Cell & Systems Biology

On this page: Introduction | Programs |

See also: Faculty Members | Course Descriptions | | Course Winter Timetable |

Introduction

The new Department of Cell and Systems Biology, with its sibling department, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has arisen from a reorganization of the previous departments of Botany and Zoology. The study of life, biology, has been transformed in recent decades by powerful new ways of asking fundamental questions about how living organisms work. In particular, molecular approaches are revealing both the incredible complexity of organization at the cellular level, and the underlying principles drawn from chemistry, physics and information science that will eventually enable us to understand that complexity.

The Department of Cell and Systems Biology brings together biologists who study life at the level of molecules to functioning individual organisms. Cell Biology is a vibrant and broad discipline that seeks to understand the underlying molecular processes that control cell behaviour in a developmental and physiological context. In this broad sense, cell biology comprises molecular biology, developmental biology, genetics and physiology and their sub-disciplines. Systems biology is an exciting new discipline that studies dynamic networks in biological systems through the integration of large datasets arising from the genomics revolution. Computer modeling and bioinformatics are integrated with the study of detailed information about genomes (genomics), the temporal and spatial distribution of all gene transcripts (transcriptomics), cellular proteins and their physical interactions (proteomics), and small molecules that cells assimilate or synthesise (metabolomics).

Student Counseling and Enquiries:

Associate Chair (Undergraduate): Professor S. Varmuza (416-978-2759).

Contact the Undergraduate Office, Room 424 in the Ramsay Wright Laboratories (416-978-3477) and consult the departmental web site, www.csb.utoronto.ca.

Cell and Systems Biology Programs

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: see Biochemistry

Biology: see Biology

Botany: see Biology

Cell Biology (Science program)

Enrolment in this program is limited, and requires a minimum CGPA of 2.7. Enrolment also requires the completion of four courses, including BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1/MAT157Y1.

Specialist program:

(12.5 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

First Year:

BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1/MAT157Y1; PHY110Y1/PHY138Y1/PHY140Y1

Higher Years:

1. BIO250Y1/BIO255Y1, BIO252Y1,BIO260H1/HMB265H1; BCH210H1; CSB349H1

2. CSB330H1/CSB350H1, CSB331H1/BCH304H1, CSB428H1

3. 0.5 FCE from the following: BCH422H1, BCH426H1, BCH445H1, CSB327H1, CSB347H1

4. 3.0 FCEs from the following: BCH440H1, BCH441H1/CSB472H1, CSB299Y1, CSB328H1, CSB332H1, CSB340H1, CSB351Y1, CSB357H1, CSB429H1, CSB430H1 CSB450H1, CSB452H1, CSB458H1, CSB459H1, CSB473H1, CSB497H1/498Y1/CSB499Y1

Comparative Animal Physiology (Science program)

Specialist program:

(12 or 12.5 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

First Year

BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT137Y1; PHY110Y1/PHY138Y1/PHY140Y1

Higher Years:

1. BIO250Y1/BIO255Y1, BIO252Y1, BIO260H1/HMB265H1 (BIO260H1 is recommended); (CHM220H1, CHM247H1)/CHM249H1

2. STA220H1

3. BCH210H1

4. CSB345H1/CSB346H1/PSY397H1; CSB325H1/CSB344H1; CSB332H1; CSB347H1

5. (CSB425H1, CSB430H1)/CSB485Y1

6. One full course equivalent from: BIO251Y1/BCH370H1/CSB349H1/CSB497H1/498Y1/ PSL302Y1/PSL372H1/PSY497H1

Developmental Biology (Science program)

Enrolment in this program is limited, and requires a minimum CGPA of 2.5. Enrolment also requires the completion of four courses, including BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1/MAT157Y1.

Specialist program:

(12.5 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

First Year:

BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1/MAT157Y1

Higher Years:

1. BCH210H1; BIO250Y1/BIO255Y1, BIO251Y1/BIO252Y1, BIO260H1; CHM220H1/CHM247H1/CHM249H1

2. CSB349H1

3. CSB328H1, CSB340H1

4. 2.5 (or 3.5*) courses from: ANA300Y1, ANA301H1; BCH304H1, BCH340H1, BCH370H1, BCH425H1, BCH426H1; CSB327H1, CSB329H1, CSB330H1, CSB331H1, CSB344H1, CSB350H1, CSB425H1, CSB450H1, CSB459H1 CSB460H1, CSB472H1, CSB473H1; EEB 310H1, EEB341H1, EEB460H1,; IMM334Y1/IMM335Y1, IMM429H1; JBI428H1; MGY312H1, MGY425H1, MGY428H1, MGY451H1, MGY452H1, MGY470H1; PSL303Y1, PSL420H1

5. 1.0 (or 2.0*) courses from CSB429H1, CSB430H1, CSB458H1, CSB461H1, CSB482Y1, 498Y1; MGY480Y1

* Requirements 4 and 5 must include a total of at least 4.5 full courses

Molecular Plant Biology (Science program)

Specialist program:

(11.5 full courses or their equivalent, including at least one 400-series course)

Enrolment in this program requires completion of four courses, including BIO150Y1, (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1 and JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1; no minimum GPA is required.

First Year:

BIO150Y1; (CHM138H1, CHM139H1)/CHM151Y1; JMB170Y1/MAT135Y1/MAT136Y1/MAT137Y1

Second Year:

BCH210H1, BIO250Y1/BIO255Y1, BIO251Y1, BIO260H1; CHM220H1, CHM247H1

Third and Fourth Years:

1. CSB349H1, CSB459H1, CSB460H1

2. 3.0 courses CSB340H1, CSB350H1, CSB351Y1, CSB450H1, CSB452H1, CSB472H1, CSB473H1, CSB497H1, 498Y1, CSB499Y1; EEB331H1, EEB341H1, EEB497H1/498Y1/EEB499Y1

NOTE: no Molecular Plant Biology Major program exists; therefore, a student may qualify for a Botany major after third year.

Neuroscience: see Life Sciences: Human Biology

Zoology: see Biology