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Gene Regulation in Cancer and Development 694:215

Lecture: M2TH2
Mon. & Thurs 10:20-11:40 AM

SERC, Rm 202


Pre-requisites: 01:694:407 or 01:447:384 or 11:115:403 or 11:126:481

Course Coordinator: Dr. Ken Irvine Office Hours: By Appt.
Course Instructors: Dr. Ruth Steward Office Hours: By Appt.
  Dr. Eillen White Office Hours: By Appt.

Gene Regulation in Cancer and Development (01:694:492) is a course for advanced undergraduate students majoring in the Life Sciences.  Molecular biology is an experimental science, and a major goal of this course is to explain not just what molecular biologists know, but how they know it.  Thus, while covering selected topics in gene regulation, development, and cancer, we will emphasize the methods, experimental design, history, and deductive reasoning that has led to the current state of understanding of these topics. This course will meet all of the learning goals of the MBB major.

The course will be taught by three faculty members from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Drs. Ken Irvine, Ruth Steward, and Eileen White.  Each faculty member will give ~8 lectures.  Because we are focusing on current topics, there is no textbook, but there will be assigned readings and literature research from the primary literature, and where appropriate, background reference material will be recommended by the instructors.  Materials for the course will be posted on an e-college for the course. An i-clicker is required for Dr. Irvine’s section of the course.

There will be three exams over the semester that will cover the material presented in class; there will not be a cumulative final exam.  Each exam will count for 25% of the grade.  In addition, there will be problem sets, in class quizzes, and/or other assignments that together will count for the remaining 25% of the grade.  Absence from exams will be excused only in the case of serious illness or family emergency, and only when backed up by appropriate documentation.  Requests for regrades must be submitted within 72 hours of return of the exam.

Lecture Schedule
Class
Instructor Topic
1
Irvine Course Introduction & Review of some Fundamental Concepts in Molecular Biology
2
Steward

Drosophila as a model system:  genetics and development

3
Steward Cloning genes in Drosophila:  basic techniques
4
Steward

Cloning genes in Drosophila:  enhancer trap, walking along the chromosome, transformation rescue First problem set handed out

5
Steward Genomics and micro RNAs
6
Steward

Control of gene expression in development:  activated and repressed promoters First Problem Set Due

7
Steward Prenatal diagnosis/ Inherited diseases in humans
8
Steward Gene therapy
9
Steward Personalized genomics
10
Steward Exam 1 (covers lectures 2-9 and readings)
11
Irvine Signal transduction
12
Irvine Overview of Canonical Wnt Signaling
13
Irvine Genetic approaches toward identifying & ordering genes in a pathway
14
Irvine

Morphogens and Extracellular Regulation of Wnt Signaling Second problem set handed out

15
Irvine Biochemical & Cell biological analysis of cytoplasmic & nuclear events in Wnt Signaling I
    Spring Break
16
Irvine

Biochemical & Cell biological analysis of cytoplasmic & nuclear events in Wnt Signaling II Second problem set due

17
Irvine Downstream of Wnt Signaling:  Transcriptional responses & Cellular Outcomes
18
Irvine Wnt Signaling Summary and Review
19
Irvine Exam 2 (covers lectures 1 and 11-18 and readings)
20
White Cancer Definition, Incidence, and Cause
21
White Oncogenes:  Discovery and Function
22
White The Role of Activated Ras in Human Cancer
23
White Transgenic and Knockout Technology in Cancer Research
24
White

Tumor Suppressor Genes:  Rb and p53 Third problem set handed out

25
White p53 (paper 1)
26
White

Rb (paper 2) Third problem set due

27
White Multistep Carcinogenesis
28
White Exam 3 (covers lectures 20-27 and readings)

last updated 11/14/2009