Biological Sciences

This course highlights the key food security considerations and research trends relating to sustainable urban food production. It covers the scientific and technological innovations in agriculture and aquaculture, with topics including genetics, nutrition and health involved in the production of fish and plants, and scientific considerations for a robust food safety system such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-based risk assessment and testing of different food safety hazards relating to different food innovations. The course develops an appreciation of the emerging risks in urban food production against the current backdrop of accelerating food production innovations and climate change. The course requires students to take prerequisites in General Biology and Chemistry.

This course examines key management, microbiology and food processing concepts used to produce safe high-quality food products. It covers concepts of food hygiene, food safety and food quality; food safety hazards; food hygiene and biological hazards; food processing technology for safe foods; hygiene and sanitary practices; food safety management through HACCP; food safety and quality management systems - ISO 9001 standard, 22000 standard and total quality management; quality control and statistical quality control.

This course covers current topics on aerobiology and public health. The particular topics of interest include, but are not limited to, cutting-edge technologies used for aerobiological research, effects of airborne microorganisms on global climate, emerging airborne infectious diseases, or biodefense associated with airborne microbial agents. Prerequisites: Aerobiology and Public Health

Chemical biology is an emerging scientific discipline that spans the fields of chemistry and biology. Chemical biology involves the use of chemical methods, tools, and molecules that are designed and made through synthetic organic chemistry, to study, understand, and manipulate biological systems. It attempts to use chemical principles to perturb or control biological systems to either investigate the mechanisms or create new functions. In the class we will review the chemical biology of small molecules, biomacromolecules, and concepts and techniques.

This course examines the different anatomical structures that are involved in voice production and speech articulation. Topics include: tissues, organs, systems, and apparatus; locomotor system; the bony skull and cranial norms; facial bones; central and peripheral nervous system; brain stem; cranial nerves; nerve pathways; muscles of the head; mimic muscles; nose; pharynx; oral cavity; tongue; larynx; vocal cords; thorax; diaphragm muscle; respiratory system.

To study the normal activity process of various systems, organs and cells of the human body, especially the internal mechanism of the functional performance of each organ and cell, and to clarify how the functional activities of the human body as a whole are coordinated and mutually restricted, and the influence of changes in the internal and external environment of the body of these activities.

Understanding the processes involved in the transformation of carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other major elements in the oceans has been a major interest of oceanographers over the past decade. Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a vital role in regulating global patterns and cycling of the major elements of seawater. There are a number of biochemical, photochemical and physical transformations that marine DOM can be influenced by, including DOM production, diagenesis and re-mineralization, as well as interactions with trace metals and microbes. Additionally, marine DOM plays important roles at environmental interfaces such as those between land and sea, sediment and water, particle and bulk solution. This course covers both well-established and recently developed concepts on marine DOM relevant to future marine scientists, in particular, those in the fields of chemistry, biogeochemistry and ecology.   

This course discusses the basic principles and molecular controls of embryonic development, emphasizing the progression from gametogenesis, fertilization, cleavage to gastrulation (i.e., the formation of the gut). The course also covers cell fate and embryonic axis determination as well as popular experimental models used by current developmental biologists. The course studies formation and derivatives from three germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. The course then ends with a review of tissue and organ regeneration and the progression of regenerative medicine.  

This course aims to introduce the basic concepts and principles of developmental biology to undergraduates and lay a good foundation for them to engage in developmental biology related research or popularization in the future.

The course will revolve around the pivotal aspects of drug delivery, encompassing the introduction of the development of drug delivery technologies and systems, the application of drug delivery techniques in pharmaceutical research and development, a categorization outlining the materials, designs, and applications of mainstream drug delivery systems, as well as the arrangement of corporate visits to enhance students' comprehension of drug delivery.