Volker Rudolf

Independent research in Rice BioSciences faculty laboratories (sections 2 and above) or other Texas Medical Center laboratories (section 1). Students must have secured a research position prior to applying for BIOS 310. Students spend at least 42 hours in the laboratory for each semester hour of credit (>9h/week for 3 credits). A minimum of 3 credit hours is needed to count toward the BS in Biosciences or to replace one required 300+ level elective lab course for the BA in Biosciences (cannot replace major concentration core labs). Requires a proposal abstract, weekly reports, and a research paper (fall/spring/summer) or a poster presentation (spring/summer for advanced students). Students wishing to perform their research in an off-campus lab must apply online (biosugresearch.rice.edu) at least 3 weeks prior to the start of classes and may not register for fewer than 3 credit hours. Students taking BIOS 310 in the full summer semester must be available to do full-time research for a minimum of 6 weeks or part-time equivalent which should equal to a total of 126 hours working in the lab. It is recommended that summer students spread their hours over 8-10 weeks. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Students are strongly advised to secure research advisors and register for the class well in advance of the start of classes. Recommended Prerequisite(s): Students are strongly advised to secure research advisors and register for the class well in advance of the start of classes. Repeatable for Credit.

The Biosciences Honors Research Program offers our seniors and advanced juniors the opportunity to perform a two-semester, individual research project in a research laboratory in Biosciences or an approved off-campus site and offers opportunities for students to develop their written and oral scientific communication skills. Students registering for BIOS 401 are expected to take BIOS 402 the following semester. Each semester, students are expected to average 15 hours per week in research (laboratory) and communication skills activities (scheduled through the companion seminar co-requisite). In BIOS 401, students will prepare regular progress reports, attend lab meetings, and write an end-of-semester short paper (at least 5 pages) on their work. Must register for co-requisite BIOS 411.

In this course, students will explore the basic ecological and evolutionary principles that determine the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases. Using a mix of lectures, thought provoking discussion of contemporary research, and hand on lab exercises, the student will gain an intuitive understanding of what factors determine the population dynamics of pathogens and their hosts and how we can predict and control them. We will start by learning how we can quantify and model disease transmission, and then dive into the many factors that influence how diseases spread within and across species to cause epidemics, and explore what factors drive evolution of disease virulence and host defenses. We will end by exploring different control efforts to limit the spread of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and discuss how these efforts depend on the intricate connections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment (One Health).

Discussion of individual research or current topics in particular areas. Intended for students conducting research projects with the instructor as advisor. Repeatable for Credit.

Survey of topics in ecology and evolution taught by all EEB faculty.

Ecology & Evolutionary Biology graduate research. Repeatable for Credit.