This course is designed to introduce students to the natural history, biology, diversity, and community ecology of marine ecosystems by getting wet, getting muddy, and experiencing them first-hand across the state of Florida. Special emphasis is placed on surveying diverse marine habitats, the organisms found in each, and the interactions that result in these unique communities. The first week is spent on campus reviewing fundamental concepts in marine biology and community ecology. Once in Florida, the class visits Seahorse Key Marine Lab in the Gulf of Mexico to study salt marshes, seagrass beds, and oyster reefs. We visit the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility at Whitney Marine Lab on the Atlantic Coast, explore the Everglades, and study coral reefs and mangrove habitats at the Keys Marine Lab on Long Key. We also focus on the role of these diverse marine environments in maintaining healthy oceans, and identify what can be done to address major challenges facing these vulnerable habitats.
This course will introduce a series of physical principles, based on statistical mechanics, which can be used to examine biological questions, specifically questions involving how cells function. Calculus will be used without apology.
Every other Spring, even years
In this course, students will examine the geographic, ecological, and evolutionary underpinnings of biodiversity on islands. Students will compare the species diversity in mainland Ecuador around Guayaquil to that of the Galapagos Islands and present their findings to the group. The course includes two rigorous hikes with camping (one in a tropical mainland location and one in the Galapagos) and hotel stays elsewhere. Students will use readings from conservation philosophy to examine themselves as individuals and as interconnected pieces of the ecological whole. Readings will include travel journals, and students will write their own travel journal that include their observations, drawings, and insights. The first week of the course will include lecture, research, and preparation on campus at Augustana.
Most Interims
This course focuses on the cellular and systems neuroscience of the brain. Topics will include the structure and function of neurons and synapses; the coordination of populations of neurons for sensory and motor function; the molecular and neural circuit substrates of learning and memory; and special topics at the cutting edge of neurobiology research including the development, repair, and regeneration of the nervous system. The course will include reading of primary literature that will occasionally touch on human disease. The laboratory component will acquaint students with simulations of neurons and neural systems, analysis of neurobiological data, and techniques in animal and human neurobiology.
Every Fall
This course will explore neuropsychiatric diseases as pathophysiology of the brain at the molecular, cellular, and systems levels. Topics covered will include autism, depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, motor disorders, addiction, and other diseases of the nervous system. Students will closely read and discuss primary articles from research on the causes, clinical features, detection methods, and possible routes to treatment for these disorders. In addition, students will investigate how laboratory research is translated from the bench to the bedside, and connect the course content to their own clinical experiences in the community. There is no laboratory component to this course.
Most Interims
This course is an introduction to the innate and specific aspects of the immune system with emphasis on cell-mediated and humoral mechanisms of immune function. Current methodologies in immunology research will be discussed. Students will become familiar with how the immune system functions within the context of disease, including auto-immune disorders, AIDS, and cancer.
Every other Spring, odd years
A study of vertebrate morphogenetic processes resulting in both conserved and novel traits across the lineage. Emphasis is placed on study of a generalized vertebrate structure pattern and examination of some of the morphological specializations built upon this basic plan. Laboratory emphasizes use of preserved specimens, skeletons, models, and dissection of preserved organisms including the dogfish shark and the fetal pig. Development - evolution interactions are explored throughout the course. Special lab activities include human development and the use of the Anatomage Table to view various systems in the human.
This course includes the study of the classification, evolution, distribution, identification, life histories and morphological, ecological, and behavioral adaptations of birds. The laboratory portion is designed to allow students to learn about the internal and external structure of birds and to learn to identify the various families and species of birds. Emphasis is placed on identification of the species of South Dakota and the Great Plains.
Every Spring
This course familiarizes students with the biology of microorganisms, primarily focusing on prokaryotic microbes and viruses. Topics include bacterial cell biology, metabolism, genetics, and ecology of microbes and their interactions with humans and the environment. Emphasis will be given to mechanisms of virulence, resistance to infectious disease and the immune response to microbes. The three-hour laboratory portion of the course focuses on basic techniques and concepts used in the microbiology laboratory and application of these techniques to student projects. Topics covered in this course take into account curriculum recommendations from the American Society of Microbiology.
Every Fall
Analysis of developmental processes including gametogenesis, fertilization, cleavage, morphogenetic movements, growth, and developmental regulation. Major emphasis is placed upon the nature and control of cell differentiation. Laboratory work emphasizes experimental studies on living materials.
Every Fall
This course will cover basic principles and applications of population, community, and ecosystem ecology. Throughout the course, we will consider the factors that influence the abundance and distribution of organisms over a variety of temporal and spatial scales. You will develop a working knowledge of important historical and modern ecological concepts and to examine how these concepts affect the global community. This course includes a three hour laboratory component that will highlight major ecosystems of South Dakota including field work in area prairies and forests.
Every Fall
Terrestrial plants will be studied from various perspectives including: photosynthesis, water and nutrient acquisition (organismal ecology), natural selection and partitioning variation (evolutionary ecology), population growth and life history characteristics (population ecology), interspecific interactions and succession (community ecology), nutrient cycling (ecosystem ecology) and major biome types and their relationships with climate change (landscape/global ecology). The three hour laboratory will include several field trips to local landscapes and a course-based research experience where students propose a project, collect data, analyze and present findings in a written manuscript and a presentation.
Every Fall
This course provides a chemically based analysis of cellular macromolecules and metabolites. The material covers enzymes and catalysis, metabolism, and the control of metabolic processes with particular emphasis on the thermodynamic aspects of cellular metabolism. The importance of structural organization in protein function and regulation is highlighted throughout the course materials. The concurrent three hour laboratory consists of a semester-long project of enzyme purification and characterization. The course also contains multiple writing projects with the aim of honing experimental documentation and reporting, as well as reading and concisely summarizing primary scientific literature.
Every Fall
Molecular Biology is the study of gene structure and function at the molecular level. This course provides a detailed study of the molecular nature of genes, their regulation, expression, and manipulation. Emphasis is placed on experimental analysis and understanding of genetic systems at the molecular level. The role of molecular genetics in the area of biotechnology is also studied. The three hour labs cover using molecular methods to answer research questions related to nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), gene expression analysis, gene manipulation, and bioinformatics. Students’ science communication skills are further developed through lab project presentations and Journal Clubs.
Every Spring
Evolution is the central, unifying theory of the biological sciences. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the core principles of modern evolutionary biology. Lecture and laboratory activities will together establish the logic that underlies evolutionary theory, and focus on key historical and modern research studies to explain and illustrate these theories while establishing links to other areas in the life sciences. We will examine major events in the history of life on Earth, and the mechanisms of evolutionary change: mutation, natural selection, migration, genetic drift, and stochastic events.
Occasional Interims
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science to biology and medicine but it is also a driver of how questions are generated and answered in modern biology. The magnitude of biological data - from environmental to genomic - is growing exponentially. This course will introduce students to a varied sampling of publicly available biological data and the basic scripting skills to organize, manage, and analyze that data. They will learn about algorithm design for genome and sequence analysis, genetic variation, phylogenetics, structural, and systems biology. Students will conduct independent projects and be introduced to the highly used programming language and statistical environment R and Python.
Every other Spring
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the process that generates the drugs we take, from the laboratory bench to the medicine cabinet. This course will foster an understanding of drug development, methods of drug delivery and metabolism, mechanisms of drug action, and basic cellular physiology in order to identify how drugs elicit their medicinal properties. Students will also get a chance to examine the ethical and social dimensions of modern-day drug development and application.
Every Spring
This course is a study of the function, integration, and coordination of the organ systems of the human body. The systems and topics covered include the nervous, endocrine, immune, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems; as well as muscle, renal physiology, digestion, and reproduction. Emphasis will be given on integrating all systems in disease and diagnosis. The laboratory component includes student designed projects and discussions about current topics in human physiology. This course is intended for junior and senior biology majors.
Every Spring
Animal behavior is the study of how and why animals behave as they do in particular situations. In this course, students will explore the topic of animal behavior with a comparative and integrative approach that links evolutionary mechanisms with ecological and environmental factors. We will explore the scientific literature and sample a range of modern studies in animal behavior. We will also learn basic techniques to measure and investigate behavior in both a lab and field setting. Students will have the opportunity to design and conduct a research project and present their findings in written and oral format.
Every Spring
This course is designed to provide STEM majors an introduction to biostatistical concepts and to the design and analysis of experiments, with the goal of equipping practicing scientists with the tools to analyze research data. The course emphasizes the application of statistical ideas and methods to the design and interpretation of biological experiments and comparative data sets, and includes a writing intensive approach. Students will be able to develop and implement appropriate experimental design, carry out appropriate statistical analyses and interpretation for different data types using several statistical platforms, critically read and interpret the statistical content of scientific journal articles in the biological and biomedical sciences, and exhibit advanced scientific writing skills.
Every Spring
Biology majors may be involved in a research project being conducted by the supervising faculty member. Students will meet regularly with the faculty member, read relevant research articles and perform experiments to collect and analyze data.
Every Fall, Interim, Spring, and Summer
Internships permit students to obtain credit for practical experience in biology and related fields. The level and amount of credit for such experiences will be determined individually in consultation with the department chairperson. Cannot be applied toward the 36 hours required for the major. Additional fees may apply.
Every Fall, Interim, and Spring
Special topics in Biology.
Intended to provide experience in research or special techniques in biology on an individual basis. This course designation may not be used to replace a 300-level elective.
Permission of the Instructor