| Genetics |
GEN 401 - Professional Perspectives in Genetics
Credits:
1.00
Introduction to the fields of genetics and genomics and to
the genetics faculty and their research. Invited speakers
provide a sampling of careers available to genetic majors.
Emphasis on skills needed for academic success and
strategies for achieving professional goals. Required for
first-year genetics majors; open to others. Fall semester
only. Cr/F.
GEN 600 - Field Experience
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
A supervised experience providing the opportunity to apply
academic experience in settings associated with future
professional employment and/or related graduate
opportunities. Must be approved by a faculty advisor
selected by the student. Prereq: permission. Cr/F.
GEN 600W - Field Experience
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
A supervised experience providing the opportunity to apply
academic experience in settings associated with future
professional employment and/or related graduate
opportunities. Must be approved by a faculty advisor
selected by the student. Prereq: permission. Writing
intensive. Cr/F.
GEN 604 - Principles of Genetics
Credits:
4.00
Chemical structure of genetic material, Mendelism, gene
recombination, and chromosome mapping. Mutation, gene
expression and regulation, recombinant DNA. Quantitative
inheritance and population genetics. Prereq: BIOL 411 and
412; CHEM 403 and 404. College math or statistics
suggested. Offered each semester. Special fee.
GEN 606 - Genetics Lab
Credits:
4.00
Hands-on experience with some of the important organisms
used for research in genetics (Drosophila, E coli, yeast,
C. elegans, and plants). Investigation of fundamental
genetic concepts in the laboratory, experience with
tranmission and molecular genetic techniques, introduction
to bioinformatics, and analysis and interpretation of data.
Prereq: GEN 604. Special fee.
GEN 704 - Genetics of Prokaryotic Microbes
Credits:
5.00
Study of the maintenance, exchange, and expression of
genetic material in bacteria and their viruses. Combines a
historical overview on the important role microbial
genetics played in the development of modern molecular
biology with a contemporary perspective on the methods used
to understand the function of genes. Particular emphasis is
placed on current experimental applications to basic
science, biomedical research, and biotechnology. Prereq:
BMCB 658 and BMS 503. Lab. Special fee.
GEN 705 - Population and Quantitative Genetics
Credits:
4.00
An introduction to the theory and application of population
and quantitative genetics. Exploration of the forces
(mutation, selection, random drift, inbreeding, assortative
mating) affecting the frequency and distribution of allelic
variation in natural populations. Quantifying the structure
of populations. Analysis of continuous variation in
populations simultaneously at multiple loci, interactions
between genes and their environment underlying phenotypic
variation. Methods of analysis for theoretical and
practical applications. Prereq: GEN 6 04; one semester of
statistics and calculus recommended. Lab. (Not offered
every year.)
GEN 706 - Human Genetics
Credits:
3.00
The genetic basis of human traits and diseases. New
understanding added by molecular genetic approaches. Human
genome project, gene therapy. Discussion of genetic
components of quantitative and behavioral traits in human
evolution. (Not offered every year.) Prereq: GEN 604 or
ANSC 612.
GEN 711 - Genomics and Bioinformatics
Credits:
4.00
The methods, applications, and implications of
genomics--the analysis of whole genomes. Microbial, plant
and animal genomics are addressed, as well as medical,
ethical and legal implications. The lab provides exposure
and experience on a range of bioinformatics approaches--the
computer applications used in genome analysis. Prereq: GEN
604. Lab.
GEN 712 - Introduction to Perl programming for Bioinformatics
Credits:
4.00
Introductory course in PERL programming designed to enable
students in the life sciences to solve fundamental
biological questions of simple to moderate complexity that
require the use of computers to automate repetitive tasks
and handle query results efficiently, including: computer
values of important parameters of biological sequence data,
writing pattern search and motif discovery scripts,
accessing, querying, manipulating, retrieving, parsing,
analyzing, and saving data from local and remote databases.
Prereq: GEN 604 or permission. Lab.
GEN 713 - Microbial Ecology and Evolution
Credits:
4.00
Functional roles of microorganisms, their population
dynamics and interactions, and their mechanisms of
evolutionary change in natural communities, laboratory
experiments, and simple mathematical models. Special
emphasis on the tempo and mode of prokaryotic adaptation,
the evolution of virulence, and the origin of new
pathogens. Prereq: BMS 503. Special fee. Writing intensive.
GEN 715 - Molecular Evolution
Credits:
4.00
Rates and patterns of evolutionary change in biomolecules.
Forces affecting the size and structure of genomes.
Molecular mechanisms of organismal evolution. Emphasizes
integrating evidence from biochemistry, molecular genetics
and organismal studies. Methods for reconstructing
phylogeny from molecular sequences. Prereq: GEN 604. Some
knowledge of statistics is recommended. Special fee. Lab.
(Not offered every year.)
GEN 717 - Molecular Microbiology
Credits:
5.00
Fundamental physiological and metabolic processes of
archaea, bacteria and fungi with a strong emphasis on
prokaryotes. Literature-based course. Topics include
regulation of and coordination of microbial metabolism,
bacterial cell cycle, global control of gene expression,
signal transduction, and microbial cell differentiation.
Prereq: BMS 503; GEN 604; BMCB 658 or 751 recommended; or
permission. Special fee. Lab. Writing intensive.
GEN 728 - Statistical Genomics
Credits:
4.00
Provide a strong foundation in fundamental statistical
concepts, particularly as they relate to genomics. Topics
will include: linkage disequilibrium, haplotypes,
statistical tests used for evolutionary genetic and genomic
analysis, recombination, selective sweeps, detecting gene
variants in common diseases, modeling methods used in
genomics, quantitative trait loci, Bayesian methodology,
Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, epistasis, and analysis
of micrarray databases. Prereq: BIOL 528; GEN 604; or
permission.
GEN 771 - Molecular Genetics
Credits:
4.00
Structure, organization, replication, dynamics, and
expression of genetic information in eukaryotes. Focus on
molecular genetic mechanisms of gene expression and its
control; molecular genetics methods; molecular genetic
control of cell division and differentiation during
development. Prereq: BMCB 658 or 751; GEN 604;/ or
permission.
GEN 772 - Evolutionary Genetics of Plants
Credits:
4.00
Mechanisms of genetic change in plant evolution,
domestication, breeding, and genetic engineering. Topics
include Darwinian theory; speciation and hybridization;
origins and co-evolution of nuclear and organelle genomes;
gene and genome evolution; transposable elements,
chromosome rearrangements, polypliody. Lab: bioinformatics,
phylogenetics, writing and presentation skills. Prereq: GEN
604 or equivalent; or BIOL 411/412 or equivalent. Lab.
Special fee. (Not offered every year.) Writing intensive.
GEN 774 - Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Credits:
3.00
Plant transformation and regeneration, gene isolation and
identification, structure and regulation of plant genes,
current applications, and environmental and social
implications of plant genetic engineering. Prereq: GEN 604
or permission. (Not offered every year.)
GEN 775 - Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Lab
Credits:
2.00
Techniques for genetic transformation and selection of
plants, analysis of foreign gene expression, and plant
cell and tissue culture. Coreq: GEN 774. Special fee. (Not
offered every year.)
Co-requisites:
GEN 774
GEN 790 - Undergraduate Teaching Experience
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Students assist Graduate Teaching Assistants in preparing,
presenting, and executing Genetics courses/laboratories.
May be repeated up to a maximum of 4 credits.
GEN 795 - Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Independent study/research in various areas of genetics.
Prereq: permission. May be repeated to a maximum of 4
credits.
GEN 795W - Investigations
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
See description for GEN 795. Writing intensive.
GEN 799 - Senior Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Writing intensive.
GEN 799H - Honors Senior Thesis
Credits:
1.00 to 4.00
Writing intensive.