Associate Professor Harry A. Bernheim, Chair; Organismal physiology,
immunology
Professor Frances Sze-Ling Chew, Ecology, plant-insect interactions
Professor David E. Cochrane, Cell physiology, inflammation
Professor Susan G. Ernst, Developmental biology
Professor Sergei Mirkin, Molecular genetics
Professor Jan A. Pechenik, Invertebrate zoology, marine invertebrate
reproduction
Professor Eli C. Siegel, Microbial genetics
Professor Barry A. Trimmer, Henry Bromfield Pearson
Professor of Natural Science; Neurotransmitters and receptors in
insects, intracellular signals
Associate Professor George S. Ellmore, Draupner Ring Scholar; Plant development,
experimental plant morphology, anatomy
Associate Professor Ross S. Feldberg, Biochemistry, DNA metabolism
Associate Professor Juliet Fuhrman, Immunology and parasitic diseases
Associate Professor Sara M. Lewis, Evolutionary and behavioral ecology
Associate Professor Colin M. Orians, Ecology, plant-herbivore-environment
interactions
Associate Professor J. Michael Reed, Conservation biology, ornithology, behavior
Associate Professor L. Michael Romero, Physiological endocrinology, physiology
of stress
Assistant Professor Astier Almedom, Henry R. Luce Professor of Science and
Humanitarianism
Assistant Professor Catherine Freudenreich, Cell biology
Assistant Professor Kelly A. McLaughlin, Cell biology, cell signaling
of organogenesis
Assistant Professor Mitch McVey,
Molecular biology, genomic instability
Assistant Professor Philip T. B. Starks, Evolutionary dynamics of
parasite and host populations
Lecturer Michelle Gaudette, Molecular biology, gene regulation of development
Lecturer Margaret A. Lynch, Cell biology, molecular biology of plant and animal
cells
Adjunct Professor David L. Kaplan, Biotechnology,
biomaterials
Adjunct Associate Professor Mark Pokras, Department of Environmental &
Population Health, Wildlife Medicine, Grafton campus
Biology is the scientific study of living organisms. Derived from the search for organized understanding of plants and animals in their natural environments, contemporary biology is increasingly successful in characterizing the basic molecular processes that are essential to all forms of life. Modern experimental studies on the origin, evolution, and physiological mechanisms of life are of profound philosophical importance and provide the underlying foundation for research in biology and for the teaching of biology. They also provide the basic knowledge used in applied fields such as medicine, biotechnology, and environmental biology.
Biology students should aspire to understand the central principles governing life processes at both molecular and higher levels. An increased comprehension of the problem-solving methods of science, as used within the laboratory and in the analysis of contemporary environmental and biosocial problems, should be a concomitant goal. Biology majors, especially those preparing for graduate work, are expected to learn how to critically evaluate original research literature. This can be done by enrolling in seminar courses which are designed to investigate topics by utilizing the primary literature. Small class sizes in seminars allow students to present papers and participate in class discussions.
Laboratories are available for study and research in selected areas of biochemistry,
neurobiology, immunology, endocrinology, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics,
physiology, plant sciences, behavior, and ecology. Controlled-environment rooms, marine
and freshwater aquaria, and a greenhouse are among the diversified resources for the
experimental work. Fieldwork experience at marine laboratories or other biological
stations is encouraged.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements
Major in Biology
Ten courses, including eight courses in biology numbered 13 or higher (with the exception
of Biology 16, 91, 92, 93, 94, and 99), at least six of which must be
completed with a grade of C- or better, and either two courses in chemistry or two courses
in physics. The eight biology courses must normally include Biology 13, 14, and 41 (core
courses) and at least one course each in the biology of cells (Group A), biology of
organisms (Group B), and biology of populations (Group C). At least four of the eight
biology courses must be taken at Tufts. (Students are also encouraged to take at least one
of the Writing Workshop courses offered in the department.) It is recommended
that students take at least one seminar course.
At least three courses in biology must include laboratory study. In fulfilling this laboratory requirement, students may choose from among those biology courses for which laboratory is specified in the course description, with the following exceptions: Biology 93, 94, and 187.
Biology 193 or 194 may normally be used as only one of the eight biology courses for completion of the concentration requirements; on approval of a petition to the department, a maximum of two such courses may be applied toward the major. In no case may more than one of these courses be used to fulfill the laboratory requirement.
The foregoing is a minimal program. For many purposes, additional preparation in related sciences and calculus is needed. A course in calculus and laboratory courses in both organic chemistry and physics are strongly advised. A course in statistics should be included when advanced work in ecology, evolution, or genetics is anticipated. Medical schools require a year of general chemistry and a year of organic chemistry--both with laboratory, a year of physics with laboratory, and a year of biology with laboratory. Calculus is recommended. Students planning to enter graduate school or seeking employment in biological research should take more than the minimal number of laboratory courses required for the biology major.
To be eligible for a summa cum laude degree, a student must have done biology research equivalent to Biology 93. Comparable research in related fields will also be considered. Participation in the Thesis Honors Program will entail writing and defending a thesis based on laboratory or field research.
Major in Biochemistry
Chemistry 1, 11, or 16; and Chemistry 2 or 12; Chemistry 51/53, 52/54, 31,
42, and 171/172; Biology 13, 41, 105, and 50 or 163. Mathematics 12 and Physics
2 or 12 are required as prerequisite to Chemistry 31. The following sequence of
courses is suggested for students concentrating in biochemistry: first year,
Chemistry 1 (or 11) and 2 (or 12), Biology 13; second year, Chemistry 5l/53,
52/54; third year, Chemistry 31 and 42, Biology 41, 105; fourth year, Chemistry
171/172, Biology 50 (or Chemical Engineering 163).
Major in Biopsychology
An interdepartmental major for students particularly interested in neurobiology and
behavior. Required courses: five in biology and five in psychology. These include the
following: Cells and Organisms (Biology 13), General Genetics (Biology 41), Animal
Behavior (Biology 130), one course in animal physiology (chosen from among Biology 75,
110, 115, 116, 134), and an elective in biology; Statistics (Psychology 31 or Biology 132),
Experimental Psychology (Psychology 32), Brain and Behavior (Psychology 103), plus two
electives from among Psychology 26, 27, 29, 40, 41, 46, 48, 49, 104, 112, 123, 127, 128,
129, and 146. Biopsychology majors may not double major in psychology or biology. Majors are
encouraged to elect an advanced laboratory course in either department. Consult the
departments of either biology or psychology for details about this program.
Graduate Program
Before beginning advanced study in a specialty, all graduate students in biology are
expected to have the broad course work and laboratory experience that is equivalent to the
requirements for an undergraduate major in this department. The student's entrance
committee will determine what courses, if any, should be taken in the first year to
fulfill these requirements. Graduate instruction and research opportunities are offered in
six areas: 1) ecology, behavior, and evolution; 2) genetics and molecular
biology; 3) developmental biology; 4) neurobiology and animal behavior; 5) cell
physiology; and 6) conservation and the environment. More information
is available at http://ase.tufts.edu/biology.
Master of Science
A candidate for the master's degree in biology must complete at least eight
different graduate-level courses, of which at least four must be in the Department of
Biology. All courses must be approved by the committee appointed to guide the student's
work. Courses taken at recognized marine laboratories or field stations may be offered for
credit.
A research master of science student must take six courses for letter grades. No more than one of these six may be guided individual study (Biology 293 or 294). Also required for the research master of science are two research courses (Biology 295, 296) and preparation and successful defense of an original thesis. A student in a research master's program is normally expected to serve as a teaching assistant for at least one semester.
A course-work master of science student must take eight courses for letter grades. No more than one of the eight courses required for the degree may be guided individual study and no more than one may be a research course.
Students in the combined B.S.-M.S. degree program are normally required to prepare an original thesis.
The Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning offers, in cooperation with the
Department of Biology, a two-year interdisciplinary master's degree focusing on
environmental studies. For more information, see Urban and Environmental Policy
and Planning.
Doctor of Philosophy
A candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree is expected to plan and
undertake a program of advanced study and research in consultation with a faculty
committee. The candidate is required to serve as a teaching assistant for at least two
semesters.
During the first year, students are expected to complete at least two research rotations. Following completion, students must choose and be accepted into the laboratory of a faculty member under whose direction they will carry out their research and prepare their dissertations.
Entry into the Ph.D. degree program is not official until the candidate passes a
qualifying procedure. The procedure includes a written examination in the candidate's
field of special interest and related areas, and the preparation and defense of a detailed
written thesis research proposal.
The Department of Biology and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering offer
a joint graduate degree program in biology/biotechnology. This program explores biological
principles and problems with a chemical engineering perspective. For details, please
contact the biology department or the chemical and biological engineering department.
Course Selection for Undergraduates
For students with an interest in biology or the health sciences and a strong high-school
science background, Biology 13 is the most appropriate beginning course, and may be taken
concurrently with Chemistry 1 or 3. Biology 13 and 14 are normally prerequisites for more
advanced work in biology.
Students who do not have a strong high-school science background and who are seeking a general introduction to biology are advised to start with Biology 3. A student who earns a grade of B- or better in Biology 3 may use this course instead of Biology 13 as a prerequisite for more advanced courses. Credit cannot be received for both Biology 3 and Biology 13.
Students interested in biology but not planning to major in the sciences might take
Biology 2, 3, 7, 8, or 10. None of these may be counted among the eight courses in
biology used to satisfy the concentration requirements. Credits in many regular lecture or
laboratory courses will count toward fulfillment of one A, B, or C course group
(outlined in the
departmental requirements for the major). The particular group in which a
course is categorized for this purpose is indicated at the end of the course description.
Absence of such designation indicates that the course cannot be used to fulfill any group
of the distribution requirements, although the credits are applicable toward the total
required for a major.
For more detailed information, please visit the website http://ase.tufts.edu/biology.
To view Course Descriptions, please go to: http://webcenter.studentservices.tufts.edu/courses/main.asp.