Lower-Division

BME 5 Introduction to Biotechnology

Introduces the tools and applications of biotechnology in the fields of medicine, agriculture, the environment, and industry.

Credits

5

General Education Code

PE-T

BME 18 Scientific Principles of Life

The principles of life as it exists on this planet and how they generalize. Darwinian evolution, genomes, scientific theories of life (mechanistic, thermodynamic, information theoretic). Future of life: Internet, machine learning and adaptation, artificial intelligence, genome editing, fully artificial life.

Credits

5

General Education Code

SI

BME 21L Introduction to Basic Laboratory Techniques

Laboratory course providing hands-on training in fundamental techniques used to express, isolate, and analyze genes in prokaryotic cells. Introduction to common laboratory instruments and fundamental skills required for basic research in molecular biology and biomolecular engineering.

Credits

3

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 1M or CHEM 3BL, or CHEM 4BL. Enrollment is restricted to bioengineering, bioinformatics, and biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors and proposed majors.

BME 22L Foundations of Design and Experimentation in Molecular Biology, Part I

Project-based laboratory course providing hands-on training in fundamental molecular biology and biomolecular engineering techniques used to manipulate expression of DNA and proteins in prokaryotic cells. Students are introduced to essential processes in experimental design.

Credits

2

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): BME 21L. Enrollment is restricted to bioengineering, bioinformatics, and biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors and proposed majors.

BME 23L Foundations of Design and Experimentation in Molecular Biology, Part II

Laboratory-based course extending the wet lab skills developed in the first two quarters of the BME 2x series with bioinformatics skills that form the foundation of biomolecular engineering. Focuses on sequencing of low-diversity environmental samples, including: field sampling, DNA extraction from those samples, library preparation, hands-on sequencing using a Nanopore device, base-calling of the raw data, assembly of contigs, quality assessment, contig assignment to species/bins, automated annotation of a single assemblage from collection genome publication.

Credits

2

Requirements

Prerequisites: BME 22L. Enrollment is restricted to bioengineering, bioinformatics, and biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors and proposed majors.

BME 51A Applied Electronics for Bioengineers Part 1

Lab-based course that introduces measuring, modeling, and designing electronics circuits, emphasizing voltage dividers and complex impedance culminating in simple, negative-feedback op amp circuits for amplifying audio signals.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): MATH 19A; or MATH 11A by consent of instructor. High school physics recommended. Enrollment is restricted to bioengineering and biomolecular engineering & bioinformatics majors and proposed majors; other majors by consent.

BME 51B Applied Electronics for Bioengineers Part 2

Lab-based course that introduces designing, measuring, and modeling electronics circuits, emphasizing RC filters and negative-feedback amplifiers for various sensors circuits for amplifying audio signals, design of multi-stage amplifiers, instrumentation amplifiers, and class-D power amplifiers.

Credits

5

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): BME 51A.

BME 55 Introduction to Lab Groups

Course intended to assist second-year biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics undergraduates find research labs that they might join. Students sit in on different lab group meetings, read papers recommended by the lab groups, and report back to other students in the class both verbally and in writing. Course is offered for pass/no pass only.

Credits

2

Requirements

Enrollment is restricted to sophomore and junior proposed biomolecular engineering and bioinformatics majors, or by permission of the instructor.

BME 80G Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society

Serves science and non-science majors interested in bioethics. Guest speakers and instructors lead discussions of major ethical questions having arisen from research in genetics, medicine, and industries supported by this knowledge.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

PHIL 80G

General Education Code

PE-T

BME 80H The Human Genome

Course will focus on understanding human genes. Accessible to non-science majors. Will cover principles of human inheritance and techniques used in gene analysis. The evolutionary, social, ethical, and legal issues associated with knowledge of the human genome will be discussed.

Credits

5

General Education Code

PE-T

BME 94 Group Tutorial

Provides a means for a small group of students to study a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

BME 94F Group Tutorial

Provides a means for a small group of students to study a particular topic in consultation with a faculty sponsor. Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

BME 99 Tutorial

Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

5

Repeatable for credit

Yes

BME 99F Tutorial

Students submit petition to sponsoring agency.

Credits

2

Repeatable for credit

Yes

Cross-listed courses that are managed by another department are listed at the bottom.

Cross-listed Courses

BIOL 247 Stem Cell Research: Scientific, Ethical, Social, and Legal Issues

Investigates the scientific, ethical, social, and legal dimensions of human embryonic stem-cell research, including the moral status of the embryo; the concept of respect for life; ethical constraints on oocyte procurement; creation of embryonic chimeras; federal policies; and political realities. (Also offered as Biomolecular Engineering 247. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.) Prerequisite(s): Course in stem cell biology (ex: BME 278 Stem Cell Research) or the equivalent knowledge. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Credits

2

Cross Listed Courses

BME 247

Instructor

Lindsay Hinck

Requirements

Prerequisite(s): Course in stem cell biology (ex: BME 278 Stem Cell Research) or the equivalent knowledge. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

SOCY 268A Science and Justice: Experiments in Collaboration

Considers the practical and epistemological necessity of collaborative research in the development of new sciences and technologies that are attentive to questions of ethics and justice. Enrollment is by permission of instructor. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

BME 268A, FMST 268A, CRES 268A

SOCY 268B Science and Justice Research Seminar

Provides in-depth instruction in conducting collaborative interdisciplinary research. Students produce a final research project that explores how this training might generate research that is more responsive to the links between questions of knowledge and questions of justice. Prerequisite(s): SOCY 268A, BME 268A, FMST 268A, or ANTH 267A. Enrollment is restricted to graduate students and by permission of the instructor.

Credits

5

Cross Listed Courses

FMST 268B, BME 268B, ANTH 267B