FRS 001S — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 53282 — 5:10-6:00 pm — 148 Briggs Hall
Social Impacts of Genomics and Biotechnology

Instructor: Kenneth Burtis, Department of Molecular and Celllular Biology, Division of Biological Sciences

Description: The course focuses on the impact of genomics and biotechnology on modern life, including issues such as health care, nutrition, politics and ethics. Examples will be drawn from popular and general scientific publications, and students will learn how to further investigate the scientific basis of what they read using resources available on the internet.

Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week for the first six weeks, and two hours in weeks seven and eight. The time during the first six lectures will be divided between informal lecture presentations and discussion. The last two sessions will be devoted to short student presentations. Reading material will be provided. There is no text for the course. Participation in discussions is expected, and students will be required to prepare a short paper on a topic relevant to the subject matter of the course, which will be the basis for a short oral presentation in the last two weeks. Grading: The course grade will be based on the quality of the written (1/3) and oral (1/3) presentations and on the frequency and quality of participation in class discussion (1/3).

About the Instructor: Professor Burtis is Professor of Genetics and a member of the Section of Molecular and Cellular Biology. His research is on DNA repair, using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster. He teaches the Genetics Laboratory course MCB160L and the new Genomics course MCB182.