Schedule of Lecture Topics, Recommended Readings, and Assignments
| Date | Topic | Textbook* Readings and Other Resources | Assignment | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEEK 1 | ||||
| Tues Aug 28 |
What is Developmental Biology? Introduction to Evo-Devo |
Syllabus; Chp 1 Chp 15 |
Read Syllabus | |
| Thurs Aug 30 |
Foundations of Developmental Biology - from molecules and cells to tissues and organisms | Chp 3 pp. 113-124 Article by Andreas Prokop |
||
| LAB | Model Organisms and Imaging Methods | Lab Handout | Lab Notebook & Figure | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 2 | ||||
| Tues Sept 4 |
Cleavage, Adhesion, and Cellular foundations of Developmental Biology | Chp 8 pp. 289-302 | Q&A: Cell-cell connections | Tues Sept 11 |
| Thurs Sept 6 |
Molecular Genetics of Development: Lessons from flies and fish | Chp 2 pp. 35-40; 42 Chp 3 pp. 113-125 Chp 10 pp. 365-382 Dreiver et al., 1996 Development |
||
| LAB | Mechanisms of Multicellularity | Lab Handout | Lab Notebook & Figure | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 3 | ||||
| Tues Sept 11 |
Embryo patterning & segmentation in flies: Morphogens | Chp 2 pp.40-81 iBiology seminars from Eric Weischaus |
Q&A: Morphogens | Tues Sept 18 |
| Thurs Sept 13 |
Embryo patterning & segmentation in flies: Organizers | Same as above | ||
| LAB | Patterning, Segmentation, Developmental Genetics in flies | Lab Handout and Journal Club paper | Lab Notebook & Figure | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 4 | ||||
| Tues Sept 18 |
Body Axis Patterning in vertebrates: Morphogens and Organizers redux | Chp 4 pp. 128-145 | Q&A: Coordination of axial patterning | Tues Sept 25 |
| Thurs Sept 20 |
Body Axis Patterning in vertebrates: Morphogens and Organizers redux II | Chp 4 pp. 128-145 | ||
| LAB | Embryo (mis)patterning - zebrafish | Lab Handout | Lab Notebook & Figure | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 5 | ||||
| Tues Sept 25 |
Germ Layers & Gastrulation in vertebrates: part I | Chp 4 pp. 145-167 Chp 5 pp. 173-186 iBiology seminars from Richard Harland |
Q&A: Morphogenesis | Tues Oct 2 |
| Thurs Sept 27 |
Germ Layers & Gastrulation in vertebrates: part II | Chp 8 pp. 289-315 Solnica-Krezel and Sepich, 2012 |
||
| LAB | Signaling Pathways and their readouts | Lab Handout and Journal Club paper | Lab Notebook & Figure | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 6 | ||||
| Tues Oct 2 |
Intro to Vertebrate Segmentation: Intro to Somitogenesis; Time for questions | Chp 5 pp. 187-202 | Write a mid-term exam question | Wed Oct 3 |
| Thurs Oct 4 |
Somitogenesis: Clocks and Waves | Chp 5 pp. 187-202 | Take-home mid-term exam | Tues Oct 9 |
| LAB | Somitogenesis & Organogenesis - chick embryos | Lab Handout and review your notes | Lab Notebook AND Slides | Next Lab Period |
| WEEK 7 | ||||
| Tues Oct 9 |
More Clocks and Waves | Chp 5 pp. 187-202 | IP ideas and proposal drafting | |
| Thurs Oct 11 |
Putting it all together: Homeotic Selectors and Hox Genes | Chp 2 pp. 81-87 Chp 5 pp. 191-199 |
||
| LAB | Chimeras and Gene Expression in zebrafish Time to work on Independent Projects |
Lab Handout | IP Proposal - Rough Draft | Friday Oct 12 |
| Oct 15-20 | FALL BREAK | |||
| WEEK 8 | ||||
| Tues Oct 23 |
Neurulation and CNS development I | Chp 5 pp. 202-210; Chp 8 pp. 316-318 |
||
| Thurs Oct 25 |
CNS development II | Chp 11 pp. 444-451 Chp 12 |
||
| LAB | FGF24 in situ hybridization | Lab Handout | IP Proposal - Final; Oral presentation of slides | During the Lab Period |
| WEEK 9 | ||||
| Tues Oct 30 |
CNS development III | Chp 12 Silberis et al., 2016 |
Q&A: Modes of Migration | Tues Nov 6 |
| Thurs Nov 1 |
Neural Crest and PNS development | Chp 8 pp. 318-320 Chp 12 |
||
| LAB | Independent Projects | |||
| WEEK 10 | ||||
| Tues Nov 6 |
Limb Development I | Chp 11 pp. 411-444 | Q&A: Limbs & Chromatin | Tues Nov 13 |
| Thurs Nov 8 |
Limb Development II | Chp 11 pp. 411-444 | ||
| LAB | Independent Projects continued | |||
| WEEK 11 | ||||
| Tues Nov 13 |
Stem Cells and Development - The History | Chp 10 pp. 375-389 | Q&A: Stem Cells | Tues Nov 20 |
| Thurs Nov 15 |
Stem Cells and Development - The Promise | Lancaster et al., 2013 Shirai et al., 2016 |
||
| LAB | Independent Projects Continued | Lab Notebook Check | In Lab | |
| WEEK 12 | ||||
| Tues Nov 20 |
Human Embryology and Development TBD | TBD readings | ||
| Thurs Nov 22 | THANKSGIVING | |||
| WEEK 13 | ||||
| Tues Nov 27 |
Human Embryology and Development TBD | TBD readings | ||
| Thurs Nov 29 |
Human Embryology and Development TBD | TBD readings | ||
| LAB | Independent Projects continued | Image Contest Entry | Tues Dec 4th |
|
| WEEK 14 | ||||
| Tues Dec 4 |
Human Embryology and Development TBD; Course wrap-up and reflection | Final Q&A: TBD | 9am Mon Dec 10 |
|
| LAB | Last-minute data collection; Lab Clean-up | |||
| Mon Dec 10 |
Oral Presentations and Evaluations of Independent Projects; Image Context Winner |
9-noon |
*Refers to Wolpert and Tickle text. Similar material can be found in other Developmental Biology Textbooks, including the 6th edition of Gilbert’s Developmental Biology text, which is available on NCBI for free. Multiple copies of the Wolpert and Ticklet text can be found in the library. Sources cited on slides in class may also be useful.