OEB Courses

OEB COURSES

Graduate Courses

OEB 303: Theoretical Population Genetics

Instructor: John Wakeley
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 304: Mycology

Instructor: Donald Pfister
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 305: The Fundamental Interconnectedness of All Things

Instructor: David Haig
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 306: Invertebrate Paleobiology and Evolution

Instructor: Javier Ortega-Hernandez
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 307: Biomechanics, Physiology and Musculoskeletal Biology

Instructor: Andrew Biewener
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 308: Evolution of Floral Developmental Mechanisms

Instructor: Elena Kramer
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 309: Evolution, Genomics, and Speciation

Instructor: Jim Mallet
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 310: Metazoan Systematics

Instructor: Gonzalo Giribet
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 311: Ecosystem Ecology

Instructor: Paul Moorcroft
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 314: Ecosystem Ecology

Instructor: Paul Moorcroft
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 320: Biomechanics and Evolution of Vertebrates

Instructor: George Lauder
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 321: Evolution of Regeneration and Development

Instructor: Mansi Srivastava
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 323: Advanced Vertebrate Anatomy

Instructor: Stephanie Pierce
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 324: Molecular Evolution

Instructor: Daniel Hartl
Meeting Times: TBA
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 334: Behavioral Ecology

Instructor: Naomi Pierce
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 339: Whole-Plant Physiology

Instructor: Noel Holbrook
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 341: Coevolution

Instructor: Brian Farrell
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 343: Microbial Ecology and Symbiosis

Instructor: Colleen Cavanaugh
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 355: Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Instructor: James Hanken
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 359: Paleobotany

Instructor: Andrew Knoll
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 362: Research in Molecular Evolution

Instructor: Scott Edwards
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 363: Plant Diversity and Evolution

Instructor: Charles Davis
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 364: Ecological Physiology of Microbes

Instructor: Peter Girguis
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 369: Molecular Genetics of Neuroscience

Instructor: Yun Zhang
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 370: Mammalian Evolutionary Genetics

Instructor: Hopi Hoekstra
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 371: Comparative & Evolutionary Invertebrate Developmental Biology

Instructor: Cassandra Extavour
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 372: Neural Basis of Learned Motor Behaviors

Instructor: Bence Ölveczky
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 375: Evolutionary Dynamics and Population Genetics

Instructor: MIchael Desai
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 380: Neurobiological Basis of Behavior

Instructor: Benjamin de Bivort
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 383: Terrestrial Global Change Ecology - Biotic and Abiotic Biosphere Processes in a Changing World

Instructor: Benton Taylor
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 385: Natural Selection in Humans and Pathogens

Instructor: Pardis Sabeti
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 386: Organismic and Evolutionary Plant Biology

Instructor: William Friedman
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 387: Plant Evolution and Speciation

Instructor: Robin Hopkins
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 399: Topics in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Instructor: David Haig, Yun Zhang
Description: Presents the research interests and experiences of scientists in organismic and evolutionary biology. Specific topics treated vary from year to year.
Course Notes:  Required of all first-year graduate students in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology.
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration
Term: Offered Fall and Spring Terms

Primarily Graduate Courses

OEB 207: The Fishy Aspects of the Human Body

Instructor(s): Stephanie Pierce
Description: Explore how the human body evolved through an analysis of the award-winning non-fiction book, Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5 Billion-Year History of the Human Body, by evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin. We will read and discuss each chapter in turn and discover how different parts of the human body can be traced back to creatures that lived eons ago. By the end of the course students will gain a better appreciation for how all life on Earth is interrelated and how our own bodies are a result of millions of years of evolutionary history.
Course Notes: Undergraduates are particularly encouraged to consider this course. It provides a basic foundation in anatomy that would be applicable for many concentrations and career paths, such as IB, HEB, MCB, and human and veterinary medicine.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 213:Evolutionary Convergence,Mass Extinctions, Shape of Life

Instructor(s): Javier Ortega-Hernandez
Description: Understanding the origin of major animal groups and the composition of the biosphere represents a core objective of evolutionary biology.  While molecular techniques allow us to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships between living animal phyla, as well as track the developmental mechanisms behind their morphology, extant diversity offers an incomplete view of the evolution of these organisms.  We will examine how processes acting through deep time affect fundamental biodiversity patterns, including topics such as the origin of animals, the rapid diversification of major clades, and the impact of extinction.  Our aim is to convey a sense of how evolutionary thinking has changed over the past few decades thanks to a combination of conceptual and technical advances, and to instill a sense of the importance of the animal fossil record as a source of data with a uniquely historical component among the biological sciences.
Recommended Prep:  At least one of the following courses, or their equivalent, are encouraged: OEB 51, OEB 53, OEB 56, OEB 181.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 218: Ecosystem Restoration

Instructor(s): David Moreno Mateos
Description: Given the current speed of habitat and species loss caused by human development, the restoration of degraded ecosystem is one of the greatest challenges humankind is facing. For this reason, the United Nations declared 2021-2030 as the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. This global effort will need from experts on ecosystem science, management and design to have a deep understanding of how ecosystems recover from human disturbance and how we can use this knowledge to increase the currently limited performance of restoration practice. This course is particularly suited for students with interests in nature conservation, the natural component of landscape architecture, or ecosystem management in a broad sense. In this course, we will create a multidirectional learning environment where we all will learn from the others to address real world restoration cases in all kinds of habitats, from forests to marine ecosystems. Students will have a particular real case assignment where the student will dig to the deepest possible level to increase biodiversity and ecosystem functionality through an understanding of the complexity that structures ecosystems. We will have key inputs from guest lectures coming from restoration companies with many years of experience restoring ecosystems worldwide. They will help us find targeted tools to support and design ecosystems both in urban and natural environments. We will increase our understanding of what nature is for humans and the Earth system and will increase our connection to it through field trips. In the fields trip, we will explore ecosystem complexity in New England’s recovering forests (like the Harvard Forest) and discuss with mangers the keys for restoration success and failure on the ground. Evaluations will be made through a combination of assignments, essays, and discussion participation. Basic previous knowledge on ecology is required. This course will arm students with one of the most important tools to work with and for nature in the coming decades.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 223: Topics in Neurogenetics

Instructor(s): Yun Zhang
Description: We will discuss current literatures related to genetic effects on neural functions, including: (1) mental illness; (2) neurodegenerative diseases; (3) various behaviors; (4) learning and memory.
Course Notes:  The course is primarily planned for new graduate students, but it is also open to interested senior undergraduates who have taken OEB 57 (formerly BS 57) or MCB 80 and obtained permission from the instructor.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 230: Comparative Genomics

Instructor(s): James Mallet
Description: This discussion-based course will survey modern ideas about evolution and speciation, and how they have changed as a result of genomic approaches. As well as readings and discussions in class, the course will utilize some live online video sessions with major players in the field of evolutionary and comparative genomics.
Recommended Prep:  A first year genetics and if possible an evolution or population genetics course (e.g. LS1B, OEB 53 or OEB 242), or equivalent. Please contact instructor for exceptions.
Cross Reg: Available for Harvard Cross Registration

OEB 252: Coalescent Theory

Instructor: John Wakeley
Description: The mathematics and computation of ancestral inference in population genetics. Theory relates observable genetic data to factors of evolution such as mutation, genetic drift, migration, natural selection, and population structure.
Recommended Prep: OEB 242 or permission of instructor: calculus and statistics or probability.

OEB 253R: Evolutionary Genetics Seminar

Instructor(s): John Wakeley
Description:  Readings and discussion of primary literature in population and evolutionary genetics.
Recommended Prep:   OEB 152 or permission of instructor.

OEB 275R: Phylogenetics and Phylogeography in the Era of Genomic

Instructor(s): Scott Edwards
Description: The course will review the recent literature on methods of analysis in phylogenomics and phylogeography, with particular attention to analysis of large-scale data sets; accommodating gene tree heterogeneity; adequacy of models at the level of DNA sequence evolution and demographic history; and estimation of critical parameters of population history, such as phylogenetic relationships, reticulate evolutionary histories, rates of gene flow and species boundaries.  Weekly sessions will consist of presentations and discussions led by students and by international experts, including hands-on sessions working with state-of-the-art software.
Course Notes: Participants should have an account on the FAS Research Computing Odyssey cluster prior to course beginning.
Recommended Prep: OEB 53, OEB 181, OEB 125 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

OEB 242: Population Genetics

Instructor(s): Daniel Hartl, Michael Desai
Description: Mathematical theory, experimental data, and history of ideas in the field, including analytical methods to study genetic variation with applications to evolution, demographic history, agriculture, health and disease. Includes lectures, problem sets, and student presentations.
Recommended Prep:  LS1b or permission of the instructor.

OEB 290: Microbial Sciences: Chemistry, Ecology and Evolution

Instructor(s): Michael Gilmore
Description: This is an interdisciplinary graduate-level and advanced undergraduate-level course in which students explore topics in molecular microbiology, microbial diversity, and microbially-mediated geochemistry in depth. This course will be taught by faculty from the Microbial Sciences Initiative. Topics include the origins of life, biogeochemical cycles, microbial diversity, and ecology.  Course will limit enrollment to 20 students.
Course Notes: Also offered as Microbiology 210
Recommended Prep: For advanced undergraduates, Life Sciences 1a and 1b are required, or permission of instructor. MCB 52 is recommended.

Graduate and Undergraduate Courses

OEB 104: The Mouse in Science and Society

Instructor(s): Kathleen Pritchett-Corning
Description: Mice remain the most popular vertebrates used in biomedical R&D today, with tens of millions of lab mice produced annually in the United States alone. At the same time, mice are commonly studied for their own characteristics that continue to enhance our knowledge about innate mammalian behavior, predator‐prey dynamics in changing ecosystems, and reservoir hosts for emerging diseases, to name a few.  This course intends to provide a strong foundation in mouse biology, both basic and applied, as well as exposure to cultural and political aspects of the current impact of mice (real or fictitious) on contemporary societal values.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 109: Conservation Ecology and Practice

Instructor(s): David Foster
Description: The conservation of land and waters has become a major tool in determining the patterns of land use, conserving biodiversity, combating global change, and ensuring that the benefits of nature are secured for society. With a focus on the U.S., this course will examine the history and changes in conservation rationale and approach, the ecological theory and research that helps guide conservation planning and execution, and the policies, finances, and practice that enable land conservation to be a powerful agent of landscape change. Field trips will focus on case studies and discussions with practitioners engaged in New England conservation from Boston to extremely rural landscapes.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 112: Arthropod biology: Arachnids and Myriapods, Their Biology and Evolution

Instructor(s): Gonzalo Giribet
Description: This course aims to introduce the evolutionary history and biology of arachnids, myriapods and related groups via a combination of learning their taxonomy and anatomy as well as their role as model organisms to understand phenomena such as segmentation or appendage specification. We aim to then use the knowledge acquired to study aspects related to web evolution, sociality, parental care, use of defensive secretions, and other behaviors that have made arthropods the most successful group of terrestrial organisms.
Recommended Prep: OEB 10 (for undergraduates)
 

OEB 114: Vertebrate Viviparity

Instructor(s): David Haig
Description: Viviparity has evolved many times in vertebrate phylogeny. The course reviews the diversity of parental care in vertebrates and explores the selective forces that have favored the evolution of live-bearing. The evidence for intergenerational conflicts is considered.
Recommended Prep: Life Sciences 1b or permission of instructor
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 119: Deep Sea Biology

Instructor(s): Peter Girguis
Description:  The oceans contain 97% of Earth's water, and host the most disparate ecosystems on the planet. This course provides an introduction to deep ocean habitats, macrofauna and microorganisms. Emphasis is placed on the physiological adaptations of organisms to their environment, as well the role of microbes in mediating oceanic biogeochemical cycles.
Course Notes:  Lab component.
Related Sections: Discussion and Laboratory.

OEB 125: Molecular Ecology and Evolution

Instructor(s): Scott Edwards
Description:  A survey of theory and applications of DNA technologies to the study of evolutionary, ecological and behavioral processes in natural populations. Topics to be covered will span a variety of hierarchical levels, timescales, and taxonomic groups, and will include the evolution of genes, genomes and proteins; the neutral theory of molecular evolution and molecular clocks; population genomics and phylogenetic principles of speciation and phylogeography; metagenomics of microbial communities; relatedness and behavioral ecology; molecular ecology of infectious disease; and conservation genetics.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Course Notes:   Weekly computer laboratories will introduce the use of the internet and computational software in DNA sequence alignment and phylogenetic and population genetic analysis.
Recommended Prep: Life Sciences 1b, OEB 10, OEB 53 or MCB 52.

OEB 128: From Darwin to Derrida: The Evolution of Meaning and Purpose

Instructor(s): David Haig
Description: The seminar will read my recent book (of the same name as the course) intended for a general educated readership. The seminar would be suitable both for science students and for non-science students who wish to learn some evolutionary biology. Natural selection is a purposeless process that has evolved purposive creatures. The key innovation in the evolution of life was the origin of a textual record of past choices of natural selection contained within genetic sequences. The information in genes comes from the environment that selects. The textual record evolves as organisms are judged by the performance of the text in environmental context.
Class Notes: This semester-long course will be offered each semester in 2020-2021.  It cannot be repeated for credit.

OEB 130: Biology of Fishes

Instructor(s): George Lauder
Description: Fishes inhabit diverse aquatic environments including deep seas, intertidal zones, coral reefs, polar waters, the vast Amazonian basin, and great East African lakes. A single fish species may occupy diverse environments through extraordinary long distance horizontal and vertical migrations. To explore this unparalleled diversity, the course emphasizes bridging traditional academic boundaries with integrative analyses of the biology underlying rapid evolutionary radiations and stasis.
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 137: Experimental Design and Statistics for Ecology

Instructor(s): Benton Taylor
Description: Experimental Design and Statistics for Ecology provides a practical “how to” introduction to conducting ecological research.  Students gain hands-on experience forming testable questions and hypotheses, designing experiments to test these questions, implementing experimental designs, taking and managing data, and conducting an array of statistical analyses in R statistical software.
Course Notes: This course is geared toward senior undergrads and early graduate students.
Recommended Prep: OEB 55
Cross Reg: Available for Cross Registration

OEB 140: How Do Species Evolve?

Instructor(s): James Mallet
Description: Speciation, or the origin of species, has been a controversial topic ever since Darwin's 1859 book. Even in the genomic era we are now experiencing, speciation is a frequent topic that demands attention. In this course, we will cover in approximate order:

  • History of ideas in speciation; pre-Darwin, Darwin & Wallace, 1930-1940s, recent
  • The concept of reproductive isolation
  • Ecological "races" and ecological speciation
  • Idealized population genetic models of speciation
  • Beyond the species: macroevolution and diversification
  • What are species? Species concepts and species delimitation
  • Brief introduction to coalescent theory and the multi-species coalescent
  • Behavioral divergence and mate choice, including "reinforcement"
  • Chromosomal evolution, genomic rearrangements, and speciation
  • What is needed to understand speciation? The population genetics of gene flow, and genetic divergence via mutation, drift, and selection
  • The geography of speciation, including allopatric, parapatric, and sympatric speciation
  • Hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility between species
  • Speciation: caused by natural selection or by genetic drift?
Recommended Prep: None. However, LS1B Genetics, OEB 53 Evolutionary Biology, or equivalents may be helpful. Feel free to ask Instructor if in doubt. Instructor will cover relevant biology in case of lack of prior biology background.

 

OEB 141: Biogeography

Instructor(s): Gonzalo Giribet
Description:  Biogeography aims to explain distributions of organisms through historical and ecological factors. This course will focus on the history of biogeographic research, developments in the area of historical biogeography, and on ecological processes that affect distributions of whole clades. Topics include plate tectonics and earth history, vicariance and dispersal, areas of endemism, phylogenetic niche conservatism, latitudinal gradients in species richness, and the theory of island biogeography. Software for biogeographical analysis will be discussed and evaluated.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Recommended Prep: Two following courses: Life Sciences 1b, OEB 10, OEB 51, OEB 52, OEB 53, OEB 54, OEB 55, OEB 181, or permission of the instructor. There will also be a lab component in addition to the lecture component of the course.

OEB 145: Genes and Behavior

Instructor(s): Yun Zhang
Description:  Behavior is inheritable and regulated by genes. This lecture course explores causal links between genes and behavioral traits, aiming to provide mechanistic understanding of how gene products control and influence behavioral outputs. The course will start with discoveries of genes whose mutations contribute to neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders, followed by main research approaches used to investigate genetic basis of behavior and brain function. The class will then have in-depth lectures and discussion on genes that regulate several behavioral traits including olfaction, itch and pain, circadian rhythm, sexual behavior, sleep, learning and memory
Class Notes:   One lecture and one discussion session per week via Zoom.  Meeting times will be based on the needs of students enrolled.
Recommended Prep: Life Sciences 1a or permission of the instructor

OEB 150: Exceptional Paleobiological Insights into Animal Evolution

Instructor(s): Javier Ortega-Hernández
Description:  In this course we will explore the importance of soft-tissue preservation in the rock record through an overview of major exceptional fossiliferous sites around the world and throughout the Precambrian to Mid-Phanerozoic, with particular emphasis on the evolutionary history of invertebrate animals. Our aim is to produce a thorough understanding of the inherent biases of the fossil record, how exceptional deposits break with these limitations, and the contribution of exceptional paleontological data towards reconstructing the origin and early evolution of the major animal groups.  In addition, the course offers an optional week-long field trip during spring break.

OEB 155R: Biology of Insects

Instructor(s): Naomi Pierce
Description:  An introduction to the major groups of insects. The life history, morphology, physiology, and ecology of the main taxa are examined through a combination of lecture, lab, and field exercises. Topics include the phylogeny of terrestrial arthropods with a review of the extant orders, an analysis of abiotic and biotic factors regulating populations, including water balance, temperature, migration, parasitism, mutualism, sociality, insect/plant interactions, medical entomology, and the use of insects in biological control.
Class Notes:   The lab and field exercises will be offered as part of  the "remote" version of the course, but modified to accommodate students who are working in different locations.

Undergraduate Courses

LIFESCI 2: Evolutionary Human Physiology and Anatomy

Instructor(s): Daniel Lieberman, George Lauder, Katherine Zink, Andrew Biewener, Joanne Clark Matott
Description:  Why is the human body the way that it is? This course explores human anatomy and physiology from an integrated framework, combining functional, comparative, and evolutionary perspectives on how organisms work. Major topics, which follow a life-course framework, include embryogenesis, metabolism and energetics, growth and development, movement and locomotion, food and digestion, stress and disease, and reproduction. Also considered is the relevance of human biology to contemporary issues in human health and biology.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Course Notes:  This course includes a weekly 3-hour lab. This course may not be taken Pass/Fail

 

OEB 10: Foundations of Biological Diversity

Instructor(s): Brian Farrell, Elena Kramer, Ann Pearson, Mansi Srivastava, Collin Johnson
Description:  An integrated approach to the diversity of life, emphasizing how chemical, physical, genetic, ecological and geologic processes contribute to the origin and maintenance of biological diversity. Topics to be covered include the evolution of metabolic pathways, multicellularity and structural complexity; causes and consequences of differences in diversity over space and time; the role of species interactions (including symbioses) as an evolutionary force; and the evolution of humans and their impact on the environment.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Course Notes:
• Two 60-minute synchronous meetings per week, 001 and 002.  Students should register for the one they foresee attending most regularly.
• Two 45-minute asynchronous lectures (pre-recorded videos) per week are required to be watched before the synchronous meetings.
• One 90-minute lab/section per week is required.
Recommended Prep: Knowledge of introductory molecular, cellular biology, and genetics is recommended. 

OEB 50: Genetics and Genomics

Instructor(s): Daniel Hartl, Robin Hopkins
Description:  Fundamental concepts in genetics and genomics forming a critical foundation for biology approached from two perspectives: (1) as a body of knowledge pertaining to genetic transmission, function, mutation, and evolution in eukaryotes and prokaryotes; and (2) as an experimental approach providing a toolkit for the study of biological processes such as development and behavior. Topics include structure, function, transmission, linkage, mutation, and manipulation of genes; genetic approaches in experimental studies of biological processes; and analysis of genomes in individuals and populations. Related ethical issues also discussed include genetically modified organisms, gene therapy, genetic testing, personalized medicine, and genetic privacy.
Enrollment:  No Limit

OEB 52: Biology of Plants

Instructor(s): Elena Kramer, Noel Holbrook
Description:  Introduction to the structure, diversity, and physiology of plants with an emphasis on evolutionary relationships and adaptations to life on land. Topics include growth, resource acquisition, interactions with other organisms (i.e., fungi, bacteria, insects), reproduction, and survival in extreme environments. Laboratory sessions provide an overview of plant and diversity and an introduction to basic physiological processes.
 

OEB 53: Evolutionary Biology

Instructor(s): Andrew Berry
Description: The course covers micro- and macro-evolution, ranging in its focus from population genetics through molecular evolution to the grand patterns of the fossil record. Topics emphasized include both natural and sexual selection, the ecological context of adaptation, genomic and developmental mechanisms of evolutionary innovation, speciation, phylogenetics, and evolutionary approaches to human problems.
Recommended Prep: Life Sciences IB or permission of instructor

OEB 54: Biology of the Fungi

Instructor(s): Donald Pfister
Description:  This course explores the fascinating diversity of the kingdom fungi, including evolution, ecology and morphology. All of the major groups of fungi, from smuts to molds, will be included. Students use a variety of techniques to learn about these organisms and their activities.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Class Notes: 
• Tuesday lectures will be followed by a lab/discussion session.
• Because we are working away from the lab the course has been modified to allow for the study of fungi wherever you may be. We will provide a laboratory kit for you to use at home. This will not be the same as working in the lab at Harvard but it is intended to offer you the chance to experiment and observe what is around you. You will attempt to grow some fungi. You will learn about identification and most of all you will realize that the organisms in the kingdom Fungi are all around us and perform many functions in the ecosystem and in our lives. They cause diseases of plants and animals but they also are critical to plant growth, they cycle nutrients to support ecosystem health, they are critical to industrial processes and to the activities in our kitchens. Fungi are highly complex in their morphology and this contributes to their beauty and fascination. I hope you will join us in studying fungi at home. Throughout the course we will have special guest presentations to bring these topics into focus, for example, the biology of sourdough and of making ginger beer. We will support you in this endeavor by by having weekly sessions to discuss and observe together.
Recommended Prep: Life Sciences 1a and 1b or permission of instructor. Lab section will be held on Tuesdays from 2:30pm-4:00pm during Fall 2016.

OEB 55: Ecology: Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems

Instructor(s): Andrew Davies, Paul Moorcroft, Collin Johnson
Description: This course examines the relationships of organisms to their environment at the individual, population, and community level. The course covers topics in both pure and applied ecology including: adaptations to the physical environment, population dynamics, competition, predator-prey interactions, community ecology, ecosystem structure, stability, and function, the ecology of infectious diseases, and natural resource management.
Recommended Prep: Mathematics 1a or 1b

OEB 56: Geobiology and the History of Life

Instructor(s): Andrew Knoll, David Johnston
Description: Within our solar system, Earth is distinguished as the planet with life. Life was born of planetary processes, has been sustained for some four billion years by planetary processes, and through time has emerged as a set of planetary processes that is important in its own right. In this course we will investigate the ways that Earth and life interact, focusing in particular on the biogeochemical cycles of major elements. This will provide a framework for interpreting the history of life reconstructed from fossils and phylogeny.
Course Notes: OEB 56 is also offered as EPS 56. Students may not take both OEB 56 and EPS 56 for credit.
Recommended Prep: EPS 21, 22, or Life Sciences 1b; or permission of instructor.

OEB 57: Animal Behavior

Instructor(s): Bence Ölveczky, Naomi Pierce
Description: A review of the behavior of animals under natural conditions, with emphasis on both mechanistic and evolutionary approaches. Topics include classical ethology; behavioral endocrinology; behavioral genetics; learning and memory; communication; orientation, migration and biological rhythms; optimal foraging; evolutionary stable strategies; sexual selection; parental investment and mating systems; selfishness, altruism, and reciprocity; and sociality in vertebrates and invertebrates.
Course Requirements: Anti-Requisite: Cannot be taken for credit if NEURO 57 already complete.
Jointly Offered with: Faculty of Arts & Sciences asNEURO 57

OEB 58: How to Build an Animal

Instructor(s): Stephanie Pierce, Mansi Srivastava
Description:  Ever wonder why you and other animals have eyes? What about teeth or even skin? "How to Build an Animal" answers your questions by exploring the wonders of animal biology. Each week, we consider a prominent feature of animal anatomy; study its variation in form and function; and how it's made during embryonic development. To facilitate student learning, each topic is accompanied by a 'hands-on' activity that illustrates the concepts discussed in the lecture. Further, the course introduces a number of scientific areas, including comparative anatomy, functional morphology, phylogenetics, genomics, and experimental embryology. The overall goal is to provide a basic understanding of animal evolution and development and how these processes combine to shape the diversity of life on Earth.
Enrollment:  28
 

OEB 59: Plants and Human Affairs

Instructor(s): Charles Davis
Description:  An introduction to the uses of plants by humans. Topics include the form, structure and genetics of plants related to their use as sources of food, shelter, fiber, flavors, beverages, drugs, and medicines. Plant structure and reproduction are studied in lecture and laboratory with a particular focus on relationships between the plant's structural, chemical, or physiological attributes and the utility plant.
Enrollment:  No Limit
Recommended Prep:   OEB 10 or permission of the instructor.

OEB 65: Conservation Biology

Instructor(s): Andrew Davies
Description: Our planet and its biodiversity are in peril. We will begin by exploring the state of the planet and how we got here before focusing on what can still be done to conserve Earth’s remaining biodiversity, considering the biological, societal and ethical considerations of conservation in a changing world.
Related Sections: Discussion Th 12:00-1:30pm

OEB 99R: Supervised Research

Instructor: Gonzalo Giribet, Andrew Berry
Description: Course taken in one or more semesters to obtain credit for independent research, including research toward a senior thesis. Work should be directed by an OEB faculty member or have an OEB faculty sponsor. All students must submit registration materials for OEB 99r at the time of enrollment.
Course Notes: Laboratory safety session required

Offered Fall and Spring Terms

 

OEB 91R: Supervised Reading

Instructor: Gonzalo Giribet, Andrew Berry
Description: Supervised reading on topics not covered by regular courses. For OEB concentrators, work may be supervised by faculty in other departments, provided it is co-sponsored by an OEB faculty member. For non-concentrators, work must be directed by an OEB faculty member. Students must submit a registration request to the OEB Undergraduate Office before enrollment. Students cannot take OEB 91r and 99r simultaneously with the same director.

Offered Fall and Spring Terms

 

2023-2024 OEB Courses by Term and Day

Term

 

Course #

Course Name

Instructor(s)

Meeting Times

Fall and Spring 

 

OEB 91R Supervised Reading David Haig Arrange with Instructor
OEB 99R Supervised Research David Haig Arrange with Instructor
OEB 300s All 300 Level Courses   Arrange with Instructor

Fall
2023

LIFESCI 2 Evolutionary Human Physiology and Anatomy

Daniel Lieberman, George Lauder,  Andrew Biewener, Joanne Clark Matott

M, W, F
12:00pm - 1:15pm
OEB 10 Foundations of Biological Diversity Brian Farrell, Ann Pearson, Mansi Srivastava, Elena Kramer M, W, F
10:30am - 11:45am
OEB 50 Genetics and Genomics Daniel Hartl, Robin Hopkins

Tu, Th
10:30am - 11:45am

OEB 53 Evolutionary Biology Andrew Berry

M, W, F
1:30pm - 2:45pm

OEB 55 Ecology: Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems Andrew Davies, Paul Moorcroft Tu, Th
1:30pm - 2:45pm
OEB 58 How to Build an Animal Stephanie Pierce, Mansi Srivastava Tu, Th
12:00pm - 1:15pm
OEB 104 The Mouse in Science and Society Kathleen Pritchett-Corning Tu, Th
9:00am - 10:15am
OEB 106 Plant Development and Differentiation Elena Kramer Tu, Th
9:00am - 10:15am
OEB 120 Plants and Climate N. Michele Holbrook M
3:00pm - 5:30pm
OEB 125 Genome Analysis, Ecology and Evolution Scott Edwards Tu, Th
12:00pm - 1:15pm
OEB 137 Experimental Design and Statistics for Ecology Benton Taylor Tu, Th
10:30am - 11:45am
OEB 145 Genes and Behavior Yun Zhang Tu, Th
1:30pm - 2:45pm
OEB 155R Biology of Insects Naomi Pierce W, F
1:30pm - 2:45pm
OEB 228 Readings in the Philosophy of Evolutionary Biology David Haig

W
3:00pm - 5:00pm

OEB 249 Ecological Remote Sensing Paul Moorcroft

W
3:00pm - 5:45pm

Spring 2024

 

OEB 51 Biology and Evolution of Invertebrate Animals Gonzalo Giribet, Cassandra Extavour M, W, F
9:00am - 10:15am
OEB 52 Biology of Plants N. Michele Holbrook, Elena Kramer Tu, Th
9:00am - 10:15am
OEB 56 The History and Evolution of Life on Earth Javier Ortega-Hernández, Nadja Drabon M, W
10:30am - 11:45am
OEB 57 Animal Behavior

Bence Ölveczky, Naomi Pierce

Tu, Th
10:30am - 11:45am
OEB 60 Fundamentals of Marine Biology Aaron Hartmann Tu, Th
12:00pm - 1:15pm
OEB 128 From Darwin to Derrida: The Evolution of Meaning and Purpose David Haig M
3:00pm - 5:00pm
OEB 190 Biology and Diversity of Birds Scott Edwards Tu, Th
12:00pm - 1:15pm
OEB 217R What Makes a Turtle? Stephanie Pierce W
3:00pm - 5:45pm
OEB 223 Topics in Neurogenetics Yun Zhang W
3:00pm - 4:15pm
OEB 247 Science and Communication in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Robin Hopkins Tu, Th
10:30am - 11:45am
OEB 290 Microbial Sciences: Chemistry, Ecology, and Evolution Michael Gilmore F
9:45am - 11:45am

 

Other Courses Taught by OEB Faculty

APMTH 115: Mathematical Modeling

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Abstracting the essential components and mechanisms from a natural system to produce a mathematical model, which can be analyzed with a variety of formal mathematical methods, is perhaps the most important, but least understood, task in applied mathematics. This course approaches a number of problems without the prejudice of trying to apply a particular method of solution. Topics drawn from biology, economics, engineering, physical and social sciences.
Course Notes: Applied Mathematics 115 is also offered as Engineering Sciences 115. Students may not take both for credit. Undergraduate Engineering Students should enroll in Engineering Sciences 115.
Recommended Prep: Applied Mathematics 105. Additional skills in analysis, algebra, probability, statistics and computer programming will increase the value of the course to students.

APMTH 216: Inverse Problems in Science and Engineering

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Many problems in science and engineering are inverse problems. For example, an experimental result that requires an explanation can be couched thus -  given the data, what is the theory/model that provides it - this is an inverse problem. In engineering, a given function (in a product/software …. ) requires a design - again an inverse problem. In this course, we will first spend some time on characterizing common features of inverse problems from science and engineering - from oil prospecting and seismology to cognitive science, from particle physics to engineering design, then introduce deterministic and probabilistic methods for their solution, and finally deploy them computationally on real questions drawn from the  sciences and engineering.
Recommended Prep: Linear algebra, Differential equations, Basic probability, some MATLAB experience.

APMTH 217: Instabilities and Patterns in Soft Matter and Biophys

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: The course discusses various kinds of instabilities in soft matter systems including active swarms, gels, droplets, filament assemblies, and disordered solids. After an introduction to bifurcation theory and spatio-temporal instabilities, we discuss in each lecture a new class of systems where an instability occurs, often leading to patterns, failure, or sudden shape, flow or transport changes. Each lecture consists of an introductory segment and then bridges to current research topics. We will offer mini research projects the student can complete until the end of the term.
Recommended Prep: ODE/PDE (at the level of APMTH105), Basic computational methods (APMTH111 or equivalent), some basics of hydrodynamics, statistical mechanics and nonequilibrium thermodynamics.

APMTH 299R: Special Topics in Applied Mathematics

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Supervision of experimental or theoretical research on acceptable applied mathematics problems and supervision of reading on topics not covered by regular courses of instruction.
Course Notes: Open to graduate students and AB/SM candidates only. Students must arrange such work with a member of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. This course is graded and is ordinarily taken with the approval of the Committee on Higher Degrees. Applicants must file a project sheet before study cards are filed. Project sheets may be obtained from the Student Affairs Office, Pierce Hall 110.

APMTH 320: Topics in Macroscopic Physics and Quantitative Biolog

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Course taught in Fall (12694) and Spring (12735).

BIOPHYS 313: Neurobiology of Vocal Learning

Instructor(s): Bence Ölveczky
Description: Course taught in Fall (13065) and Spring (13091).

BIOPHYS 326: Statistical and Continuum Mechanics of Macromolecular Assemblies

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Course taught in Fall (13140) and Spring (13158).

BIOPHYS 339: Theoretical and Experimental Approaches to Study Genetic Variation within Populations

Instructor(s): Michael Desai
Description: Course taught in Fall (13344) and Spring (13359)

BIOPHYS 379: Theoretical Population Genetics

Instructor(s): John Wakeley
Description: Course taught in Fall (12488) and Spring (12497).

E-PSCI 132: Introduction to Meteorology and Climate

Instructor(s): Brian Farrell
Description: Physical concepts necessary to understand atmospheric structure and motion. Phenomena studied include the formation of clouds and precipitation, solar and terrestrial radiation, dynamical balance of the large-scale wind, and the origin of cyclones. Concepts developed for understanding today's atmosphere are applied to understanding the record of past climate change and the prospects for climate change in the future.
Course Notes: E-PSCI 132 is also offered as ESE 132. Students may not take both for credit. This course fulfills the EPS sub-discipline requirement of Atmosphere(s) and Oceans.
Recommended Prep: mathematics 21 or Applied Mathematics 22a and 22b; Physical Sciences 12; or permission of instructor.
Jointly Offered with: ESE 132

ENG-SCI 115: Mathematical Modeling

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Abstracting the essential components and mechanisms from a natural system to produce a mathematical model, which can be analyzed with a variety of formal mathematical methods, is perhaps the most important, but least understood, task in applied mathematics. This course approaches a number of problems without the prejudice of trying to apply a particular method of solution. Topics drawn from biology, economics, engineering, physical and social sciences.
Course Notes: Engineering Sciences 115 is also offered as Applied Mathematics 115. Students may not take both for credit. Undergraduate Engineering Students should enroll in Engineering Sciences 115.
Recommended Prep: Applied Mathematics 105. Additional skills in analysis, algebra, probability, statistics and computer programming will increase the value of the course to students.

ESPP 90Y: World Food Systems and the Environment

Instructor(s): Noel Holbrook, Robert Paarlberg, Forest Reinhardt
Description: This seminar examines the world’s systems for the production and distribution of food as they relate to the earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems.  Using scientific readings, papers about economics and politics, and cases about firms, we consider agriculture and food from scientific, public policy, and business strategy perspectives and in relation to environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, carbon and nitrogen cycles, water and soil conservation (including erosion, pollution, and salinization), and the use of genetically modified organisms.  Geographic and topical coverage will be broad:  the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa; as well as water, seeds, fertilizers, animal protein, trade and development. We expect to have numerous guests from the scientific community, government, and business. Some background in biology, government or economics is useful, but not required.

ESPP 91R: Supervised Reading and Research

Instructor(s): Paul Moorcroft
Description: Supervised reading and research on topics not covered by regular courses of instruction. Students must complete a registration form, including permission from their faculty sponsor, with the concentration office before course enrollment. A final paper describing the research/reading completed during the term is due in duplicate to the Head Tutor on the first day of reading period.
Course Notes: Intended for junior and senior concentrators in Environmental Science and Public Policy; open to sophomore concentrators only under exceptional circumstances. Permission of the Head Tutor is required for enrollment. May be counted for concentration only with the special permission of the Head Tutor.
Class Notes: Hours to be arranged.
Course taught in both Fall (12193) and Spring (12250).

ESPP 99A: Tutorial - Senior Year

Instructor(s): Paul Moorcroft
Description: Research and writing of the senior thesis under faculty direction. Senior honors candidates must take at least one term of this course while writing a thesis. The signature of the faculty adviser is required. Students must complete both terms of this course (parts A and B) within the same academic year in order to receive credit.
Class Notes: Hours to be arranged.

ESPP 99B: Tutorial - Senior Year

Instructor(s): Paul Moorcroft
Description: Research and writing of the senior thesis under faculty direction. Senior honors candidates must take at least one term of this course while writing a thesis. The signature of the faculty adviser is required. Students must complete both terms of this course (parts A and B) within the same academic year in order to receive credit.
Class Notes: Hours to be arranged.

FRSEMR 21I: Evolution, Buddhism, and Ethics

Instructor: John Wakeley
Description: Evolutionary genetics traces back to Darwin's (1859) idea of natural selection.  Darwin provided a compelling theory about how species change due to competition in reproducing populations, yet it remains difficult to understand, particularly when applied to ourselves.  To enable critical evaluation and discussion of ethical questions and to illustrate connections between science and Buddhism, about one third of this course will cover select details of evolutionary genetics.  The focus will be on understanding human genetic variation.  Buddhism originated with Siddhartha Gautama’s enlightenment around 500 BCE, achieved after six years of intense devotion to the problem of human suffering.  He emerged as the Buddha, or the Enlightened One, making the bold statement that suffering within each person results from misunderstanding the nature of one's self and its relationship to the ever-changing world.  He outlined a program of analytical introspection and meditation, aimed at solving this problem.  As with evolutionary genetics, critical evaluation and discussion of Buddhist ideas in this course will be fostered by learning the details of what the Buddha taught.  Major points of overlap between evolutionary genetics and Buddhism emerge in the ways they undermine appearances, deconstructing phenomena which at first appear wholly unbreakable.  We will bring our knowledge of Buddhism to bear on ethical questions arising from genetic testing, the use of human embryos in research, and the prospects for human genetic engineering.
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students only

FRSEMR 22T: Why We Animals Sing

Instructor(s): Brian Farrell
Description: We do not sing alone. On land, four kinds of animals produce songs or calls: birds, frogs, mammals, and insects. Some of these (and fish) also do so underwater. The principal sounds such animal species make are signaling behaviors directly related to mating success. They are of individuals, usually males, marking territories, and wooing mates. However, in any one location, species may also compete with one another for occupation of acoustic space (that is, for bandwidth) and otherwise optimize their sound signals to features of their environment. We will explore these topics and others as we listen to and read about each of the various kinds of singers on earth, the biology of their sound production and reception, and the ways they attract mates while avoiding becoming meals for eavesdropping predators. We will listen to many different kinds of acoustic signalers across a wide array of acoustic communities in tropical and temperate settings, both terrestrial and aquatic, and we will examine sound spectra on a large screen as we listen and slow down and isolate sounds to help distinguish their parts. Finally, we will consider the biology and evolution of music in humans, considering evidence from brain studies, archaeology and anthropology, and the music of indigenous peoples. We will look at music parallels in different kinds in animals of other species. There will be field trips to listen to and record assemblages of local species. The overall objective is to awaken the students’ sense, understanding, and appreciation of the acoustic environment from which we come, and the role of this environment in shaping human biology and culture. There is a fair bit of reading required in preparation for weekly discussions. Accordingly, participation will be expected for discussion of the readings and listening experiences.
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students only

FRSEMR 24P: Getting to Know Charles Darwin

Instructor(s): William Friedman
Description: Do you think you know who Charles Darwin was?  The legend and sober-looking bearded scholar behind the most important paradigm shift in human history?  In this seminar, we will read a selection of Darwin's publications (including parts of Darwin's seminal work, On the Origin of Species), as well as his private correspondence, paying close attention to the man behind the science as revealed by his writings.  We will get to know Charles Darwin—the avid breeder of pigeons, lover of barnacles, devoted father and husband, gifted correspondent and tactician, and remarkable backyard scientist.  In this latter vein, we will reproduce ten of Charles Darwin's classic Down House experiments that were central to making his case for natural selection and evolution in On the Origin of Species, as well as his many other books on natural history.  Field trips to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and a local pigeon fancier will provide the setting for recreating a selection of the myriad observations of organisms and their interactions with the environment and each other that made Darwin the master of minutia and provided the foundation for his grand synthesis of evolutionary pattern and process.  Each week, we will also read, react to (through writing), and discuss Darwin’s published writings and letters.
Course Notes: Required field trips to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and a local pigeon fancier will be included. Transportation will be provided.
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students only

FRSEMR 24Q: Biology of Symbiosis: Living Together Can Be Fun!

Instructor: Colleen Cavanaugh
Description: This course examines the remarkable diversity of symbiotic associations on Earth, their ecology and evolution, and their roles in human health and disease, agriculture, and biotechnology. Symbioses - "living together" - with microbes are ubiquitous in nature, ranging from lichens to the human microbiome. Symbiosis drives evolution, resulting in "new organisms" and charges us to think about biodiversity on a new level. In this freshman seminar, microbial symbioses with animals (including humans), plants, fungi, protists will be discussed, complemented by microscopy and field trips to local environs including Boston Harbor Islands, the New England Aquarium, and your own microbiome
Course Requirements: Open to Freshman Students only
 

FRSEMR 50D: Where are you from? Ancestry in the age of Genomics

Instructor(s): David Haig
Description: A human interest in ancestry and kinship is found in most cultures. This interest is not a construct of the modern age, but recent advances in genetics can now provide a wealth of previously unavailable information about our genetic descent. The seminar will discuss examples of what genetics can tell us about where we are from and address the kinds of questions genetics can answer and the kinds it cannot answer. What should we conclude when cultural tradition and genetics tell different stories? Are genetic answers relevant or irrelevant to competing cultural narratives of identity? Is the question “Where are you from?” an invitation to explore our common humanity amid diversity or is it a microaggression that constructs barrriers between us?
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students Only

FRSEMR 50V: Sea Monsters

Instructor(s): Peter Girguis
Description: There have always been tales of sea monsters. For as long as we humans have ventured into the ocean, our imaginations have conjured images of serpents, krakens, leviathans, and other creatures, all of whom seem bent on the destruction of those who dare set foot into the sea. Humankind’s conviction that sea monsters are real is so powerful that -even today- rumors abound of sea monsters lurking in the depths. Indeed, every major religion –eastern and western- features sea monsters. Are these declarations true? Do giants roam the deep sea? Did the explorers of centuries ago see creatures from their small wooden boats that we do not see today? During this course we will explore sea monsters through a social, spiritual, literary, and scientific “lens”. We will study the sea monsters that flourish on ancient maps to understand the minds of 16th century scholars. We will examine the bodies of real sea monsters, and consider the world in which such grotesque creatures might evolve. We will busy ourselves with tales of creatures from classic and contemporary literature. Most importantly, we will develop a better understanding of how humans perceive the world, and how our consciousness can simultaneously embrace our wildest dreams and cower from our greatest fears. Sea monsters, both real and imagined, tell us much about life in the deep sea, and even more about humankind.>
Course Notes: Required field trips related to the sea are included. There will be no cost to the student.
Course Requirements: Course open to Freshman Students Only

 

LIFESCI 1B: An integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences: Genetics, Genomics, and Evolution

Instructor(s): Hopi Hoekstra, Andrew Berry, Pardis Sabeti
Description: How are observable characteristics of organisms influenced by genetics? How do genomes change over time to produce the differences we see among species? This course takes an integrated approach, showing how genetics and evolution are intimately related, together explaining the patterns of genetic variation we see in nature, and how genomics can be used to analyze variation. In covering Mendelian genetics, quantitative genetics, and population genetics, this course will emphasize developments involving our own species.
Course Notes: This course, in combination with Life Sciences 1a, constitutes an integrated introduction to the Life Sciences. This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement in Science of Living Systems.

LIFESCI 50A and 50B: Integrated Science

Instructor(s): Andrew W. Murray, Michael Desai, Cassandra Extavour, Aravinthan Samuel, Emma Nagy
Description: This is an intensive two-semester, double course that introduces the natural sciences as an integrated whole to students who have a very strong interest in science. Our goal is to teach students how to solve scientific problems by drawing methods and concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The course uses examples from biology as an integrating theme, principles from physics and mathematics to reduce complex problems to simpler forms, and computer simulation to allow students to develop their intuition about the behavior of the dynamical systems that control the physical and biological universe. The course includes bootcamps to introduce students to biological experiments and the computer language, Matlab. Each semester will include a project lab, in which students will work in small teams to do original research on unsolved biological problems.
Course Notes: Life Sciences 50a and 50b when taken together for a letter grade fulfill the General Education requirements of Science of Living Systems, Science of the Physical Universe, and Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning. LS 50a taken alone fulfills two of these requirements.
Class Notes: Lab is scheduled for Tuesdays OR Thursdays

Course is taught Monday through Friday. LIFESCI 50A taught Fall Term. LIFESCI 50B taught Spring Term.

 

MATH 153: Mathematical Biology-Evolutionary Dynamics

Instructor(s): Martin Nowak
Description: Introduces basic concepts of mathematical biology and evolutionary dynamics: evolution of genomes, quasi-species, finite and infinite population dynamics, chaos, game dynamics, evolution of cooperation and language, spatial models, evolutionary graph theory, infection dynamics, somatic evolution of cancer.
Recommended Prep: Mathematics 19a,b or 21a,b or 23a,b or 25a,b or 55a,b; or an equivalent background in mathematics

MATH 243: Evolutionary Dynamics

Instructor(s): Martin Nowak
Description: Advanced topics of evolutionary dynamics. Seminars and research projects.
Recommended Prep: Experience with mathematical biology at the level of Mathematics 153.

MATH 388: Topics in Mathematics and Biology

Instructor(s): Martin Nowak
Description: Course taught in Fall (12563) and Spring (12600).

MCB 292: Cellular Biology, Neurobiology and Developmental Biology

Instructor(s): Ethan Garner, Bence Ölveczky
Description: The biology of the individual cell lies at the heart of multi-cellular phenomena such as development and neural function. This course will emphasize critical evaluation of the primary literature, experimental design and scientific writing.
Course Notes:  Required for first year graduate students in the Molecules, Cells and Organisms (MCO) Program, but open to graduates of all programs.
Related Sections:  Discussion TBA

MCB 356: Practical Introduction to Robotics

Instructor: Benjamin de Bivort
Description: Automation and robotics have revolutionized molecular biology. Liquid handling robots are already facilitating the “omics” revolution in genome sequencing, proteomics and high throughput screening. Now, neuroscience and microscopy are adopting robotics for throughput and experiments requiring precision and repeatability, like targeted microelectrode placement. In this nano course, students will learn 1) basic principles of practical robotics including the interaction of software and hardware, 2) the roles of drivers, control cards, microcontrollers and sensor electronics, and 3) practical engineering skills including basic soldering, measurement of voltage, conductivity, polarity and resistance. Students will explore the challenges of translating conceptual operational algorithms into physical implementations.
Course Notes: To enroll, students must be apart of a Life Science Graduate Program, or permission of the instructor.

NEUROBIO 319L: Characterizing the Molecular...

Instructor(s): Benjamin de Bivort
Course Title: Characterizing the Molecular, Neural Circuit & Ecological Underpin. of Behavior'l Diver in the Fruit Fly

 

PHYSICS 215: Biological Dynamics

Instructor(s): Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan
Description: Develops theoretical basis for modeling and quantitative analysis of biological problems. Emphasis on contemporary research topics, including molecular, cellular and tissue dynamics; development and differentiation; signal- and mechano-transduction; individuals, populations and environments.
Course Notes: It is suggested that students may wish to take AP215 when this course is bracketed. May not be taken for credit in addition to AP215.
Recommended Prep: Knowledge of differential equations and statistical mechanics at undergraduate level.

SYSBIO 350 012: Systems Biology Research

Instructor(s): Michael Desai
Description: Upper level Systems Biology students register for this course when they permanently join a lab. Students should register under the supervising PI.
Course taught in Fall (15634) and Spring (15428).

SYSBIO 350 035: Systems Biology Research

Instructor(s): Martin Nowak
Description: Upper level Systems Biology students register for this course when they permanently join a lab. Students should register under the supervising PI.
Course taught in Fall (15657) and Spring (15451).

SYSBIO 350 042: Systems Biology Research

Instructor(s): Pardis Sabeti
Description: Upper level Systems Biology students register for this course when they permanently join a lab. Students should register under the supervising PI. Course taught in both Fall (15664) and Spring (15458).