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Note: This is the 2010–2011 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
Note: This is the 2010–2011 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
Students taking this specialization have a wide variety of life sciences course offerings to choose from to allow them to target their program to their own interests in the field. Course choices are balanced between "fundamentals" and "applications". Depending upon the courses chosen, the resulting program may be relatively specialized or very broad, spanning several disciplines. Such a broad background in life sciences will open up employment opportunities in a variety of diverse bioscience industries; students with an appropriate CGPA may proceed to a wide variety of post-graduate programs or professional schools.
Academic Adviser: Professor Brian Driscoll
Macdonald-Stewart Building 3-035
Telephone: 514-398-7887
24 credits of complementary courses are selected from the categories listed below:
12 credits - Fundamentals
12 credits - Applications
12 credits selected from:
Animal Science : An introduction to the pathogenesis and control of diseases in farm animals. Immune response and other protective mechanisms. Implications of animal diseases and drug therapy for product safety and public health.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Bordignon, Vilceu (Winter)
Animal Science : A study of the organization, functions and regulation of various organ systems in mammals. The nervous, endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, digestive and reproductive systems are discussed.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Laurin, Denyse; Kimmins, Sarah (Fall)
Animal Science : Focus on the hormonal, cellular and molecular aspects of reproduction and development (gametogenesis, folliculogenesis, fertilization, embryonic and foetal development, parturition, lactation period, periods before and after puberty). Emphasis on underlying cellular mechanisms and their regulation by hormones and the environment.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Kimmins, Sarah; Duggavathi, Raj (Winter)
Animal Science : A discussion of the nutrients; water, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, minerals and vitamins, with particular emphasis on their functions in and essentially for the animal organism.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Mustafa, Arif (Fall)
Animal Science : The basic principles of molecular biology and the underlying molecular basis for various methodologies in molecular biology are covered. The molecular genetic basis for viral infections and tumorigenesis will be covered as examples of the use of molecular genetic approaches to address biological problems.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Zadworny, David (Winter)
Animal Science : Critical discussion of nutrient utilization by farm animals, an assessment of nutritive value of feeds. Recent developments in nutritional manipulation are discussed.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Phillip, Leroy E (Winter)
Entomology : Insect structure and function, development and specialization; ecology and behavior; diversity, evolution and classification of insect orders and common families; pest management.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Boucher, Stephanie (Fall)
Entomology : Ecology, evolution and systematics of insects and their relatives. Classification and phylogeny of selected insect families; use of diagnostic characters and taxonomic keys. Ecological interactions at an individual, population and community level with emphasis on diversity patterns in space and time.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Environmental Biology : Interactions between organisms and their environment; historical and current perspectives in applied and theoretical population and community ecology. Principles of population dynamics, feedback loops, and population regulation. Development and structure of communities; competition, predation and food web dynamics. Biodiversity science in theory and practice.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Buddle, Christopher (Winter)
Environmental Biology : Phylogeny reconstruction; principles of systematics; predictive power of phylogenetic trees; theory and principles of biogeography; historical biogeography of plants and animals; role of abiotic and biotic factors in shaping distributions.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Wheeler, Terry A; Waterway, Marcia J (Fall)
Environmental Biology : Nature and history of limnology; divisions of inland waters; properties of fresh water; habitats; zones; nutrient cycles; biota; adaptations; seasonal variation; distributions; pollution; succession and evolution of fresh water environments. Includes field excursions.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : The ecology of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and archaea, and their roles in biogeochemical cycles will be discussed. Microbial interactions with the environment, plants, animals and other microbes emphasizing the underlying genetics and physiology. Diversity, evolution (microbial phylogenetics) and the application of molecular biology in microbial ecology.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Driscoll, Brian T (Winter)
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : Basic bacterial genetics, DNA damage and repair, mutagenesis, gene cloning, mapping and regulation, molecular biology. Laboratory sessions will provide the student with practical experience in the genetic manipulation of microbes and in molecular biology techniques.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Driscoll, Brian T (Fall)
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : Focus on microbes in the environment. Topics include extreme environments, polar microbiology, biotechnology and bioremediation. Emphasis will be on population studies based upon molecular biological methods.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Whyte, Lyle (Winter)
Nutrition and Dietetics : Emphasis on applied quantitative aspects of human nutrition. Nutrient utilization, evaluation and requirements, as related to dietary standards.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Kubow, Stan (Winter)
Parasitology : An in-depth analysis of the principles of cellular and molecular immunology. The emphasis of the course is on host defence against infection and on diseases caused by abnormal immune responses.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Dzierszinski, Florence (Fall)
Plant Science : This course describes the various groups of fungi and explores in depth their biology and physiology, their ecological niches and the role in various ecosystems and their benefits and uses in industry and biotechnology.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Ajjamada, Kushalappa (Winter)
Plant Science : The general anatomy and physiology of vascular plants with emphasis on the cells, tissues, organs, chemical components of plants and the physiological processes associated with their function.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Bede, Jacqueline (Fall)
Plant Science : Principles of classification and identification of flowering plants and ferns, with emphasis on 35 major families of flowering plants and the habitats in which they grow.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Waterway, Marcia J (Fall)
Plant Science : An overview of the cellular mechanisms used by prokaryotes and eukaryotes to regulate biosynthetic pathways. Topics covered range from control of gene transcription to the regulation of enzyme activity to the role of signal transduction pathways in the control of metabolic flux through cellular pathways.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Bede, Jacqueline (Winter)
Plant Science : Investigates of the complex interactions between plants and their environment, focusing on the mechanisms underlying plant physiological processes. Plasticity of plants to their ecological environment; topics include phytoremediation, plant stress responses, plant-symbiosis and plant-insect interactions.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Bede, Jacqueline (Winter)
Plant Science : Theory and practice of plant ecology with an emphasis on the interaction between patterns and ecological processes and the dynamics, conservation and management of plant populations and communities over a range of temporal and spatial scales.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Fall)
Resource Development : Principles and trends in global ecology as they pertain to agricultural and natural ecosystems and the impact of environmental change on food production.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Lewis, David James (Winter)
Resource Development : Systematics, morphology, biology and ecology of parasitic protozoa, flatworms, roundworms and arthropods with emphasis on economically and medically important species.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Rohrbach, Petra (Winter)
12 credits selected from:
Biology (Agric & Envir Sc) : A research project on a topic relevant to the fields of Environmental Biology or Life Sciences. This course is intended for senior undergraduates.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Driscoll, Brian T; Whyte, Lyle (Fall) Driscoll, Brian T; Whyte, Lyle (Winter)
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Advanced concepts in theoretical and applied quantitative ecology. Topics include: community matrices, modeling populations and community dynamics, use of null models in ecology, biodiversity assessment and measurement, ordination and multivariate statistics, use of information criterion and bayesian statistics.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Solomon, Christopher (Winter)
Animal Science : Applications of animal biotechnology in agriculture, biomedicine and environmental preservation, including culture, manipulation and transformation of somatic cells, isolation of stem cells, reproductive biotechnologies, animal cloning by nuclear transplantation, production of transgenic animals, and cell and gene therapies.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Bordignon, Vilceu (Fall)
Animal Science : A detailed study of the endocrine system and its role in the maintenance of homeostasis in higher vertebrates, including the endocrine regulation of energy balance.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Zadworny, David (Winter)
Animal Science : New concepts and applications of animal biotechnology in agriculture, biomedicine, environmental preservation.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Bordignon, Vilceu (Fall)
Animal Science : An interdisciplinary approach to the study of mammary development, the onset of lactation and its cessation, comparing the differences in mammalian species in mammary development from embryological, pre- and post-pubertal and pre- and post-partum aspects. Lactation at the cellular and biochemical levels.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Mustafa, Arif (Winter)
Animal Science : Introduction to concepts of an Information System and subsequent application to various scenarios in agriculture. Industry analysis in terms of users, goals, available data/information, communication, delivery structure, decision making, feedback, exploitation of technology and possible improvements using the Internet. Individual case studies and familiarisation with cutting-edge computer applications.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Wade, Kevin (Winter)
Bioinformatics : Introduces analysis of DNA, RNA and protein sequences using computer software. Emphasis on implementation of molecular evolution theory for algorithms to make predictions of sequence function and infer the evolutionary history of sequences. Assessing analysis reliability and methods to improve efficiency of computer algorithms and their implications are discussed.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Beech, Robin N (Winter)
Bioinformatics : Bioinformatics methods and reasoning in relation to genomics, proteomics and metabolomics strategies with an emphasis on functional genomics data. The course will cover introduction to UNIX, Perl programming, data processing and integration, file parsing, relational database design and implementation, angled towards solutions relevant for genomics.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Biotechnology : Practical laboratory-based research experience. Techniques in cellular and molecular biology, designing experiments and developing skills in interpretation and communication of experimental results.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Charron, Jean-Benoit (Fall)
Biotechnology : An overview of strategies used to understand the function of genes, especially those identified through genome sequencing and bioinformatics. Use of model organisms that have proved particularly valuable for this purpose.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Geary, Timothy (Fall)
Biotechnology : Fundamentals of protein structure and the application of tools for structure determination, how protein structure allows us to understand the complex biological functions, and how knowledge of protein structure can contribute to drug discovery.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Salavati, Reza (Winter)
Entomology : Modern concepts of integrated control techniques and principles of insect pest management, with emphasis on biological control (use of predators, parasites and pathogens against pest insects), population monitoring, and manipulation of environmental, behavioral and physiological factors in the pest's way of life. Physical, cultural, and genetic controls and an introduction to the use of non-toxic biochemical controls (attractants, repellents, pheromones, antimetabolites).
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Dunphy, Gary Brian; Boivin, Guy (Winter)
Entomology : Diversity, biology, ecology and recognition of the main groups of aquatic insects.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Lewis, David James (Fall)
Entomology : Environmental aspects of veterinary and medical entomology. An advanced course dealing with the biology and ecology of insects and acarines as aetiological agents and vectors of disease, and their control. Integrated approaches to problem solving.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Environmental Biology : The physical processes underlying weather. Topics include: the atmosphere - its properties (structure and motion), and thermodynamics (stability, heat and moisture); clouds and precipitation; air masses and fronts; mid-latitude weather systems and severe weather.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Strachan, Ian Brett (Fall)
Food Science : Topics in Food Microbiology including an overview of the natural flora and microbiological spoilage of food products, methods of control and shelf-life extension, methods of detection and control food-borne pathogens and the use of suitable microorganisms in the production of a variety of food products.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Chenier, Martin (Fall)
Microbiology (Agric&Envir Sc) : A study of the means by which bacteria cause disease in animals and humans. Includes response of host to invading bacteria, bacterial attachment and penetration processes, and modes of actions of exotoxins and endotoxins.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Natural Resource Sciences : Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques to the presentation and analysis of ecological information, including sources and capture of spatial data; characterizing, transforming, displaying spatial data; and spatial analysis to solve resource management problems.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Nutrition and Dietetics : Basic principles of toxicology, health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides and radionuclides and ingestion of food toxicants such as food additives and preservatives; natural toxins in plants and marine foods, human health, ecosystem health, safety evaluation, risk assessment, and current Canadian regulations.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Nutrition and Dietetics : An overview of the use of herbal medicines and food phytochemicals and the benefits and risks of their consumption. The physiological basis for activity and the assessment of toxicity will be presented. Current practices relating to the regulation, commercialization and promotion of herbs and phytochemicals will be considered.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Johns, Timothy A (Fall)
Parasitology : Infectious pathogens of humans and animals and their impact on the global environment are considered. The central tenet is that infectious pathogens are environmental risk factors. The course considers their impact on the human condition and juxtaposes the impact of control and treatment measures and environmental change.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Scott, Marilyn (Winter)
Parasitology : The origin and types of water contaminants including live organisms, infectious agents and chemicals of agricultural and industrial origins. Conventional and new technological developments to eliminate water pollutants. Comparisons of water, health and sanitation between industrialized and developing countries.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Geary, Timothy (Winter)
Plant Science : The theory and concepts of plant pathology, including the disease cycle, infection, symptoms, resistance, epidemiology and control. The biology and taxonomy of pathogens will be studied, including fungi, bacteria, viruses and nematodes. Techniques of inoculation, isolation of pathogens from diseased plants, disease diagnosis and pathogen identification will be demonstrated.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Ajjamada, Kushalappa (Fall)
Plant Science : Principles and practical aspects of plant propagation are examined. The course consists of two parts. The first third deals with sexual propagation; the production, processing storage certification and analysis of seeds. The remaining two-thirds deals with vegetative propagation; cutting, budding, grafting, layering, and tissue culture.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Donnelly, Danielle J (Winter)
Plant Science : Biochemistry and ecophysiology of the active ingredients in medicinal plants. Links between cultivation practices and plant compounds. The effect of propagation and environmental factors on active compounds are examined using greenhouse experiments, followed by quantification of active ingredients by analytical techniques and analysis of bioactivity.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Plant Science : A study of the biology of undesirable vegetation as related to the principles of prevention and physical, biological, managerial and chemical control. Emphasis on the environmental impact of the different methods of weed control.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Watson, Alan K (Winter)
Plant Science : Principles and practices of plant breeding, including reproduction of crop plants; plant hybridization; sources of genetic variation; selection methods used for self- and cross-pollinated crops and for clonally reproduced crops; breeding for diseases and pest resistance; applications of biotechnology in plant breeding.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Singh, Jaswinder (Winter)
Soil Science : The physical and chemical environment of soil organisms; survey of soil microflora and fauna; processes and optimal agronomic systems of management consistent with the goals of ecological agriculture.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.