Overview. The Biomathematics Seminar for the Spring Semester of 2001 will be focused on topics in preparation for a miniconference on March 9 and 10 at the University of Arizona with the Program in Math and Molecular Biology and on two outside speakers who will be visiting the University of Arizona in April.

The Program in Math and Molecular Biology miniconference speakers will talk on DNA microarray technology, DNA knot topology, and on protein dynamics. University of Arizona faculty members David Galbraith of the Plant Sciences Department and Michael Tabor from the Program in Applied Mathematics will make presentations on the first and second of these topics.

After the spring break we will have a visit from Michael Guevara of Physiology Department of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and John Gillespie of Evolution and Ecology Section of the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of California at Davis. Michael Guevara will talk on cardiac physiology and John Gillespie will speak about evolutionary genetics.

Students will divide into four groups. Each group will give a preliminary presentation.

The teams will also write a report due at the end of the semester. This report will be a summary of the activities surrounding the team’s focus topic.

Day to Day Operations. The course meets for lecture each on the dates shown below from 3:30 to 5:20 in Economics 200. Most of the course meetings will be on Tuesdays. We will meet on January 30^th in Marley 822 to visit the DNA Microarray Lab. The times for the miniconference talks will be announced later.

If you need to contact me, write me electronically at jwatkins@math.arizona.edu, call me at 621-5245, or drop by my office Math 520. My office hours are 12 to 1 on Wednesdays and Fridays in the Mathematics Building, Room 226.

Evaluation of Students. We will evaluate your work via your participation in class, presentations and contributions to your team’s summary.

Best wishes to you for a good semester in this course and in all your other activities.

Joe Watkins