This course is a rigorous introduction to the study of protein molecules and their role as catalysts in the cell. Topics include general principles of protein folding, protein structure-function correlation, enzyme kinetics and mechanism, carbohydrate and lipid biochemistry, and metabolic pathways (catabolic and anabolic) and their interaction and cross-regulation. Biological transformation of energy is considered in light of the principles of thermodynamics.

This course looks at the evolutionary relations of the profoundly different groups of animals in light of their structure, development, and fossil history. Emphasizes exceptional organisms that prove - and disprove - biological rules. Themes include coloniality, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and making skeletons.

Studies at the molecular level of various aspects of genetics, as expressed in bacterial and viral systems. Topics include patterns and mechanisms of replication, recombination, repair, and mutation of DNA; regulation of gene activity; gene-protein relationships; and genetic engineering. The fourth hour will follow a journal club format with student presentations.

This course examines the dynamics of evolutionary change at the molecular level, the effects of various molecular mechanisms on the structure and function of genes and genomes, and the methodology involved in dealing with molecular data from an evolutionary perspective. Lab work will be devoted to learning ways to analyze DNA sequence data and to create and evaluate trees that use molecular data.