Have you ever thought the best way to learn about science is to do it? Would you like to isolate a virus? In this pride, students will learn about the nature of science by taking part in a research project conducted entirely by first-year students. In this Course-Based Research Experience (CURE), you will isolate a virus, called a phage, that infects bacteria. After naming and purifying your virus, you will extract the genomic DNA and take an image with an electron microscope. While you are learning about science, you will also be completing First-Year Seminar requirements for PSU 016. BMB 205S counts as a student’s first-year seminar requirement. 

History of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (SC 125N) charts the history of disease both as a subject of scientific inquiry and a cultural and religious phenomenon. We will begin with early Greek and Egyptian attempts to understand disease as a foreign entity attacking the body and end in the twenty-first century with current ideas surrounding the use of antibiotics, vaccines, and emerging threats throughout the world. Along the way we will discuss the impact of significant epidemics - for example, Bubonic Plague, Syphilis, and Influenza - as well as changing scientific thinking of both how to deal with disease and how to understand the natural world.

This pride is reserved for students in Eberly College of Science or the Division of Undergraduate Studies.