426
Developmental Biol Neurobiology
Spring 2011
Tuesday and Thursday
9:45 - 11:00 am, 118 Thomas
Instructor: Gong Chen, Associate Professor
Department of Biology
Office: 224 LSB
Office hour: by email appointment
Email: [e-mail]
Biol 426 Developmental Neurobiology is designed to cover fundamental issues
from neuron generation, neural network assembly, to high level of brain function
such as learning and memory, and finally to the aging of the brain.
Basic principles as well as current research articles will be mixed in lectures
to teach students not only the background knowledge but also logic thinking
behind scientific research.
The instructor is a neuroscientist studying molecular mechanisms of synapse
formation and synaptic plasticity, using multidisciplinary approaches including
electrophysiology, fluorescence imaging, and molecular biology techniques.
Neural stem cell research is a new direction in his lab. His faculty website is:
http://www.bio.psu.edu/home/directory/homepages/guc2
It is highly recommended that students take Biol 469 (Instructor: Dr.
Lscher) before this course to gain some overview of neurobiology.
Course material:
Development of the Nervous System, 2006, 2nd Edition. Editors: Sanes, Reh, and
Harris. This text book only constitutes about half of all the lectures. The instructor
has organized many lectures from other resources. All lecture materials will be
posted in PowerPoint files on ANGEL.
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Biol 426 Syllabus:
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Jan. 11 Introduction: from neuron to nervous system
Jan. 13 Neural induction and ectodermChapter 1
Jan. 18 Polarity and regionalization: part IChapter 2
Jan. 20 Polarity and regionalization: current research
Jan. 25 Neural stem cells: generation and migration
Jan. 27 Neural stem cells: functional integration
Feb. 1 Neural stem cells: current research
Feb. 3 Cell cycle and neuronal migrationChapter 3 (for Exam 2)
Feb. 8 Exam 1
Feb. 10 Review Exam 1 results
Feb. 15 Determination and differentiationChapter 4
Feb. 17 Axon growth and guidance: part IChapter 5
Feb. 22 Axon growth and guidance: current research
Feb. 24 Target selection: part IChapter 6
Mar. 1 Neuronal cell death: part IChapter 7
Mar. 3 Neuronal cell death: current research
Mar. 15 Exam 2
Mar. 17 Review Exam 2 results
Mar. 22 Synapse formationChapter 8
Mar. 24 Synapse formation and synaptic refinementChapter 9
Mar. 29 Current research on synaptogenesis
Mar. 31 Neuron-glial interactions: Part I
Apr. 5
Neuron-glial interactions: Part II
Apr. 7
Injury and nerve regeneration
Apr. 12 Exam 3
Apr. 14 Review Exam3 results
Apr. 19 Learning and memory: long-term potentiation
Apr. 21 Learning and memory: long-term depression
Apr. 26 Brain aging: Alzheimer's disease
Apr. 28
Review: Questions and Answers
May 2-6 Final Exam (open exam, short essays)
Exams and grades:
The first three exams will be multiple choices and short essays, 100 points each.
The final exam will be short essays only, 200 points. Class attendance and
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discussion account for 100 points (~10 times random check in the beginning of
classes. Missing one class will lose ~10 points). Total 600 points.
Expect that exam questions can be difficult! However, you will be competing with
your peers. There will also be extra points for writing critiques on current research
articles or neuroscience seminars. One critique will earn 3 10 points depending
on the quality. The maximum total extra points will be 50, or five critiques. The
critiques will be assigned by the instructor on specific articles or specific
seminars. assignment The will be posted on ANGEL. It is not any paper or
seminar will be eligible. A critique should have an introduction paragraph
about the background, the main results of a paper or main findings of the
seminar speaker, and a discussion about the work, including the significance
of the work and possible improvement. It should be within 2-3 pages, single
spaced, with 1 margin and font size around 12, which is a standard writing format.
Honors option: Honor students have the option to write additional 5 critiques on
specific research articles or seminars to earn one honor credit.
The grading scale is:
A
93 - 100%
A90 - 92%
B+ 87 - 89%
B
83 - 86%
B80 - 82%
C+
C
D
F
77 - 79%
70 - 76%
60 - 69%
Less than 60%
Your final grade will be highly correlated with your overall effort spent on the
course.
Attendance:
The content of the lectures is beyond one textbook. Therefore, it is important to
attend all the lectures. Attendance at exams is mandatory and absence during the
scheduled exam time will result in a grade of zero unless prior arrangements (at
least 24 hours before the exam) have been made with the course instructor. The
following are the only legitimate excuses accepted:
- Illness with a doctors excuse
- A University sponsored event (with a note from the sponsor)
- A religious holiday recognized by PSU
- A death in the family (you must provide official documentation - obituary,
funeral card with a date)
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Make-up exams
The dates and times for the make-up exams will be announced in class and emailed
to students who have shown proper documentation for their absence. You can not
take a make-up exam simply because you did not do very well in a regular
exam. It is your responsibility to sign up for a make-up exam. These make-up
exams will be short-answer/essay format. If you have three or more finals within
fifteen hours during finals week, or a direct conflict, you must file for a conflict
exam at least two weeks ahead of the last week of classes.
Academic Integrity/Academic Dishonesty:
Academic dishonesty is not limited to simply cheating on an exam or assignment.
The following is quoted directly from the "PSU Faculty Senate Policies for
Students" regarding academic integrity and academic dishonesty: Academic
integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception and is an
educational objective of this institution. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabricating of information or citations,
facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession
of examinations, submitting work of another person or work previously used
without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other
students.
All University and Departmental policies regarding academic integrity/academic
dishonesty apply to this course and the students enrolled in this course. Refer to
the following URL for further details on the academic integrity policies of the
Department of Biology:
http://www.bio.psu.edu/Degrees/UgradAO/Handbook/policy.stm.
Each student in this course is expected to work entirely on her/his own while
taking any exam, to complete assignments on her/his own effort without the
assistance of others unless directed otherwise by the instructor, and to abide by
University and Department of Biology policies about academic integrity and
academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty can result in assignment of F by the
course instructors or "XF" by Judicial Affairs as the final grade for the student.
~~~The End~~~
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