
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 15, 1994                   TAG: 9401150155
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RADFORD                                 LENGTH: Short

RADFORD UNIVERSITY TO OFFER GENETICS COURSE

Starting this semester, Radford University will offer its first genetics course. Biology professor Judy Niehaus will teach a molecular biology course - BIOL 450 - that focuses on DNA fingerprinting, genetic structure and cloning.

"It will help our students keep up," Niehaus said.

The University's Biology Department determined that its graduates needed a solid understanding of molecular biology to pursue medical or research careers or graduate studies.

Students will learn genetic engineering techniques and how to diagnose genetic diseases. As part of the course, students will extract their own DNA and study it.

Niehaus has predicted that in three years, most genetic diseases will be diagnosed using molecular biology techniques.

"We are getting very close to curing genetic diseases," she said.

by CNB