Biomedical Laboratory & Clinical Sciences

• GMS BT 104: Medical Terminology 1
  Understanding medical terminology is fundamental for anyone working in the sciences. It is the language of the technician or researcher involved in biotechnology, biomedical investigations, or clinical research. Students learn the analysis and construction of medical words within a context of scientific concepts. After the basics, students learn the anatomy and diseases of the following systems: male and female reproductive, cardiovascular, respiratory, and blood. Technology fee applies to online section only.
• GMS BT 106: Medical Terminology 2
  Prereq: GMS BT 104 (Med Term 1) or consent of program director. Continue building your medical vocabulary as you learn the anatomy and diseases of the following systems: digestive, urinary, lymphatic/immune and endocrine. Technology fee applies to online section only.
• GMS BT 110: Introduction to Biomedical Laboratory Sciences
  Prereq: One semester of biology, two semesters of chemistry and BT 208 (Ess. Math for Biotech) or consent of program director. Provides a theoretical and practical foundation in laboratory science. Students are introduced to the scientific method, laboratory mathematics, chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and immunology. Students learn hands-on solution making, electrophoresis, protein quantitation and other commonly used laboratory methods. Emphasis is placed on lab safety, proper handling of instruments, careful following of written instructions for lab procedures, maintenance of lab notebooks, and data collection, presentation and analysis. Laboratory course.
• GMS BT 201: Anatomy and Physiology 1
  Prereq: One semester of biology. This course provides a practical understanding of anatomic structures and coordinates this knowledge with the various functions of the human body. Also explored are regulatory processes that integrate cells, tissues, organs and systems. Topics include: organization of the body, tissue development, cellular structure and function as well as the integumentary (skin), skeletal, and muscular systems. The last third of the course focuses on the nervous system. The course incorporates clinical material throughout.
• GMS BT 202: Anatomy and Physiology 2
  Prereq: GMS BT 201 (A&P 1) or consent of program director. This course is the second half of an intensive sequence designed to integrate the structure with the function of the human body. The course covers the endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic and immune, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Students study these systems as they relate to homeostasis and clinical disorders. Laboratory exercises on each system are incorporated into the course materials.
• GMS BT 205: Scientific Writing and Communication
  This course will provide students with training in fundamental writing mechanics, basic scientific writing, and oral presentations. The class will help to develop the ability to communicate science effectively in a variety of contexts, including how to present science to non-expert audiences. The course will be taught in two parts: Part-1: Will teach and reiterate fundamental writing skills that students need to master in order to write clearly, concisely, and effectively; Part-2: Will contain a number of writing and presentation exercises that prepare students to write a full-length report of a scientific study. Examples of class topics include: Defining what is good writing; Writing basics--punctuation, grammar, parallelism; Paragraphs, logic flow and organization; Dissecting a scientific abstract, etc.
• GMS BT 208: Essential Math for Biotechnology
  Prereq: College algebra. This course prepares students for math calculations commonly used in biotech/biomedical laboratories, and in BLCS courses such as BT 110 (Intro Biomed Lab Sci), BT 411 (Protein Purific.), and BT 454 (Cell Culture). Topics include scientific notation, metric system, solution concentration, dilutions, and logarithmic scales. Some classes are held in the laboratory so that students can apply math skills to solution making, serial dilutions and standard curves. Students also develop strategies for solving word problems and explore the essential elements of data organization, summarization and presentation. Some laboratory exercises.
• GMS BT 210: Medical Writing in Clinical Research
  Prereq: GMS BT 560 GCP or equivalent or consent of program director. This course introduces students to the structure, content, and regulatory requirements of documents created for the clinical research industry. Students learn about FDA regulations and ICH guidelines for drugs and biologics, the AMA Manual of Style, and other common industry standards. Students learn to apply these industry standards to compose clinical research documents such as a clinical study protocol, informed consent form, and clinical study results.
• GMS BT 290: Disease and Public Health
  Prereq: GMS BT 104 or 106 Medical Terminology or equivalent or permission of program director. This course is designed to familiarize students with concepts of public health as a field of study and how different diseases impact society. We will use the Boston Public Health Commission report on the "Health of Boston" as a template for learning about healthcare disparities, social justice, cancer screening, cancer incidence and mortality, infectious diseases and environmental factors that impact people and population health. Students will begin to make connections between previous coursework, such as cell biology, pathology and anatomy, as well as new concepts, including epidemiology, immunology and experimental designs, as they pertain to the study of human disease. The goal of the course is to give students a knowledge-base that can prepare them for thinking critically should they decide to work in a research, diagnostic or public health setting.
• GMS BT 301: Introduction to Biomedical Research Laboratory Techniques
  Prereq: GMS BT110 and GMS BT208. This course will focus on the fundamental laboratory skills that students need to prepare for a career in the biomedical sciences. The course emphasizes the theoretical as well as the applied aspects of basic methodologies in research. The course is reinforced with applied, hands-on laboratory sessions that provides practical experience in the topics covered in the preceding lectures. The majority of class time will be designed to provide students with ample hands-on time in the lab to practice their skills in the presence of the course instructor. The course will focus on providing students with a set of basic laboratory skills, such as safety practices, laboratory mathematics, documentation, and good laboratory ethics. Students will also be educated in research methodology, data analysis, and data presentation. Topics covered include solution chemistry; protein extraction and detection using Western blot and ELISA; the basic principles of immunohistochemistry; cell culture basics, and RNA extraction. Students, even those with some previous laboratory hands-on experience, will benefit from this course because of its combined focus on the theoretical and applied aspects of laboratory techniques/methods. The proposed topics of study would include: Introduction to Proteins Protein Detection Methods; Gene Expression; Principles of Immunohistochemistry and Protein Colonization; Microscopy and Imaging, etc.
• GMS BT 342: Cell Biology
  Prereq: GMS BT110, GMS BT208, and GMS BT301. This course introduces students to eukaryotic cell structure and function, and covers various cellular components -- including the plasma membrane, mitochondria and the cytoskeleton -- and examine their roles in the cell. Additionally, students explore essential cellular processes including cell communication and the cell cycle. The course also highlights the unique features of some specialized cell types such as germ and stem cells.
• GMS BT 405: Biochemistry
  Prereq: Satisfactory completion of 1 semester of college biology with lab, 2 semesters of college chemistry with lab, and GMS BT342. This course introduces students to the fundamental biochemical principles that underlie cell function. Topics include the structure and function of biomolecules, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids, as well as the metabolic pathways involved in their synthesis and degradation. Emphasis is given to metabolic regulation and mechanisms of enzyme action.
• GMS BT 426: Medical Microbiology
  Prereq: one semester of biology and two semesters of chemistry. Provides the student with an understanding of clinically important microorganisms. Students become familiar with the classification, pathogenicity, identification, and prevention and treatment of diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, and parasites as well as the workings of a modern clinical microbiology laboratory. Laboratory course.
• GMS BT 432: Basic Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease
  Prereq: BT 104 and BT 342. This course is designed to familiarize students with the cellular and molecular basis of many different types of diseases, including infectious diseases and genetic disorders. Students begin to make connections between previous coursework, such as cell biology and anatomy. Students also learn new concepts, histology, and experimental design, as they pertain to the study of human disease. The goal of the course is to give student a knowledge base that can prepare them for thinking critically about pathology should they decide to work in a laboratory researching disease or to pursue further education in a disease-related field.
• GMS BT 436: Human Genetics
  Prereq: one semester of biology and two semesters of chemistry, BT 342 (Cell Bio) or BT 413 (Mol Bio). This course focuses on human genetics with a strong emphasis on the relationship between DNA structure, disease manifestation, and inheritance. The course reviews the molecular mechanisms underlying the flow of information within a cell from DNA to protein, population genetics, genetics of immunity and cancer, reproductive technologies, epigenetics, genomics and cancer stem cells. The class includes lectures and student presentations.
• GMS BT 440: Genetics, Ethics, and the Law
  This online class explores the newest information and legal and bioethical implications in human genetics, using audio-visuals, actual cases, discussions and lecture. Topics include: new reproductive techniques, genetic diseases, prenatal testing and genetic testing, DNA fingerprinting, cloning, and DNA technology. Online only; technology fee applies.
• GMS BT 442: Issues in Assisted Reproduction
  This course addresses the legal, ethical and scientific aspects of Assisted Reproduction (also called ART-Assisted Reproductive Techniques). The science of treating infertility has expanded amazingly in the last 15 years, from the use of sperm donors to selling eggs on the internet. Assisted Reproductive techniques are constantly changing and have given rise to many legal cases and ethical questions, which this course will. This course closely examines these legal and ethical questions. Online only; technology fee applies.
• GMS BT 482: Advanced Biomedical Research Laboratory Techniques
  This course will focus on more advanced laboratory skills that students would benefit from as they prepare for a career in the biomedical sciences. The course emphasizes the theoretical as well as the applied aspects of advanced research techniques in the biomedical sciences. The course is reinforced with applied, hands-on laboratory sessions that would provide practical experience in the topics covered in the preceding lectures. The majority of class time will be designed to provide students with ample hands-on time in the lab to practice their skills in the presence of the course instructor. The course will focus on providing students with a set of specialized laboratory skills, such as advanced cell culture practices, protein purification, and biospecimen processing and imaging. Students will also be educated in research methodology, data analysis, and data presentation. Topics covered include: transfections; reporter assays and a variety of optical assays; chromatography, electrophoresis and blotting techniques; dissection, tissue preservation techniques, and photomicroscopy. Students, even those with some previous laboratory hands-on experience, will benefit from this course because of its combined focus on the theoretical and applied aspects of advance laboratory techniques/methods.
• GMS BT 520: Biology of Cancer
  Prereq: BT 405 (Biochem) and BT 413 (Mol Bio) or consent of program director. This course focuses on the cellular and molecular changes that underlie the development and progression of human cancer. Students examine the pathways and processes that involve oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes to understand how they can contribute to cancer. Complex interactions including angiogenesis, tumor immunology, invasion and metastasis are studied as well. In addition,the course covers targeted approaches to cancer therapy and the latest scientific research including cancer epigenetics, microRNAs and cancer stem cells.
• GMS BT 540: Regulatory and Compliance Issues
  Clinical research is conducted to meet the needs of the intended patient population with an investigational medical intervention. But a favorable medical outcome is not the only criterion that is used to judge whether a product can be marketed. Clinical research needs to meet the rigorous standards of the regulators, the ethicists, and the auditors. This course reviews the laws that are in place that are designed to guide the complexities of clinical research. We will use case studies to illustrate what can really happen when clinical studies are conducted -- you may be surprised with what you find. Using group activities and exercises, we will explore the options and approaches used to manage these clinical research issues. 4 cr.