Biological Sciences

The course introduces the study of genetics and focuses on understanding phenotypic variation and the mechanisms underlying inheritance. The processes that participate in converting an individual’s genotype into the phenotypes displayed by that individual are of particular interest and importance. In this course students explore the fundamental properties of genes and the various approaches to genetic analysis, as it is performed in several different model organisms. When applicable, the course examines current examples of genetics issues that
arise in the literature or in the media and link these examples to topics covered in class.

Prerequisites: General Biology

This course examines the specific immune system at the molecular level, dealing with the structure and function of the soluble and cell surface proteins involved, and to study the roles of the various cell types which participate in the immune response. This course covers a range of topics in molecular and cellular immunology, including the immune response and acquired immunity; antibody structure and function; antibody diversity and clonal selection; genetics of immunoglobulin expression; the complement system; antibody techniques; monoclonal antibodies; hypersensitivity reactions (allergies); the activity of T cells; major histocompatibility complexes, their role in transplant rejection and non-self recognition; HIV and AIDS.

The course focuses on integrative human physiology, which means how the internal organ systems interact to maintain homeostasis. This includes the structure of the organ systems (anatomy, histology) and their function and regulation (physiology). The course includes the following organs and organ systems: the heart, the circulatory system and the blood, the kidneys and the urinary tract, the respiratory system, the digestive tract and accessory organs, endocrine organs and the reproductive organs. The structure, function and regulation of the musculature is also studied. Integrated knowledge of the autonomic nervous system and energy metabolism are also included. The organ systems in question are studied from the cellular to systemic level. Major emphasis is placed on the understanding of homeostatic regulation. The course concerns how homeostasis is maintained at rest and under different conditions such as physical activity and potentially homeostasis imbalance changes in the surroundings. In order to explain physiological functions, the required anatomy and histology is studied in parallel with physiology.  Course requires 60 credits and is graded Pass or Fail.
 

This course examines marine conservation and spatial prioritization tools and protocols for enabling multiple simultaneous uses of the coastal marine estate and their application to environmental management.

The course focuses on the molecular and pharmacological foundations of psychiatric diseases. Based on understanding of the normal brain processes involved in the functioning of the brain (and focusing on regulatory, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of neuroscience), pathological processes in anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders are covered. Current treatments and new treatment options are part of an endeavor to initiate students in the exciting story of the (dys)functioning brain and its behavioral consequences. Each week expert lectures illustrate relevant topics in each domain studied. Several psychiatric disorders are explained from a clinical perspective by a psychiatrist and from a neurobiological perspective by a researcher in that particular area. The process of conducting an experiment to presenting the scientific data is reviewed. Students work individually or in small groups on each (CNS disease) topic and produce weekly products (presentations). Participants write a publication and get a walkthrough of the scientific review process. All this is performed in the framework of the development of new innovative therapeutics for CNS disorders. 

This six-week summer course provides individual research training through the experience of belonging to a specific laboratory at Tohoku University. Students are assigned to a laboratory research group with Japanese and international students under the supervision of Tohoku University faculty. They participate in various group activities, including seminars, for the purpose of training in research methods and developing teamwork skills. The specific topic studied depends on the instructor in charge of the laboratory to which each student is assigned. The methods of assessment vary with the student's project and laboratory instructor. Students submit an abstract concerning the results of their individual research each semester and present the results near the end of this program.

This course provides a basic introduction to mathematical theory and methods in biology, with enough scope to enable the student to handle biologically phrased problems. Topics covered include population models with discrete or continuous time, pharmacokinetics and -dynamics, qualitative analysis of systems of differential equations, modelling of the spread of infectious diseases, bifurcations, limit cycles, and excitable media with applications to, e.g., predator-prey models, spatial methods with application to diffusion, and nerve conduction.

The course gives an advanced treatment of structure-function relationships in proteins, and of new practical opportunities for the use of genome-wide analyses in dissecting regulation in biological systems. Gene and protein networks are also discussed. Topics include, post-genomic science; modes of specific recognition in mediating protein interactions and DNA/protein interaction; domains and functions; and protein engineering. Students complete a guided bioinformatics coursework. This assesses individual competencies and practical skills as each student individually will have to analyze separate datasets and develop own conclusions on the function of a gene/protein within a network through the analysis of databases and literature. 

Plants are continuously challenged by sometimes life-threatening changes in their environment. These can severely impact their development and even kill plants. Interestingly, plants can flexibly adjust their development to deal with these environmental changes. They can for example adjust root anatomy to resist drought, overall root architecture to forage for nutrients, and shoot architecture to escape from shade or submergence. In order to ascertain optimal development, plants have evolved a broad variety of mechanisms of developmental plasticity. This course discusses how plants control their development, how plants sense the environmental cues flooding and salinity, and how environmental signaling controls plant development through a combination of molecular genetics, physiology, and functional genomics.  This course combines lectures with hands-on practice in wet lab practicals and data labs. This includes practicing how to define research questions and hypotheses, how to design and perform experiments, how to collect and analyze data, and how to interpret results in the biological context. In the wet labs, learn how to carry out experiments with plants, such as treating plants with different light and water regimes, measuring phenotypic traits, and assessing molecular level changes to protein and mRNA. In the data labs, learn how to analyze large gene expression datasets using online databases to gain biological insight on how roots and shoot respond to changes in their environment. Assumed previous knowledge is plants and micro-organisms, and Plant Physiology and Development are required. Molecular Genetic Research Techniques (B-B2MGOT14) and Plants in Context (B-B2PICO21) are recommended.

This course teaches the function and organization of the animal cell and its components. From the molecular level up to and including the functioning of cells in the tissues of living organisms. In the first part of this course, the central dogma of molecular biology is discussed. DNA replication, transcription, translation, and its regulation. Using bioinformatics, the complex genome and the regulation of gene expression is reviewed. In the second part cell function is discussed, such as protein sorting, membrane transport, signaling pathways, the cell cycle, and the cooperation of cells in tissues. For example, apoptosis, cell-cell contacts, and tissue renewal by stem cells are covered. Attention is paid to situations in which these processes no longer function properly, such as in cancer. Participants are required to independently reads the book chapter by chapter. After each chapter, a sequence of e-assessments, lectures, assignments, and response lectures is followed. Starting after a short e-assessment the teacher, a specialist in his field, discusses the information of the chapter in a seminar. To get a deeper understanding of the content in the chapter, students make assignments in small groups of 4-5 students. Hereafter the teacher is available to discuss the answers to the assignments and to clarify any misconceptions in a response lecture. The current use of the knowledge from the textbook is exemplified during a journal club, where groups of students present a Cell paper. The topic of the papers is current literature on cancer research. Attendance during the tutorials and journal clubs is mandatory. In addition, the individual self-assessments are also part of the effort requirements. Entry requirements include successful completion of MBLS-101 (Cell Biology) or an equivalent level 1 course in Molecular Cell Biology. Recommended: MBLS-202 (Molecular Biology & Biochemical Techniques)