New (fall 2007) 2-credit course. 

This course is designed for seniors and graduate students in the life sciences who are interested in the family of diseases responsible for Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, chronic wasting disease, scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Course description: The course will be based on the current and some of the classic literature in prion diseases.  It will emphasize molecular and cellular topics.  It will also cover history, disease characteristics and current research.  This will involve delving into multiple disciplines in the biological and medical sciences such as immunology, protein structure and folding, molecular genetics, anatomy including neuroanatomy, chemical therapeutics, epidemiology, physiology and others.  Classes consist of lectures and group discussions.  In addition to reading assigned papers on the weekly topic, students will be required to explain and discuss briefly a key experiment and its significance from the assigned papers each week.  Graduate students will be expected to write a 3-4 page paper on an aspect of TSE research that is not covered in class. 

Preferred minimum prerequisites: Semester of molecular biology such as MOLB 3000, a semester of biochemistry such as CHEM 2300 and a semester of zoology such as BIOL 2022, OR consent of the instructor.

Audience: Graduate students and seniors in the life sciences.

Offered: 11:00 - 11:50 am Mondays and Fridays

Location:  AG 6014

Instructor: Dr. Jean Jewell - resume - contact Dr. Jewell about this class