BIO 150-04 - Introduction to Biological Inquiry

4 credits (Spring)

The vast majority of functions and reactions in a cell are carried out by proteins. Proteins can adopt a variety of different shapes and sizes, and they often act as regulatory switches to turn a particular pathway or process “on” or “off.” In this course, we will examine the nature of one such important switch, which occurs when two enzymes bind to each other to change the three-dimensional shape and stability of a protein that is critical for cell division. Using an in vitro system with proteins purified from bacteria, we will set out to understand how this regulatory switch works. Students will learn to carefully design and perform their own experiments, and they will learn to effectively analyze and communicate scientific results in a variety of different formats.

Prerequisite: None.
Instructor: M. French