BIOLOGY 431 - Seminar in Biology:Contemporary Topics

Institution:

Reed College

Subject:

Description:

One-half course for one semester. An examination of current topics and areas in biology with an emphasis on primary literature. Participants will lead group discussions and/or make oral presentations. Prerequisites: Biology 101/102, two additional units of biology with laboratory, and junior or senior standing. Bacterial Pathogenesis. An examination of how bacterial pathogens interact with host organisms in order to cause disease. Topics include adhesion, colonization, invasion, toxins, subversion of host cell signaling events, immune evasion, and bacteria-to-bacteria communication as they pertain to pathogenesis. Cellular Regulation. A rigorous treatment of eukaryotic cells as complex systems and of basic cellular regulatory mechanisms. Areas of emphasis include cell-cell interactions, cell cycle regulation, and signal transduction. Not offered 2009-10. Chromosome Structure and Function. Investigation of elements needed for chromosome stability, in particular telomeres, using contemporary studies of telomere metabolism, regulation of telomere length, and the role telomeres play in cellular senescence and cancer. Climate Change Biology. An examination of the causes and biological consequences of global climate change. Consideration will be given to underlying physiological processes involved in responding to environmental challenges resulting both from elevated CO2 concentrations and from predicted shifts in temperature and precipitation in diverse ecosystems. Comparative Functional Genomics. An exploration of current research that pairs both genomic techniques and bioinformatics approaches with ecologically and evolutionarily interesting questions, often using organisms that are not the traditional models in biomedical science. Not offered 2009-10. Conservation Biology. Topics include history of biological conservation, population viability analysis, several amphibian-related field trips, and discussions of the role that a biologist can play in the conservation movement. Not offered 2009-10. Development and Evolution. An examination of the role of morphogenetic processes and mechanisms in generating new phenotypes. Topics include changes in early and late pattern formation, larval development, heterochrony, and developmental constraint. Not offered 2009-10. Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Human Interactions. Ecological and evolutionary contexts of interactions between plants and humans. Potential topics include agricultural ecology, grazing, plant-resource extraction, crop evolution and their diseases/pests, plant breeding, transgenic species, and invasive plants. Field Biology and Natural History of Amphibians. Evening field trips every other week will be taken to a variety of habitats to study the diversity and natural history of a fascinating group of animals. On alternate weeks students will lead discussions on the evolution of life history strategies in amphibians. Membrane-Membrane Interactions. Consideration of contemporary research on the secretory pathway and exocytosis. How do proteins destined for the cell surface get there Molecular Genetic Analysis of Plant Evolution. An exploration of issues of current controversy and active research in plant evolution, highlighting places where molecular techniques and data are providing new insights for classical problems in plant evolution. Not offered 2009-10. Molecular Virology. Discussion of RNA viruses, focusing on genome organization, gene expression, replication, and viral host interactions. Prerequisite: Biology 361 or 356. Osteology of the Reptiles. An examination of the evolution of the reptiles as illuminated by the fossil record. Not offered 2009-10.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.reed.edu

Phone Number:

(503) 771-1112

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Semester

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