BIOL.5395 Model Organisms

Description

Model organisms are non-human, widely-studied, well-characterized organisms that are used to make important basic biological discoveries, understanding disease mechanisms, and lay the groundwork for designing therapeutics. Understanding the significance of model organisms is of interest to researchers and those interested in careers in biotechnology, pharmaceutical industries, policy-making, and science writing. The primary goal of this class is to provide a bird¿s eye view of commonly used model organisms, their strengths and weaknesses, and how these organisms have been used to address a biological question. The class will cover a different model organism each week followed by group discussion of a research article that features the model organism during the week.

Course prerequisites/corequisites are determined by the faculty and approved by the curriculum committees. Students are required to fulfill these requirements prior to enrollment. For courses offered through online or GPS delivery, students are responsible for confirming with the instructor or department that all enrollment requirements have been satisfied before registering.