BI**194 / BGGN 280-285: Spring 2020 Course Descriptions
Disclaimer: Students may not receive credit for a second attempt of the same topic that was previously completed.
| Instructor |
Pruneda-Paz, Jose L. |
| Title |
Circadian Rhythms: Molecular Mechanisms and Physiological Implications of Biological Clocks |
| Description |
This is a seminar style course. Students will explore, through the presentation and discussion of primary scientific literature, the fundamental characteristics of biological clocks and how circadian rhythms shape physiological responses across species. |
| Prerequisites |
Molecular Biology (BIMM 100); upper division standing |
| Instructor |
Goldrath, Ananda |
| Title |
Immunotherapy |
| Description |
Immunology is generally thought of as the mechanisms that organisms use to defend their bodies from invasion by other organisms. However, the immune system is also a central player in many diseases that do not involve infection including: autoimmunity, allergy, cancers. Furthermore, inflammation contributes to the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In the present course we will learn about strategies to influence the immune system in a variety of human diseases to improve health outcome—collectively termed Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy can be designed to induce, enhance, or suppress an immune response. The goal of the course is not only to provide a big picture of immune responses involved in host protection and in disease, but also to learn how to interpret and present primary literature in this fast-moving field. |
| Prerequisites |
Molecular Biology (BIMM 100); upper division standing |
| Instructor |
Malinow, Roberto |
| Title |
History of LTP |
| Description |
This course will investigate the history of long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission through a critical reading of important publications. This course will investigate the history of long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission through a critical reading of important publications. This is an ADVANCED class; I will assume that you know the basics of electrophysiology and synaptic transmission. You need to already understand ALL of the following topics in some detail (if you don’t, you will not like the class and the class will not like you): neuron, axon, dendrite, synapse; transmembrane resting potential, action potential, synaptic potential; excitatory transmission, inhibitory transmission; intracellular recording, extracellular recording. For each class, one to three publications will be assigned (about one week in advance I will send pdf files of the papers). During class, I will project each figure from the assigned papers, and ask class members questions. Individuals will be chosen by me from a list at random (not from hand raising). Answers should be ~1-2 minutes long. I expect that everybody in the class will be asked two to three questions each class. So everybody should be very familiar with the publications covered for that week. Class evaluation will be based solely on answers provided during class: correct answers 2 pts; wrong answer 1 pt; no answer 0 pts (if you are not in class). At the end of the course each person will have a total number of points that will be divided by the number of questions that person was asked (occasionally extra points can be added to the total number of points -- see below); letter grades will be given based on a curve. To help you decide if you should take this class, you should read the first paper to be discussed in class (Bliss and Lomo; attached), and be able to answer these questions: in figure 1A, what is the meaning of “Hipp fiss”, “Rec “, “Stim”? In figure 1B, lower right, what are the units of the axes of this plot? Is this an intracellular or extracellular recording? What do the filled circles represent? If you can’t answer these questions, you will be given “wrong answer”, which go into the calculation of your final grade. If there are alternative classes you wish to take, especially if they occur at the same time as this class, you should sign up for those other classes now and attend them and drop this class. First publication to be discussed: LONG-LASTING POTENTIATION OF SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN THE DENTATE AREA OF THE ANAESTHETIZED RABBIT FOLLOWING STIMULATION OF THE PERFORANT PATH By T. V. P. BLISS AND T. L0MO J. Physiol. (1973), 232, pp. 331-356 |
| Prerequisites |
Human Physiology I (BIPN 100) OR Cellular Neurobiology (BIPN 140); upper division standing. |
| Instructor |
Smith, Laurie |
| Title |
Biological Determinants of Sex and Gender |
| Description |
How do genes determine biological sex in mammals? How is this process modified to produce intersex individuals? How are male and female brains different, how do these differences arise, and how are they related to gender identity? We will read and discuss primary research literature addressing these topics. |
| Prerequisites |
Genetics (BICD 100); upper division standing. |
| Instructor |
Greenspan, Ralph J. |
| Title |
Neurobiology of Consciousness and Higher Cognition |
| Description |
The neurobiology of consciousness is an intriguing frontier in neuroscience research. This seminar will delve into the principal findings on human consciousness and its animal models, covering experimental work on the physiology of higher cognition in humans, and its counterparts in mice, fruit flies, honeybees, jumping spiders, and the octopus. |
| Prerequisites |
Genetics (BICD 100); upper division standing. |
| Instructor |
Chisholm, Andrew D. |
| Title |
Biology of Regeneration |
| Description |
Discussion of primary literature on regenerative phenomena in diverse models. |
| Prerequisites |
Genetics (BICD 100); upper division standing. |
| Instructor |
Estelle, Mark |
| Title |
Environmental Regulation of Plant Development |
| Description |
Because they are sessile, plants exhibit a remarkable ability to sense their environment and to alter their developmental programs in response to changing conditions. As a result of this developmental plasticity, a plant’s appearance can vary dramatically depending on the conditions in which it lives. In this course we will explore the mechanisms involved in environmental regulation of plant development. |
| Prerequisites |
Genetics (BICD 100); upper division standing. |