Description

Developmental Biology is one of the fundamental modern biological disciplines. This course provides an in-depth examination of the basic cellular, molecular, and genetic mechanisms by which a fertilized egg transforms into an organism with fully differentiated and functioning tissues and organs. Topics covered will include cell-to-cell communication, embryo patterning, tissue morphogenesis, cell differentiation, progenitor cells, advantages and disadvantages of classical and genetic model organisms for analyzing development, postembryonic development and regeneration, and the profound implications of developmental biology for medicine. The course is divided into hands-on lab modules, utilizing primary model organisms to examine the basic principles of developmental biology and will discuss current debates and recent findings that have yet to be simplified for textbook presentation.