Biological Sciences

This course addresses how modern techniques of structural and chemical biology are being used to solve biological problems. It draws on multiple aspects of macromolecular biochemistry including nucleic acid structure and interactions, signaling proteins, and membrane proteins.  The course demonstrates how this knowledge can be used in drug discovery and protein design in biotechnology. Topics include mechanisms of reversible and irreversible enzyme inhibitors, ligand binding, protein folding, the molecular basis for protein function, regulation of protein activity, cell signaling, and proteomics. Assessment: Tests count 40%; practicals, tutorials essays, and assignments count 10%; one 3-hour examination written in June counts 50%. A subminimum of 40% in the examination is required.

The course provides an in-depth approach for exploring current concepts, ideas, and problems in selected topics in mammalian (including human) reproductive physiology. It develops the student's interest in, and critical appraisal of, current research in reproductive biology.

This course introduces students to the key principles of genetics including Mendelian genetics, inheritance of genes, gene interaction, sex determination, polyploidy, casus and effects of mutations, gene cloning, prokaryote and eukaryote gene expression, recombination and its use in gene mapping, bacterial genetics, population and evolutionary genetics, basic molecular biology techniques including plasmid construction, PCR and DNA sequencing, and research applications of genetics. Students develop skills through data handling and problem solving, and through laboratory-based practical work.

This course promotes an understanding of core concepts in microbial growth and form, with an emphasis on diversity of function. It explores microbes, their major properties, and how they influence processes, such as global warming, acid rain, and nutrient cycling in the world. It examines how microbes interact with plants to influence crop production and spoilage, or affect the safety of the food we eat. The course also explores how microbes are exploited in the biotechnology industry, as well as how we might make new products in the future, using cutting edge technology, such as synthetic biology.

The course covers many of the core topics in animal biology. The emphasis is on animal diversity, evolution, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, and the impact of human activities on terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

The behavioral differences between individual cells from normal tissues and those from tumors, and how cancer cells learn to invade other tissues and create the metastases responsible for cancer mortality. To introduce the major concepts and principles of cancer biology including tumor viruses, oncogenes, signal transduction, tumor suppressors, the cell cycle, angiogenesis, metastasis, and cancer treatment. Students are able to comprehend and explain the molecular and cellular nature of cancer. Students are able to comprehend and explain tumorigenesis, maintenance of genomic integrity, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Students are able to comprehend and explain tumor immunology, immunotherapy, and cancer treatment.

Prerequisites: Organic Chemistry 1, Biochemistry 1, Cancer Biology (recommended)

This course provides an introduction to the scientific basis of modern medicine and the role of biological sciences in the understanding and treatment of disease. This is delivered through a series of lectures, facilitated group discussions, a practical class and assessed written reports. The course provides a basic understanding of practical material relevant to biological sciences and enables students to develop personal skills in interpreting basic scientific research and communicating scientific ideas and information in a clear, accurate, and well-organized manner.

On the basis of expanding the scope of students' knowledge of modern biology, strengthen the cultivation of students' practical ability through various experimental operations with points and aspects. At the same time, to promote the integration of students towards interdisciplinary aspects, focusing on the cultivation of students' innovative thinking, innovative ability and practical ability.

General biology experiment is a basic and comprehensive general education experiment course of life science for non-life science majors in the whole school. The course basically involves the major fields of current life science research. Taking into account the actual situation of students in different disciplines and majors, the experimental content is set up into four major sections, namely the form and structure of various types of organisms, tissues and cells, physiology and biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, etc. At the same time, it tries to start from real life, and gradually in-depth into the basic principles and basic methods of life science And the latest progress of life science. In the course of design, in view of the characteristics of non-life science students, especially liberal arts students, who rarely conducted experimental operations by themselves before, the experimental operation steps start from simple and easy to operate basic experimental methods, and guide them to complete all experimental operations independently or cooperatively step by step; At the same time, they are required to examine and think about some phenomena in life from the perspective of their professional knowledge, and stimulate students' innovative thinking; By choosing some biological phenomena in daily life and the more cutting-edge experimental content in the current life science research, stimulate students' learning initiative and enthusiasm.

Structure and function of nervous system is a course designed to introduce the structure and function of the human nervous system. Learning formats include lecture, laboratory observation, and group discussion. The course begins with the structure of spinal cord, spinal, nerves, brain, and cranial nerves. Role of nervous system in sensation, movement, and homeostasis, higher mental functions, autonomic system, and special senses are introduced and developed as the course proceeds. Common diseases of the nervous system will be discussed in group. A neuroanatomy laboratory will observe the structures in gross brain specimens and models.