Developmental Genetics

How do complex, multicellular organisms develop from a fertilized egg in reproducible fashion? Genetic and molecular approaches carried out in model organisms, most notably the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, have deciphered the basic paradigms of this complicated set of events. The course will present the basic tools used in developmental genetic research, and the studies that uncovered the major signaling pathways operating during development. It will address questions such as how morphogen gradients are formed and interpreted, and what features account for their robust nature. We will also examine the links between cell biology and developmental signaling, and the pathways used to execute morphogenesis once developmental decisions have been made. At the end of the course, the students will have a grasp of how genetics can be used to decipher signaling events within the context of the whole organism, and how these concepts can be applied to both simple and higher organisms.