Biological Sciences

This course is an intermediate to advanced level molecular biology course, which focuses on structure and maintenance of genomes, as well as gene expression. The course discusses topics including major methods used in molecular biology; principles of genome organization and dynamics; how genetic information is stored and expressed; and the main mechanisms of gene regulation. The course requires students to have met specific prerequisites in order to enroll in the course.

This course explores the basic relationships between the diverse forms and functions in plants. Each plant group shares a common basic structural plan but contains many members that deviate from the basic plan in response to selection pressures from the environment. Knowledge of organismal biology is enhanced through selected topics in morpho-anatomical designs and functional adaptions.

This course deals with fundamental as well as applied aspects of insects and focuses on major themes in modern insect biology. Students choose their own trajectory to develop essential knowledge on (1) biological phenomena for which insects are good model systems or on (2) novel methods to apply fundamental knowledge to the management of insects in natural or agricultural environments, temperate zones, or in the tropics. The major aspects covered in this course include chemical and molecular ecology, behavioral and population ecology, functional biodiversity and agroecology, insect reproduction, and pollination ecology along with its application in crop protection, protection of human health, vector control, nature conservation, and insects as food and feed. Two topics are selected for essays written under the supervision of the Laboratory of Entomology.