Cell Biology and Genetics In this introduction to modern cellular, genetic, and molecular biology we will explore life science concepts with an emphasis on their integral nature and evolutionary relationships.  Topics covered will include cell membrane structure and function, metabolism, cell motility and division, genome structure and replication, the regulation of gene expression and protein production, genotype to phenotype relationship, and basic principles of inheritance.  Major concepts will be illustrated using a broad range of examples from plants, animals, and microorganisms.  Current topics in biology will be integrated into the course as they arise.

Applied Bioinformatics Whether we are identifying cancerous cells, counting animals in an image, or comparing protein functions, we are likely relying on a suite of computational tools. Even then, doing these tasks at a meaningful scale quickly outpaces manual analysis. How, then, are we supposed to identify cancerous cells in 200,000 patients a day or compare proteins across all animal life? In this course, we will learn how to approach biological questions using programmatic thinking. We will refine your data collection strategies, learn the basics of programs and databases for image processing, sequence and phenotypic data, and functional annotation. Lastly, we will apply this knowledge, creating scripts to automate analysis for datasets too large for manual processing. No previous programming experience is necessary. (BIOL 0140 or BIOL 0145).

Molecular Genetics This course will focus on the structure and function of nucleic acids in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Lectures will center on molecular mechanisms of mutation, transposition, and recombination, the regulation of gene expression, and gene control in development, immune diversity and carcinogenesis. Readings from the primary literature will complement the textbook and classroom discussions. The laboratory will provide training in both classic and contemporary molecular-genetic techniques including nucleic acid isolation and purification, cloning, electroporation, nick-translation, Southern/Northern blotting, DNA sequencing, PCR and RT-PCR.

Evolutionary Biology Why don’t frogs have wings? When did the first eye evolve? The answers to these questions exemplify how evolutionary biology can be used to understand the diversity of the present day and how we can trace important traits back to their origins. In this class, we will learn about the processes that drive diversity, the constraints on evolution, and how the interplay between genes, traits, organisms, and species has sculpted the landscape of life we see today. In addition to lectures, you will read foundational and current primary literature and will lead a project that will use current tools in comparative biology to reconstruct the evolutionary history of a modern-day gene back to its origin in the distant past. (BIOL 140 or 145). 3hrs lect.

Andrew Swafford

Reviews and ratings for Andrew Swafford at Middlebury College.Andrew Swafford teaches Cell Biology and Genetics, Applied Bioinformatics, Molecular Genetics and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Andrew Swafford good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Professor Swafford taught this class very well and had a lot of ways to make up your grade. He was enthusiastic about the class and had a lot of fun projects and activities. Overall it was not too difficult but still valuable as a non lab elective for MBBC. It also had in person oral exams.

I took this course with Professor Swafford, and It was a great time. It was very lab-heavy, but Professor Swafford made it really enjoyable. We had oral exams: one midterm and one final they are very chill and relaxed since he gives you the prompt a week before the exam to prepare and make a presentation on your chosen topic. 

The course was super interesting and centered around the lab. We had to create our own protocols and research. The course as a sneaky amount of work that takes WAY longer than I originally anticipated, especially as the semester went on. So long as you do all of the work, Andrew will give you a good grade, though it is a lot. 