Molecular, cellular and developmental genetics

The ability to monitor and manipulate gene activity in experimental models is critical to advance our understanding of how genes control phenotypes. This unit will explore in depth the latest techniques for studying gene expression and function, with an emphasis on developing skills in scientific literacy and experimental design using approaches in molecular, cellular, and developmental genetics. This includes assaying and visualizing gene expression and protein subcellular localization in vivo, methods for artificially activating or inhibiting gene activity including generating transgenic organisms and comparative, and bioinformatic methods for inferring gene function. This will be demonstrated using examples from research on the function genes underlying fundamental cellular, developmental, and physiological processes, such as differentiation and growth, programmed cell death, cell-cell communication, cell movement, tissue patterning, neuronal signalling, and cellular homeostasis and metabolism. Finally, we will explore how gene function changes with environmental conditions and with evolution.