BIOL 296 - Topics in Integrative Science:

Credits: 4
Planned Offering: Spring

BIOL 296: Excitable Cells and Drug Discovery: Prerequisite: BIOL 111 or PHYS 112 or permission of the instructor. This course integrates biology, physics and math concepts as it examines the structure and function of ion channels in excitable nerve and muscle cells, their role in the pathogenesis of ion-channel diseases (disease caused by ion-channel dysfunction), and the use of ion channels as drug targets. In particular, we examine the kinetics of sodium, potassium, and calcium channels, patch-clamp recording technique and analysis, mathematical modeling of neuronal and cardiac action potentials, ion-channel diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and drug treatments for ion-channel diseases. Students learn quantitative aspects of biology through mathematical analysis of ion-channel kinetics and action-potential modeling. Laboratory course. Blandino