Biological Sciences

Chair
:
    Charles F. Kulpa Jr., Ph.D.
    Dept. Tel. (574) 631-6552

Course Descriptions. The following course descriptions give the number and title of each course. Lecture hours per week, laboratory hours per week and semester credit hours are in parentheses. The University reserves the right to withdraw any course without sufficient registration.
 
CRNs for independent study courses may be obtained from the department office, from the Summer Session office, or from insideND.
 
BIOS 10107. Ecology and Environmental Issues
3 credits, Olsen (5-0-3)
10:30–11:50 MTWR 6/17–7/31
CRN 1027; ID # BIOS 10107 01
Last “add” date: 6/22
“Drop” dates: refund, 6/26; last, 7/10
Lecture and class discussion focus on critical thinking in science; evolution and biodiversity; and principles of population, community, aquatic, and ecosystem ecology in order to prepare students for further exploration (employing a highly collaborative format) of many of today’s environmental problems, causes, and possible solutions. The course concludes with peer group presentations on student-chosen environmental issues. Possible topics can range from conservation biology, deforestation, and forest management; resource use (food, mineral, and soil resources) and sustainability to anthropogenic impacts on environmental quality and human health (acidic deposition, global warming, ozone loss, drinking water contamination, and eutrophication). There will be two hour-long examinations and a cumulative final examination. Students will prepare a thought question set, a review paper, and a class presentation.
 
BIOS 28499. Molecular and Cellular Biology Research and Design Laboratory  COURSE NO LONGER OFFERED
2 credits, Veselik  (2-2-0)
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., MTWR 6/17-7/3
CRN 3785; ID # BIOS 28499 01
Last "add" date:  6/19
"Drop" dates: refund, 6/20; last, 6/26
Prerequisites:  Two semesters of natural science for non-science majors or permission of instructor for non-Notre Dame students.  May not be taken by science majors for science credits.  See BIOS 38499, second summer session for the science majors’ section.
This special laboratory course exposes students to a variety of techniques in modern cell biology while participating in an undergraduate research project.  Students will get hand-on experience in working with cultured cell lines, including sterile technique, media preparation, and passaging of cells.  Individual experiments will include assessment of cell growth and apoptosis, examination of subcellular structure using fluorescent microscopy, separation and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins, enzyme assays, and measurement of cell cycle by flow cytometry.  Students will gain experience with reviewing scientific literature, data presentation, statistical analysis, data interpretation, and ethical concerns relevant to reporting research data.  Additional outside work in terms of literature review, writing of reports, papers and preparing oral presentations will be necessary
 
BIOS 35502. Practicum in Environmental Field Biology I
6 credits, Belovsky, (V-V-6)
5/23–7/29
CRN 3291; ID # BIOS 35502 01
Last “add” date: 5/30
“Drop” dates: refund, 6/6; last 6/26,
Enrollment limit: 32
This course is designed to give the student practical laboratory and field experience in ecological studies in the northwoods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at Notre Dame’s environmental research center. The 10-week learning experience consists of one-week modules on forest ecology, aquatic ecology, insect ecology, herpetology, and bird and mammal ecology, and each student conducts an independent research project over the remaining five weeks. Each student is provided with a $2,500 stipend, tuition, and expenses. For further information, write:
Prof. Gary Belovsky
Department of Biological Sciences
Notre Dame, IN 46556
 
BIOS 35503. Practicum in Environmental Field Biology II
6 credits, Belovsky, (V-V-6)
6/13–8/15
CRN 3292; ID # BIOS 35503 01
Last “add” date: 6/19
“Drop” dates: refund, ;6/26 last, 7/15
Enrollment limit: 8 students who have taken BIOS 35502 the previous summer.
This course is designed to give the student advanced practical laboratory and field experience in ecological studies in the grasslands and mountains of western Montana on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The nine-week learning experience consists of one-week modules on grassland ecology, montane ecology, wildlife ecology, and human ecology focusing on ancestral Native American lifeways, and each student conducts an independent research project over the remaining five weeks. Each student is provided with a $2,500 stipend, tuition, and expenses. For further information, write:
Prof. Gary Belovsky
Department of Biological Sciences
Notre Dame, IN 46556
 
BIOS 35504. Practicum in Environmental Field Biology III
6 credits, Belovsky (V-V-6)
Dates: TBA
CRN 3460; ID # BIOS 35504 01
Enrollment limit: 24 students who have taken BIOS 35502.
Taught in Puerto Rico.
It is an opportunity to take field classes and conduct an independent research project in University of Puerto Rico programs at the El Verde (rain forest) or Mayaquez (marine) field stations. Participation in this program requires students to have first taken the Practicum in Environmental Field Biology I at “UNDERC East” (BIOS 35502).
 
BIOS 38499.  Molecular and Cellular Biology Research and Design Laboratory-Section 1
2 credits, Veselik  (2-2-0)
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, MTWR 6/17-7/3
CRN 3799; ID #BIOS 38499 01
Last "add" date:  6/19
"Drop" dates: refund, 6/20; last, 6/26
Prerequisites:  (BIOS 10161 or BIOS 20201) and (CHEM 10172 or 10182 or CHEM 20223) or two semesters of general biology with labs and two semesters of general chemistry with labs or one semester of general chemistry with lab and one semester of organic chemistry with lab for non-Notre Dame science students.  This course is for science majors only and counts as a science credit.  It satisfies one of the 6 required laboratory courses for BIOS majors at Notre Dame.
 
This special laboratory course exposes students to a variety of techniques in modern cell biology while participating in an undergraduate research project.  Students will get hands-on experience in working with cultured cell lines, including sterile technique, media preparation, and passaging of cells.  Individual experiments will include assessment of cell growth and apoptosis, examination of subcellular structure using fluorescent microscopy, separation and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins, enzyme assays, and measurement of cell cycle by flow cytometry.  Students will gain experience with reviewing scientific literature, data presentation, statistical analysis, data interpretation, and ethical concerns relevant to reporting research data.  Additional outside work in terms of literature review, writing of reports, papers and preparing oral presentations will be necessary.
 
BIOS 38499. Molecular and Cellular Biology Research and Design Laboratory -Section 2
2 credits, Veselik  (0-2-0)
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., MTWR 7/14-7/31
CRN 3784;  ID #BIOS 38499 02
Last "add" date:  7/16
"Drop" dates: refund, 7/18; last, 7/23
Prerequisites:  (BIOS 10161 or BIOS 20201) and (CHEM 10172 or 10182 or CHEM 20223) or two semesters of general biology with labs and two semesters of general chemistry with labs or one semester of general chemistry with lab and one semester of organic chemistry with lab for non-Notre Dame science students.  This course is for science majors only and counts as a science credit.  It satisfies one of the 6 required laboratory courses for BIOS majors at Notre Dame.
 
This special laboratory course exposes students to a variety of techniques in modern cell biology while participating in an undergraduate research project.  Students will get hands-on experience in working with cultured cell lines, including sterile technique, media preparation, and passaging of cells.  Individual experiments will include assessment of cell growth and apoptosis, examination of subcellular structure using fluorescent microscopy, separation and analysis of nucleic acids and proteins, enzyme assays, and measurement of cell cycle by flow cytometry.  Students will gain experience with reviewing scientific literature, data presentation, statistical analysis, data interpretation, and ethical concerns relevant to reporting research data.  Additional outside work in terms of literature review, writing of reports, papers and preparing oral presentations will be necessary.
 
BIOS 46497. Directed Readings
Variable credits, Grimstad (V-V-V)
CRN 2381
ID # BIOS 46497
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and director of undergraduate studies, Prof. Paul Grimstad.
This course provides the opportunity for independent study through readings on specific topics in biological sciences. Readings are chosen with the advice of the supervising instructor.
 
BIOS 48499. Undergraduate Research
Variable credits, Grimstad
CRN 1123
ID # BIOS 48499
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and director of undergraduate studies, Prof. Paul Grimstad.

BIOS 60522.  GLOBES:  Environmental Molecular Genome
3 credits; Feder  (V-V-3)
CRN 3527;  ID #BIOS60255 01
The GLOBES (Global Linkages of Biology, the Environment, and Society) series of courses offered each semester reflect various areas of life science relevant to multiple disciplines. Students should expect to have a different topic offered every semester under the GLOBES heading. The course is repeatable since potentially every semester the topics vary.
 
BIOS 60523. Practicum in Environmental Biology
3 credits, Lamberti(V-V-3)
8:00-5:00  MTWRF   7/25-7/31
CRN 1178; ID # BIOS 60523 01
Last “add” date: 7/25
“Drop” dates: refund, 7/26; last, 7/27
Taught UNDERC, Land O’Lakes, Michigan
Practical principles and applications of environmental biology are explored with intensive modules selected from among environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, environmental microbiology, ecological genetics, limnology/wetlands ecology, and river/watershed science. Emphasis will be placed on developing and refining laboratory and field skills. Prior permission of instructor required.
 
BIOS 68599. Thesis Direction
Variable credits, Lamberti (V-V-V)
CRN 1906;ID # BIOS 68599  
For graduate students in the master’s research program only.
 
BIOS 77672. Special Problems
Variable credits, Staff (V-V-V)
CRN varies with instructor
ID # BIOS 77672
Course Director: Prof. Gary Lamberti
Prerequisite: Approval of the instructor.
For graduate students who wish to study special topics in a particular field of interest.
 
BIOS 88600. Nonresident Thesis Research
1 credit, Lamberti (0-0-1)
CRN 1904;  ID # BIOS 88600
 
BIOS 98699. Research and Dissertation
Variable credits, Staff (V-V-V)
CRN varies with instructor
ID # BIOS 98699
For graduate students in the doctoral research program only. Three to 18 hours of laboratory research per week.
 
BIOS 98700. Nonresident Dissertation Research  
CRN varies with instructor
ID # BIOS 98700
Course Director: Prof. Gary Lamberti
For graduate students in the research program who plan to complete work for their degree in the current summer session.