The course will take a look at toxicants as they are released by human activities, enter and move through the aquatic system, chemically react with natural measures of water quality, interact and are taken up by living organisms and ultimately cause some kind of harmful effect at the cellular, individual, population and community levels. Students will be expected to research and present information on major topics in aquatic toxicology to the class, expanding the class base of knowledge and contributing to a "living textbook" of toxicological information.
Credits:
3
BIOL 467 IMMUNOLOGY
Humoral and cellular immune responses, generation of immune diversity, autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases. Immunologic assays relevant to clinical settings. Laboratory techniques include antibody-antigen interaction, ELISA, and the purification of lymphocyte populations. Included in the biotechnology certificate program.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 468 RESEARCH METHODS
This course will cover the theory and practical application of various methods used to analyze biological samples including hands-on practice with equipment used in modern life science laboratories. The course will emphasize techniques such as confocal microscopy, mammalian cell culture, flow cytometry, bioanalysis of molecules, real-time PCR, and DNA sequencing instruments and methods.
Topics covered include pre-experiment planning, preparative methods, analytical methods, statistical evaluation of data and preparation of results. This course is intended for graduate students.
Credits:
3
BIOL 469 CONSERVATION BIOL: AFRICA
Conservation Biology—Tropical Africa is a 10 day, field-based course that will largely be carried out in the Amani Nature Reserve, Tanzania, where Dr. Norbert Cordeiro (Roosevelt University) and Dr. Henry Ndangalasi (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) have been working since 1998. Field work will include (i) conducting applied ecological studies relevant to conservation in the area, (ii) discussing and problem-solving issues of poverty and conservation affecting human access to resources, (iii) meeting with Tanzanian stakeholders to gain an appreciation of the complexities of the solutions required to conserve one of the world’s most important forests. Students will also spend 2 days in a savannah habitat at one of Tanzania’s premier national parks. This course will involve designing ecological experiments, experimental manipulation, statistical analyses, intensive field and laboratory exercises, and scientific report writing.
Credits:
2
-
3
BIOL 471 BIOLOGY OF AGING
The biological relationships between the normal activities of life and aging. Changes in structure and function at various levels of biological organization (subcellular population) with age. Lectures, expert guest speakers, student seminars, term paper.
Credits:
3
BIOL 480 APPLIC'S OF BIOTECHNOLOGY
Research, medical, environmental and industrial uses of biotechnology. Lectures by the biotechnology faculty as well as industrial researchers. Current and future trends in the field.
Credits:
3
BIOL 481 SPECIAL TOPICS
Topics based on student interest and faculty availability.
Credits:
1
-
5
BIOL 485 THESIS
Individual laboratory research culminating in a wrtten thesis under supervison of a thesis committee.
Credits:
1
-
6
BIOL 490 PROBLEMS IN BIOLOGY
This seminar-style course will explore a single, biologically important topic in sufficient depth to provide a detailed understanding of the problems being explored in current research as they apply to organisms and society.
Credits:
3
BIOL 491 BIOLOGY INTERNSHIP
Off-campus experience at area medical facility. Rotation through at least five medical specialties at a hospital or an approved medical or biomedical research or clinical facility. At least 12 contact hours.
Credits:
3
-
6
BIOL 492 RESEARCH IN BIOLOGY
Independent science laboratory research experience under the guidance of a faculty researcher; 1 to 4 semester hours total may be applied toward the MS degree. Students may register in consecutive semesters.
Credits:
1
-
4
BIOL 495 INDEPENDENT STUDY
Credits:
1
-
4
BIOL 496 GRADUATE INTERNSHIP
Graduate level field or corporate work experience related to biology, biotechnology, biostatistics or research management.
Credits:
1
-
4
