Fall 2009

Course objective:

To convey an understanding of the function and the organization of molecules and organelles inside and outside the cell and how these are used to construct a muticellular tissue and organ. 
The course concentrates on major principles of cell biology that are derived from experimentation and on powerful new tools that have informed us of these concepts at more detailed levels of resolution.  We will specifically concentrate on questions related to how cells function,
including how they grow, divide and die, and how they move, secrete and communicate.

Course Director: Diane Barber
Teaching Assistants: Amy Heidersbach and Lyndsay Murrow

Course Duration: September 24 - December 11, 2009
Days: Monday and Thursdays
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Locations: N-217, Parnassus
First Day of Class: Thursday, September 24

The BMS 260 website has moved to the UCSF Library CLE system! You will be able to access the new site soon.

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We recommend that you set up your account right away

Week

Date

Lecturer

Topic

Description

1

Thurs
9/24

Evan

Cell growth

Cell cycle, cell proliferation, control of cell and tissue size, proliferation /differentiation/apoptosis

2

Mon
9/28

Evan

Cell growth

Apoptosis

 

Thurs
10/1

Evan

Cell growth

Cancer as a disease of defective cell proliferation, differentiation and death

3

Mon
10/5

Discussion
leaders

Proposals

Proposal overview. Choosing a proposal topic and
faculty mentor. Organization and guidelines

 

Thurs
10/8

Roose

Signaling

General concepts; receptor tyrosine kinases, G-protein coupled receptors

4

Mon
10/12

No Lecture

BMS Retreat

 

Thurs
10/15

Roose

Signaling

Specific examples; signaling networks, crosstalk, mathematical models

5

Mon
10/19

Weaver

Signaling

Signaling in context
PROPOSAL TOPIC/MENTOR DUE 10/19

 

Thurs
10/22

No lecture

MIDTERM EXAM OUT

6

Mon
10/26

Mostov

Membranes, Trafficking

Membrane biogenesis and translocation.  Introduction to vesicular traffic
MIDTERM EXAM IN

 

Thurs
10/29

Mostov

Membranes, Trafficking

Membrane biogenesis and translocation.  Introduction to vesicular traffic

7

Mon
11/2

Mostov

Membranes, Trafficking

Vesicular traffic.  Polarity and cell organization
PROPOSAL SPECIFIC AIMS DUE 11/2

 

Thurs
11/5

Barber

Cytoskeleton

How to build distinct actin filament architectures,
actin filament assembly in cell migration 

8

Mon
11/9

Barber

Cytoskeleton

Regulation of actin dynamics

 

Thurs
11/12

Barber

Cytoskeleton

Microtubule organization and dynamics, motor proteins and organelle movement

9

Mon
11/16

Boudreau

Communication and Assembly

Cell-ECM interactions: components, receptors, signaling

 

Thurs
11/19

Boudreau

Communication and Assembly

Dynamic and Reciprocal Cell/ECM interactions and cellular behavior

10

Mon
11/23

Boudreau
Weaver

Communication and Assembly

Dysregulated Cell/ECM interactions in disease
PROPOSAL DUE 11/23

 

Thurs
11/26

No lecture

THANKSGIVING VACATION

11

Mon
11/30

No lecture

proposal presentations this week

 

Thurs
12/3

No lecture

FINAL EXAM OUT

 

Mon
12/7

No lecture

FINAL EXAM IN
proposal presentations this week

The course also includes a weekly 2 hour discussion section.
Students will sign up for a section on the first day of class.

There is no required text for this course, but a good reference is:

Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th Ed ( text is available free online at Pubmed and is sold at the UCSF bookstore).

Additionally faculty will be posting highly recommended reviews soon.