Students in this seminar discuss articles from the primary literature representing diverse fields of biology and present on their own research projects. Journal articles will be selected to coordinate with departmental colloquia. In alternate weeks, students present talks on research goals, data collection and data analysis. This course is required for graduate students and must be taken both years. Instructor permission required.

Through this lab students will (1) become familiar with using tools to measure physiological processes (e.g. Li-Cor 600 to measure stomatal behavior, Osmometer to measure leaf water stress, PMS Pressure Chamber to measure plant water stress), (2) in groups, design an experiment investigating plant biological responses to climate change (e.g.

Understanding human induced climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. This course approaches the topic from two different ways of knowing: plant biology and the arts. These paired approaches ground this course in the scientific underpinnings of climate change and its impact on biological life, creating a space to engage with what climate change means—for students, for the greater human community and for the earth. At the same time, students will explore how complex scientific content and deep existential challenges can be effectively communicated to the broader public.

Research design and methodology for field and laboratory studies of animal behavior. Prerequisite: BIO 260, BIO 272, BIO 362 or a statistics course. Enrollment limited to 15.

There is increasing evidence of epigenetic phenomena influencing the development of organisms and the transmission of information between generations. These epigenetic phenomena include the inheritance of acquired morphological traits in some lineages and the apparent transmission of RNA caches between generations in plants, animals and microbes. This seminar explores emerging data on epigenetics and discusses the impact of these phenomena on evolution. Participants write an independent research paper on a topic of their choice. Prerequisite: BIO 230, BIO 232 or equivalent.

This lab will cover genomic analysis pipelines from nucleic acid isolation to sequence analysis in Linux and R environments. Students will independently design and execute a high-throughput sequencing experiment to measure genetic variation in natural populations. Prerequisite: BIO 230, BIO 232 or equivalent. Corequisite: BIO 336. Enrollment limited to 12.

Ongoing developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have made genomic analysis a central feature of many scientific disciplines, including forensics, medicine, ecology, and evolution. This course will review the scope and applications of genome sequencing projects. After completing the course, students will be prepared to design a high-throughput sequencing project and interpret the results of genomic analysis. Prerequisite: BIO 230 or BIO 232. Enrollment limited to 40

Instrument specific course highly recommended for students interested in using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques in research (special studies, honors, SURF, etc.). Participants get exposure to basic and advanced light and electron microscopy techniques available at Smith. Mechanical and optical components will be reviewed. Operational parameters for improving image quality and data collection using digital imaging and image analysis techniques will be discussed.

Molecular level structure-function relationships in the nervous system. Topics include development of neurons, neuron-specific gene expression, mechanisms of neuronal plasticity in learning and memory, synaptic release, molecular biology of neurological disorders, and molecular neuropharmacology. Prerequisites: BIO 200 and NSC 210 or equivalent. Enrollment limited to 20.