MCB 493 Syllabi - Special Topics Mol Cell Biol

Back to Course Listing

MCB 493: Discussion of current topics of interest within the broad domain of molecular and cellular biology; seminar or lecture format. Topics vary. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours. Prerequisite: Junior standing and consent of instructor.

Download full syllabus for these MCB 493 sections:

Cancer Pathophysiology

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section CPP: This course examines how abnormalities that occur at the molecular and cellular level manifest as pathologies affecting the onset and progression of various forms of cancer. It also focuses on the pathophysiology of common human cancers and the genetic and environmental factors that influence malignant invasion and metastasis. The involvement of these biological factors in cancer diagnosis, prevention, and management will be discussed throughout the course integrating basic science and clinical aspects central to oncology.

Neurobiology of Mental Illness

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section NMI: This course will provide an overview of the neural circuitry regulating emotion and discuss how this circuitry may be disrupted in psychiatric disorders. Diseases covered in class will include anxiety disorders, depression, fear disorders, and eating disorders. Lectures and readings will cover the physiology, symptomology, and current treatment strategies for treating mental illness, and the most current biological understanding of the neural circuit mechanisms involved in these disorders. A particular emphasis will be placed on the use of rodent animal models for dissecting the neural causes of physiological and pathological emotion regulation and understanding how changes in cellular and molecular pathways impact the neural circuitry regulating emotion.

Neurobiology of the Senses

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section NOS: This course will cover the major functions of the sensory systems and the mechanisms of sensation and perception at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. In addition, it considers the physiological basis of sensory system development, plasticity, and disease based upon human clinical data and research in animal models. Prerequisite: MCB 314 This section of this course counts as an advanced MCB course.

Research Experience in Microbiology

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section REM: Research Experience in Microbiology is for students who haven’t had a chance to participate in authentic research yet. This section of this course will count as 3 hours toward the 15 advanced credit hours of Advanced MCB Courses in the MCB undergraduate degree program.

Other recent MCB 493 sections:

Advanced Physiology Lab

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section APL: This is an advanced laboratory course designed to study fundamental physiology concepts including full body metabolism, endocrine signaling, and neural, muscular, and cardiovascular systems using hands-on experiments and computer simulations. Students will measure and analyze how diet and exercise impinge on the response elicited from these different systems using a calorimeter, analyzing blood glucose and hormone levels, testing for stress/anxiety, and measuring heart rate and muscle contraction. In addition, the goals of the course also include facilitating a student-driven experimental design, testing and analysis process.

Epigenetics

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section EPI: This course will cover the field of epigenetics that seeks to explain how long-lasting changes in cellular and organismal traits can occur through non-genetic, environmentally responsive mechanisms. The course will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic phenomenon but we will also cover applications to contemporary topics such as cancer, metabolism, aging, and tissue engineering.

Genetic Disorders and Counseling (now: MCB 474)

PDF syllabus - was: MCB 493 Section GDC: This course addresses key issues in human genetics at an advanced level and is designed for pre-health care professionals. The course covers basic principles of medical ethics, chromosomes, complex disorders like autism and Alzheimer’s disease, gene therapy and emerging technologies like CRISPR. Relevance to counseling individuals with these disorders will be discussed throughout the course, including calculations of recurrence risk for each disorder.

Physical and Biological Chemistry

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section PBC: This course will cover the principles of thermodynamics and kinetics and their applications to biological macromolecules.

Special Topics in Virology

PDF syllabus - MCB 493 Section VIR: Viruses are everywhere. They are intimately involved in the lives of all major life forms on earth and impose enormous public health and economic burdens upon human society, as has been made painfully obvious this year. This course will focus on the common fundamental biological concepts that underlie and connect the replication strategies of diverse virus families and will examine host interactions between viruses and the host influence infection outcome. Group discussion of primary literature will be used to illustrate experimental approaches for exploring fundamental questions in virology.