NOTE: Lectures will be in English
Contents
To illustrate the molecular/genetic mechanisms that regulates the development of insects, vertebrates, and flowering plants, with special emprasis on genes and signal molecules.
In the course we vill first discuss the morphological development of model-organisms as fruitfly, mouse and flowering plants. The principles of genetic determination of developmental routes for cells in organisms vill be underlined and the involved signal molecules presented. Thereafter, we will deal with examples of organ development and genetical regulatory mechanisms from the various model organisms, and stress the parallell use of molecular end cellular mechanisms.
In the theoretical exercises original literatur on molecular development of fruitfly, vertebrates and flowering plants will be discussed in groups. The practical exercises will contain demonstrations of the morphological processes during embryo development in mouse and Lotus japonicum. This will include whole organism staining for lac-Z of mutants. The student experiments will cover the growth of differentiating muscle cells, that will be analysed morphologically and with immunostaining and Northen blotting.
Form and extent: 2 hours lectures pr. week, 2 hours confrontations pr. week for 11 weeks, 8 x 4 hours laboratory exercises over two weeks.
Compulsory program: Theoretical exercises and confrontations.
Qualifications: Molecular Biology A, or the C-modul Signal Molecules/Pathways in development.
Text-books
Scott F. Gilbert: "Developmental Biology", 6th edition, Sinauer Inc. 2000.
Evaluation
Individual reports on 7-days "take home" problem, graded on the 13 point scale with concurrence of an external examiner.
ECTS-credits
10