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Molecular Bioscience with Tracks in Biogeochemistry, Biophysics, Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics and Genomics


All biological sciences rest on two central principles – all organisms and their characteristics are the product of evolution, and all life processes have a physical and chemical basis. Simply put, at the most fundamental level, there is a shared molecular basis of life. Despite the astonishing diversity of living organisms, from bacteria living in deep ocean hydrothermal vents to cherry trees flowering in the spring to complex modern humans shaping the world around us, many features of all organisms at the cellular and molecular levels are fundamentally similar because of shared evolutionary history. Discoveries of fundamental molecular mechanisms in one species – a bacteria or fungus or fruit fly, for example – often apply to other distantly related organisms like humans. Solving many of the most perplexing and challenging biological, agricultural, medical, societal, and environmental problems in today’s world requires a broad and deep understanding of the molecular basis of life. The highly interdisciplinary field of molecular bioscience seeks to understand at the level of atoms and molecules how living things acquire energy and chemical nutrients from their environment, how they use that energy to fuel the basic biochemical reactions and cellular functions required for life, how they use molecular information encoded in their DNA to grow, survive, and reproduce, and how their metabolic and biochemical processes transform the environment in which we all live.  


The broad goal of molecular bioscience, to understand the mechanisms of life processes at the physical, chemical, and cellular levels, requires students to integrate knowledge from several disciplines that traditionally are treated as separate realms of knowledge. Molecular bioscience is at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and physics, but most undergraduate programs require that students focus on one discipline at the exclusion of the other two. In contrast, the Molecular Bioscience major at DKU is designed to integrate fully the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics throughout the major’s course of study, so DKU students trained in molecular bioscience will be better prepared to understand and make fundamental advances on the tremendous challenges facing our current and future generations in human health, agriculture, biotechnology, and global environmental change. 


Through the required interdisciplinary introductory courses including Biochemistry, Biophysics, Genetics and Evolution, and Biomedical Ethics, all molecular bioscience students will gain core foundational knowledge and skills that uniquely will enable them to pursue one of four more specialized tracks of courses that focus some of the most exciting fields of science today.


Students who choose the Cell and Molecular Biology track, for example, will learn of stunning new discoveries of how cells work at the molecular level, and how that knowledge is critical for advances in cancer biology and medicine, pharmacology, biochemistry, virology, immunology, developmental biology, and the Biotech industries. 

The Genetics and Genomics track will provide students with deep insight into how the explosive fields of functional genomics, bioinformatics, and computational biology are revolutionizing our understanding of life. Students will learn how genomics is revealing the complex and highly orchestrated mechanisms that organisms use to regulate genes and genomes, how genomes evolve via population genomic processes, and how new methods like DNA editing promise to transform medicine, agriculture, and our understanding of basic biological processes.


The Biophysics track will allow students to apply principles of physics to biological systems at molecular, organismal, and ecological levels. These students will learn how such integrated applications of these principles are leading to the incredible breadth of advances biophysicists are making in bioelectronics, quantum biology, nanotechnology, structural biology, biomechanics, biochemistry, and cell and molecular biology.


Finally, students who choose the Biogeochemistry track will discover how the activities of biological systems and other chemical, physical, and geological processes drive the global or local cycles of chemicals like carbon and nitrogen, and ultimately lead to global environmental change.  These students, with their interdisciplinary training in molecular bioscience with a focus on ecosystem science, will be uniquely prepared to solve existential challenges like human-mediated global climate change and environmental degradation.

 

Major Requirements

(Not every course listed is offered every term, and the course list will be updated periodically. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for Courses offered in 2023-2024.)

Molecular Bioscience / Biogeochemistry

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Choose one from the following two Math courses

MATH 101

Introductory Calculus

4

MATH 105

Calculus

4

And complete the following courses

BIOL 110

Integrated Science – Biology

4

CHEM 110

Integrated Science – Chemistry

4

PHYS 121

Integrated Science – Physics

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

CHEM 201

Organic Chemistry I

4

PHYS 303

Introduction to Biophysics

4

BIOL 305

Biochemistry

4

BIOL 320

Bioethics

4

Choose one of the two courses below

BIOL 201

Cell and Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 202

Genetics and Evolution

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

ENVIR 102

Dynamic Earth and Oceans: Physical and Biological Sciences for the Environment

4

BIOL 208

General Ecology

4

BIOL 311/ ENVIR 311

Biogeochemistry

4

And choose one course from the following three courses

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

MATH 206

Probability and Statistics

4

And choose one course from the following three courses

BIOL 212

Microbiology

4

BIOL 313/ ENVIR 313

Ecosystem Service

4

BIOL 319

Global Change Biology

4

And choose one course from the following three courses

CHEM 150

General Chemistry II

4

BIOL 312

Ecophysiology

4

ENVIR 315/ CHEM 315

Aqueous Geochemistry

4

       
Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Methods

INTGSCI 205

Integrated Science – Research Methods and Science Communication

4

General Biology

BIOL 318

Food Web Ecology

4

BIOL 405

Microbial Ecology

4

Environmental and Chemistry

ENVIR 201

Dynamic Earth and Oceans: Physical and Biological Sciences for the Environment

4

ENVIR 202

Biodiversity and Conservation

4

ENVIR 304

Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology

4

       

Molecular Bioscience / Biophysics

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Choose one from the following two Math courses

MATH 101

Introductory Calculus

4

MATH 105

Calculus

4

And complete the following courses

BIOL 110

Integrated Science – Biology

4

CHEM 110

Integrated Science – Chemistry

4

PHYS 121

Integrated Science – Physics

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

CHEM 201

Organic Chemistry I

4

PHYS 303

Introduction to Biophysics

4

BIOL 305

Biochemistry

4

BIOL 320

Bioethics

4

Choose one of the two courses below

BIOL 201

Cell and Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 202

Genetics and Evolution

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

PHYS 122

General Physics II

4

MATH 201

Multivariable Calculus

4

PHYS 201

Optics and Modern Physics

4

MATH 202

Linear Algebra

4

PHYS 302

Thermal and Statistical Physics

4

PHYS 406

Biophysics

4

And choose two courses from the following four courses

PHYS 301

Classical Mechanics

4

PHYS 304

Electricity and Magnetism

4

PHYS 306[1]

Quantum Mechanics

4

PHYS 404

Nonlinear Dynamics

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Methods

INTGSCI 205

Integrated Science – Research Methods and Science Communication

4

Biomedical Sciences

BIOL 316

Quantitative Physiology

4

NEUROSCI 202

Medical Neuroscience

4

NEUROSCI 212

Cognitive Neuroscience

4

Mathematical, and Computer Sciences

MATH 303

ODE and Dynamical Systems

4

PHYS 310

Physics of Particulate Materials

4

MATH 403

Partial Differential Equations

4

MATH  410

Modeling Biological Systems

4

Chemistry

CHEM 404

Physical Biochemistry

4

       

Molecular Bioscience / Cell and Molecular Biology

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Choose one from the following two Math courses

MATH 101

Introductory Calculus

4

MATH 105

Calculus

4

And complete the following courses

BIOL 110

Integrated Science – Biology

4

CHEM 110

Integrated Science – Chemistry

4

PHYS 121

Integrated Science – Physics

4

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

CHEM 201

Organic Chemistry I

4

BIOL 202

Genetics and Evolution

4

PHYS 303

Introduction to Biophysics

4

BIOL 305

Biochemistry

4

BIOL 320

Bioethics

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

BIOL 201

Cell and Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 212

Microbiology

4

And choose three from the following four courses

BIOL 304

Molecular Genetic Analysis

4

BIOL 306

Cell Signaling and Diseases

4

BIOL 315

Experimental Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 321

Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology

4

And choose one from the following courses

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

MATH 206

Probability and Statistics

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Methods

INTGSCI 205

Integrated Science – Research Methods and Science Communication

4

Biological Science

BIOL 203

Molecular, Behavioral and Social Evolution: Evolution of Genomes, Traits, Behaviors and Societies

4

BIOL 307

Cancer Genetics

4

BIOL 310

Developmental Biology: Development, Stem Cells, and Regeneration

4

BIOL 314

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

4

BIOL 317

Systems Biology

4

BIOL 401

Advanced Biochemistry: Cell Metabolism

4

BIOL 409/ GLHLTH 409 

Fundamental Immunology 

4

BIOL 410 / GLHLTH 410

Principles of Nutrition and Disease

4

BIOL 411/ GLHLTH 411 

Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases

4

Data Science

BIOL 314

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

4

Chemistry

CHEM 404

Physical Biochemistry

4

Molecular Bioscience / Genetics and Genomics

Divisional Foundation Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Choose one from the following two Math courses

MATH 101

Introductory Calculus

4

MATH 105

Calculus

4

And complete the following courses

BIOL 110

Integrated Science – Biology

4

CHEM 110

Integrated Science – Chemistry

4

PHYS 121

Integrated Science – Physics

4

 

Interdisciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

CHEM 201

Organic Chemistry I

4

BIOL 202

Genetics and Evolution

4

PHYS 303

Introduction to Biophysics

4

BIOL 305

Biochemistry

4

BIOL 320

Bioethics

4

Disciplinary Courses

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

BIOL 201

Cell and Molecular Biology

4

And choose four from the following five courses

BIOL 304

Molecular Genetic Analysis

4

BIOL 314

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

4

BIOL 321

Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 403

Experimental Methods in Functional Genomics

4

BIOL 407

Population Genomics and Molecular Evolution

4

And choose one from the following courses

STATS 101

Introduction to Applied Statistical Methods

4

MATH 206

Probability and Statistics

4

Electives

Courses listed in the table below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year.  (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)

Course Code

Course Name

Course Credit

Methods

INTGSCI 205

Integrated Science – Research Methods and Science Communication

4

Biomedical Sciences

BIOL 203

Molecular, Behavioral and Social Evolution: Evolution of Genomes, Traits, Behaviors and Societies

4

BIOL 212

Microbiology

4

NEUROSCI 301

 Research Methods in Neuroscience

4

BIOL 310

Developmental Biology: Development, Stem Cells, and Regeneration

4

BIOL 315

Experimental Molecular Biology

4

BIOL 317

Systems Biology

4

BIOL 404

Genomics of Adaptation

4

BIOL 409/ GLHLTH 409 

Fundamental Immunology 

4

BIOL 410  / GLHLTH 410

Principles of Nutrition and Disease

4

BIOL 411/ GLHLTH 411 

Vaccine Development for Emerging Infectious Diseases

4

Data Science

BIOL 314

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

4

Environmental Science

ENVIR 202

Biodiversity and Conservation

4

[1] This course was numbered PHYS 401 prior to fall term 2022.