27 graduate courses in the Spring 2025 Graduate Calendar.
The literature and methods of Fisheries Biology. Examination and discussion of selected topics of interest to the class. Emphasis will be primarily, but not exclusively on the ecology, habitats, and management issues related to temperature freshwater fish.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
An advanced study of the physiological processes used by animals to respond to changes in environmental conditions. The study will focus on adaptation strategies used by animals to changes in temperature and other rate controlling environmental factors.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Advanced Aquatic Ecology provides opportunity for deeper study of new knowledge fronts and current issues in the field. Topics selection varies according to developments in the field and the interests of course participants, but is designed to provide broad coverage of the diversity of theoretical and methodological questions arising in modern aquatic ecology. The course is intended to be accessible to students with interests and background in ecology, environmental science, environmental engineering, or related fields.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Genetic aspects of the control of gene expression in bacteria and bacteriophages will be stressed. Recently published works will serve as the focal points for discussion. The specific content of any one set of topics to be analyzed in a particular term will be determined in consultation with the participants.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
A critical evaluation of selected research topics in evolution and the diversity of life and practical applications. Topics may include macroevolution, population genetics, evolution of behaviours, ecological evolution, phylogenetic reconstruction and/or phylogeny of the eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will cover current topics in bioinformatics and genomics, including genome assembly, annotation, sequence alignment, phylogentics, transcriptomics, and comparative genomics. Students will perform bioinformatics and computational analyses with an emphasis on topics relevant to their thesis work.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Discussion of current advances in selected topics in physiology of prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic microorganisms. Recently published research results will be the central points for the discussion. The topics might include but are not limited to microbiol growth behaviour under extreme conditions, microbial roles in the cycles of specific elements, processes of energy conservation, and properties and functions of key enzymes in microbial metabolic pathways.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
The theory and practical application of microanalytical techniques often used in the biogeosciences will be explored. Particular attention will be given to microscopy, X-ray, and spectroscopy techniques. The use of these techniques in the study of microbe-mineral-fluid interactions, and the impact of these interactions on the broader environment, will be explored. Implementing a multi-analytical approach to investigate topics in the biogeosciences will be practiced through research design.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Discussion of literature relating to the cell cycle and cell differentiation. Topics may include: the cell cycle, DNA replication, mitosis, stem cells, cell proliferation and differentiation, cancer progression, epigenetics, chromatin remodeling, and extracellular matrix function. A strong undergraduate background in cell biology and molecular biology is required.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course introduces statistical methods commonly used in ecology. Topics covered will include Experimental design, ANOVA, regression, general linear models, clustering, ordination, and some multivariate analyses of variance.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Community ecology seeks to understand the processes by which communities assemble and the key biotic and abiotic factors that influence their structure and function. This seminar covers diverse ecological theories relevant to communities, applying concepts of selection, drift, speciation, and dispersal through readings, discussion, and a term paper that tests a community ecology hypothesis.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Discussion of current advances in selected topics in immunology. The areas to be covered will include cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity, comparative immunology, and other topics of current interest.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Recent advances in selected topics of microbial ecology will be examined. Topics will be selected from soil, fresh water or other ecosystems with an important microbial component.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course examines the use of stratigraphic records from lakes to reconstruct environmental change. Topics include sediment coring techniques, radiometric dating methods, analysis of physical, geochemical and biological indicators, and case studies demonstrating applications to address scientific and management questions. Practical experience is gained from a lake sediment coring field trip and subsequent laboratory analyses. *eligible for MES.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
The ability to determine the three¿dimensional structure of a biomolecule and correlate that structure to molecular function is essential to understanding its role in Biology. In BIOL 650 we will explore the use of biophysical and structural approaches that can be used to establish the structure and function of protein-based biomolecules. The primary emphasis of the course will be upon establishing structure¿function relationships in enzymes. Upon completion of the course, students will have gained a practical understanding of the use and limitations of the tools of steady¿state enzyme kinetics and x¿ray crystallography.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course examines the interaction in both space and time between hydrological processes and lacustrine environments. Applications to freshwater ecosystem management are explored.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Discussion of the major concepts in ecology, and current advances in selected topics. A broad overview of important ideas in population, community and ecosystem ecology will be provided, and following this, recently published research results on a subset of topics will become the central focus of the course. Topics might include but are not limited to: spatial-temporal dynamics of populations, meta- and hierarchical community structure, and species-specific influences on ecosystem function.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Principles and applications for the study of membrane proteins in physiological processes will be covered, with particular emphasis on voltage-, receptop- and second messenger-operated channels. Discussions will focus on modern techniques employed in electrophysiology, pharmacology, imaging and biochemistry.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Critical evaluation and discussion of topics and procedures in biology that are not covered in existing graduate courses. The course must be specially arranged with a faculty member. Students may take only one BIOL 680 course for credit. (Offered to Master's students only.)
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
Critical evaluation and discussion of topics and procedures in biology that are not covered in existing courses. The course must be specially arranged with a faculty member. Students may take only one BIOL 681 course for credit. (Offered to PhD students only.)
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
The goal of the course is to introduce new graduate students in the Department of Biology to the skills that will be necessary for them to acquire and organize information, as well as to present/communicate that information effectively in both oral and written form. These skills will be developed through the preparation of a research proposal suitable for scholarship applications, a written reflection on a work from the non-scientific literature and a presentation relevant to the individual student’s thesis work. The use of peer review will also allow students to develop their analytical and critical appraisal skills.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course covers best practices for writing clear, coherent, concise and compelling scientific papers in the field of ecology and evolution and provides hands-on experience implementing those best practices in a paper draft authored by the student. Students are expected to bring their own data, preliminary results and to write a paper draft around those.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will be presented using a seminar-based approach, covering topics in the broad area of the Biochemical and Biomedical Sciences. In-class discussions, student presentations and written works will be based on the current peer-reviewed literature in the topic area and will foster critical analytical skills, while deepening the students’ understanding of major concepts and recent advances in the field. The specific focus and structure of each iteration will be determined by the faculty member serving as the instructor, based on their area of expertise and research interests. Topics to be covered in individual offerings may include: cancer; cell biology, cell cycle and cell death; model organisms; neurodegeneration; neuroscience; proteostasis.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will be presented using a seminar-based approach, covering topics in the broad area of Computational Biology. In-class discussions, student presentations and written works will be based on the current peer-reviewed literature in the topic area and will foster critical analytical skills, while deepening the students’ understanding of major concepts and recent advances in the field. The specific focus and structure of each iteration will be determined by the faculty member serving as the instructor, based on their area of expertise and research interests. Topics to be covered in individual offerings may include: bioinformatics, genomics, in silico modelling, mathematical modelling, phylogenetics, proteomics.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will be presented using a seminar-based approach, covering topics in the broad area of Ecology and Evolution. In-class discussions, student presentations and written works will be based on the current peer-reviewed literature in the topic area and will foster critical analytical skills, while deepening the students’ understanding of major concepts and recent advances in the field. The specific focus and structure of each iteration will be determined by the faculty member serving as the instructor, based on their area of expertise and research interests. Topics to be covered in individual offerings may include: biomonitoring; conservation biology; community ecology; diversity; ecosystems; ecotoxicology; limnology; plant traits and ecology; population genetics; phylogeny; remediation, restoration and reclamation; taxonomy; wetland ecology.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will be presented using a seminar-based approach, covering topics in the broad area of Microbiology. In-class discussions, student presentations and written works will be based on the current peer-reviewed literature in the topic area and will foster critical analytical skills, while deepening the students’ understanding of major concepts and recent advances in the field. The specific focus and structure of each iteration will be determined by the faculty member serving as the instructor, based on their area of expertise and research interests. Topics to be covered in individual offerings may include: applied and environmental microbiology; evolution and phylogeny of microorganisms; microbial ecology, genetics, pathogenesis, physiology; public health microbiology.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines
This course will be presented using a seminar-based approach, covering topics in the broad area of Physiology and Cell Biology. In-class discussions, student presentations and written works will be based on the current peer-reviewed literature in the topic area and will foster critical analytical skills, while deepening the students’ understanding of major concepts and recent advances in the field. The specific focus and structure of each iteration will be determined by the faculty member serving as the instructor, based on their area of expertise and research interests. Topics to be covered in individual offerings may include: cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, molecular biology, pathobiology, physiology, systems biology.
Archived calendar entryRequirements, Spring 2025Course outlines