CHEM 210
Analytical Chemistry
A course in the quantitative and qualitative description of chemical equilibria in solution (acid-base, complexation, redox, solubility) using classical, separation, electrochemical, and spectrochemical methods of analysis. This course covers methods of quantification, statistics, and data analysis as applied in modern chemistry. Opportunities for individually designed projects. Three lectures and one laboratory per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116, placement exam, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Environmental Studies 250
BIOL 235
Evolutionary Biology
A study of biological evolution, including natural selection, adaptation, the evolution of sex, speciation, extinction, and constraints on evolutionary change. Reading primary literature is emphasized. Two lectures and one discussion per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 or BIOL 130 or ANTH 140
Also listed as Environmental Studies 213
BIOL 241
Cell Physiology
The structure and organization of the eukaryotic cell are described and employed to understand functional interrelationships at the organelle and molecular levels. Major processes considered include external environmental control mechanisms, developmental events, the regulation of energy exchange, and membrane function. Lecture only.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 or BIOL 130
CHEM 247
The Elements of Life
A seminar that introduces the biological chemistry of some 20 elements, mostly “inorganic,” that living systems incorporate and require, touching upon the topics of uptake, selectivity, compartmentalization, control, energetics, catalysis, structure, and toxicity. Students will draw from the text to elucidate in class the biological roles of individual elements. No laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116 or 119 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Environmental Studies 247
CHEM 252
Organic Chemistry II
A study of organic reactions and their mechanisms. The focus of the class is synthesis, both in the concrete sense of building molecules and in the abstract sense of pulling together disparate concepts to solve problems. Case studies from the polymer and pharmaceutical industries underline the relevance of the discipline to everyday life. One four-hour laboratory per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 250
CHEM 270
Biophysical Chemistry
A study of the physical processes involved in living systems including thermodynamics and equilibria, kinetics and transport phenomena, and applications of quantum chemistry and spectroscopy.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116, MATH 140 (or MATH 120 and MATH 130), and PHYS 130 or PHYS 160
CHEM 320
Inorganic Chemistry
A survey of structures, properties, reactivities, and interrelationships of chemical elements and their compounds. Topics include unifying principles and concepts that enable the interpretation of experimental data associated with materials. Emphasis on multidisciplinary aspects of inorganic chemistry. Lectures and weekly laboratory. Laboratory projects involve synthesis and studies of compounds using a variety of experimental methods.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116 or 119 or consent of instructor
BIOL 340
Topics in Neuroscience
A study of the nervous system from the perspectives of psychology and biology. Topics vary year to year and may include glial cells, neural development, and the evolution of nervous systems and neurotransmitter systems. Lecture only. May be repeated when topic is different.
Topic for Winter 2014: The Mindful Brain
Mindfulness meditation involves paying attention, on purpose and without judgment. With roots in Eastern philosophy, it has been applied to the treatment of various physical and mental conditions in contemporary Western medicine and psychotherapy. This course will explore research on how mindfulness meditation changes the brain.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 116 and either BIOL 140 or BIOL 150, and one course in psychology; or PSYC 360 and one course in biology; or consent of instructor
Also listed as Psychology 580
CHEM 340
Biochemistry I
An introduction to the study of biological processes at the molecular level with emphases on protein struction and function, enzyme mechanism and kinetics, fundamentals of physical biochemistry, and the chemistry of biological molecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 250 or concurrent enrollment, or consent of instructor
Also listed as Biology 444
PSYC 350
Psychopharmacology and Behavior
An interdisciplinary examination of the ways in which behaviorally active drugs exert their effects, drawing on research in pharmacology, psychology, biochemistry, anatomy, and neurophysiology. Provides an understanding and appreciation of the role of behaviorally active drugs in people’s lives, today and in the past.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing
BIOL 354
Molecular Biology
An interdisciplinary examination of regulatory mechanisms leading to differential gene expression. Main topics include transcription, translation, gene and protein structure, and modern genomics. The application of current molecular techniques is emphasized throughout the course. Laboratory work is experimental in approach. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 or BIOL 130, and CHEM 115
BIOL 356
Genomics
An overview of the recently emerged field of bioinformatics. Classes will include lectures and computer practicals. Topics covered will include: genome projects, DNA and protein sequence analysis, multiple sequence alignments, searching biological databases, protein structure prediction, transcriptomes and proteomes, and microarrays.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: One of BIOL 260, BIOL 351, BIOL 354, BIOL 444, or CHEM 340
CHEM 370
Physical Chemistry I
Develops and explores theoretical descriptions of chemical systems: physical states, the laws of thermodynamics as applied to chemical and physical equilibria, chemical reaction kinetics, and catalysis. No laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: MATH 150, PHYS 150, CHEM 116; or consent of instructor
CHEM 410
Instrumental Analysis
An advanced course in instrumental methods of quantification and identification in modern chemistry. Emphasis on instrument design, operating principles, interpretation of instrumental data, and discrimination between techniques. Discussion of spectroscopic, chromatographic, and electrochemical techniques and their application in fundamental and applied research. Three lectures and one laboratory per week.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 210 or consent of instructor
CHEM 440
Biochemistry II
A continuation of Biochemistry I. A study of biological processes at the molecular level with an emphasis on metabolic pathways, recent advances in biochemical medicine, and biochemical aspects of gene replication, protein synthesis, molecular motors, and sensing. The course is divided between lecture and discussion and will rely heavily on current biochemical literature.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 340 or consent of instructor
Also listed as Biology 455
CHEM 450
Topics in Advanced Organic Chemistry
A study of modern topics in organic chemistry, emphasizing current literature. Topics may vary from year to year, but the class typically covers organic synthesis in depth. Students will often use the literature and their own expanding understanding of chemical reactivity to design synthetic routes to complex drugs and natural products. No formal laboratory; lab exercises may occasionally substitute for lectures.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: CHEM 252 or consent of instructor
BIOL 453
Developmental Biology
An experimental approach to animal development with laboratory and lecture emphasis on the molecular and cellular level. Includes discussions of pattern formation, differentiation, cell interactions, gametogenesis, fertilization, and early embryogenesis. Lecture and laboratory.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 140 or BIOL 150; and one of the following (or concurrent enrollment): BIOL 241, BIOL 444/CHEM 340, BIOL 260, BIOL 325
PHYS 500
Special Topics in Physics
Treats selected topics, such as relativity, fundamental particles, fluid mechanics, and surface physics that vary according to the interests of students and staff.
Topic for Fall 2013: Astrophysics and Plasma Physics
This course will treat aspects of two important areas of contemporary physics and their intersections: astrophysics and plasma physics. Astrophysics includes topics such as orbital mechanics, stellar structure and evolution, galactic dynamics, the origin and evolution of the Universe. Plasma physics explores the properties of hot, ionized gases: motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields, plasma kinetic theory, fluid models, waves and instabilities, and wave-particle interactions. These two subjects intersect in the treatment of the interstellar medium, the solar atmosphere, and the physics of accretion disks near compact objects, among others.
Topic for Winter 2014: Condensed Matter Physics
Explores the fundamental properties of condensed matter. This course will focus on atomic structures in the various states of condensed matter, phase transformations, crystal symmetries and the consequences for physical properties, electronic properties, phonons, magnetism, and the properties of reduced dimensionality systems. This course will emphasize advanced experimental and computational techniques.
Topic for Spring 2014: Particle Physics
This course will cover topics in particle physics including the phenomenological description of particles and their interactions using the standard model of particle physics. We will introduce the Feynman calculus and its use in quantum electrodynamics. Special topics will include neutrino oscillations and the Higgs boson.
Units: 6.
BIOL 520
Cancer Biology
An advanced seminar covering key areas of cancer biology, including epidemiology, molecular diagnostics, mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and current treatments. Students will undertake critical review of current literature in these fields and will have input into course content.
Units: 6.
Prerequisite: BIOL 241 or BIOL 260 or BIOL 354 or BIOL 444
