Research Methods in Biology

Catalog description

This course provides hands-on, laboratory experience in biological research, guiding students through the entire research process from developing research questions to conducting experiments and presenting findings. Students will build foundational lab skills, design and refine experiments, collect and analyze data, and communicate their results through written proposals and presentations. The course emphasizes critical thinking, troubleshooting, and scientific communication, preparing students for future research or professional applications in biology. Topics will include but are not limited to molecular biology, synthetic biology, biotechnology, ecology, and cell/tissue culture, or a combination of topics. The course will include lecture instruction on proposal writing, literature review, experimental design, peer review, and proposal presentation, as well as lab-based research tied to the students' proposals.