Science courses
Drug Development and Bioassay (I & II)
BIOL 1107/1108 - Dr. Marc Cox
This two-semester RDC is designed to provide a broad understanding of the basic drug development process including understanding the molecular mechanisms of disease, drug target identification, high throughput drug screening and hit-to-lead optimization with a focus on prostate cancer therapeutics. Students are expected to develop a yeast-based assay for use in screening compound libraries and use this assay to help identify novel treatment strategies for treating late-stage prostate cancer.
Brain Connectomics
BIOL 1107/1108 - Dr. Arshad Khan
Disease and the Environment: Health Disparities in the Border Region
Antagonizing G-protein Coupled Receptors (I & II)
BIOL 1107/1108 - Dr. Charlotte Vines
This two-semester RDC focuses on controlling C-C chemokine receptor 7—the protein responsible for immunity and tolerance—by developing a protein antagonist. Students will learn how to maintain sterile fluid in a tissue culture lab; how to maintain sterile cultures in a prokaryotic setting; and how to analyze DNA by restriction mapping. This course lays the foundation for further DNA analysis, protein expression and cell biology experiments.
Reversing neurodegenerative diseases using Carbon Quantum Dots
CHEM 1105/1106 - Dr. Mahesh Narayan
In “Reversing neurodegenerative diseases using Carbon Quantum dots”, students will learn laboratory theory and practice concerning synthesis of different Carbon Quantum dots (drug) and test their potential as an antioxidant, prophylactic drug, and therapeutic drug to reverse neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD).
Supramolecular Materials (I & II)
CHEM 1105/1106 - Dr. Dino Villagran
This two-semester RDC introduces students to physical inorganic chemistry, specifically multi-electron redox chemistry, in an attempt to discover alternative energy sources to replace current hydrocarbon fuels. Students will receive rigorous scientific method training while learning the basics of energy conversion through synthetic, electrochemical and spectroscopy techniques.