Nutritional Sciences Curriculum

Nutritional Sciences (Interdepartmental Graduate Major)

Advisory Committee: Kevin Schalinske, Chair; Don Beitz, Michael Spurlock, Manju Reddy, Wendy White

Participating Faculty: Faculty mainly from Food Science and Human Nutrition and Animal Science and also from other departments such as Health & Human Performance; Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology; Agronomy; Sociology; and Statistics.

Graduate Study

The Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences (IGPNS), administered through the Graduate College, under the auspices of the Chairs of Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN) and Animal Science, will provide the structure for coordinating and enhancing interdisciplinary nutrition research and graduate education. MS and PhD degrees in Nutritional Sciences will be offered with four specializations:  Animal Nutrition, Human Nutrition, Global Nutrition, or Molecular/Cellular Nutrition.

The following undergraduate course work is recommended of all applicants who are applying to the IGPNS, but may be modified depending upon the student's area of emphasis. This includes organic chemistry with laboratory, physics, analytical chemistry, a nutrition course that requires biochemistry or organic chemistry as a prerequisite, and a course in biology/physiology or anatomy. Under certain circumstances students can be admitted or provisionally admitted with course work deficiencies. Students with an undergraduate degree will be generally admitted into the MS program and upon completion; they can then apply for admission into the PhD program. However, exceptional students with experience can apply directly to the PhD program.

The general requirements of the Nutritional Sciences degree at the MS level, in addition to those of Graduate College, are: NUTRS 501; NUTRS 502; a minimum of 4 additional credits of graduate-level advanced nutrition or nutritional physiology; 3-6 credits of graduate-level biochemistry; 3 credits of graduate-level statistics; graduate student orientation course (FS HN 580 or An S 501); seminar(s) attendance in Food Science and Human Nutrition (FS HN 681) or Animal Science (An S 680); seminar presentation course (FSHN 581 or An S 603); one semester credit of seminar pertaining to student's research; Teaching assistant requirement (FS HN 590C or AnS 6590L), summer lectureship (NUTRS 505) and successful completion of a thesis and defense of the thesis. They are expected to complete the course work established by the Program of Study (POS) committee based on specialization with a minimum of 30 graduate-level semester credits, not less than 22 of which must be earned at Iowa State University.

The general requirements of the Nutritional Sciences degree at the PhD level, in addition to those of Graduate College, are: completion of all requirements of the MS degree in Nutritional Sciences; 3 additional credits in each of graduate-level biochemistry, graduate-level statistics, and systemic physiology; and two graduate-level courses in the field of study as deemed appropriate by the POS Committee. Satisfactory completion of a preliminary examination, a written dissertation, seminar presentation of dissertation research, and defense of the dissertation is also required. Overall a minimum of 72 graduate-level semester credits, no less than 36 of which must be earned at Iowa State University.

Courses primarily for graduate students, open to qualified undergraduate students

NUTRS 501. Biochemical and Physiological Basis of Nutrition: Macronutrients. (3-0) Cr. 3. F., Prereq: Credit or enrollment in BBMB 404 or BBMB 420. Integration of the molecular, cellular, and physiologic aspects of macronutrient and energy metabolism in mammalian systems. Dietary energy, carbohydrates, fiber, lipids, proteins, their interactions, metabolic consequences, and major research methodologies.

NUTRS 502. Biochemical and Physiological Basis of Nutrition: Vitamins and Minerals. (3-0) Cr. 3. S., Prereq: BBMB 404 or BBMB 420, and credit or enrollment in BBMB 405. Integration of the molecular, cellular, and physiologic aspects of vitamin and mineral metabolism in mammalian systems. Interactions among nutrients, metabolic consequences of deficiencies or excesses, relevant polymorphisms, major research methodologies, and current topics related to micronutrients and non-nutrient components.

NUTRS 503X. Biology of Adipose Tissue. (2-0) Cr. 2. Prereq: Undergraduate: consent of instructor; Graduate: NUTRS 501. Spurlock. This course will discuss principles regarding the development of adipose tissue and its role in energy balance, and will focus considerably on endocrine and immune actions of the adipocyte. Course material will be in lecture format, including handouts and selected journal articles. Students will be asked to lead critical discussions of key research findings as summary material for a given topic. Species differences will be highlighted, particularly as they relate to research models.

NUTRS 518. Digestive Physiology and Metabolism of Non Ruminants. (Same as An S 518.) (2-0) Cr. 2. Alt. S., offered 2007. Prereq: An S 419 or NutrS 501. Digestion and metabolism of nutrients. Nutritional requirements and current research and feeding programs for poultry and swine.

NUTRS 519. Food Toxicology. (Same as Tox 519 and FS HN 519.) (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. F., offered 2008. Prereq: A course in biochemistry. Basic principles of toxicology. Toxicants in the food supply: modes of action, toxicant defense systems, toxicant/nutrient interactions, risk assessment.

NUTRS 542. Introduction to Molecular Biology Techniques. (Same as GDCB 542 or FS HN 542.) Cr. 1 per module. F.S.SS. Prereq: Graduate classification. Workshops in basic molecular biology techniques and related procedures. Offered on a satisfactory-fail grading basis only.

A. DNA Techniques. Includes genetic engineering procedures, sequencing, PCR, and genotyping. (F.S.SS.)
B. Protein Techniques. Includes fermentation, protein isolation, protein purification, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, NMR, confocal microscopy and laser microdissection, immunophenotyping, and monoclonal antibody production. (S.SS.)
C. Cell Techniques. Includes immunophenotyping, ELISA, flow cytometry, microscopic techniques, and image analysis. (F.S.)
D. Plant Transformation. Includes agrobacterium, arabidopsis, maize, and analysis of transformants. (S.)
E. Proteomics. Includes two-dimensional electrophoresis, laser scanning, mass spectrometry, and database searching.

NUTRS 561. Medical Nutrition and Disease I. (Dual-listed with FS HN 461.) (4-0) Cr. 3 or 4. F. Prereq: FS HN 360, 3 credits in physiology at 300 level or above. Pathophysiology of selected chronic disease states and their associated medical problems. Specific attention will be directed to medical nutrition needs of patients in the treatment of each disease state. Recitation section (1 cr.) will focus on refinement of assessment skills, diagnosis of nutritional problem, nutrition care, and documentation. Course must be taken for 4 credits if Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) verification statement of completion is desired. Graduate students may take the lecture portion without the recitation section.

NUTRS 562. Assessment of Nutritional Status. (3-0) Cr. 3. Alt. S., offered 2009. Prereq: FS HN 461/NutrS 561 or 501. Overview and practical applications of methods for assessing nutritional status, including: theoretical framework of nutritional health and disease, dietary intake, biochemical indices, clinical examination, and body composition.

NUTRS 564. Medical Nutrition and Disease II. (Dual-listed with FS HN 464.) (4-0) Cr. 3 or 4. S. Prereq: FS HN 360, FS HN 461, NutrS 561. 3 credits in physiology at 300 level or above. Pathophysiology of selected acute and chronic disease states and their associated medical problems. Specific attention will be directed to medical nutrition needs of patients in the treatment of each disease state. Recitation section (1 cr.) will focus on refinement of assessment skills, diagnosis of nutritional problem, nutrition care, and documentation. Course must be taken for 4 credits if Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) verification statement of completion is desired. Nutritional science undergraduates and graduate students may take the lecture portion without the recitation section.

Courses for graduate students

NUTRS 619. Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism - Protein. (Same as An S 619.) (2-0) 2 Cr. 2. Digestion, absorption, and intermediary metabolism of amino acids and protein. Regulation of protein synthesis and degradation. Integration of cellular biochemistry and physiology of mammalian protein metabolism.

NUTRS 695. Grant Proposal Writing. (Same as FS HN 695.) (1-0) Cr. 1. F. Prereq: 3 credits of graduate course work in food science and/or nutrition. Grant proposal preparation experiences including writing and critiquing of proposals and budget planning. Formation of grant writing teams in food science and/or nutrition. Offered on a satisfactory-fail grading basis only.

NUTRS 699. Research in Nutritional Sciences. Cr. var. F.S.SS. Offered on a satisfactory-fail grading basis only.