Students will choose 9 units of courses in consultation with their Astrobiology faculty advisor. A list of possible courses that can be used towards the minor are provided below.
Astronomy/Planetary Sciences 550
Origin of the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems
This course will review the physical processes related to the formation and evolution of the protosolar nebula and of protoplanetary disks. In doing that, we will discuss the main stages of planet formation and how different disk conditions impact planetary architectures and planet properties. We will confront the theories of disk evolution and planet formation with observations of circumstellar disks, exoplanets, and the planets and minor bodies in our Solar System. Graduate-level requirements include advanced quantitative problems in homeworks and tests.
Astronomy/Planetary Sciences 575
Planetary Astrobiology
The course will explore the processes related to planet formation and the emergence of life. We will study the formation of our Solar System and exoplanetary systems, the conditions that gave rise to life on the Earth, and the potential habitability of other planets/moons in our system or extrasolar systems. Graduate-level requirements include advanced homework assignments and written examination.
Astronomy/Planetary Sciences 588A
Astrochemistry
This astrochemistry course is the study of gas phase and solid state chemical processes that occur in the universe, including those leading to pre-biotic compounds. Topics include chemical processes in dying stars, circumstellar gas, planetary nebulae, diffuse clouds, star-forming regions and proto-planetary discs, as well as planets, satellites, comets and asteroids. Observational methods and theoretical concepts will be discussed. Graduate-level requirements include a project and an oral exam.
Geosciences/Astronomy/Planetary Sciences 584
The Coevolution of Earth and the Biosphere
This course examines the interplay of changes in earth environments and biological evolution from the earliest life to the present. The focus is geochemical and topics include the early earth and life, evolutionary jumps, mass extinctions, and the rise of hominids. Graduate level requirements include multiple in-class presentations/reviews on journal articles.
Molecular and Cellular Biology 537
Life in Extreme Environments
Instructors
Extreme environments are numerous and diverse on Earth. Despite harsh environmental conditions, microbes have been found thriving from the deepest seafloors to the highest mountains, from the coldest polar regions to the hottest and most arid deserts or steaming hot springs. Microbes survival in such extreme and varied conditions allows them to play fundamental roles in global nutrient cycling. The course will encompass foundational material for the study of life in extreme environments.
In this course, we will examine microbial adaptations to their environment, how the adaptive responses affect microorganisms' evolution and how microorganisms modify their environment. We will consider physical extremes, such as temperature, radiation, pressure, and geochemical extremes (e.g., desiccation, salinity, pH, depletion of oxygen or extreme redox potential).
We will also assess how the study of life in extreme environments can provides critical elements of answer to important questions such as: "How did life appear on our planet?", "How microbes made Earth habitable?" and "Could life exist beyond our planet?", and explore the impact of human activity on ecosystems. Additionally, we will explore the wide application potential of this area of research in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, or cosmetics.