Spring 2000

This course will introduce the basic principles of vertebrate development including formation of the basic body plan and the molecular control of tissue morphogenesis. The importance of each developmental milestone will be illustrated by discussing the underlying causes of birth defects.

Required textbook: Developmental Biology, Fifth Edition, author: Scott Gilbert, publisher: Sinauer Associates

Grading

50% 3 hourly exams on course material

50% 3 term papers in "Minigrant proposal" format

Prerequisites: BISC 207, BISC 208, or equivalent; BISC 301 or equivalent (a good understanding of molecular biology and genetics is expected.

Professor Melinda K. Duncan, Ph.D.

Department of Biological Sciences

331 Wolf Hall, 340 Wolf Hall

831-0533

What is a "mini grant proposal"? Mini-grant proposals are five page papers written in the format of a National Institutes of Health research grant. The sections are Introduction (a description of the current knowledge in the field of your chosen question), hypothesis/specific aims (what do you think the answer is to an unanswered question in developmental biology), research design (how would you test your hypothesis and what do the possible outcomes of the proposed experiments mean). Remember, the point of a real NIH grant proposal is to ask the government for hundreds of thousands of dollars to do research.

WARNING!!!! You may see the words "five page paper" and think that this will be no big deal. However, you need to come up with an original idea based upon your reading of primary scientific literature (see reference list at the back of each chapter of the text for a starting point and search for the most recent publications on your topic with Pubmed). For a real NIH grant proposal, scientists will spend at least four 70 hour weeks preparing an application based on science that they are expert. You will not be able to start on your proposal the night before it is due and expect to do a passing job. In order to help the procrastinators among you, I am requiring that you choose your paper topic and discuss it with me at least ten days before it is due (see course schedule for deadlines). Failure to do this will result in the loss of an entire letter grade from the completed paper. Late papers will not be accepted. If you have a conflict on the day a paper is due (see course schedule for deadlines), I expect to receive it EARLY.

Now that I have gotten your attention, I appreciate that these papers are a new task for most of you. I will be happy to discuss your idea with you and help you put it together in the correct form if you are uncertain what I am expecting. However, it is your responsibility to contact me with your problems. If I do not hear from you, I will assume that you understand this assignment fully.

Attendance: Attendance will not be taken and is not figured into the final grade. However, students are responsible for all material covered in class (which may or may not be found in the book).

EXAMS: Three non-cumulative hourly exams will be given to test your retention and understanding of the material presented in lecture. Make-up exams will only be given under the most unusual circumstances. You have a better chance of being granted a make-up exam if you contact me in writing at least two days ahead of the exam to be missed.

Academic dishonesty: It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all work for this class is their own (you may discuss possible paper topics among yourselves however, two students will not be allowed to write on the same topic). I will prosecute any and all instances of cheating to the fullest extent allowable by the university.

Office Hours: I am at the university every weekday from 10 am to 7 pm (often later). Since this class has a significant number of continuing education students with complex schedules, I am holding office hours by appointment. If you send me e-mail the day before, I can usually be available most times except for some randomly scheduled meetings that I must attend. Drop ins are welcome, but I may not be available.

February 8- First class, administrative stuff, What is developmental biology?

February 10-How do genes control development?

February 15-Fertilization

February 17-cleavage and cytoplasmic determinates, (video Drosophila as a model)

February 22-Topic for paper one due, cell lineage, apoptosis (videoC. elegans as a model)

February 24- gastulation and formation of the embryonic axis

February 29- Modern techniques in vertebrate embryology, transgenics, knockouts, and clones (video the mouse as a model)

March 7-Paper 1 is due, Endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm

March 9 - neurulation

March 14-Exam 1

March 16- Neural crest

March 21- more about germ layers

March 23-Topic for paper two is due. nervous system development

April 4- secondary tissue induction/determination, eye development as a model

SPRING BREAK

April 6- embryonic stem cells/cloning of adult organisms

April 11- Paper 2 is due, limb development

April 13- skin and bone

April 18 EXAM 2

April 20 Epithelial mesenchyme interactions, Kidney and lung development

April 25, The germ line and gametogeneis

April 27 Development and evolution

May 2 guest lecturer Ulhas Naik, vasculogenesis

May 4 guest lecturer Norm Karin, myogenesis

May 9 Development gone awry, the molecular basis of birth defects

May 11 How development is controlled by hormones and the environment

May 16- LAST CLASS, Last hourly exam

LAST PAPER DUE MAY 22nd at 5 pm.