Prerequisites: A course in college chemistry or the written permission of either the instructor or the premedical adviser.

Recommended as the introductory biology course for science majors who have completed a year of college chemistry and premedical students. The fundamental principles of biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics. Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/c2005/index.html

Corequisites: Strongly recommended prerequisite or corequisite: BIOL C2005 or F2401.

Experiments focus on genetics and molecular biology, with an emphasis on data analysis and experimental techniques. The class also includes a study of mammalian anatomy and histology. Each section is limited to 28 students. Lab Fee $150.

If you are interested in doing biology-related research at Columbia University this is the course for you. Each week a different Columbia University professor's discusses their biology-related research giving you an idea of what kind of research is happening at Columbia. Come ask questions and find out how the body works, the latest therapies for disease and maybe even find a lab to do research in. http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/c2908/index.html

Prerequisites: one year of biology; a course in physics is highly recommended.

Lecture and recitation. This is an advanced course intended for majors providing an in depth survey of the cellular and molecular aspects of nerve cell function. Topics include the cell biology and biochemistry of neurons, ionic and molecular basis of electrical signals, synaptic transmission and its modulation, function of sensory receptors. Although not required, it is intended to be followed by Neurobiology II (see below). The recitation meets once per week in smaller groups and emphasizes readings from the primary literature.Discussion Section Required.

Prerequisites: BIOL C2005-C2006 or equivalent

Come discover how the union of egg and sperm triggers the complex cellular interactions that specify the diverse variety of cells present in multicellular organisms. Cellular and molecular aspects of sex determination, gametogenesis, genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, telomerase as the biological clock, stem cells, cloning, the pill and cell interactions will be explored, with an emphasis on humans. Original research articles will be discussed to further examine current research in developmental biology. BIOL W3022_001_2007_1">

Prerequisites: genetics or molecular biology.

For upper-level undergraduates. The course covers techniques currently used to explore and manipulate gene function and their applications in medicine and the environment. Part I covers key laboratory manipulations, including DNA cloning, gene characterization, association of genes with disease, and methods for studying gene regulation and activities of gene products. Part II also covers commercial applications, and includes animal cell culture, production of recombinant proteins, novel diagnostics, high throughput screening, and environmental biosensors.

Prerequisites: one year of biology, normally BIOL C2005-C2006, or the equivalent.
Corequisites: Recommended preparation or corequisite: Biochemistry.

Introduction to cell biology stressing the architecture of the cell as it relates to cellular function, physiology, biochemistry, and disease, as well as some detailed discussions of the experiments that have informed our current views of the cell.

Prerequisites: Two semesters of a rigorous, molecularly-oriented introductory biology course (such as C2005 and C2006), or the instructor's permission.

This course will cover the basic concepts underlying the mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity, as well as key experimental methods currently used in the field. To keep it real, the course will include clinical correlates in such areas as infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, cancer and transplantation. Taking this course won't turn you into an immunologist, but it may make you want to become one, as was the case for several students last year. After taking the course, you should be able to read the literature intelligently in this rapidly advancing field.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.

This course does not carry credit as a biology course. Explores the philosophical basis and historical development of evolutionary biology as a means of inquiry into causation, explanation, and testing in biology, and the implications for human understanding. Topics include Darwinian evolutionary theory, problems of creationism, theories of inheritance, Mendelism and natural selection, species concepts, adaptation and macroevolution, and the rise of the synthetic theory of evolution, both nomological and historical.

Recommended preparation: an introductory course in college biology. Introduction to principles of general evolutionary theory, both nomological and historical; causes and processes of evolution; phylogenetic evolution; species concept and speciation; adaptation and macroevolution; concepts of phylogeny and classification.

Prerequisites: BIOL W2001 or C2005 and one year of organic chemistry.

Lecture and recitation. Students wishing to cover the full range of modern biochemistry should take both BIOC C3501 and C3512. C3501 covers subject matters in modern biochemistry, including chemical biology and structural biology, discussing the structure and function of both proteins and small molecules in biological systems.Proteins are the primary class of biological macromolecules and serve to carry out most cellular functions. Small organic molecules function in energy production and creating building blocks for the components of cells and can also be used to perturb the functions of proteins directly. The first half of the course covers protein structure, enzyme kinetics and enzyme mechanism. The second half of the course explores how small molecules are used endogenously by living systems in metabolic and catabolic pathways; this part of the course focuses on mechanistic organic chemistry involved in metabolic pathways.

Prerequisites: One year of introductory biology and at least one semester of additional biology courses, recommended: BIOL W3041 Cell Biology, BIOL C3512 Molecular Biology

This is an advanced molecular and cellular biology course geared to upper level undergraduates and graduate students. The topic of this year will be cellular stress responses. We will read and analyze a series of reviews on this topic ranging from the stress of DNA damage on cells to metabolic stress to the stress of aging. We will also read key research articles on these topics. The signaling pathways, mechanisms, targets and biological relevance will be reviewed. An emphasis will be made on understanding how important discoveries were made. Students will develop their own review articles on related subjects and present multiple research proposals.

The program aims to provide current life sciences students with an understanding of what drives the regulatory strategies that surround the development decision making process, and how the regulatory professional may best contribute to the goals of product development and approval. To effect this we will examine operational, strategic and commercial aspects of the regulatory approval process for new drug, biologic and biotechnology products both in the United States and worldwide. The topics are designed to provide a chronological review of the requirements needed to obtain marketing approval. Regulatory strategic, operational, and marketing considerations will be addressed throughout the course. We will examine and analyze the regulatory process as a product candidates are advanced from Research and Development, through pre-clinical and clinical testing, to marketing approval, product launch and the post-marketing phase. The goal of this course is to introduce and familiarize students with the terminology, timelines and actual steps followed by Regulatory Affairs professionals employed in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry. Worked examples will be explored to illustrate complex topics and illustrate interpretation of regulations.

Prerequisites: Instructor's permission

Starting with fall 2009, this course will now be offered only in the fall semester.

Open to students in M.A. in Biotechnology Program (points can be counted against laboratory requirement for that program), Ph.D. and advanced undergraduate students with background in genetics or molecular biology. Students should be comfortable with basic biotechnology laboratory techniques as well as being interested in doing computational work in a Windows environment. This course deals with the proteome: the expressed protein complement of a cell, matrix, tissue, organ or organism. The study of the proteome (proteomics) is broadly applicable to life sciences research, and is increasing important in academic, government and industrial research through extension of the impact of advances in genomics. These techniques are being applied to basic research, exploratory studies of cancer and other diseases, drug discovery and many other topics. Techniques of protein extraction, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry will be covered. Emphasis will be on mastery of practical techniques of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and database searching for identification of proteins separated by gel electrophoresis as well as background tutorials and exercises covering other techniques used in descriptive and comparative proteomics. Lab Fee: $150.

Prerequisites: Four semesters of biology with a firm foundation in molecular and cellular biology.

Introduces students to the current understanding of human diseases, novel therapeutic approaches and drug development process. Selected topics will be covered in order to give students a feeling of the field of biotechnology in health science. This course also aims to strengthen students' skills in literature comprehension and critical thinking. Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/w4300/

The course will start with an introduction to types of biological networks and many of the new high throughput and quantitative technologies now available. We will start with the mathematical and computational analysis of small networks in order to understand some of the basic principles in biological networks including network motifs, modularity, robustness and stochasticity. The course will then scale up to much larger networks teaching the computation techniques needed to address these including Hidden Markov Models, Bayesian networks, FDR, Bootstrapping, Expectation Maximization, Inference, Gibbs Sampling, Monte Carlo and Belief Propagation. We cover many of the pitfalls of high throughput data and how to over come these, proper modeling choices when building large scale models of molecular networks and how to apply the techniques learned to real data. We will learn how to reconstruct regulatory networks from such data and understand how these networks compute, dynamically change and the connections between genetic sequence and these molecular regulatory networks. Finally will demonstrate how the Bayesian techniques learned in the course can be applied to other biological networks such as a network of interacting neurons.

Prerequisites: EEEB W2001 or BIOL C2005, or the instructor's permission.

Lecture and recitation. Recommended second term of biology for majors in biology and related majors, and for premedical students. Cellular biology and development; physiology of cells and organisms. Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/c2006/

Prerequisites: A course in college chemistry and Biology C2005 or F2401 or the written permission of either the instructor or the premedical adviser.

Same lectures as Biology C2006, but recitation is optional. For a detailed description of the differences between the two courses, see the course web site or http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/ug/advice/faqs/gs.html. Cellular biology and development; physiology of cells and organisms. Website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/c2006/

Corequisites: Strongly recommended prerequisite or corequisite: BIOL C2005 or F2401.

Experiments focus on genetics and molecular biology, with an emphasis on data analysis and experimental techniques. The class also includes a study of mammalian anatomy and histology. Each section is limited to 28 students. Lab Fee $150.

Prerequisites: Biology W3004, one year of biology or instructor's permission.

This course is the "capstone" course for the Neurobiology and Behavior undergraduate major at Columbia University and will be taught by the faculty of the Kavli Institute of Brain Science (http://www.kavli.columbia.edu/). It is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Knowledge of Cellular Neuroscience (how an action potential is generated and how a synapse works) will be assumed. It is strongly recommended that students take w3004 Neurobiology 1: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, or a similar course, before enrolling in w3005. Students unsure about their backgrounds should check a representative syllabus of w3004 on the w3004 website (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/w3004/). Website for w3005: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/biology/courses/w3005/index.html

Prerequisites: Biol C2005 & C2006 or F2401 & F2402, or the instructor's permission.

Major physiological systems of vertebrates (circulatory, digestive, hormonal, etc.) with emphasis on cellular and molecular mechanisms and regulation. Readings include research articles from the scientific literature.

Prerequisites: BIOL C2005-C2006 or the equivalent.

Students may receive credit for W3031 or C3032, but not both due to overlap in course content. General course in genetics and genomics dealing with principles of gene structure, function, regulation and transmission. Historical development, experimental basis of current knowledge, and roles of model organisms are stressed. Includes a thorough understanding of disease gene discovery, and an introduction to topics in developmental, cancer and population genetics.

Prerequisites: 1 year of biology (C2005-C2006) and Contemporary Biology Laboratory (c2501).

This lab will explore various molecular biology techniques frequently utilized in modern molecular biology laboratories. The lab will consist of three modules: 1. Molecular verification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), 2. Site-directed mutagenesis and 3. PCR isolation, cloning and analysis of the GAPDH gene. The maximum number of participants is 12. (Lab Fee: $150).

Prerequisites: 1 year of Intro Bio. An introductory biology or chemistry lab is recommended.

Bacteria are not just unicellular germs. This lab course will broaden your awareness of the amazing world of microbiology and the diverse capabilities of microbes. The focus will be on bacterial multicellularity, pigment production, and intercellular signaling. Pigment-producing bacteria will be isolated from the wild (i.e. Morningside Campus or your skin), and characterized using standard genetic genetic tools (PCR, DNA gel electrophoresis, transformation, screen) and microbiology techniques (isolation of bacteria and growth of bacterial colonies, media preparation, enrichment techniques for pigments). These techniques will also be applied in the study of bacterial multicellularity and signaling in the standard lab strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lab fee: $150

Prerequisites: One year of biology. Recommended but not required: BIOC C3501.

This is a lecture course designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. The focus is on understanding at the molecular level how genetic information is stored within the cell and how it is regulated. Topics covered include genome organization, DNA replication, transcription, RNA processing and translation. This course will also emphasize the critical analysis of the scientific literature and help students understand how to identify important biological problems and how to address them experimentally.

Corequisites: BIOL C3500.

This is a companion course to BIOL C3500 Independent Research. Students will present their research plans and results in order to gain experience in communicating about science and to get feedback (from the instructor and other students) to improve their presentation and research skills. This is a pass/fail course.

Prerequisites: At least one lower-level full year course in biology. A background in history or philosophy is recommended

Crossroads in Bioethics. J. Loike, 1 credit. This course examines both the underlying scientific principles of biotechnologies and the ethical controversies brought about by recent advances in biology and medicine. This course is designed to engage students in difficult dialogues around the scientific, social, legal, and bioethical issues related to emerging areas of biotechnology and medicine. Topics include human stem cell research, human cloning, genetically modified organisms, reproductive medicine (IVF and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis), neuroethics, and the impact of genetics on medicine. This discussion-based course is designed is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the interrelationship between biomedical technologies and bioethics.

This course is designed to introduce students who are interested in medical careers to the goals, nomenclature, principles, and practical reality of clinical research, with an emphasis on the emergency department (ED) setting. The course focuses on terminology, data collection techniques, research design, and basic biostatistics. Understanding research and clinical emergency medicine as an avenue to understanding clinical studies and their implications will be emphasized. Group exercises will include design and implementation of two factitious hypothetical studies where funding, time scale, and resource availability will be considered. A mid-term examination will concentrate on terminology, data collection techniques, and a final examination will focus on research design. Basic didactic biostatistics material will be taught primarily for purposes of familiarization and interpretation of research and will be aimed at the non-mathematician (no math or statistics pre-requisites). There will be an option for a 1-point or 2-point version of the course when registering. The 1-point course will include didactic material and one lecture per week, and will not include ED time. The 2-point course (limited to 40 students per semester) in which students will act as research assistants will require inclusion in the Academic Associates research assistant program at St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital ED or in the Sinai Associates Program at Mt Sinai School of Medicine ED. This includes two 4-hour shifts per week of ED time in which students will learn how to assist in the execution of clinical research including performing consents, data collection, and database interaction (for further details regarding the Academic Associate program, see the web site (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/aap/). ED time will be arranged to fit in and around the student's academic schedule as needed. Additionally, three to five evening practical sessions will cover ongoing individual ED projects in depth, and students will be shown and instructed on basic procedural skills in emergency medicine (lumbar puncture, endotracheal intubation, etc.) as well as shown dynamic and static invasive imaging including ultrasound, CT scans, and others. The 2-point course is recommended for those students looking to gain clinical research experience and hands on ED time with physicians in the clinical setting.

Prerequisites: calculus, chemistry, physics, 1 year biology, or instructors' permission

This course will examine the fundamental mechanisms underlying the behavior of biological molecules, at the single molecule level. The course will cover the methods used to track single molecules: optical tweezers, single molecule AFM, Magnetic tweezers, Optical techniques and Fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) probes. The course will cover the mechanism of action of mechanical motors such as myosin dyneyin, kinesin. It will cover the action of DNA binding enzymes such as topoisomerases, helicases, etc. We will also discuss the function of large motors such as the ATP Synthase and the bacterial AAA ATPases. We will discuss the mechanical properties of DNA, RNA, and proteins. The course will consist mainly of reviewing classical experiments in each category, and developing the background physical theories to promote a deep understanding of biological mechanisms at the mesoscopic level.

Prerequisites: BIOT W4200

This course will provide a practical definition of the current role of the Regulatory Professional in pharmaceutical development, approval and post-approval actions. This will be illustrated by exploration, and interactive discussion of regulatory history, its evolution, current standards and associated processes. The course will seek to clarify the role of Regulatory in development and lifecycle opportunities, demonstrating the value Regulatory adds by participation on research, development and commercial teams. The course will utilize weekly case studies and guest lecturers to provide color to current topical events related to the areas.

Prerequisites: W4300 or instructor's permission.

A weekly seminar and discussion course focusing on the most recent development in biotechnology. Professionals of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and related industries will be invited to present and lead discussions.

Prerequisites: Elementary organic chemistry CHEM C3443, CHEM C3444. Recommended preparation elementary physical chemistry and biochemistry CHEM C3079 CHEM C3080.

Development and application of chemical methods for understanding the molecular mechanisms of cellular processes. Review of the biosynthesis, chemical synthesis, and structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids. Application of chemical methods--including structural biology, enzymology, chemical genetics, and the synthesis of modified biological molecules--to the study of cellular processes--including transcription, translation, and signal transduction.