Biology 497

Fall 2025 Schedule

Biology 497 Course Goals

By the end of this course, students will:

1. Develop a deep understanding of the molecular processes underlying gene expression in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

2. Appreciate how transcription, RNA processing, and translation are regulated and interconnected.

3. Relate regulation of gene expression as a response to or cause of other cellular processes.

4. Gain familiarity with experimental methods for detecting and analyzing gene expression and its regulation.

5. Apply molecular principles of interpret experimental data and evaluate models of gene regulation.

6. Strengthen skills in scientific reasoning, data analysis, and communication.

Biology 497 Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Describe the mechanisms of transcription, RNA process, and translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

2. Compare and contrast the mechanisms of transcription, RNA process, and translation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

3. Explain how gene expression is regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels.

4. Distinguish between the methods of gene regulation used in prokaryotes vs. eukaryotes.

5. Communicate how gene expression is regulated by signals outside and within the cell.

6. Demonstrate how gene regulation controls specific cellular processes.

7. Critically evaluate experimental designs and interpretations in published studies of gene expression and its regulation.

8. Express scientific findings and arguments related to gene expression in both written and oral formats.

Instructor

Dr. Kelly Howe (khowe@unm.edu)

Drop-in hours: My office door will be open for you on Wednesdays from 10-11.

Appointments: In addition, I’ve set up a calendar for individually scheduled 15-minute appointments if you would prefer one-on-one help. These scheduled appointments will be on Thursdays 9-10 and Wednesdays 3-4. Please go to Book time with Kelly Howe: Student Appointments to set up a meeting with me. If you need to meet outside of these times, please send an email to me at khowe@unm.edu with several of your availabilities and I will do my best to make an appointment with you.

Occasionally, my mailbox gets overwhelmed with messages making it difficult to get back to you right away. However, if you do not hear from me within 24 hours, please send me a reminder.

Textbook

There is no required textbook for this class. I’ve downloaded and posted two free texts that are also available online. I will let you know where you can find each module’s information within those texts. In addition, I will provide review papers or primary literature that pertains to each module’s information.

Required Work

Homework – Eight homework assignments will be posted on Canvas one week before they are due. The homework assignments will cover specific concepts from class.

Monday Mindshare – Six Mondays of this semester will be group discussions of papers or results from papers. There will be questions to answer from those group discussions and those will be due on Friday of the same week.

Exams – There will be an in-class midterm exam and an in-class final exam. I will post study guides for each exam.

Grade allocation:

Exams – 40%     

Homework – 30%     

Mindshare Questions – 30%

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)CTL (https://ctl.unm.edu/undergraduate-students/index.html) is open for all students to gain study skills and access resources to meet their academic goals. Most students access CTL resources at some point in their academic careers. You may find the writing center particularly useful for the lab writing assignments.

STEM tutoring is available (schedule: https://ctl.unm.edu/undergraduate-students/index.html). Tutors are found on the third floor of Zimmerman library.

Withdrawal Policy

I understand that for a multitude of reasons and circumstances that you may decide to withdraw from the course. This course can be dropped without receiving a ‘W’ up until Friday, September 5th. After this date, students will receive a ‘W’ at the time of withdrawal. The course can be dropped without the dean’s approval until Friday, November 7th.

Students complete the withdrawal themselves on LoboWeb. Please contact the Registrar’s Office for more details.

Academic Integrity

In a difficult course, it can be very tempting to cheat. It can also be difficult to understand exactly what academic dishonesty is. I want you to be at a place in your learning where you feel confident that you can succeed on your own merits and find value in the learning experience.

While I encourage students to work together on homework, homework questions should be answered by each of you individually in your own words. I know that many answers to our questions are found on the internet or can be generated using AI. Finding information online and using AI to help you learn is completely acceptable but using pre-written answers to the questions online is not.

Exams must be completed without the use of notes, text, online resources, or colleagues.

If your answers match another student’s answer or is found online, you will receive a zero on the entire homework assignment or exam. If that happens more than once, you will be referred to UNM Academic Affairs. You deserve to give your courses your best, and I expect that you will.

School-Life Conflict

Many students face obstacles to their education due to work, family obligations, mental health issues or other personal difficulties. I have great respect for the many responsibilities that students juggle and understand when life gets in the way of school. If you are experiencing challenges that impact your ability to succeed, please reach out to me so that we can work together to form a plan for your academic success. I understand that these are often private matters and I am very willing to discuss them with you outside of normal drop-in hours. E-mail me so that we can set up a time to talk as soon as you are feeling overwhelmed.

If you feel that you are unable to speak to me, there are many useful resources on campus.

LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center (loborespect.unm.edu/) 277-2911

Women’s Resource Center (women.unm.edu) 277-3716

LGBTQ Resource Center (lgbtqrc.unm.edu) 277-5428

Student Health and Counseling (shac.unm.edu) 277-3136

Agora Crisis Center (agoracares.org) 277-3013

Lobo Food Pantry (https://loborespect.unm.edu/services/campus-lobo-food-pantry.html)

277-2911

Student Campus Jobs (https://stuemp.unm.edu/) 277-3511

Title IX Statement

Our courses and university strive to be spaces of mutual respect and support, without discrimination or harassment. If you feel discriminated or harassed in any form, please feel free to talk to us or access the resources available to you on campus ( http://loborespect.unm.edu/ ). Please note that, because UNM faculty, TAs, and GAs are considered "responsible employees" by the Department of Education (see pg 15 - http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/qa-201404-title-ix.pdf), any disclosure of gender discrimination (including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence) made to a faculty member, TA, or GA must be reported by that faculty member, TA, or GA to the university's Title IX coordinator. For more information on the campus policy regarding sexual misconduct, see: https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2740.html.

Regardless, know that I personally strive to be a safe place for students and so will try to help you as best I can without having to share your experience with our Title IX coordinator.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Many students have visible or invisible disabilities and UNM is committed to providing courses that are inclusive and accessible for all participants, allowing them to reach their full potential. In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies me of the need for an accommodation. I ask that you take the initiative to bring such needs to my attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire. It is my objective to facilitate an accessible classroom setting and I will make sure that all accommodations are met. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Resource Center at 277-3506 (arc.unm.edu) for additional information.

Citizenship Status Statement: All students are welcome in this class regardless of citizenship, residency, or immigration status. I will respect your privacy if you choose to disclose your status. UNM as an institution has made a core commitment to the success of all our students, including members of our undocumented community. The UNM Administration's welcome message is available at undocumented.unm.edu.

Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia. The original peoples of New Mexico Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide. We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples. We gratefully recognize our history.