Biological Sciences

This course examines the principles of ecology, including adaptation to the environment, intra- and inter-specific interactions, community and ecosystem dynamics, and biogeography.

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of sub-cellular structures, functions and interactions in unicellular and multi-cellular systems. Emphasis is on cellular functions. Topics include structures and functions of organelles, organelle biogenesis (including organelle inheritance and import of proteins into organelles), intracellular protein trafficking, the cytoskeleton, and cell movements. In addition, students will be introduced to the current concepts of intercellular and intracellular signalling, molecular basis of cell proliferation and apoptosis.

The use of nanotechnology in medicine is an emerging field that can revolutionize the treatment and detection of disease. Through hands-on laboratory sessions, workshops, and lectures by world-leading researchers and active clinicians, this course offers both an insight into these emerging technologies and a fundamental understanding of why size matters and how nanoscale technologies interact with biological environments. Students visit the nanoscale quantum universe, and see how nanoscale objects can be tuned for disease targeting. 

The course begins with a discussion on the nature and origin of plants that includes an overview of major autotrophic eukaryote lineages. The benefits and challenges of life in water and on land are also presented. Diversity and evolution of life histories and reproductive systems in plants and consequences of the diversity of major plant lineages are studied. The functional biology of the major organs of the plant including roots, stems, and leaves in relation to strategies for resource acquisition and utilization, mineral nutrition, plant water relations, and carbon metabolism are considered. This entails studying variations in root, stem, and leaf morphologies in various plant lineages and unique terrestrial and aquatic environments and their function in water, nutrients, and carbon metabolism. There is a strong focus on African plants and a particular emphasis on the Cape Floristic region. The course practicals are compulsory and complement the theory with hands-on experience in working with different lineages of plants, data collection and analysis from scientific studies and experiments, and scientific writing. A compulsory 4-day field camp is undertaken for students to study the relationship between ecology and plant morphology, function, and diversity. Assessment: A 3-hour examination, with a subminimum of 40%, counts 50% of the course. Coursework marks will be allocated as follows: Practical classes count 20%, project based on field camp counts 10%, and two class tests count 20%.

This introductory course explores what a living thing is, the basics of life, and the science behind it. Topics include how traits are inherited, biotechnology, diversity of life, concept of life functions from cells to tissues and from organs to systems, how organisms maintain their internal constancy, and the organization of major organ systems.

Ecotoxicology addresses how chemicals released into the environment impact the biota. This course thus covers all aspects from release of chemical through transport and transformation outside the biota to uptake and effects within the biota. The main body of the course is concerned with distribution and effects within the organism from molecular interactions, impact on organ systems and how these effects at the individual organismal level can translate into highter level biologica, effects in populations, and communities. The course introduces important toxicoloical tools, illustrated in theory and practice and outlines the fundamental elements in chemical risk analysis.

This course provides a thorough introduction of the range of behaviors found in animals, and of scientific methods used to study animal behavior in the field and in the lab. It integrates knowledge from a range of fields, including ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, and psychology. The course covers the main genetic, physiological, and developmental mechanisms underpinning individual behavior; the main historical developments leading to the current state of the field of animal behavior, including the role of the nature-nurture debate; central evolutionary theories used to explain animal behavior; and concepts and theories, such as proximate and ultimate explanations, fitness, altruism, optimality, and game theory. It develops skills in critical reading of scientific literature, ability to design experiments to study animal behavior, and making an ethogram from observing animal behavior. 

This course provides basic principles to the engineering of biology with emphasis on the design and construction of synthetic gene circuits in living cells. The course also discusses current and emerging applications driven by synthetic biology, and the socio-ethical responsibilities that are required of synthetic biologists. 

This course examines the basics of evolution, ecology and conservation biology. It covers how evolution underpins both ecology and conservation and how these areas of biology impact every-day life; genes (micro) and species (macro) evolution; human diseases, drug resistance and invasive species; how fossils have contributed to our understanding of life on Earth today; and how New Zealand science is saving our unique ecosystems.

This course explores the mechanisms of developmental biology. Topics include: early development and developmental stages; developmental genetics and developmental molecular and cell biology; morphogenesis and organogenesis; regeneration, stem cells, aging, and biomedical implications of developmental biology.