Biological Sciences

D. Schulz, Director
College of Arts and Science
105 Tucker Hall
(573) 882-6659

The Division of Biological Sciences offers both a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, in addition to a minor in biological sciences for students majoring in other departments. Students may complete an emphasis area in Medical Science and Human Biology as part of the Bachelor of Science degree. The department also offers MA and PhD degrees in Biological Sciences.

Curators Distinguished Professor J. A. Birchler**
Curators Distinguished Teaching Professor B. Stone*
Professor D. Braun**, A. Chandrasekhar**, R. B. Cocroft**, D. Cornelison**, M. Leal**, A. L. Lin**, E. Liscum III**, P. McSteen**, J. Schul**, D. Schulz**, P. Shiu**, R. K. Slotkin**, B. Zhang**
Associate Professor R. Angelovici**, R. Bhandari**, D. Bergstralh**, P. Brown**, J. D. David*, M. Garcia**, E. King**, K. Middleton**, G. F. Summers*, S. Xu**
Assistant Professor C. Y. Chabu**, J. Goyes Vallejos**, C. Grunenwald**, E. Ng'oma**, J. Santin**
Teaching Professor S. L. Bush*
Teaching Associate Professor A. Durbak
Teaching Assistant Professor M. Asgari*, N. Blay, N. Downer, M. Faheem
Research Assistant Professor T. Finegan
Curators Distinguished Professor Emeritus H. C. Gerhardt**, G. P. Smith**, F. S. Vom Saal, J. C. Walker**
Curators Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus J. E. Carrel, T. E. Phillips
Professor Emeritus S. Alexander**, B. G. Cumbie, L. Eggert, J. R. Faaborg, C. Galen**, P. H. S. Jen, M. D. Kirk, A. D. McClellan, C. D. Miles, K. J. Newton**, D. Setzer
Associate Professor Emeritus L. Chapman, M. Golomb, T. Holtsford, J. Maruniak, D. L. Worcester

*: Graduate Faculty Member - membership is required to teach graduate-level courses, chair master's thesis committees, and serve on doctoral examination and dissertation committees.
**: Doctoral Faculty Member - membership is required to chair doctoral examination or dissertation committees. Graduate faculty membership is a prerequisite for Doctoral faculty membership.

Undergraduate Advising Center
3 Tucker Hall
(573) 882-4068
bioadvising@missouri.edu

Departmental Honors

The department strongly encourages participation in departmental honors. The heart of the honors program is a year-long experience in laboratory, field, or theoretical work in any area of biology. Students work directly with outstanding faculty mentors from the Division of Biological Sciences or other life science units on campus.

Biological Sciences majors earning a BA or a BS may graduate with honors by completing BIO_SC 4950H and BIO_SC 4952H (6 credits), preparing a manuscript suitable for publication in a journal or the abstract of an oral or poster presentation at an on-campus symposium or at a regional or national meeting of a professional society, and completing a reflection on their research experience. Students must meet with the honors program director to discuss their research experience. The honors program requires junior standing (or higher) in biological sciences and a GPA of 3.3. Students with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.29 may petition the director of the honors program for admission, but all students must graduate with a GPA of 3.3 to receive departmental honors. Please contact the Biology Advising Center (3 Tucker Hall, 882-4068) or consult with the Director of the Honors Program, Dr. Pam Brown (brownp@missouri.edu; 423 Tucker Hall, 884-0214).

Division of Biological Sciences
218 Tucker Hall
(573) 884-4144
https://biology.missouri.edu/

Director of Graduate Studies: Manuel Leal

About Biological Sciences

The Division of Biological Sciences offers a unique integration of world-class research, award-winning graduate and undergraduate training, and outstanding community outreach. Our goal is to foster a community in which excellence in research, teaching and community engagement are recognized as synergistic activities of equal importance. At the forefront of this goal is the recognition that inclusion and equity are the foundations of a community in which diverse ideas and perspectives are likely to flourish, thus providing the needed building blocks for a thriving environment. Graduate training programs emphasize the excitement of discovery and the development of individual creativity and critical reasoning skills, with graduate mentors who are experts at the frontiers of their field.

The Division of Biological Sciences prioritizes evidence of attributes such as drive, diligence, passion for sharing scientific knowledge, and a willingness to take scientific risk over metrics such as GPA, standardized test scores and other similar qualifications that have been shown to bias the admission process against underrepresented groups. Therefore, the application process should be seen as an opportunity to highlight your attributes as a potential graduate student, including contributions that you will make to our community and to MU in general.

Areas of Study

The division offers primarily the PhD degree. Students interested in pursuing an MA degree are encouraged to directly contact a potential mentor to further explore this possibility. General areas of research emphasis within the division include EEOB (ecology, evolution, organismal biology, and behavior); genetics and genomics; cellular, molecular and developmental biology; neurobiology and behavior; and plant sciences.

Interdisciplinary Research

The extent of interdisciplinary research and the absence of departmental boundaries among disciplines in the life sciences are hallmarks of the Division of Biological Sciences and of the training that we provide to our students. Research in the Division of Biological Sciences spans all levels of biological organization, from molecules to ecosystems, using a diversity of organisms and modern approaches. This is mirrored in the dissertation projects of many of our students that commonly include partnerships between multiple laboratories. In addition, the presence on this campus of a School of Medicine, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and a College of Veterinary Medicine provide opportunities for direct interaction with a variety of established research scientists. Faculty in the division also participate in the Genetics Area Program, the Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapeutics Program, the Interdisciplinary Plant Group, the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, and the MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics.

Research Facilities and Resources

Divisional faculty have ready access to high-performance computing resources with the power and flexibility needed to meet the demands of researchers conducting computationally intensive research projects. Beyond the specialized equipment in each faculty research laboratory, departmental and campus equipment and facilities available to graduate students include:

advanced research cores, including the Cell and Immunobiology Core, the DNA Core, the Gehrke Proteomics Center, the Advanced Light Microscopy Core, the Molecular Cytology Core, the Molecular Interactions Core, the Research Reactor, the Rat Resource and Research Center, the Metabolomics Center, the Metagenomics Center, and the Bioinformatics and Analytics Core;
state-of-the-art plant growth facilities that include greenhouse modules, controlled environmental growth chambers, seed storage and drying rooms, and a Plant Transformation Core;
animal-care facilities suitable for both vertebrates and invertebrates, including (but not limited to) marine and freshwater invertebrates, mice, rats, lizards, and amphibians;
a 14-acre botany preserve on the campus and a 146-acre prairie research station;
walk-in plant growth chambers with regulated light, temperature and humidity controls;
cell and tissue culture facilities;
ultracentrifuges;
sound isolation acoustic chambers;
multiplex quantitative PCR machines;
neurophysiological recording rigs for intra- and extracellular recording techniques; and,
microneurosurgery facilities and equipment.

Funding

Financial support is available through research training grants, fellowships, scholarships, graduate research assistantships, and graduate teaching assistantships.

BIO_SC 1001: Topics in Biological Science - General

Selected topics not covered in current offerings. May not be used in partial fulfillment of requirements for a biological science in general education. May be graded on A-F or S/U basis.

Credit Hour: 1-3

BIO_SC 1002: Topics in Biological Sciences - Biological Sciences

Selected topics not in regularly offered courses. Selected sections of this course may be graded either on A-F or S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1-3

BIO_SC 1007: Topics in Biological Sciences - Physical Sciences

Selected topics not in regularly offered courses. Selected sections of this course may be graded either on A-F or S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1-3

BIO_SC 1010: General Principles and Concepts of Biology

Emphasizes connections and applications to society and the human condition, science literacy, and critical thinking skills. A discussion of general principles and fundamental concepts of living things. This course is intended for non-science majors. No more than 5 credits for BIO_SC 1010, BIO_SC 1020, and BIO_SC 1030.

Credit Hours: 3
Recommended: MATH 1100

BIO_SC 1020: General Biology Laboratory

Laboratory exercises dealing with representative organisms and methods of modern biological sciences. This course is intended for non-science majors. No more than 5 credits for BIO_SC 1010, BIO_SC 1020, and BIO_SC 1030.

Credit Hours: 2
Prerequisites or Corequisites: BIO_SC 1010

BIO_SC 1030: General Principles and Concepts of Biology with Laboratory

Survey of general principles and basic concepts of life science, emphasizing applications to society and the human condition. Lectures address science literacy and critical thinking and laboratory exercises use representative organisms to complement lecture topics. This course is intended for non-science majors. No more than 5 credits for BIO_SC 1010, BIO_SC 1020, and BIO_SC 1030.

Credit Hours: 5
Recommended: MATH 1100 or concurrent enrollment

BIO_SC 1060: Basic Environmental Studies

Considers the ecosystem, energy and biogeochemical cycles and population dynamics; relation of the environment to agriculture and technology, pollution, power and food production; politico-economic considerations; moral and ethical issues. For non-science majors.

Credit Hours: 3

BIO_SC 1200: General Botany with Laboratory

Introduction to study of plants. Emphasis on structure, growth, physiology, genetics and reproduction of plants.

Credit Hours: 5

BIO_SC 1400: Evolution for Everyone

This course will explore the application of evolutionary theory to modern human affairs. We will study the processes involved in evolution and investigate evolutionary interpretations of human social behavior (e.g., psychology, mate choice, economics, religion, and morality). No credit if student has received credit for BIO_SC 2060 or BIO_SC 4600.

Credit Hours: 3

BIO_SC 1500: Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory

Basic concepts and principles of the structure and function of living systems, from cells to populations. Foundation course for science students intending to complete a 3-semester sequence that also includes genetics and cell biology.

Credit Hours: 5
Recommended: MATH 1100 or sufficient ALEKS score

BIO_SC 1500H: Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory Honors

Basic concepts and principles of the structure and function of living systems, from cells to populations. Foundation course for science students intending to complete a 3-semester sequence that also includes genetics and cell biology.

Credit Hour: 3-5
Prerequisites: MATH 1100 and high school chemistry. Honors eligibility required

BIO_SC 1550: Introduction to Life Science Research

This course is an introduction to research in the life sciences. Students will learn basic laboratory skills essential in preparation for later research experiences.

Credit Hours: 2
Prerequisites: Biological Sciences majors, only
Recommended: BIO_SC 1500

BIO_SC 2001: Topics in Biological Sciences - General

BIO_SC 2002: Topics in Biological Sciences- Biological Sciences

Selected topics not covered in regularly offered courses. Selected sections of this course may be graded either on A-F or S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Recommended: a course in general biology

BIO_SC 2002H: Topics in Biological Sciences- Biological Science - Honors

Selected topics not covered in regularly offered courses. Recommended: a course in biology

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: Honors eligibility required

BIO_SC 2007: Topics in Biological Sciences- Physical Sciences

BIO_SC 2007H: Topics in Biological Sciences- Physical Science - Honors

Selected topics not covered in regularly offered courses. Recommended: a course in biology

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: Honors eligibility required

BIO_SC 2010: Undergraduate Seminar in Biological Sciences

Discussion and critical evaluation of current topics in biological sciences for intermediate-level students. Some sections may be graded on either A-F or S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: sophomore standing

BIO_SC 2015: Biological Career Explorations

Students will learn about career options and choices, construct career portfolios, and interact with current biological professionals. Graded on S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1
Prerequisites: Departmental consent
Recommended: Sophomore standing

BIO_SC 2017: World of Neuroscience

(same as PSYCH 2017, CMP_SC 2017, ECE 2017, BIOL_EN 2017, BME 2017). This course will introduce undergraduates to the growing area of neuroscience from the perspectives of 3 disciplines: engineering, biology and psychology. May not be used to satisfy degree requirements for the major or minor in biological sciences.

Credit Hour: 1
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing

BIO_SC 2020: How the Brain Works

Basic structure and function of the brain; left and right brain studies; gender differences; learning and memory; brain disorders..

Credit Hour: 1
Prerequisites: C- or above in BIO_SC 1010 or BIO_SC 1500

BIO_SC 2030: Life of the Cell

This course will help students understand basic concepts of biomolecular structure, cell organization, cell membranes, energy and metabolism, cellular communication, and cell division. This course is intended for non-science majors and may not be used to satisfy requirements for either a major or a minor in biological sciences.

Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010

BIO_SC 2060: Community Biology

Principles of population biology, ecology, and evolution, including consideration of human impacts on biological communities and ecosystems.

Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010 or equivalent. Not open to biology majors

BIO_SC 2100: Infectious Diseases

An introduction to the basic science of bacterial, viral, protozoan, fungal and helminth infections, including discussions of how illness has influenced or been affected by public policy and culture.

Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010, BIO_SC 1200 or BIO_SC 1500. Not open to Biology Majors

BIO_SC 2150: Genetic Diseases

This course will discuss the biological basis for genetic diseases, including inherited diseases and non-inherited diseases such as cancer. The units will include an introduction providing necessary background information, as section studying the technology used to study genetic diseases and several units discussing specific diseases and their impact on history and society. This course is intended for non-science majors. Cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements for biology major or biology minor.

Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010

BIO_SC 2200: General Genetics

Principles of inheritance in plants and animals; structure and use of genetic material, transmission of genetic information, linkage, modification of genetic information, regulation of genetic activity, population genetics.

Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010 and 1020, or BIO_SC 1030 or BIO_SC 1100 or BIO_SC 1200 or BIO_SC 1500; CHEM 1320 (or concurrent enrollment in chemistry)

BIO_SC 2200H: General Genetics - Honors

Principles of inheritance in plants and animals; structure and use of genetic material, transmission of genetic information, linkage, modification of genetic information, regulation of genetic activity, population genetics. Prerequisites:

Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 1010 and 1020, or BIO_SC 1030 or BIO_SC 1100 or BIO_SC 1200 or BIO_SC 1500; CHEM 1320 or 1400 (or concurrent enrollment in either chemistry course). Honors eligibility required

BIO_SC 2300: Introduction to Cell Biology

Analysis of cellular organization and function at the molecular level. The mechanisms underlying cellular trafficking, cell motility, and signaling within cells and between cells and their environment will be emphasized.

Credit Hours: 4
Prerequisites: BIO_SC 2200

BIO_SC 2300H: Introduction to Cell Biology- Honors

BIO_SC 2300HW: Introduction to Cell Biology - Honors/Writing Intensive

BIO_SC 2888: Research in Biological Sciences

Introductory field or laboratory research under faculty supervision. Project must be arranged with faculty member prior to registration. Course appears on transcript for zero credit and does not count toward full-time enrollment. No tuition or fees are charged. Graded on S/U basis only. Prerequisites; instructor's consent.

Credit Hours: 0

BIO_SC 2940: Internship in Biological Science

Work experience in a non-profit, for profit, or governmental organization relevant to the biological sciences. Intended for students doing internships in which independent research is less than 50% of the experience. Graded on S/U basis only.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: instructor's consent
Recommended: junior standing, 12 hours of biological science and 2.70 GPA

BIO_SC 2950: Directed Independent Research

Participation in faculty research activities. May not be used to satisfy degree requirements for BA or BS in biological sciences or the minor in biological sciences.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: Departmental consent

BIO_SC 2960: Readings in Biological Science

Supervised reading in biological literature. May be repeated up to six hours total credit. May not be used in partial fulfillment of Arts and Science foundation requirement.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: instructor's consent

BIO_SC 2965H: Honors Readings in Biological Literature

Selected readings in biological literature for Honors, in consultation with instructor. May not be used in partial fulfillment of Arts and Science foundation requirement.

Credit Hour: 1-3
Prerequisites: overall 3.3 GPA; instructor's consent. Honors eligibility required

BIO_SC 3002: Topics in Biological Sciences - Biological Sciences