BIOL 351 Special Topics
Spring 2025
Biology 351: Advanced Genetics
Instructor: Dr. Priscilla Erickson
This course provides a comprehensive overview of genetics, exploring the principles that govern heredity, variation, and the molecular basis of genetic information. Students will delve into classical Mendelian genetics, examining inheritance patterns and the role of chromosomes in heredity, before exploring concepts in modern genetics and genomics.
Key topics include:
- Probability and inheritance
- Types of genetic mutations and their implications
- Gene expression and regulation
- Genetic technologies and genomics
- Genetics of complex traits and diseases
- The history of eugenics and ethical implications of genetics
Through a combination of lectures and in-class activities students will gain hands-on experience with genetic analysis techniques and develop critical thinking skills to analyze genetic data. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to understand and evaluate contemporary genetic research and its implications. Friday class meetings will be used for practice problem sets and in-class assessments.
BIOL351: Food Microbiology
Instructor: Dr. Laura Runyen-Janecky
Microorganisms play an integral role in the production, preservation, and safety of the foods and beverages that humans consume. This lab-based course will examine these three aspects of food microbiology, with an emphasis on fermented products. After using cheese to model the three aspects, students will explore a food product of these choosing for class independent projects. Lab work will be centered around real-world projects in collaboration with an artisan cheesemaker and independent student projects. Students will be required to periodically check experiments out of scheduled class/lab time. This course is also designed to foster integrative learning, encouraging students to connect knowledge and skills from various disciplines and experiences through course assignments and reflections on their work. Click on this link for more information.