A comprehensive introduction to biology - includes molecular structure of living things, cell processes, energy utilization, genetic information and inheritance, mechanisms of evolution, biological diversity, and ecology. Includes lab. This comprehensive course serves as a prerequisite and requirement in many majors.

Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951 and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE. This course is required for all CBS majors

Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951H and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE. This course is required for all CBS honors students

Core biological concepts, from biomolecules to ecosystems. Emphasizes evolution, organismal diversity, and genetics within context of problem solving/applications. Students must take both BIOL 1951 and BIOL 1961 to be awarded the Biological Sciences LE. This course is required for all CBS majors

Application of molecular tools (PCR, sequencing, AFLP, SNPs, QTL) and analyses of molecular data for understanding ecological/evolutionary processes. Strengths/weaknesses of techniques/analyses. Questions molecular tools are used to answer. prereq: BIOL 3407 or BIOL 3409 or BIOL 4003

Plant function, its plasticity/diversity in an ecological context. Impact of environmental stresses on major physiological processes of plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, water uptake/transport, and nutrient uptake/assimilation. Lab, field trip to Cedar Creek.

Form and function of forests as ecological systems. Characteristics and dynamics of species, populations, communities, landscapes, and ecosystem processes. Examples applying ecology to forest management. Weekly discussions focus on research topics in forest ecology, exercises applying course concepts, and current issues in forest resource management. Required weekend field trip. Prereq: Biol 1001, 1009 or equivalent introductory biology course; 1 semester college chemistry recommended.

Fungi are a critical component of the diversity and function of terrestrial ecosystems, affecting decomposition, plant nutrient uptake, and agricultural practices. Key components of fungal biology, including ecology, genetics, life cycles and diversity. Labs provide hands on experience with a diverse range of organisms. prereq: BIOL 1009 or equiv

Introduction to the biology of plants, algae, and fungi. Structure, growth, development, reproduction, diversity, and aspects of their ecology. Includes laboratory that focuses on structures in photosynthetic organisms and fungi as well as an introduction to physiology. prereq: One semester of college biology

This course explores a range of plant physiological processes, including how plants make and use food; acquire and use minerals; transport water and nutrients; and regulate growth and development in response to hormones and environmental cues, such as light quality. While this course is paired with the PMB 3005W Plant Function Laboratory, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order. prereq: [1002 or 1009 or 2003 or equiv], [CHEM 1011 or one semester chemistry with some organic content]

In this lab course, students will use a variety of biological techniques to study plant structure and anatomy, plant physiology, cell biology, and plant growth. This includes topics related to climate change, plant adaptation, crop domestication, and genetic engineering. Includes hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus. While this course is paired with the PMB3002 lecture course, the courses do not need to be taken together or in a specific order. Prereq: BIOL 1009, BIOL 2003, or equiv.

Evolution/Ecology/Diversity of plants, fungi, and algae. Lectures highlight phylogenetic diversity among and within multiple eukaryotic groups as well as adaptations and strategies for survival in varied environments. Includes both hands-on laboratory activities and writing focus. prereq: One semester college biology

No matter how you classify life on Earth, the fungi are in a Kingdom of their own. Latest estimates of the number of fungal species on our planet are between 2.2 and 3.8 million species. The diversity of single-celled and multi-cellular fungi is staggering, the result of divergence within a group of aquatic eukaryotes one billion years ago (± 500 million years). That divergence ultimately gave rise to animals and fungi, but the diversification within the fungal lineages is unrivaled. They can be found in aerobic and anaerobic environments. They are found on every Continent, recycling and reallocating vast amounts of nutrients in every Biome. They cause problems in crops but are also used to make food, with ancient processes such as fermentation and mushroom cultivation. For these reasons, mycology (study of fungi) is increasingly popular among students with interests as diverse as their fungal subjects. With the advent of high-throughput DNA sequencing to sample entire communities, we are seeing fungi in all of these places where they were previously invisible. The fungal role in Earth's most critical processes is, right now, coming into light. It is an exciting time to study Kingdom Fungi. This course uses a format of lecture, discussion, and field trips to provide undergraduate and graduate students with a solid foundation in the fungi, primarily through an environmental lens. Undergraduate and graduate students will learn the basics of fungi in three core sections: 1) Phylogeny, taxonomy, and diagnostics (Who are the fungi?); 2) Morphology and physiology (How do fungi work?); 3) Ecology and Biotechnology (What are fungal implications and applications?). Within each core section, there will be one class period devoted to a discussion of the environment, the role of fungi, and the human dimensions of conservation and management. This discussion will be used by the class to vote for an environmental theme used to frame writing assignments, one per unit. Using this theme, all students will create a "Fungus in Focus" one-page "brief" focused on this environmental issue. This is a creative way to connect "dots" for students linking microbial processes to environment, in our case harnessing connections to fungi that often have visible characters (e.g. mushrooms) that make those connections easier for students. We will also go on two field trips, one to a mushroom cultivation facility, and one into the field in April, all depending on class size and weather. prereq: Introductory Biology course

This class focuses on learning about how to study fungi. Students will gain experience identifying mushrooms and other samples collected during course field trips using macromorphological, microscopic, and molecular techniques. In addition, students will isolate fungi from environmental samples and maintain cultures as well as assess fungal community abundance and composition using both traditional (e.g., root tip colonization) and DNA-based methods (e.g., next-generation sequencing, bioinformatics, and ecological statistics). Course lectures highlight different aspects of fungal diversity (taxonomic, physiological, and ecological) and lab exercises provide hands-on practice. Course writing assignments and presentations emphasize exploring the natural history of fungi as well as critically assessing primary research literature. Permission is required for undergraduates to enroll in the graduate level of this course (PMB 5812); inquire with the instructor.

Practical skills for identifying plant species/surveying Minnesota vegetation to students of biology, environmental sciences, resource management, horticulture. Integrates botany, ecology, evolution, earth history, climate, global change in context of local plant communities. Labs/Saturday field trips explore Minnesota plants/plant communities. prereq: One semester college biology

Systematics of flowering plants of the world. Ecology, geography, origins, and evolution. Family characteristics. Floral structure, function, evolution. Pollination biology. Methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. Molecular evolution. Taxonomic terms. Methods of collection/identification. Lab. prereq: BIOL 1001 or 1009 or 1009H or 2002

In this course, we will cover current important research topics in plant cell biology. We will cover many plant-specific topics such as gravitropism, plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure and function, plasmodesmatal connections, signal transduction, tip growth, plant cytokinesis, cell energetics. We will also cover some topics that are important for both plant, fungal, and animal cell biology such as cell polarity, the cytoskeleton, protein sorting, and the secretory system. Since we will be using recent literature as the course text, some important and classic cell biology topics will not be covered. In the field of cell biology, new discoveries are often the result of improvements in technology especially in imaging, so we will cover some recent advances in methodology. This is also a writing class with the goal of helping students become familiar and comfortable with writing in a scientific style. There will be writing instruction and there will be some reading assignments on scientific writing. There are no enforced prerequisites. Introductory courses on plants, genetics, and biochemistry are helpful.

Biochemical analysis of processes unique to photosynthetic organisms. Photosynthesis and carbon dioxide fixation. Synthesis of carbohydrates, lipids, and derivatives. Aromatic compounds such as lignin, other natural products. Functions of natural products. prereq: [BIOL 1002 or BIOL 1009 or BIOL 2003], CHEM 2301

Writing Intensive Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. One main feature of this course is that the student will receive writing instruction and the written output of the course will be revised during the semester. The project needs to be explained in a research/directed studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.

Writing Intensive Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory or field research experience in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. This course is intended for students who already have initiated a research project in the lab of the mentor and already have results. In this course the student will receive writing instruction. The written output usually is in the form of a scientific paper describing the results of the student's project. Written output of the course must be revised during the semester and a schedule for writing, assessment and revision needs to be in place at the beginning of the semester. The project needs to be explained in a Research/Directed Studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, how writing instruction will take place, a timeline for when student writing will be handed in and how it will be assessed, methodology to be used by the student, and how assessment of learning will be conducted by the mentor. Additional oversight is established for this course - near the end of the semester the written output is submitted to the DUGS for the major. The DUGS is responsible to determine that the writing meets standards set by the CBS Education Policy Committee for quality of writing, appropriate citation of literature, well-constructed figures, tables, and legends (if present), appropriate use and interpretation of statistics (if present), conclusions that are supported by evidence, and well-formatted references. The DUGS can call for a final revision before a grade is given. This course is graded S/N and approval of the DUGS is required before a grade of S can be given by the faculty mentor. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.

Directed Studies is an individual-study, literature-based investigation in which the student is mentored directly by a faculty member. The topic for the course needs to be explained in a research/directed studies contract and agreed on by both the student and faculty mentor. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793W, 4794W, 4993, 4994 counts towards CBS major requirements.

Directed Research is an individual-study, laboratory, or field investigation course. The research topic needs to be agreed on by both the student and the faculty mentor and explained in a research/directed studies contract. The contract must be approved by the director of undergraduate studies (DUGS) for the major before the student is allowed to register. The contract includes a description of learning objectives for the course, methodology to be used, and how the assessment of learning will be conducted. prereq: department consent, instructor consent, no more than 7 credits of 4793, 4794, 4993W, 4994W counts towards CBS major requirements.

Plant physiology and development is the study of how plant cells, tissues, and whole organisms grow and function in response to internal and external cues. PMB 4412/5412 covers the classic plant physiology and development processes including plant water relations, mineral nutrition, membrane transport, photosynthesis, respiration, vascular function, metabolism, growth and development, and hormone responses. The physics underlying our understanding of these physiological systems will also be addressed. Other areas of plant science such as plant genetics and biochemistry are covered in other courses and will not be emphasized this course. There are no enforced prerequisites for this course. The following preparation is recommended: PMB 2022 General Botany or PMB 3007W Plant Algal and Fungal Diversity; General Chemistry and Introductory Physics.

Plant physiology and development is the study of how plant cells, tissues and whole organisms grow and function in response to internal and external cues. PMB 4412/5412 covers the classic plant physiology and development processes including plant water relations, mineral nutrition, membrane transport, photosynthesis, respiration, vascular function, metabolism, growth and development, and hormone responses. The physics underlying our understanding of these physiological systems will also be addressed. Other areas of plant science such as plant genetics and biochemistry are covered in other courses and will not be emphasized this course. There are no enforced prerequisites for this course. The following preparation is recommended: PMB 2022 General Botany or PMB 3007W Plant Algal and Fungal Diversity; General Chemistry and Introductory Physics.