Current Topics and Methods Courses
Autumn 2018
HCS 8830
Current Topics in Metabolomics
Instructor: Jessica Cooperstone, cooperstone.1@osu.edu
First 7-week; 1 credit
Meeting time: TBA
Location: TBA
This journal club will focus on critically reviewing and evaluating recent publications in metabolomics, with a focus on applications in plants, foods and human health. The goals of this course are to increase student familiarity with reading and interpreting the metabolomics literature, and to understand ways in which metabolomics may be a useful approach to students’ research.
HCS 7806
Using Multimedia to Communicate Science to the Public
Instructor: Leah McHale, mchale.21@osu.edu
Second 7-week session; 1 credit
Meeting time: TBA
Class #: TBA
This course is aimed at graduate students seeking to further their science communication abilities. Primarily, students will work collaboratively to create multi-media content aimed at the general public and communicating a topic related to plant science or food production. There will be the opportunity to host these media on HCS websites including the departmental website and Ohio State’s Plant Breeding website.
Summer 2018
HCS 8830
Senescence of Plant Organs
Instructor: Joe Scheerens, scheerens.1@osu.edu
Second 8 week session
Class #: 20665 (Columbus) and 20666 (Wooster)
Spring 2018
HCS 8830
Plant hormone signal transduction mechanism
Instructor: JC Jang, jang.40@osu.edu
7 Weeks
Topics of presentation: Abscisic Acid (ABA), Auxin, Brassinosteroids (BRs), Cytokinins (CKs), Ethylene, Gibberellins, Methyl Jasmonates, Peptide hormones, Salicylic Acid (SA), and Stringolactones.
Autumn 2017
HCS 7806
Introduction to concepts of Bayesian Statistics
This course will provide an overview about methods of Bayesian statistical inference. The class has a humble objective: that students learn (or are at least become aware) of the vocabulary, terminology and concepts regarding this type of statistical inference, which has increasingly grown in popularity in scientific literature. Explanations to the terms and concepts, as well as some hands-on data processing will be included. Calculations would not be the core of the course; however, the analysis of datasets using R, JAGS and Stan are going to be covered during the labs. The evaluation will be based on quizzes.
It is recommended that students interested in the class have already taken a course of basic statistical methods (experimental design is not necessarily but a course on descriptive statistics is required) and have some experience with the Statistical Language R.
The main topics that will be approached are:
- Refresh of probabilistic distributions
- Bayesian inference,
- Linear models
- Model comparison
- Application and introduction to Markov chain monte Carlo (MCMC)
- Introduction to categorical/count models
- Introduction to hierarchical models
HCS 7806
Small Plot Research Methods and Equipment
(Since we will be using equipment, the course will be Columbus only located off-campus at the Agronomy Shop)
Description: The purpose of this methods course is to discuss small plot research methods for agronomic crops. Students will learn about basic equipment maintenance, how the research equipment works, and have the opportunity to harvest soybeans and plant wheat.
Summer 2017
HCS 7806
Extraction, Separation, Identification, and Quantification of Plant Compounds
appreciate theoretical and practical aspects of chromatography (TLC, GC, HPLC, FPLC) and electrophoresis, as well as spectrophotometric assays designed to measure purity and activity of extracted compounds. They will also understand how tissue, cell, organelle complexity affects extraction of desired compounds and recognize optimal choices to maximize yields and purity of desired compounds. The importance of sampling error and how to minimize it; and the importance of both replication and the use of proper controls (e.g., internal and external standards) will also be emphasized.
HCS 8830
HCS 8830
Spring 2017
HCS 7806
Using Multimedia to Communicate Science to the Public
- Short videos communicating an aspect of plant science or food production
- Learn how to properly plan, execute, and edit videos
- Design an independent project and collaborate with other students’ projects
- Development of Ohio State’s Plant Breeding website:
- Invite relevant faculty
- Learn how to edit web content using Drupal
- Create web content for Ohio State’s Plant Breeding website
- Videos and infographics
- Educational pages about plant breeding/genetics
HCS 7806
Multivariate Methods using SAS and R
You should have taken a prior statistics class.
Meeting time and location:
- Mon (lecture) 2-3pm; Mon (lab) 3-5pm, video-link to Wooster
- Howlett 139; Gourley 102
Students will need a laptop with SAS and/or R for the recitation