Brandeis Summer School

Instructor: Kene Piasta

Prerequisites: One year organic chemistry with laboratory, BIOL 14a, and BIOL 15b. Does not meet the requirements for the majors in Biochemistry or Chemistry, and does not serve as a prerequisite for most upper level BCHM, CHEM and CBIO classes.

Course Description: Topics include protein and nucleic acid structure; metabolism of biologically important compounds; formation and utilization of "energy-rich" compounds; introduction to enzyme mechanism; comparison of basic biochemical and chemical processes; and biochemical basis of disease.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: SN

Instructor: Kene Piasta

Prerequisites: None

Course Description: Introduces contemporary biology with an emphasis on cells, organs, and organ systems. Topics include the forms and functions of macromolecules, organelles, and cells, the integration of cells into tissues, and the physiology of fundamental life processes. The course is intended to prepare students to understand the biology of everyday life, and to provide a strong foundation for those who continue to study the life sciences.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: SN

Instructor: To Be Announced

Prerequisites: None

Course Description: This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15a in previous years. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18a.

Covers a wide array of topics, embracing aspects of descriptive, as well as quantitative, chemistry. No prior study of chemistry is assumed, as the course begins by looking at the atomic foundation of matter, the elements, and the organization of the periodic table, working its way up to studying how atoms are bonded together to form larger units of matter. Students who complete this course will have an understanding of the three major phases of matter--solids, liquids, and gases--and how they behave, as well as a knowledge of the major types of chemical reactions and how to represent them. A strong focus is put on learning methods of creative problem-solving, using the material as a way to develop creative approaches to solving unfamiliar problems'a skill that carries students far beyond the confines of the classroom.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: QR, SN

Instructor: To Be Announced

Prerequisites: None

Corequisite: CHEM 11a. Dropping CHEM 11a necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course.

Course Description: Two semester-hour credits; yields half-course credit. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19a in previous years. Introduction to basic laboratory methods and methods of qualitative and quantitative analyses. Included in the analytical methods are gas chromatography and infrared measurements. A synthesis project that includes analyzing the product by titration. Calorimetric experiment using probes interfaced with computers. Identification of unknowns based on physical and chemical properties. Analysis of the metal content of substances by atomic absorption.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DL

Instructor: Stephanie Murray

Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 11b or 15b or the equivalent.

Course Description: Structure, reactions, preparations, and uses of the compounds of carbon.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: SN

Instructor: Stephanie Murray

Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 25a and CHEM 29a or the equivalent.

Corequisite: CHEM 25b. Dropping CHEM 25b necessitates written permission from lab instructor to continue with this course.

Course Description: May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. Gives experience in the important techniques of organic chemical laboratory practice of isolation and purification of organic compounds by crystallization, distillation, and chromatography, and their characterization using analytical and instrumental methods.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DL

Instructor: Michael Vela

Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 11a or an approved equivalent. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15b in previous years. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18b.

Course Description: This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 15b in previous years. The corresponding lab is CHEM 18b.

Chemistry 11b picks up where Chemistry 11a left off, advancing students’ understanding of bonding models and molecular structure. Three major quantitative topics are covered in the second half of General Chemistry—chemical equilibrium (including acid-base chemistry, solubility), chemical kinetics, and thermodynamics. Electrochemistry and oxidation-reduction reactions are also covered in 11b. When taken in conjunction with Chemistry 11a and the associated lab courses (Chemistry 18a and 18b), this course meets the general, analytic, and inorganic requirements of medical, dental, and veterinary schools.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: QR, SN

Instructor: Michael Vela

Prerequisites: A satisfactory grade (C- or better) in CHEM 18a and CHEM 11a or approved equivalents.

Corequisite: CHEM 11b must have been completed or be taken along with this course. Dropping CHEM 11b necessitates written permission from the lab instructor to continue with this course. 

Laboratory fee: $100 per semester. This course may not be taken for credit by students who have passed CHEM 19b in previous years.

Course Description: May yield half-course credit toward rate of work and graduation. Two semester-hour credits. Chemistry 18b is the companion course to Chemistry 11b. It is designed so that the experiments follow the lecture topics giving students a hands-on way to help them understand the material they are learning. In addition to reinforcing and practicing all techniques learned in Chemistry 18a, this course will introduce titrations as well as some basic synthetic techniques.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DL

Instructor: Melissa Kosinski-Collins

Prerequisites: BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b.

Course Description: BIOL 26a is designed for students who have taken BIOL 14a and BIOL 15b and are interested in learning the fundamentals of plant biology. The course is intended for students who are familiar with central dogma, structure-function relationship and genetic inheritance, but have not yet applied those concepts in plant systems. We will adopt a molecular and chemical approach as we explore various concepts in plant biology including plant metabolism, structure-function, development, genetics, pathology and taxonomy.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: SN, WI

Instructor: Melissa Kosinski-Collins

Prerequisites: Does not meet the requirements for the major in Biology.

Course Description: Does not meet the requirements for the major in Biology.

This 10-week online course is designed for students who are interested in learning the basic biology of women’s health. Diseases such as HPV, breast cancer, and Zika are global health concerns. Have you ever wondered why certain diseases seem to impact females more often than males? How are they diagnosed and when? Vaccinations, screenings and treatments exist for some of these diseases, but are they effective? What are the normal physiological processes that happen in the human body and how are these affected by pregnancy? What are ethical concerns related to these diseases and treatments? In this ten-week course, we will explore the molecular, genetic, medical and clinical basis of several diseases impacting women’s health. We will conduct laboratories looking at viral structure and assembly, model clinical procedures for diagnosis, and begin to develop an understanding of how governmental policy is designed surrounding these concerns.

Brandeis Graduation Requirement Fulfilled: DEIS-US, SN