The Graduate School Service Curriculum

Organization of the Cell (220-501)

This course covers the principles of cellular organization and communication.  The emphasis will be on cellular compartmentation, communication within and among cells, and the maintenance of cellular structure. A description of membrane transport and ion channels will include bioenergetics and molecular gradients, bioenergetics and energy transduction.  Signaling within the cell will emphasize G-protein coupled signal transduction, calcium and growth factors, and signaling through intracellular receptors. Protein import and export will include the endoplasmic reticulum and vesicle trafficking.  The structural maintenance of cellular morphology will discuss the cytoskeleton , myosin, intermediate filaments and junctional complexes.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 1)

Molecular Methods (220-502)

Molecular methods provides students with a description of current general methods for manipulating the structures of DNA and proteins.  A discussion of hybridization and blots will be followed by the introduction of methods of vector construction, DNA sequencing, and both small- and large scale DNA sequencing and gene mapping.  Methods in DNA/RNA/Protein construction, analysis, synthesis, and isolation, including interaction cloning and immunological methods.  DNA sequence analysis and data base utilization will be covered.  The use of various expression systems for the production of recombinant proteins will include strategies for protein isolation and refolding, including the use of molecular chaperones.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 1)

Genetics A (220-503)

The general principles of genetics and inheritance begin with a discussion of the gene as the basic element of inheritance.  This is followed by linkage, complementation and non-Mendelian inheritance.  The use of genetics as a research tool is illustrated by the molecular basis of phenotype, the dissection of genetic pathways, and the use of genetic techniques in bacteria.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 1)

Professionalism as a Scientist (220-513)

A course for first-year graduate students that introduces them to their profession as a research scientist. The intent is to mentor the students in the scientific process (thinking with the scientific method, controls and data analysis, reading the literature, notebooks and recordkeeping) and to discuss the professional aspects of being a scientist (science funding, the peer review process, science advocacy, publication, data/reagent sharing). The course will emphasize the ethical conduct of research throughout and will provide specific sessions on scientific misconduct, data and reagent ownership, authorship, plagiarism, research on animals and humans). A few classes will be devoted to practical aspects of being a student scientist such as coping with stress and deadlines, what to do when your experiments don't work, how to go about career decision-making, and where to go for help with personal and professional problems. (Every year, term 1, 2)

Genetics B (220-504)

The second course on genetics focus on the genetic utility of specific organisms.  Inferring the order of gene action in a pathway, cell cycle control, and signal transduction pathways will be discussed for  yeast.  Drosophila will be used to illustrate pattern formation, mutation isolation and mapping and mosaic analysis.  The establishment of the genetic basis of phenotype, development, and the implications of having a hermaphrodite/male species for doing genetics will be illustrated for C. elegans.  Mouse genetics will illustrate gene knock-outs, generating specific strains by crosses, and the use of transgenic approaches.  Finally, human genetics will be discussed with emphasis on  linkage and pedigree analysis, gene mapping and analysis, and  population biology and evolution.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 2)

Cell Division (220-505)

This course presents the biological mechanisms involved in regulating cell division and development.  The structural organization of the nucleus will be described along with a molecular description of the meiotic apparatus.  DNA replication will be discussed with respect to initiation, propagation and the functions of centromeres and telomeres.  Lectures on DNA recombination and repair will precede a presentation of the regulation of the cell cycle.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 2)

Development (220-506)

The course will begin with fertilization and proceed through the development of the body plan, including segmentation and compartmentation.  A discussion of developmental pathways in neural system, bone, and muscle will complete the course. This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.

Molecular Interactions (220-507)

The principles and techniques use to analyze molecular interactions will be covered.  The general methods to be presented include binding kinetics and equilibrium methods along with protein-protein interactions detected by interaction cloning, cross linking, and immunoprecipitation.  A discussion of complex assemblies, including viruses will precede a discussion of the functional consequences of molecular interactions including catalysis and the integration of metabolic processes. This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 2)

 Cancer (220-508)

This is a short course (5 lectures) on the biology of cancer.  Initiation of cancer and tumor progression will be covered along with the involvement of oncoproteins and tumor suppressors.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses. This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 2)

Gene Regulation (220-509)

This course is concerned with the various mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated.  A discussion of RNA polymerase is followed by transcriptional regulation by transcription factors and enhancers/repressors, co-transcriptional regulation , and the effects of chromatin structure.  The details of  mRNA processing that are presented include the splicesome, auto-catalysis, polyA addition, differential splicing, and RNA editing.  Mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation and mRNA stability are also considered.   The translation of proteins by the ribosome and protein degradation completes discussion.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 3)

Structure of Macromolecules (220-510)

Structure of macromolecules presents an overview of the molecular basis for the structural organization of DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids.  General techniques of protein structure analysis are discussed, including the determination of sequence, molecular weights, subunit composition, and post-translational modification.  Basic techniques for the determination of three-dimensional structures will be covered such as X-ray crystallography, NMR, electron microscopy.  Structural prediction methods will applied to membrane proteins and to the prediction of secondary and tertiary protein structure.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 4)

Neuroscience (220-511)

This is a short course (5 lectures) on current aspects of neuroscience.  The course will consider basic information processing in neurons along with more highly organized functions such as learning, memory, and cognition.  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.  (Every year, term 3)

 Immunology  (220-512)

This is a short course (5 lectures) on current aspects of immunology  The complexities of the immune system will be discussed, including the principles of specific immunity , cellular differentiation and selection in the immune system, and lymphocyte activation.
(Every year, term 3)

Research Design (220-522)

This course is designed to guide the student through the process of identifying a research problem, developing specific hypotheses and designing well controlled experiments to test them.  It will be taught in small groups (~ 8 students/class). There will be a faculty mentor that helps formalize and organize the process, but the students will be develop their ideas through literature searches and discussion.  The terms and discussion will center around the NIH format (Specific Aims, Background and Significance, Experimental Design).  This is one of the graduate school service curriculum courses.
(Every year, term 4)

Method and Logic in Molecular Biology (220-523)

This course is intended to train students to read and critically interpret the primary literature.  In particular, we will teach students to discern elegant experimental approaches from brute-force science and the conclusions that can be drawn from experimental data without over interpretation.  Students will learn what constitutes a well designed experiment with proper controls.  Small groups of students (8-10) will meet twice per week to discuss two assigned journal articles.  The assigned papers will illustrate the goals outlined above, both as positive and negative examples.  We begin with ‘classic’ papers and work toward more current research.  The first meeting each week will be without faculty participation while the second meeting will be guided by two instructors per group.  The purpose of the first meeting is to allow students the opportunity to independently address the scientific merit and design of the assigned reading and formulate their own opinions.  The second meeting will begin with a brief overview of the papers presented by one or two students chosen at random.  The instructors will then prompt a discussion among the students to bring out the salient features of the readings pertinent to the goals of the course.  A short paper designed to test these skills will be due at the end of the term.