Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• CAS BI 576: Carcinogenesis
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI203 & CASBI206 & CASBI552) - Covers multiple aspects of cancer biology with a focus on molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development and progression, and the implications for therapy. Topics include oncogenes, tumor suppressors, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis, mouse models, and chemotherapy. Emphasis on current research. Students may not receive credit for more than one of the following courses: CAS BI 327, CAS BI 576, and GMS BT 520.
• CAS BI 577: Quantitative Approaches in Molecular Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (GRSBI753) and PhD standing. - Introduces biology graduate students to concepts and bioinformatics tools necessary for quantitative analysis of biological problems. Students learn the programming language R, analyze next generation sequencing and transcriptomic data.
• CAS BI 578: Marine Geographic Information Science
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 260 and CASEE 144; CASMA 213 is recommended - Introduction to marine geographic information systems and spatial analysis for conservation, management, and marine landscape ecology. Comparative examples from Gulf of Maine and tropics. Solve problems in coastal zoning and marine park design, whale and coral reef conservation.
• CAS BI 579: Progress in Ecology, Behavior, Evolution, and Marine Biology 1
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: graduate standing in EBE or MB. - Facilitates presentation and discussion of research ideas, preliminary data, and research progress by all graduate students in Ecology/Behavior/Evolution and Marine Biology (EBE-MB). All EBE-MB graduate students are encouraged to participate every semester, but only receive two credits toward the degree once, for BI 579 or BI 580. Not a Biology/BMB major/minor elective toward the BA and cannot be combined with another 2-credit course for elective credit toward the BA.
• CAS BI 580: Progress in Ecology, Behavior, Evolution, and Marine Biology 2
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: graduate standing in EBE or MB. - Facilitates presentation and discussion of research ideas, preliminary data, and research progress by all graduate students in Ecology/Behavior/Evolution and Marine Biology (EBE-MB). All EBE-MB graduate students are encouraged to participate every semester, but only receive two credits toward the degree once, for BI 579 or BI 580. Not a Biology/BMB major/minor elective toward the BA and cannot be combined with another 2-credit course for elective credit toward the BA.
• CAS BI 581: Seminar in Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Informal discussion and student reports on subjects of current interest based on an intensive study of the literature. Topics and prerequisites vary. Not for Biology major or minor credit unless two sections of BI 581/582 are taken. One topic is offered Fall 2021. Section B1: Grant Writing. Seminar course in preparing a research grant proposal.
• CAS BI 582: Seminar in Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. Open to seniors and graduate students concentra ting in biology. - Informal discussion and student reports on subjects of current interest based on an intensive study of the literature. Topics and prerequisites vary. Not for Biology major or minor credit unless two sections of BI 581/582 are taken. Topic for Spring 2022, Section Z1: Professional Development for Biology PhDs (Pre- reqs: PhD standing; completion of qualifying exams). Explores topics related to a variety of career paths post-PhD. Topics may include Individual Development Plans (IDPs), career panels for industry, non-profit, or government jobs, oral/written presentation skills, and will be shaped by the preferences of students in the class.
• CAS BI 583: Seminar: Progress in Cell and Molecular Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Open to graduate students only. - Facilitates presentation and discussion of research ideas, preliminary data, and research progress by all graduate students in Cell & Molecular Biology (CM). All CM graduate students are encouraged to participate every semester, but receive credits toward the degree only once. BI 583 (fall course) and BI 584 (spring course) can both be taken (4 credits total) for the degree.
• CAS BI 584: Seminar: Progress in Cell and Molecular Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Open to graduate students only. - Facilitates presentation and discussion of research ideas, preliminary data, and research progress by all graduate students in Cell & Molecular Biology (CM). All CM graduate students are encouraged to participate every semester, but receive credits toward the degree only once. BI 583 (fall course) and BI 584 (spring course) can both be taken (4 credits total) for the degree.
• CAS BI 586: Ecological Genomics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CAS BI 206 or BI 216) and (MA 115 or MA 213); or consent of instructo r. Also recommended are BI 303 and BI 309. - Course covers topics related to community ecology, population biology and organismal physiology. Lectures and readings are integrated with genomic analyses and statistics. Focus is on marine invertebrates; however, these tools are universal across microbes, fungi, plants and animals. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Creativity/Innovation, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
• CAS BI 588: Project Design and Statistics in Biological Anthropology
  This seminar teaches students project design and statistics using R and Rstudio. Students will become competent in coding, version control, data reports and commenting code, and implement both basic and advanced statistics to be used in student research projects. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration.
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  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Scientific Inquiry II
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
• CAS BI 589: Neural Impacts on Tumorigenesis
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASNE203 OR CASBI325) - Explores neuronal invasion and mechanisms of neurogenesis into solid tumors, cross-talk in tumor microenvironments, and nervous system influence on cancer modulators that enhance tumorigenesis. Enhancement of cancer from environmental stress at this interface is also examined. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Scientific Inquiry II, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Oral and/or Signed Communication
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Scientific Inquiry II
• CAS BI 591: Bio-Optical Oceanography
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: admission to the Marine Semester. - This field- and lab-based course explores how the optically active constituents in seawater affect the in-water light field, and in turn, how field optics and remote sensing can facilitate the study of marine biogeochemistry, biological oceanography and water quality. Also offered as CAS ES 591.
• CAS BI 593: Marine Physiology and Climate Change
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASBI108) or consent of the instructor, and admission to the Marine Semester. - Explores the range of physiological responses marine organisms exhibit in response to climate change. Investigates phenotypic plasticity exhibited across different organisms and how this plasticity can influence an organism's resilience to its changing environment.
• CAS BI 594: Topics in Biology 5
  This course may be repeated for credit if the topic is different. Prerequisites vary with topic.
• CAS BI 595: Master's Research in Biology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Admission into the MS or BA/MS combined program - Biology laboratory research conducted under supervision of a faculty member. Externships are acceptable with prior approval. Minimum of 7.5 or 15 hours per week in the lab, culminating in submission of a written progress report.
• CAS BI 597: Graduate Directed Study in Biology
  Mentored directed study with a faculty member of the Biology Department. The directed study should involve graduate level investigation on a well-defined subject determined in consultation with faculty member.
• CAS BI 598: Neural Circuits
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASBI 325 or CASNE 203, and CASPY 106. - Reviews modern techniques and toolsets that are capable of dissecting neural circuits, which are critical for understanding how coordinated patterns of neural activity lead to complex behavior. Recent literature on information processing, guided behavior and cognition is discussed.
• CAS BI 599: Physiology of the Synapse
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: junior standing. Recommended: CAS BI 325 or BI 445 or BI 481. - Neuron development and maturation, synapse formation, structure and molecular components of synapses, synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitter receptors, cellular basis for learning and memory, synaptic pathology in neurological diseases. Two hours lecture, two hours paper presentation and discussion.
• CAS BI 607: Animal Behavior
  Ethological approach to animal behavior. Physiological, ontogenic, and phylogenic causes and adaptive significance of behavior are examined within an evolutionary framework, minimally including humans. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Ethical Reasoning
  • Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings
  • Research and Information Literacy