Biology

Synbio is a diverse field with diverse applications, and the different contexts (e.g., gain-of-function research, biofuels) raise different ethical and governance challenges. The objective of this course is to increase learners’ awareness and understanding of ethical and policy/governance issues that arise in the design, conduct and application of synthetic [...]

Mountains 101­­ is a broad and integrated overview of the mountain world. This 12-lesson course covers an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the physical, biological, and human dimensions of mountain places in Alberta, Canada, and around the world.

In this course you will learn how evolution works. You will develop an understanding of evolutionary processes and their formative power. You will see how evolution has shaped biodiversity, and continuously influences our daily life. Evolution impacts human endeavors as varied as medicine, agriculture, psychology, economy, and culture. It [...]

Hello everyone! Welcome to advanced neurobiology! Neuroscience is a wonderful branch of science on how our brain perceives the external world, how our brain thinks, how our brain responds to the outside of the world, and how during disease or aging the neuronal connections deteriorate. We’re trying to understand [...]

Nanotechnology and nanosensors are broad, interdisciplinary areas that encompass (bio)chemistry, physics, biology, materials science, electrical engineering and more. The present course will provide a survey on some of the fundamental principles behind nanotechnology and nanomaterials and their vital role in novel sensing properties and applications. The course will discuss [...]

Discover the human abdomen and how it works. This course will help you identify the positions of organs within the abdomen and will introduce you to common anatomical terminology. You will look at the anterior (front) abdominal wall, exploring how the ‘abs’ are considered in relation to health and [...]

本课程以达尔文的“自然选择”和“生命之树”为主线，将重点介绍达尔文演化理论的要点，以及后人对达尔文理论的修订、补充和完善；介绍一些推动生物演化的主要力量，如遗传变异、自然选择、中性选择、遗传漂变等。同时还将介绍生物演化研究领域的各种方法和技术，并在此基础上通过很多实例对从远古的化石到现今多姿多彩的生物世界、从生物的形态改变到遗传物质的变化、从生物分子的起源到人类的起源等现象和问题进行解释。本课程将以大量的事实告诉大家：生物演化不仅仅是理论，而且是事实，它就发生在我们的身边。

How did life emerge on Earth? How have life and Earth co-evolved through geological time? Is life elsewhere in the universe? Take a look through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through the lens of the modern Tree of Life. This course will evaluate the entire history of [...]

An introduction to dynamical modeling techniques used in contemporary Systems Biology research. We take a case-based approach to teach contemporary mathematical modeling techniques. The course is appropriate for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students. Lectures provide biological background and describe the development of both classical mathematical models [...]

Learn about novel sensing tools that make use of nanotechnology to screen, detect and monitor various events in personal or professional life. Together, we will lay the groundwork for infinite innovative applications, starting from diagnosis and treatments of diseases, continuing with quality control of goods and environmental aspects, and [...]