INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR MEDICINE (3)
Application of molecular and cell biology to a wide variety of human diseases; recent advances in understanding basic mechanisms. Learning Goals: 1, 2

MOLECULAR VIROLOGY (3)
Prerequisite: 16:681:501 or equivalent.
The emphasis of this course is on the molecular aspects of viral replication. Apart from two lectures devoted to plant viruses, the course will deal only with animal viruses, all of which are important causes of human disease. Representative RNA and DNA viruses will be discussed. There will also be lectures on viruses and tumorigenesis, viruses as vectors, host defenses against viral infection, the prevention of virus infections by vaccines, and antiviral chemotherapy. Learning Goals: 1,2

CANCER MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3)
Emphasis on the molecular, cellular, and genetic basis for cancer. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Signal transduction and cell cycle control in cancer cells. Metastasis. Diagnosis and therapy. Recent understanding of the molecular basis of selected human cancers. Lectures and critical discussion of the current literature. Learning Goals: 1,2

ADVANCED TOPICS IN MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS:
Molecular Oceanography (3) Cross listed as 11:628:309. The oceans represent the oldest, evolving continuum on Earth with its evolutionary heritage being imprinted in the genes of resident microbes. Microorganisms (i.e., phytoplankton, bacteria, viruses) account for >90% of all oceanic biomass and drive oceanic biogeochemical cycles.  Still, we are faced with fundamental open questions about the activity, molecular diversity, and evolutionary development of their biochemical and molecular strategies. This is largely due to the fact that microbes are hard to differentiate and study using traditional, ecological observational techniques. This course will highlight emerging efforts to elucidate the activity, diversity, and evolution of microbial genes and link them to key oceanic ecosystem and biogeochemical processes, by merging biochemistry, molecular biology, and genome-based approaches with innovative instrumentation. These efforts have begun to shed novel insight into staggering microbial biodiversity and a range of cellular strategies, including niche adaptation, stress response, cell communication, signaling, and defense, which strongly shape their ecological impact in the oceans. Learning Goals: 1,2

16:681:603

TEACHING IN MICROBIOLOGY (2)
Students serve as Assistants in four labs which teach pathogenic bacteriology to first-year medical students.  Labs occur between early Feb and mid-March. The course provides meetings before each lab to go over material, and individual mentoring as necessary. Labs meet on Wed-Thurs-Fri mornings, hours vary by week.  Prep meetings are usually on Friday’s at noon or 1pm. Assistants are not required to prepare solutions or media, or set out equipment; they are asked to help put away equipment after labs are over, and to help grade brief lab reports. Students get experience presenting the lab overviews in the course.  Must obtain permission from instructor to register for this course.            

TEACHING TECHNIQUES IN MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS (2,2)
Prerequisite: Open only to matriculated students in the graduate program in microbiology and molecular genetics.
Guidance and practical experience in the teaching of microbiology and molecular genetics.

LABORATORY ROTATION IN MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR GENETICS (2,2,2,2)
Prerequisite: Written approval of program director. Open only to matriculated students in the graduate program.
Half-term research projects of interest to the student in faculty laboratories Learning Goals: 3

TOPICS IN THE TRANSLATION OF RESEARCH TO MEDICINE (1) Topics in the Translation of Research to Medicine is a graduate course that focuses on the interfaces between basic, translational and clinical research.  The course includes an introduction to the translational research problem, and discussion of papers in the area of basic science but have the opportunity to be translational or clinical/translational papers that would benefit from understanding the basic science behind the work. Learning Goals: 1,2

INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN MICROBIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (BA)
Prerequisites: Permission of faculty adviser and program director.
Library research project normally leading to a nonthesis essay for master’s degree candidates.

SEMINAR IN MOLECULAR GENETICS AND MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY (1)
Informal critical description and discussion of current literature and concepts. Learning Goals: 1,2

SEMINAR IN VIROLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND PATHOGENIC MICROBIOLOGY (1)
The Application of Fungal Systems to Molecular and Cellular Biology
Informal critical description and discussion of current literature and concepts. Learning Goals: 1,2

SEMINAR ON CHROMATIN REMODELING AND GENE EXPRESSION (1,1)
This is a one credit seminar course focused on chromatin remodeling and gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms. The course will meet weekly to discuss current literature that appears in primary scientific journals.  Each week, a student will choose a primary article (or two depending on the subject), and lead a group discussion on the data Learning Goals: 1,2

SEMINAR IN COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY – Molecular Networks (1)
Intended for Molecular Biosciences graduate students as a gentle introduction to the analysis of protein-protein interactions. (Interactome) and genetic regulatory circuits (Regulome). In the post-genomic era the next challenge is to understand how all the cellular proteins function together. Large quantities of data are being obtained using two-hybrid experiments, protein and DNA microarrays, co-immunoprecipitation, RNAi, mass spectroscopy, digital imaging, and other techniques. The organisms that have been investigated include bacteria, yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, Arabidopsis, mice, and humans. The data are being used to answer questions about the regulation of gene expression, protein localization, signal transduction, cellular differentiation, cancer, and other human diseases. Using examples from the recent literature we will explore how these data are being analyzed to yield useful information. Learning Goals: 1,2

16:681:701
702

MICROBIAL ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY (3)
Barkay. Lec. 3 hrs., lab. 3 hrs. Prerequisite: 16:681:501.
Qualitative and quantitative methods for the study of microbial communities. Ecological determinants. Characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Biogeochemical cycles and energy flow. Microbial interactions and community structure.