Microbiology and Molecular Biology Course Descriptions

100 Level Courses

            MMBIO 102 : Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Techniques. (1:0:3) F, W

            Description: Hospital laboratory techniques.

MMBIO 151 : Introduction to Microbiology. (4:3:3) F, W, Su

Prerequisite: Chem 105 or concurrent enrollment.

Description: Principals of prokaryotic biology emphasizing cell structure, function, and metabolism. Introduction to bacterial genetics, microbial diversity, and microbial ecology.

 

200 Level Courses

            MMBIO 221 : General Microbiology (3:3:0) Independent Study also. Honors also. F, W, Sp, Su

Prerequisite: Any chemistry course and any biology course.

Description: Microbial world, emphasizing communicable diseases, their causes, and control. Recommended for students seeking a liberal education in microbiology who do not have the prerequisites to take the more advanced courses.

 
            MMBIO 222 : General Microbiology Laboratory. (1:0:2) F,W

Prerequisite: MMBio 221 or concurrent enrollment.

 
MMBIO 240 : Molecular Biology (3:3:1) F, W, Sp

            Prerequisite: PDBIO 120, Chem 105.

            Description: Fundamtnelas of protein and nucleic acid structure and their function in the context of the classical experiments                 that have informed our current models of biology at the molecular level.

 
            MMBIO 241 : Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory (1:0:3) F, W, Sp

                Prerequisites: MMBIO 240 or concurrent enrollment.

            Description: Molecular and cellular bilogy techniques laboratory.

            MMBIO 265 : (MMBIO-Bio-PWS) Genomics. (3:2:1) F, W

            Prerequisites: Bioinformatics major status or PDBio 120.

            Description: Introduction to genomics and genome progects (human, plant, bacterial, yeast, parasites). Introduction to genes                         and genomes; computational and statistical approaches for analyzing genomic data, including genome sequencing and                                    annotation, gene expression and the transcriptome, proteomics and fuctional genomics, and genetic variation and SNPs.

300 Level Courses

            MMBIO 361 : Infection and Immunity. (4:4:0) F, W, Sp

            Prerequsites: Chem 105; PDBio 120 or MMBIO 221 or equivalent.

            Description: Principles of infectious organisms (principally bacteria and viruses), the diseases they cause, and                             the role of host immune responses in health and disease.

            MMBIO 362R : Survey of Careers in Microbiology (1:Arr:Arr) F

Description: Lectures and field trips surveying career choices.

 
            MMBIO 390R : Readings in Molecular Biology (1:1:0) F, W, Sp

Prerequisite: PDBio 360

Description: Selected readings in molecular biology.

 
            MMBIO 392 : Hematology (2:5:2:5:1) W

Prerequisite: Clinical laboratory science program acceptance.

Decription: Normal and abnormal hematology.

 
            MMBIO 393 : Immunohematology and Coagulation Theory (2:5:2:5:1) W

Prerequisite: Clinical laboratory science program acceptance.

Description: Theory and practice of bloodbanking and coagulation theory.

 
            MMBIO 394 : Practical Hematology (2:0:7) W

Prerequisite: MMBio 392 or concurrent enrollment.

Description: Laboratory to accompany MMBio 392; medical laboratory techniques in hematology.

 
            MMBIO 395 : Practical Immunohematology and Coagulation Theory (2:0:7) W

Prerequisite: MMBio 393 or concurrent enrollment.

Description: Laboratory to accompany MMBio 393; medical laboratory techniques in immunohematology and coagulation theory.

 
            MMBIO 399R : Academic Internship (1-9:0:40ea) F, W, Sp, Su

Prerequisite: Mentor's consent.

Description: Approved experiential learning.

 

400 Level Courses

            MMBIO 407 : Clinical Microbiology. (4:2:6) W

Prerequisite: MMBio 361.

Description: Approaches to laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases.

 
            MMBIO 417 : Medical Parasitology (3:2:3)F

Prerequisite: Bio 100 or equivalent.

Description: Pathogenesis, diagnosis, and epidemiology of human parasitic diseases. Laboratory included.

 
            MMBIO 420 : Pathophysiology and Laboratory Diagnosis in Clinical Chemistry (5:4:2) F

Prerequisite: Clinical laboratory science program acceptance.

Description: Laboratory diagnosis of disorders involving the major systems of the human body.

 
            MMBIO 421 : Laboratory Techniques in Clinical Chemistry and Diagnostic Molecular Biology (4:0:14) F

Prerequisite: Concurrent enrollment in MMBio 420.

Description: Medical laboratory techniques in urinalysis, clinical chemistry, and diagnostic molecular genetics.

 
            MMBIO 430 : Advanced Cell Biology (3:3:0) F

Prerequisite: PDBio 360; bioscience major status.

Description: Molecular genetics, cell biology, and developmental biology.

 
            MMBIO 441 : Advanced Molecular Biology. (3:3:0) W

Prerequisite: MMBio 240, Chem 352.

Description: Molecular biology of gene structure and expression in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.

 
            MMBIO 442 : Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory. (2:0:6) W

Prerequisite: Bio 241; MMBio 441 or concurrent enrollment.

Description: Laboratory to accompany MMBio 441.

 
            MMBIO 460 : Microbial Genetics. (4:4:3) F, W

Prerequisite: MMBio 151, 240.

Description: How DNA governs complex bacterial functions. Classical and moern approaches to gene dicovery, including genetic screens, gene mapping, targeted genetic manipulations, and analyzing gene activity.

            MMBIO 461 : Advaqnced Bacterial Physiology. (3:3:0) W

Prerequisite: Chem 481, MMBio 151.

Description: Principles of prokaryotic physiology, including cell stucture and function, gene regulation, and biochemical processes; focusing on the unique aspects of prokaryotic biology.

            MMBIO 462 : Microbial Ecology. (3:2:3) F

Prerequisite: MMBio 151, PDBio 120.

Description: Natural history of a microbe; its distribution and abundance. Critical influence of scale and perspective in determining underlying mechanisms.

 
            MMBIO 464 : Bacterial Pathogenesis. (4:3:3) F, W

Prerequisite: MMBio 361.

Description: Fundamental principle of bacterial pathogenesis, emphasizing the molecular interactions of medically important bacteria and their hosts.

 
MMBIO 465 : Virology. (3:3:0) F, W

            Prerequisite: MMBio 361 or equivalent.

            Description: Basic principle of virology, emphasizing selected molecular aspects of virus life cycles and disease processes.

         
            MMBIO 466 : Virology Laboratory. (1:0:3) F, W

            Prerequisite: MMBio 361; 465 or concurrent enrollment.

            Description: Laboratory exercises illustrating in vitro behavior of selected viruses. Developing laboratory skills for virus studies.

            MMBIO 467 : Immunology Lab. (1:0:3) F, W

            Prerequisite: MMBio 361; 463 or concurrent enrollment.

            Description: Laboratory exercises in advanced concepts of immunological processes.

 
            MMBIO 490R : Molecular Biology Seminar (1:1:0 ea) F, W

Prerequisite: MMBio 441; senior status.

Description: Critical examination of current literature and research in molecular biology.

 
            MMBIO 491 : Concept Applications in Laboratory Medicine (1:1:0) F

Prerequisite: Acceptance into clinical laboratory science program.

Description: Case presentations of various medical disorders.

 

            MMBIO 494R : Mentored Research (1-3:Arr:Arr) F, W, Sp, Su

Prerequisite: Mentor's consent.

Description: Mentored research.

 
MMBIO 496R : Clinical Experience. (1-9:0:0) F, W, Sp, Su

Prerequisite: MMBio 392, 393, 394, 395, 407, 417, 420, 421, 491.

Description: Performing the full range of clinical laboratory tests in an affliated clincial facility. A six-month internship experience.

 
            MMBIO 499R : Senior Honors Thesis (1-3:Arr:Arr) F, W, Sp, Su

Prerequisite: Topic to be cleared with Honors Program and Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology.

 

500 Level Courses

            MMBIO 518 : Select Pathogens (2:2:0) F-odd years

Prerequisite: MMBio 453 or equivalent.

Description: Current literature in special pathogens.

 
            MMBIO 551R : Current Topics in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. (1-3:Arr.:0) On demand

Description: Readings from current literature on a specific topic; student presentations and discussion.

 
            MMBIO 554 : Molecular Virology (2:2.0:0:0)

Prerequisite: MMBio 354, 454; or equivalents

Description: Molecular mechanisms of virus architecture, attachment and entry pathways, replication strategies, oncogenesis, evolution, and mechanisms of pathogenesis.

            MMBIO 557 : Genes and Cancer (2:2:0) W-odd years

Prerequisite: MMBio 441 or equivalent

Description: Molecular basis of human cancers, emphasizing oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, chromosomal instability, hereditary cancers, chemical and physical carcinogens, and viral carcinogenesis.

600-700 Level Courses

 

• For 600- and 700-level courses, see the BYU 2006-2007 Graduate Catalog.

 

            MMBIO 603 : Molecular Aspects of Eukaryotic Cell Biology. (3) W-even years

Prerequisite: Graduate status.

            MMBIO 605 : Pathobiology of Microbial Diseases. (3) F-even years

Prerequisite: Graduate status.

Description: Pathobiology of viral, parasitic, and bacterial diseases.

            MMBIO 611 : Advanced Cellular and Molecular Immunology. (2) W-even years

Description: Current topics in immunology.

            MMBIO 613 : Philosophy of Biology. (2) W-odd years

Description: Epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical issues in the biological sciences. Philosophical questions concerning the theory of evolution, debate between evolution and creationism, fitness, adaptationism, the units of selection, systematics, sociobiology, and evolutionary ethics.

            MMBIO 614 : Prokaryotic Signal Transduction. (2) F-even years

Description: Current literature integrating cell signal pathways and the regulation of prokaryotic gene expression.

            MMBIO 615 : RNA-Mediated Gene Regulation. (2) F-odd years

Description: Current advances in studies on RNA processing, including RNA spicing and editing, riboswitches, ribozymes, and the role of small RNAs in RNA interference and regulation of gene expression

            MMBIO 631 : Coevolution (2) F-odd years

Description: Current methods of analyzing multiple evolutionary patterns, including cophylogeny, comparative phylogeography, and gene tree/species tree reconciliation. Students who have data appropriate for comparative analyses will benefit most.

            MMBIO 641 : Molecular Evolution (4) W-even years

Description: Theoretical foundations of molecular evolution; molecular phylogenetics, estimate of population genetic parameters, gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, rates of evolution, molecular clocks.

            MMBIO 651R : Special Topics in Microbiology and Molecular Biology. (1-3) on demand

            MMBIO 691R : Graduate Seminar. (1) F, W

            MMBIO 695R : Research. (0.5-18) F, W, Sp, Su

            MMBIO 699R : Master's Thesis. (1-9) F, W, Sp, Su

            MMBIO 799R : Doctoral Dissertation. (1-9) F, W, Sp, Su