Biology 213 Molecular Cell Biology
The purpose of this course is to provide a rigorous foundation in current molecular and cellular biology. This material is the basis for much of current medical practices, many areas of science, and is having a major impact on ethical issues in society. In addition, many of the upper level life science courses will begin by assuming that you know this material. Prerequisites for this course are BIOL 111/112 and CHEM 227 (or current enrollment in CHEM 227).
BIOL 696-600: Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research
This class provides instruction on what constitutes fraud in science, how to recognize it, and how to avoid committing fraud. Subjects in this area will also include the basis of ethics and plagiarism, negotiation techniques and conflict management, and the regulations and ethics covering animal and human experiments, record-keeping, data management, and peer review. Students successfully passing the course will get certification that they have received ethical training following the NIH and NSF guidelines (see for instance http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-10-019.html for NIH and http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/rcr/faqs_aug10.pdf for NSF); will have learned how to not inadvertently violate federal laws regulating record-keeping, human studies, and animal studies, and will have learned skills in negotiation techniques and conflict management. Course Pre-requisites are graduate student standing or approval of the instructor.
BIOL 496-500: Ethics in Biological Research
This is an undergraduate version of BIOL 689-601 described above, and thus with an emphasis on conflicts faced by undergraduates. Prerequisites are undergraduate enrollment at TAMU, and current or previous experience working in a research laboratory, or desire to work in a research laboratory.
BIOL 686-600: Biomedical Therapeutics Development (co-taught with Tom Meek and Jim Smith)
This class provides instruction on the basic aspects of the biotechnology business. Topics include key aspects of biotechnology patents, the main steps in preclinical drug development, and company structure and funding.
Students will learn the basic terminology of the biotechnology business, will be able to discuss and evaluate patents, will be able to discuss risks involved in biotechnology and the basic scientific and regulatory steps involved of drug development, will know several ways to finance a project, and will be able to present a new biotechnology project as well as evaluate the plan for a company.
BIOL 492-500: Introduction to Biomedical Therapeutics Development (co-taught with Tom Meek and Jim Smith)
This class (an undergraduate version of BIOL 686-600) provides instruction on the basic aspects of the biotechnology business. Topics include key aspects of biotechnology patents, the main steps in preclinical drug development, and company structure and funding. At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Define the basic terminology of the biotechnology business;
- Evaluate patents;
- Discuss risks involved in biotechnology;
- Explain basic scientific and regulatory steps involved of drug development;
- List several ways to finance a project;
- Evaluate a new biotechnology project
Course pre-requisites are BIOL 213 or equivalent, and 1 year of organic chemistry. A useful but not necessary prerequisite is previous or concurrent enrollment in BIOL 496-500: Ethics in Biological Research.