Experimental Design and Analysis in Biological Research

2 units

In-depth exploration of landmark and current papers in genetics, molecular and cell biology, with an emphasis on prokaryotes and eukaryotic microbes. Class discussions will center on such key discoveries as the chemical nature of genetic material, the genetic code, oxygen producing light-spectrum, cell-cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, the random nature of mutation, and cell cycle regulation. Emphasis will be placed on what makes a good question or hypothesis, expedient ways to address scientific problems, and creative thinking. The last third of the course will consist of student-run seminars on selected topics to increase proficiency in the synthesis of new material and public presentation skills.