MCB 529 Syllabi - Special Topics in Cell and Developmental Biology
MCB 529: Discussion of current topics of interest in higher eukaryotic cellular and molecular biology, development, neurobiology; seminar or lecture format. Topics vary. 1 to 4 graduate hours. No professional credit. Approved for Letter and S/U grading. May be repeated if topics vary, to a maximum of 8 hours. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Download full syllabus for these MCB 529 sections:
Special Topics in Graduate Skill Development
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Section GSD: Graduate students will build skills to: (1) work in interdisciplinary and diverse teams; (2) orally communicate research findings; and (3) proactively advance their professional development towards a chosen career path. Emphasis will be placed on conducting original research with rigor and attention to societal impact, while also building transferrable professional skills. This holistic research training will prepare students to address pressing challenges of our time as they take their place in the modern STEM workforce.Other recent MCB 529 sections:
Special Topics in Neurons and Glia
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Sections MUG & MG2: This course will explore recent advances and current challenges in the study of the nervous system. This will be a largely discussion-based course with presentations of student research and scientific journal articles.
Special Topics in NCGAS Bioinformatics
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Section BIO: This course is taught by the National Center for Genome Analysis Support (NCGAS) Staff and will teach the use of high-performance computing (HPC) systems and bioinformatics methods. The goal is to prepare students to analyze data generated by projects in the Genomics and Eco-evolution of Multi-Scale Symbioses (GEMS) program, but non-GEMs students should find the material informative. This semester, we will cover a workflow to assemble a new bacterial genome from raw Illumina and Nanopore reads, followed by downstream analyses with the new genome. During this process, we will also cover HPC skills such as command line, data and software management, and job handlers - all important in making your analyses go smoothly.
Special Topics in Exploring Microbial Diversity
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Section EMD: Although microbes are essential to every ecosystem less than 1% of the diversity of microbes from the natural world are in culture in the lab. This laboratory-based course will teach students how to design culturing strategies to target and grow microbes from natural systems. We focus as an example on microbes associated with plants (clover) and animals (bees) from the long-term ecological research site called the Kellogg Biological Research station LTER.
Special Topics in Genomics and Eco-evolution of Multi-Scale Symbioses
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Section GEM: This is a seminar course for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students, wherein students will listen to symbiosis-related research talks and read and discuss symbiosis related research papers in alternating weeks.
Special Topics in Health and Disease
PDF syllabus - MCB 529 Section HAD: This course will explore recent advances and current challenges in the fields of health and disease. Critical assessment of journal articles and introduction to modern experimental techniques will feature prominently. This will be a largely discussion-based course with interspersed lectures and student presentations. Topics will be chosen based on the requests of the students, but can include cancer, endocrine and developmental disorders, aging and modern pharmacology. This course would be of interest to graduate students in any life science. This class will meet in 501 Burrill.