Biochemistry
(Offered as BIOL 331, BCBP 331, and CHEM 331) Structure and function of biologically important molecules and their role(s) in life processes. Protein conformation, enzymatic mechanisms and selected metabolic pathways will be analyzed. Additional topics may include: nucleic acid conformation, DNA/protein interactions, signal transduction and transport phenomena. Four classroom hours and four hours of laboratory work per week. Offered jointly by the Departments of Biology and Chemistry. A student may not receive credit for both BCBP/BIOL/CHEM 331 and CHEM 330.
Cell Struct & Function
(Offered as BIOL 291 and BCBP 291) An analysis of the structure and function of cells in plants, animals, and bacteria. Topics to be discussed include the cell surface and membranes, cytoskeletal elements and motility, cytoplasmic organelles and bioenergetics, the interphase nucleus and chromosomes, mitosis, meiosis, and cell cycle regulation. Four classroom hours and three hours of laboratory per week.
Requisite: BIOL 191. Limited to 28 students. Spring semester. Professors Edwards and Poccia.
Special Topics
Independent reading course.
Fall and spring semesters. The Department.
Observational Astronomy
An immersive research experience in observational astrophysics for students who have completed ASTR 337. Students begin the semester with a January trip to the WIYN 0.9m telescope on Kitt Peak, AZ, where they collect data that they will use to design and carry out independent research projects. The semester is spent reducing and analyzing the data and preparing scientific results for presentation. Professional techniques of CCD imaging, photometry, astrometry and statistical image analysis are applied using research-grade software.
Intro to Data Science
The purpose of this course is to introduce data analysis and visualization techniques that will allow students to excel in further coursework in astronomy and other STEM majors. Students will be introduced to how to use the Python programming language to analyze and manipulate data; how to create, interpret, and present visualizations of those data; and how to apply statistical analysis techniques to data. We will sharpen these skills through the lens of astronomical data collection and analysis, though the skills themselves are applicable in many other fields.