Each student must take three of the four courses that make up the second-year program covering fundamental topics in genetics and development. All students are required to complete the program core before the end of the second year of study, and it is anticipated that most will complete the elective requirement by then as well. Students also participate in the program seminar series each year. At the end of the second year of study, each student takes a qualifying exam by preparing an original research proposal and by defending it before a panel of program faculty. Course Descriptions 5102 Gene Regulation Gene Regulation expands the fundamental concepts studied in the first-year Core Course, emphasizing experimental strategies, reading of the primary literature, critical evaluation of data and student discussion.
Topics change to keep current with advances in the field.
Topics that may be covered include the nucleoprotein complex of the core transcriptional promoter, regulation of the core promoter by upstream elements, transcription factors, transcriptional modulation, cell-specific transcription and the transcriptional regulation of development. Classwork includes in-depth discussion of research papers that demonstrate modern genetic analyses of various topics in yeast, C. elegans and Drosophila. Topics adopted from current literature typically include the nature of mutations, control of the cell cycle, principles of recombination and meiotic inheritance, genetic analysis of gene expression and development, and genetic dissection of biochemical and signal-transduction pathways. This course follows the same format as 5106 and concentrates on the application of genetic methods to current research in mammalian animals, including humans. Featured topics include the use of the mouse as a model system for studying mammalian development and physiology and the application of genetic analyses to studying human disease.