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.

Immunology In this course we will explore the human immune system and how it works to protect the body from infection.  Students will be introduced to the cells and molecules of the immune system and how they work together to protect the host from foreign invaders.  We will focus on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of innate immunity before exploring the cellular and genetic principles that underlie the adaptive immune response.  Finally, we will investigate how innate and adaptive immunity work together to combat infection and how disease can arise from inadequacies in this coordinated host response.

Grace Spatafora

Reviews and ratings for Grace Spatafora at Middlebury College.Grace Spatafora teaches Cell Biology and Genetics, Immunology and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Grace Spatafora good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

I thought this course was pretty challenging due to the amount of material covered. The main portion of your grade is based on the exams, so if you do not do well it would be hard to come back from. I did appreciate a lot that the professor gave us chances to re-do portions of the exam that we did not do so well on so that we could try and get a better grade. 

Dr. Spatafora follows a very intense format for the class cramming in a lot of material. While it can seem overwhelming and fast pace, this is perhaps the most that I have learned from any bio course. She is extremely passionate about the subject. 

Hardest class I have ever taken. Requirement to know pointless, arbitrary material of unimportant biological processes that are only explained in lecture and not found anywhere else. Exams were extremely challenging and predatory. Do not take.