Dates: April 4th, 2022 - June 8th, 2022 (Click here to apply)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th - 12th grade
Tuition: $2,000
Schedule: 

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

This course utilizes several environmental science case studies / data sets to introduce students to experimental design, descriptive statistics, biostatistics fundamentals, management of a large gene expression data set, multivariate analysis, and basics bioinformatics concepts and databases.  Data sets are derived from peer-reviewed published literature focused on air pollution. Concepts covered during the first part of the course cover experimental design, biological and technical replicates and statistical power, central limit theorem and Bayes rules / theorem, 1-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparison t-test.  Second part of the course focuses on differential gene expression workflow, data normalization, ANOVA and Mixed-model Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and introduction to Bioinformatics databases (GenBank, UCSC genome browser, David Bioinformatics, STRING) utilizing DNA sequence alignments, gene finding, and differential gene expression analysis. Most of the data during the course will be analyzed using “R”.

Course is available for 4 pre-college units. 

Hybrid Course:
Dates: April 5th, 2022 - June 9th, 2022 (Click here to apply)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th - 12th grade
Tuition: $3,000
Schedule: 

Location: 

Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute
San Diego Science Center
3030 Bunker Hill Street, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92109-5757

Neurobiology and Epigenetics

This course aims to provide students with a proper understanding of the epigenetic and gene regulation modifications that biological organisms can exhibit in response to environmental triggers. The combination of environmental stressors due to climate change and pollution can induce physiological changes in organisms which can complicate various processes such as lifespan, immunity, and metabolism. These alterations that shape environmental responses have the potential to last across multiple generations, where the adaptations may last even after the stress is removed. Correspondent gene regulation changes may be heritable and repeatable, or physiological and diminishable. The brain-specific responses of such are of particular interest, as the metabolic load of the organ is heavily prominent. As females and males have notable variations in their sensitivities to certain stressors, the differences between their multigenerational phenotypes will be compared. Mechanisms of gene regulation will be studied as well as the key epigenetic players that can influence how organisms respond to the environment. This course will incorporate multiple biological research applications, such as nucleic acid extractions, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequencing techniques. During this 10-week course, meeting twice weekly, students will work in small teams in the lab to discuss concepts and primary scientific literature, study experimental design, perform research, analyze the data, and prepare a scientific report. The course will conclude with a formal science seminar during which students will present their research in person to a selected audience.

Course is available for 4 pre-college units. 

Dates: July 5th, 2022 - August 12th, 2022 (Click here to apply)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th - 12th grade
Tuition: $2,000
Schedule: 

Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

This course utilizes several environmental science case studies / data sets to introduce students to experimental design, descriptive statistics, biostatistics fundamentals, management of a large gene expression data set, multivariate analysis, and basics bioinformatics concepts and databases.  Data sets are derived from peer-reviewed published literature focused on air pollution. Concepts covered during the first part of the course cover experimental design, biological and technical replicates and statistical power, central limit theorem and Bayes rules / theorem, 1-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and pairwise comparison t-test.  Second part of the course focuses on differential gene expression workflow, data normalization, ANOVA and Mixed-model Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and introduction to Bioinformatics databases (GenBank, UCSC genome browser, David Bioinformatics, STRING) utilizing DNA sequence alignments, gene finding, and differential gene expression analysis. Most of the data during the course will be analyzed using “R”.

Course is available for 4 pre-college units. 

Hybrid Course:
Dates: July 5th, 2022 - August 12th, 2022 (Click here to apply)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th - 12th grade
Tuition: $3,000
Schedule: Monday - Thursday (first class is Tuesday, July 5th)

Location: 

Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute
San Diego Science Center
3030 Bunker Hill Street, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92109-5757

Biodiversity and Molecular Genetics 

Which genetic differences underline awesome diversity of animals? What is genetically shared and what is unique among evolutionary distant animals? How closely related are you to them?  In this research-immersion course you will explore and analyze various organisms to better understand and appreciate biodiversity on anatomical, morphological, and genetic levels, tracing back animals’ evolutionary connections.  You will apply evolutionary and molecular biology concepts, extract DNA from multiple species (sea urchins, abalone, worms, insects, fish, and yourself …), sequence genes critical for metabolism and adaptation, calculate mutation rates, and infer evolutionary distance between animals. This course is a mix of evolutionary biology, standard and advanced molecular biology / gene sequencing techniques, and bioinformatics analysis. Part of the course complements the ongoing research project in partnership with National Park Service, which utilizes environmental DNA (eDNA) methodology to better understand the adaptive mechanisms and responses to environmental stressors of Southern California endangered black abalone population. During the 6-weeks in-person course meeting twice weekly, students will work in small teams in the lab to discuss concepts and primary scientific literature, design experiments, perform research, analyze the data, and prepare a scientific report. The course will conclude with the formal science seminar during which students will present their research in-person to a selected audience.

Course is available for 3 pre-college units. 

Hybrid Course:
Dates: July 5th, 2022 - August 12th, 2022 (Click here to apply)
Grade Level: Students must currently be in 10th - 12th grade
Tuition: $3,000
Schedule: Monday - Thursday (first class is Tuesday, July 5th)

Location: 

Boz Life Science Research and Teaching Institute
San Diego Science Center
3030 Bunker Hill Street, Suite 102
San Diego, CA 92109-5757

Neurobiology and Epigenetics

This course aims to provide students with a proper understanding of the epigenetic and gene regulation modifications that biological organisms can exhibit in response to environmental triggers. The combination of environmental stressors due to climate change and pollution can induce physiological changes in organisms which can complicate various processes such as lifespan, immunity, and metabolism. These alterations that shape environmental responses have the potential to last across multiple generations, where the adaptations may last even after the stress is removed. Correspondent gene regulation changes may be heritable and repeatable, or physiological and diminishable. The brain-specific responses of such are of particular interest, as the metabolic load of the organ is heavily prominent. As females and males have notable variations in their sensitivities to certain stressors, the differences between their multigenerational phenotypes will be compared. Mechanisms of gene regulation will be studied as well as the key epigenetic players that can influence how organisms respond to the environment. This course will incorporate multiple biological research applications, such as nucleic acid extractions, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and sequencing techniques. During this 10-week course, meeting twice weekly, students will work in small teams in the lab to discuss concepts and primary scientific literature, study experimental design, perform research, analyze the data, and prepare a scientific report. The course will conclude with a formal science seminar during which students will present their research in person to a selected audience.

Course is available for 4 pre-college units.