This course covers the fundamentals of microbiology and encompasses the tiny world of microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses, and more). How have microbes impacted human health and society? It turns out that we cannot live without microbes, but we also have first-hand experience over the last few years of just how deadly and life-altering microbes can be! In exploring microbiology, we will take a multi-disciplinary approach combining molecular genetics (how gene expression is regulated in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes), biochemistry, and immunology. We will also explore key advances in biotechnology that have been made possible through our discovery of microbes and how they work including cloning, PCR, and CRISPR. This course will offer an in-person laboratory component to allow students hands-on experience observing and working with bacteria and small eukaryotes and experimental design. Lecture materials will be pre-recorded and provided asynchronously so students can explore content at their pace, before in-person discussions, activities, and lab work.

This course has a required lab section in addition to the main lecture section.

Biology is increasingly making its way into various aspects of our lives and will continue to do so throughout the 21st century. Thus, understanding the concepts underlying the headlines and their implications is very important and can help us engage meaningfully with the changing world around us. This course will begin by teaching skills like data interpretation and critical evaluation of logical arguments. With that foundation in place, we will then use specific, real-world events such as the FDA approval of GMO salmon, the development of the COVID-19 vaccines, and the fight against MRSA to explore the concepts in biology that underlie them (e.g. genetic modification, mRNA and vaccine development, and antibiotic resistance). Each week, students will be assigned to read news articles and informational materials giving background knowledge about the subject at hand. Each class will consist of a mini-lecture and in-class learning activities. The class will build towards a final project consisting of a podcast-style audio report on a biological process studied in the course. This course requires no prior background knowledge in biology and is intended for anyone interested in better understanding recent developments in the world of biology. By taking this course, students will learn basic concepts in biology and develop the skills necessary to critically evaluate arguments and the scientific data underlying those arguments.

This course has a required discussion section in addition to the main lecture section.

This course will examine the basic concepts of biotechnology and the instrumentation and techniques used in the manipulation of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). Students will learn how biotechnology's tools and techniques are being used to help identify and fight disease, with a special emphasis on tools that help detect viral infections such as COVID-19. This course will also examine the ethical and privacy issues associated with biotechnology such as genetic testing, vaccine distributions and gene therapy.

This course has a required discussion section in addition to the main lecture section.

Cancer is a ubiquitous global challenge—most families will be affected by it at some point in their lives. However, recent advancements in cancer treatment and prevention offer hope. In this course, we will delve into the fascinating world of cancer biology to explore groundbreaking research and treatment options. Diving deep into the inner workings of cancer cells, we will discover the potential of revolutionizing treatments such as CAR T immunotherapy, a cutting-edge technique that genetically modifies a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. We’ll also explore the crucial role of the cellular environment around tumors and learn how targeting this microenvironment can improve the effectiveness of existing therapies. We’ll examine the unique nutrient requirements of cancer cells and how this knowledge can be used to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. And we’ll discuss the power of biomarkers in developing tailored therapies that can significantly improve cancer patients’ quality of life. Class sessions will include lectures and interactive discussions and activities. By the end of this course, students will have gained a solid understanding of cell biology, how cancer operates, and how—through scientific advances—it might eventually be stopped.

This course has a required discussion section in addition to the main lecture section.

This course will examine the biological processes that are disrupted in cancer, such as DNA repair, cell cycle control and signaling pathways. Students will learn the molecular mechanisms by which tumors gain and maintain a growth advantage and of potential therapeutic targets. This course will also explore the science behind cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatments as well as emerging topics in the field such as cancer stem cells.

This course has a required discussion section in addition to the main lecture section.

Normal functioning and pathophysiology of major organ systems: nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, digestive, and endocrine. Additional topics include integrative physiology, clinical case studies, and applications in genomics-based personalized medicine.

This course has a required discussion section in addition to the main lecture section.

Students enrolled in this course will appreciate the transformative power of molecular science on the modern world and how foundational knowledge of chemistry enables profound discoveries in biological, pharmaceutical, agrochemical, engineering, energy, and materials science research. This course integrates the lessons of CHEM 31 and CHEM 33 through an examination of the structure-function properties of carbon-based molecules. Specific emphasis is given to the chemistry of carbonyl- and amine-derived compounds, polyfunctionalized molecules, reaction kinetics and thermodynamics, mechanistic arrow-pushing, and retrosynthetic analysis. Students will be empowered with a conceptual understanding of chemical reactivity, physical organic chemistry, and the logic of chemical synthesis. The singular nature of molecular design and synthesis to make available functional molecules and materials will be revealed. A three-hour lab section provides hands on experience with modern chemical methods for preparative and analytical chemistry.

This class is offered during the second 4 weeks of the Summer Quarter. This course has a required lab section in addition to the main lecture section.

CHEM 31A is the first course in a two-quarter sequence designed to provide a robust foundation in key chemical principles for students with a basic background in high school chemistry, who have already placed into Math 19 or higher. The course engages students in group problem-solving activities throughout the class periods to deepen their ability to analyze and solve chemical problems. Students will also participate in a weekly laboratory activity that will immediately apply and expand upon classroom content. Labs and write-ups provide practice developing conceptual models that can explain qualitatively and quantitatively a wide range of chemical phenomena. The course will introduce a common language of dimensional analysis, stoichiometry, and molecular naming that enables students to write chemical reactions, quantify reaction yield, and calculate empirical and molecular formulas. Stoichiometry will be immediately reinforced through a specific study of gases and their properties. Students will also build a fundamental understanding of atomic and molecular structure by identifying interactions among nuclei, electrons, atoms and molecules. Through both lab and in-class exploration, students will learn to explain how these interactions determine the structures and properties of pure substances and mixtures using various bonding models including Lewis Dot, VSEPR, and Molecular Orbital Theory. Students will identify and quantitate the types and amounts of energy changes that accompany these interactions, phase changes, and chemical reactions, as they prepare to explore chemical dynamics in greater depth in CHEM 31B. Special emphasis will be placed on applying content and skills to real world applications such as estimating the carbon efficiency of fossil fuels, understanding hydrogen bonding and other interactions critical to DNA, and calculating the pressure exerted on a deep-sea diver.

This class is offered during the first 4 weeks of the Summer Quarter. This course has a required lab section in addition to the main lecture section.

Chem 31B is the second course in this two-quarter sequence, therefore only students who have completed Chem 31A may enroll in CHEM 31B. As with CHEM 31A, students will continue to engage in group problem-solving activities throughout class and participate in weekly laboratory activities. Labs and write-ups will allow students to more deeply explore and observe the different facets of chemical reactivity, including rates (kinetics), energetics (thermodynamics), and reversibility (equilibrium) of reactions. Through experimentation and discussion, students will determine what forces influence the rate of chemical reactions and learn how this can be applied to enzyme reactivity. Students will quantify chemical concentrations during a reaction, and predict the direction in which a reaction will shift in order to achieve equilibrium, including solubility equilibria. They will use these methods to estimate the possible levels of lead and other toxic metals in drinking water. Special emphasis will be placed on acid/base equilibria , allowing students to explore the role of buffers and antacids in our bodies, as well as ocean acidification and the impact on coral reefs. Students will then bring together concepts from both kinetics and equilibrium, in a deeper discussion of thermodynamics, to understand what ultimately influences the spontaneity of a reaction. Students will build a relationship between free energy, temperature, and equilibrium constants to be able to calculate the free energy of a reaction and understand how processes in our body are coupled to harness excess free energy to do useful work. Finally we will explore how we harness work from redox reactions, building both voltaic cells (i.e. batteries) and electrolytic cells in lab, and using reduction potentials to predict spontaneity and potential of a given reaction. We will look at the applications of redox chemistry in electric and fuel cell vehicles. The course's particular emphasis on understanding the driving forces of a reaction, especially the influence of thermodynamics versus kinetics, will prepare students for further study of predicting organic chemical reactivity and equilibria from structure in Chem 33.

This class is offered during the second 4 weeks of the Summer Quarter. This course has a required lab section in addition to the main lecture section.

An introduction to organic chemistry, the molecular foundation to understanding the life sciences, medicine, diagnostics, energy, environmental and materials sciences. Students will learn structural and bonding models of organic molecules that provide insights into reactivity. Combining these models with kinetic and thermodynamic analyses allows molecular transformations to be rationalized and even predicted. The course builds on this knowledge to begin to introduce organic reactions that can be applied to synthesis of novel molecules or materials that can positively impact society. A two-hour weekly lab section accompanies the course to introduce the techniques of separation and identification of organic compounds.

This class is offered during the first 4 weeks of the Summer Quarter. This course has a required lab section in addition to the main lecture section.