2025 Fall Term Course Offerings

Biology 9 - Researching Cellular Mysteries (Prof. Sylvain)

Biology 9 is hands-on introductory biology course that will introduce students to how knowledge is acquired in biology through experimentation.  The focus of Biology 9 is on discovery-based laboratory experiences.

There are several objectives of Biology 9. The first is to stimulate interest in the science of biology by exposing students to the process of science, i.e., designing and interpreting experiments. The second is to teach students fundamental concepts in cell and molecular biology.  The third is to encourage critical, analytical thinking in science.  By the end of  Biology 9, students will have acquired knowledge of how biological experiments are designed and interpreted, and how new knowledge is generated in the field. The course is capped at 20 students.

Biology 11.03 - Emerging Infectious Diseases: How Microbes Rule the World (Prof. Guerinot)

Emerging infectious diseases, which have shaped the course of humanity and caused untold suffering and death, will continue to challenge society as long as humans and microbes co-exist. This course will explore why infectious diseases emerge and re-emerge. The viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes that cause these diseases continually evolve in response to their hosts. Dynamic interactions between rapidly evolving infectious agents and changes in the environment and in host behavior provide such agents with favorable new ecological niches. In addition, dramatic increases in the worldwide movement of people and goods drive the globalization of disease.

Biology 12 – Cell Structure and Function (Prof. Grotz)

Biology 12 will provide a foundation in the fundamental mechanisms that govern the structure and function of eukaryotic cells. Topics include membrane transport, energy conversion, signal transduction, protein targeting, cell motility and the cytoskeleton, and the cell cycle. Emphasis will be placed on discussion of the experimental basis for understanding cell function. The laboratory section will provide students with hands-on experience in modern laboratory techniques including microscopy, cell fractionation, and protein purification.

Biology 16 – Ecology  (Prof. Hicks Pries)

This course examines fundamental concepts in the rapidly developing areas of ecology. These topics include the factors that limit the distributions and abundances of organisms, the effects that organisms have on ecosystems, the integration of ecosystems around the globe, and the conservation of species diversity. The class will also explore how the behavior and physiology of individual organisms shape both local and global patterns of distribution and abundance. Laboratories focus on experimental and quantitative analyses of local ecosystems, with an emphasis on field studies. Biology 16 has no enrollment cap.