The Biology
Department is committed to providing intellectually rich and
challenging learning experiences for majors and non-majors alike. These
experiences are intended to communicate the foundations and frontiers
of the life sciences (from molecules to ecosystems), the methods of
biological inquiry, and the relevance of biology to society.
*We believe that all Macalester students should
understand that
science is a continual and dynamic process of investigation. All
students should appreciate that biological knowledge progresses via the
support and rejection of competing hypotheses by the scientific
community. Students should understand that these decisions are based on
empirical evidence and logical arguments developed through inductive
and deductive reasoning. To this end, all our students should become
familiar with the historical development of some of the major concepts
in biology. In addition, all our students should be able to develop
scientifically informed positions on some of the social issues related
to the biological topics they have studied.
*We believe that all biology majors should be able
to understand and
communicate the major concepts and investigational methods that
currently define biology and that they should learn basic laboratory
and field techniques used in the various biological subdisciplines.
After completing the three required core courses, students should be
able to demonstrate their understanding of the central theories and
methods in molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, physiology,
ecology, and evolution, and use the vocabulary that embodies this
knowledge. Through the laboratory component of the core courses,
students should learn to articulate a testable hypothesis and design an
effective investigative approach; collect, organize and analyze data
using appropriate quantitative tools including statistical and
graphical methods; and effectively communicate their ideas orally and
in writing using customary scientific formats and styles.
*All biology graduates should demonstrate an
understanding of
theories and specialized research techniques and be able to comprehend
and critique primary scientific literature in their area(s) of
interest. Upon graduation, students should be well prepared to pursue
their interests in a variety of ways, including graduate or
professional schools, public service, or entry into the work force.
*Finally, we expect all biology graduates to be
able to use their
knowledge and communication skills to assume a leadership role in
applying biological concepts and theories appropriately to investigate
and/or solve a variety of problems, both in the area of their
specialization and in the broader public sphere.
Department
News
Biology senior
presents research in Chicago Senior Grace Linder presented a talk and a
poster titled " Changes in
levels of semaphorin 4A mRNA in subsets of developing thymocytes in
mice" at the 37th annual Autumn Immunology Conference held in Chicago
during November 21-24, 2008. Grace has worked on characterizing
semaphorin expression in the mouse thymus in Biology professor Devavani
Chatterjea's laboratory since Spring 2007 and is currently finishing an
honors project based on her work.
New Baby!
Biology
is happy to announce a new addition to our department. Devavani
Chatterjea and David Matthes have a new son, William August Chatterjea
born Thursday, Oct. 30. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 oz. and is 20" long.
Mother and son are doing well and big sister, Gitanjali is most pleased
of all.
Paul Overvoorde Published in Science
Professor
Paul Overvoorde, along with collaborators from other liberal arts
colleges and universities, recently published a paper in the journal
Science addressing undergraduate research opportunities in the area of
genomics. The article emphasized the need to provide
undergraduates
research opportunities during the academic year since many students are
not able to participate in summer research, or there are not enough
summer research positions to meet student interest. The authors,
who
are founding members of the Genomics Education Partnership (GEP),
described both computer-based and wet-lab research projects they have
developed and successfully implemented, and encouraged other colleagues
to explore undergraduate research opportunities in genomics. Mike Anderson
Presents Research in Bariloche, Argentina
Biology Lab Instructor Mike Anderson presented a poster entitled
'Spatial Patterns in Alnus-infective
Frankia in
Two Alaskan Successional Habitats' at the 15th International Frankia
and Actinorhizal Plants Meeting, which was held October 19-23 in San
Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. This research is part of Mike's ongoing
PhD dissertation, which examines how mutually beneficial interactions
between plants and bacteria change in different environments in Alaska.
So far, Mike's research has benefited from the participation of three
Macalester students - Ben Freeman '06, Grace Wilson '07 and Kyle
Goerschler '08 - and is supported by a grant from the Society for
Integrative and Comparative Biology and two grants from the National
Science Foundation.
Paul Overvoorde Presents Research in Marrakech, Morroco
Professor
Paul Overvoorde presented a poster entitled "The Use of Small Molecules
to Probe Auxin Signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana" at the 3rd
International "AUXIN" conference, which was held in Marrakech, Morroco
October 4-9. This gathering is held every four years and attracts
individuals from over 30 countries who work on aspects of the plant
hormone auxin. The presentation summarized work on a
chemical-genetics
project that has been carried out in collaboration with Becky Hoye
(Chemistry) and Ron Brisbois (Chemistry). The six student
co-authors
have synthesized the small chemical molecules in the Chemistry
department and have tested the effects of these compounds on plant
growth and development in the Biology department. This work has
been
supported by a grant from the Merck Institute for Science Education,
the National Science Foundation, and the Macalester Office for Research
and Experiential Learning (OREL).
Mark Davis Speaks at Conference Precursor to 2009 G8 Summit
Mark
Davis, Biology Department Chair, presented an invited talk on the
impacts of biological invasions on native biodiversity at a conference
held in Sardinia in mid-September. Titled 'Biodiversity,
Desertification, Water, Food and Human Rights', the conference was
organized by the University of Sassari as a precursor to the G8 Summit
to be held in Sardinia in 2009. Thirty-nine speakers, representing 20
countries, were invited to speak at the conference.
Events
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