9350778 Prusch The Biology Department at Gonzaga University is attempting to both increase and strengthen the laboratory component of a newly-revised and expanded Cell Biology course and to increase research opportunities for undergraduate majors. The former upper division one semester Cell and Molecular Biology course has been expanded to two semesters and is now directed at sophomore level biology majors. The laboratory component of this expanded Cell Biology course will introduce students to a variety of techniques used in cell biology as well as reinforce concepts introduced in the lecture portion of the course. One of the most basic as well as important techniques used routinely in cell biology is fluorescence microscopy. Fluorescence microscopy can be used to follow a wide variety of events in living cells in real time, as well as the distribution of specific substances in fixed cells. For example, students will be able to study endocytosis in living cells from the initial interaction of a signal with receptors on the cell surface to endosome or phagosome formation. Cytoskeletal rearrangements in response to environmental stimuli and localized biochemical events in living cells will be studied. Acquisition of fluorescence microscopes will give biology students new experiences in their laboratories and greatly broaden the opportunities for the use of modern technology in their own research projects. ***
