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This course studies animal immune systems and the application of a variety of immunological methods to research and diagnosing diseases. Topics include: immunological functions in vertebrates and analogous activities in invertebrates; structures and biological properties of immunoglobulins and T-cell receptors; divergence of antibody genes; emergence and characteristics of lymphoid tissues; major histocompatibility complex; complement pathways; immunity against bacteria, viruses, and parasites; AIDS: vaccinations, hypersensitivity, and autoimmunity; and immunological tests and immunochemical techniques using non-mammalian and mammalian antibodies and their application to various biological problems.
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Developmental biology deals with the various steps necessary for the correct and complete formation of the body of a living organism. In this course, students are introduced to the mechanisms used to produce different cell and tissue types and ensure these cells develop in the correct position and identity. Students learn, using examples such as the eye and limbs, that similar developmental mechanisms are employed by diverse organisms. The role that developmental biology plays in medicine in stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine are also considered.
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This graduate research course provides training in experimental skills and scientific presentation for doing research in the field of Life Sciences. Students choose their own research topic and perform research under the guidance of a subject matter expert in their field. The course varies depending on the research topic but it may include weekly lab meetings; presentations of up-to-date research articles, and participation in scientific discussion with the instructor and lab colleagues.
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This course examines the abiotic environment; plankton and productivity; cephalopods and fish; adaptations to life in the epipelagic; marine turtles, mammals and seabirds - diversity, distribution, adaptations for feeding and reproduction, key Caribbean species and conservation status; life in the deep sea; and tropical coastal communities.
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This course explores viruses and viral disease by examining viral structure and function. It explains how viruses subvert host cell function to generate viral factories. Citing examples such as the influenza and HIV viruses, students examine details of the pathogenic mechanisms used by viruses to cause disease. The course also covers the design of viral vaccines and their use in eradicating viral infections such as polio.
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This course covers advanced molecular genetic concepts, together with their associated analytical or research-driven techniques, presented, where possible, by scientists or clinicians actively employing these concepts and techniques in their own research or clinical practice. The course covers: Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) - finding genes associated with complex disease; Pharmacogenetics (PGx) - using genetics to "individualize" drug treatment; Next Generation Sequencing - methods and application to translational medicine; networks of transcriptional control and regulation; chromatin regulation; recombineering and transgenic tools; genome editing techniques and uses; genetically modified (GM) foods and other plant technologies; RNA interference - future therapeutic or useful laboratory tool?; microbiome; and stem cell genetics.
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How does cancer evolve in a patient? This course looks at cancer from an evolutionary angle and provides another way of thinking about cancer biology.
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This course focuses on plant knowledge in a broad sense covering recognition/identification, geographical distribution, ecology, and human use of plants. It covers important crop plants, timber trees, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, pasture grasses, ornamentals, as well as ecological important plants. During a series of lectures and exercises, the course discusses taxonomic principles, botanical terminology, plant morphology, occurrence of plant families around the world as related to climate, evolution, and continental drift, plant ecology, pollination, fruit and seed dispersal. It introduces various web-based information sources, floras, and apps. Parallel with these overall principles, the course goes through a large number of selected plant families with a highlight on characters, genera, and species. Dry material, and to the extent fresh plant material is available from the Botanical Garden, these materials are integrated parts of presentations and exercises. Students elaborate a report on an in-depth study of a selected topic, plant family, or group of families during the progression of the course that includes several elements of the course curriculum.
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The course examines the ecological and biological principles underpinning the major tropical marine ecosystems. It provides an understanding of the ecological processes that control tropical marine ecosystems, and considers the organisms that are characteristic of each. All the major tropical marine habitats are considered, but with a focus on coral reef, seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. The course also tackles topical research areas on the subject through student-led seminars, which vary depending on the latest scientific research and the specific interests of participants.
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This course examines how science in general, and natural history in particular, is presented to the public in a variety of locations and the role of these collections in outreach and public education. The course explores the role and history of British museums and collections, and students visit various museums and natural history collections in Scotland. After each visit, students discuss the visits and compare what they have seen with the university's natural history museum, the Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History. Students also produce a display on an aspect of biology for presentation in the Bell Pettigrew Museum.
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