Proposed Graduate Course in Mammalian Toxicology

Kenneth L. Campbell, Professor of Biology

Submission:	1 September 2001

Program:	Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology PhD; Environmental Biology PhD; Biology MS; Biological and Biomedical Technology MS

# Biology 666

Title:	Mammalian Toxicology

New Course: XX

Elective:	XX

Credits:	3	Class Hours/Week	3 Lecture initial offering –> Online subsequently

Enrollments:	8-15 graduate students

1st Offering: Spring 2002 (as Biology 692 Advanced Physiology) 2nd Offering: Spring 2003 (as Online course, Biology 666)

Prerequisites:	General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry plus General Biology and at least one advanced course in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, or Physiology; or Permission of the Instructor

Description:

This course provides a background in principles of toxicology as they are applied to mammalian systems. It serves an alternative to Environmental Toxicology, ECOS 635, as a core requirement for the Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology doctoral track. Coverage will include: basic concepts in evaluation of poisons and their commonalities with evaluations of drugs and hormones; toxicant exposure routes, uptake, sites and mechanisms of action, storage, metabolism, activation, and clearance; toxicant roles in carcinogenesis, development, endocrine, and reproductive functions; exploration of the role of diet, lifestyle, and concurrent exposures; methods of toxicant evaluation with emphasis on multigeneration and high throughput testing; and environmental and medical implications of toxicant or toxin exposures on individual and ecological health.

Resources:

1. Course required?	No

2. A.	Replace existing courses	Yes

Biology 668 (Cellular and Molecular Endocrinology) will be discontinued in favor of this course. Biology 668 demonstrated low enrollments during the semesters in which it was offered and therefore does not seem to warrant the faculty time and lab resources needed to continue it in its current form. Biology 666, on the other hand fills a number of curricular needs as well as fitting in nicely with the Instructor's ongoing research program.

B.	How alternated with existing courses? After the 2nd offering this course will be offered every other Spring Term (in alternation with Biomedical Tracers, Biology 685); although we will make every effort to make certain the course scheduling of ECOS 635 (Evironmental Toxicology) and ECOS 760 (Aquatic Toxicology) taught by Dr. Robinson allows student to take these courses either in sequence or simultaneously, the intent to make Biology 666 (Mammalian Toxicology) an Online offering should minimize such conflicts. Note that there are no offerings (current as of Spring 2001) for toxicology courses listed in the catalogs of any of the University of Massachusetts Campuses. Therefore, this course, especially in an Online format, fills a gap in current University offerings both at UMB and on the other UMass campuses.

C.	Undergrads <10%	Masters 40%	Doctoral 40%	Postgraduate 10%

3.	University Resources

A. Library (adequate if the collections, searching, and exchange policies are maintained)

B. Computing (adequate so long as the Online course can be hosted on a central server and computer services are maintained or enhanced)

4. Departmental Resources

A. Space	Adequate

B. Personnel	Adequate (so long as further teaching or administrative demands are not placed on the instructor)

C. New Personnel	No

Impact on Current Curriculum. As noted earlier this is meant to augment and expand the offerings of the MCOB, Biology, and ECOS programs now overseen by Dr. Robinson of ECOS. It fills a gap for the University system as a whole. It grows naturally from the work on endocrinology, reproductive biology, and reproductive ecology that has occupied Dr. Campbell for over 20 years and builds upon his original dissertation work in reproductive toxicology as well as recent efforts by graduate students within his laboratory. Although Biology 666 replaces Biology 668 (Cellular and Molecular Endocrinology), it replaces a weakly enrolled class with an online offering that should attract graduate and postgraduate students from several of our campuses. The course content touches material important to biomedical trainees and professionals as well as those with interests in environmental issues. It should, therefore, address the needs of a broad community of trainees and more than justify replacement of an earlier course. Coverage is also focused on mammals and humans in a manner that differs significantly from the ecological and aquatic slant of the other toxicology offerings (ECOS 635, 760) taught by Dr. Robinson of the ECOS program. Coming from a background in endocrinology and reproductive biology, some of the current issues of endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity can be addressed from a perspective that is fresh even to the authors of some of the leading toxicology texts. By using the resources of the Internet in addition to this fresh perspective we should be able to engage a broad and vital audience to an Online course offering of this kind.

C. Academic Issues

2.	a. Rationale for adding course?

In addition to the comments given in 4C above, the focus of the other toxicology offerings through the ECOS program on general environmental and aquatic systems leaves a gap in coverage for those students primarily interested in biomedical or mammalian components of ecosystems. To fill this gap and provide for students who will ultimately follow careers in public health, medicine, veterinary medicine, or biotechnology we need to offer a course that addresses issues in toxicology in mammalian systems.

b. Relevance to students' program of study?

The MCOB PhD and Environmental Biology PhD tracks include students who will enter a professional workforce charged with addressing problems in health and ecology that often have environmental roots, including those caused by exposures to manmade chemicals. Inclusion in these students' curriculum of an advanced course that focuses on mammalian vertebrates and that bridges chemistry, biochemistry, physiology, environmental biology, and public policy is exactly the type of synthesis and integration that is needed during advanced graduate study. Providing it as a core course alternative to Environmental Toxicology, ECOS 635, provides these students with appropriate exposure to this avenue of biological and environmental concern, allows them access to other courses in this vein, including ECOS 635, but also serves those individuals headed toward more basic work in the MCOB program. The emphasis on similarities with other broad integrative areas like endocrinology and pharmacology also bolsters students working toward a degree with emphasis in those or related areas.

Likewise, many Biology and Biotechnology MS students need an understanding of the nature of toxicity and toxicity testing before entering jobs in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries. The close allegiance between the sciences of endocrinology, pharmacology, and toxicology means that individuals trained in the tenets of toxicology as they apply to vertebrates can apply their knowledge to medicine and drug formulation as well as to environmental issues. All these are growth areas in science, technology, and in academia as well as in the economy as a whole.

3.	Promotion of the program's objectives?

The MCOB and Environmental Biology PhD tracks aim to train professionals equipped with the theoretical and technical background to attack problems in the modern world that derive largely from previous human actions or environmental responses to such actions. The Master's programs in Biology aim to train individuals capable of joining commercial, public, or private teams who address both environmental and health problems via the application of similar knowledge. A course in mammalian toxicology provides an excellent example of synthesis, integration, and application that can serve as a useful model to be emulated in all these contexts and thereby promotes the objectives of all these programs.

As an Online course offering that should attract graduates and postgraduates from diverse areas, a course in mammalian toxicology will also address the institutional objective of providing relevant and vibrant distance-learning opportunities in the sciences to the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to the New England area, and beyond.

4.	a. List of any similar courses.

ECOS 635, 760 (and a previous, now discontinued offering in Aquatic Toxicology, ECOS 660/661). No other graduate or undergraduate courses on this campus or any of the other campuses of the University of Massachusetts system are similar.

b. How do these differ from this course?

ECOS 635 and ECOS 760 focus on toxicology in the context of ecosystems and aquatic species, respectively. Although some of the basic concepts of toxicology are touched upon in each of these courses, they do not dwell on issues of central importance to mammalian toxicology, biomedical applications and pharmacology, or public health issues such as endocrine disruptors, developmental toxicants, mammalian reproductive toxicology, or carcinogenesis. These form central topics within Biology 666.

c. Collaborative efforts with other programs?

From its inception, ECOS and Biology have worked closely on their shared PhD tracks including the Environmental Biology PhD and the Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology PhD. Both these programs support the multicampus program in Marine Sciences. The Green Chemistry track and the Biochemistry track are collaborations between ECOS, Biology, and Chemistry. This course has been developed in coordination and collaboration with Dr. Robinson of the ECOS program. It serves to complement his current offerings ECOS 635 and ECOS 760.

D. Syllabus & Reading List (attached)