Cell Biology

Catalog description

BIOM 6000 is a beginning-to-intermediate-level graduate school course designed to introduce students to the molecular compenents and physiological mechanisms that underlie the structure and function of eukaryotic cells. The course emphasizes core cell biology concepts by describing both landmark experiments and methods as well as current scientific research questions and technical approaches. Lectures till focus on discoveries involving: (i) molectuler mechanisms of cellular communication; (ii) intracellular compartmentalization, protein/vesicle targeting, and organelle biogenesis; (iii) mechanisms of membrane transport and excitability; (iv) cytoskeletal architecture, cell adhesion, and cell motility; and (v) cell fate. The main goal of the course is to provide a strong foundational basis for the biomedical student's graduate education especially in the practice of solving research problems in the context of cell biology. The format and content of the course conveys to students not only how scientists what they know but also the tremendous excitement that has paralleled rapid advances in understanding cell structure, organization, and function in recent years. Permission of instructor required to enroll.