BIO 150-03 - Introduction to Biological Inquiry

4 credits (Spring)

Genes and Toxins. The ways in which an organism responds to different drugs or toxins can be heavily influenced by its genetics. In other words, genotypes determine phenotypes. In this course, we will conduct research exploring the interplay between genes and chemicals using the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast) . We will investigate how well different yeast mutants are able to survive exposure to a variety of chemicals . In the course of designing our experiments and analyzing our results, we will discuss the molecular biology behind the relationship between genes and drugs. We will also explore how the knowledge about genetic and chemical interaction can be exploited to understand human diseases and to design therapeutic strategies

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: Thu