Course policies, assignments, and grading can be found here.


Genetics 212 Spring 2009 Detailed Syllabus


Time: 10:50 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.

Room: SCIC 123

Problem Solving Sessions: Mondays from 3:45-4:30 pm in Room 203

                                       Fridays from 3:45-4:30 pm in Room 218


January 13th   Course Introduction

  1. •Syllabus (pdf)

  2. •Introduction to the eBook

  3. •Introduction to GenEthics Blog

  4. •In Class Movie Clip: Instructions for a Human Being and Getting the Letters Out


January 15th   DNA: Our Common Genetic Heritage

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf)

  2. •Chapter 1: pp 1-15,

  3. •Chapter 2: pp 17-42 (Required sections highlighted and discussed in the eBook)

  4. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria and Cystic Fibrosis pp 156-158

  5. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 2: 20, 26, 31, 36


January 20th-22nd    Genetic Variation: Molecular Mechanisms of Mutation                              

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf) (ppt)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Cystic Fibrosis-Finding Cures is Hard

  3. •Chapter 10:  pp 266-283, Table 10.5

  4. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria

  5. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 10: 16-22, 24, 25, 27


January 27th Mendelian Genetics: A Review                             

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf) (ppt)

  2. •Chapter 3: pp 43-64

  3. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria pp 156-158

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 3: All the end of chapter problems


January 29th  Genetics Movie Night:  Race - The Power of an Illusion

  1. •Feldman et al, (2003) A Genetic Melting pot, Nature 424: 374


February 3rd   Modifications of Mendelian Genetics: From Genotype to Phenotype                                               

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf) (ppt)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Cystic Fibrosis-Complexity in Proteins

  3. •Chapter 5: pp 99-113, 122-124

  4. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria pp 156-158

  5. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 5:13-32


Problem Set 1 Due Before Class Begins on February 5th (pdf of Assignment)


February 5th    The Genetics of Sex                                                                        

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf) (ppt)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Human Sex Determination-Messages in the Genes

  3. •Chapter 4: pp 73-91

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 4: 17, 22-31, 35-38, 40-41


February 10th   Exam 1: Material Through Feb. 3rd (Introduction to Mod. of Mendel)

  1. •Review Sheet (pdf)

  2. •Practice Exam Problems (pdf)

  3. •Practice Exam Problems Answers (pdf)


February 12th   Human Mendelian Traits and Pedigrees                              

  1. •Lecture Notes (pdf) (ppt)

  2. •Chapter 6: pp 134-142

  3. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria pp 156-158

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 6: 17-26


February 17th   Linkage and Recombination

  1. •Lecture Notes (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •Chapter 7: pp 160-181

  3. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 7: 13-31


February 19th Recombination and Mapping, continued


February 24th  Bacterial Genetics                                  

  1. •Lecture Notes (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Resistant Tuberculosis

  3. •Chapter 8: pp 200-218

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 8: 15-25


Problem Set 2 Due Before Class Begins on February 26th (pdf of the Assignment)


February 26th  Viral Genetics: Bacteriophage                           

  1. •Lecture Notes (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •Chapter 8: pp 218-227 (not transduction)

  3. •Suggested Problems: Ch. 8: 26-31, 34-35


March 3rd and 5th  Spring Break


March 10th   Viral Genetics: Human Immunodeficiency Virus                                 

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: HIV Evolution and Drug Treatment

  3. •Chapter 8: pp 228-230

  4. •“A Case for Evolutionary Thinking: Understanding HIV” (pdf)

     Evolutionary Analysis, Chapter 1, by Freeman and Herron, 3rd Edition.  Pp 3-17, 22-30


March 12th   Exam II: Material Through Feb 24th (Modifications of Mendel to Recombination)

  1. •Review Sheet (pdf)

  2. •Practice Exam Problems (pdf)

  3. •Practice Exam Problems Answers


March 17th   Viral Genetics: Avian Influenza

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Pandemic Flu

  3. •“Flu Virus Evolution” Evolutionary Analysis, Chapter 13, Pp503-509. (Handed out in class)

  4. •NIAID Handout (pdf)

  5. •If you are interested in Avian Flu: The Nature In Focus Avian Flu Website


March 19th    Transposable Elements and Evolving Genomes

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •Chapter 11 in eBook: Sections 11.5-11.7 (see annotations and notes in eBook)

  3. •Molecular Biology of the Cell, pp287-292 (handed out in class)

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 11: 30-33, 35-39


Problem Set 3 Due Before Class Begins on March 31st   (pdf) (Answers.pdf)


April 2nd    Exam III: Material through March 24th (Bacterial Genetics to Transposons)

  1. •Review Sheet (pdf)

  2. •Practice Exam Problems (pdf)

  3. •Practice Exam Problems Answers (pdf)


March 31st   Molecular Mechanisms of Chromosomal Variation

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •Chapter 9: pp 237-254, Chapter 11: figure 11.19 (eBook)

  3. •Lupski, JR (1998) Genomic Disorders: structural features of the genome can lead to DNA rearrangements and human disease traits. TIG 14: 417-422.

  4. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch. 9: 19-21,  23 (not b, c, and g), 24, 33, 34, 37


April 7th  Cancer Genetics and Pharmacogenetics                       

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Breast Cancer-A Family Disease

  3. •Chapter 23 in eBook (see annotations and notes in eBook)

  4. •CSHL Cancer Multimedia Site

  5. •NIH Tamoxifen Site

  6. •Suggested Problems (pdf): Ch 23: 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33


April 9th   Sequence Variation and Forensic Genetics                        

  1. •Lecture Notes: (ppt) (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: DNA Databases

  3. •Jobling and Gill (2004) Encoded Evidence: DNA in Forensic Analysis. Nat Rev Genetics 5: 739-751

  4. •“Scientists Report Genetic Finding that could Aid Anthrax Inquiry”. NY Times, January 22, 2002. (Handed out in class) 


April 14th  Genetics Movie Night: Race-The Power of an Illusion


April 16th  Mapping Mendelian Human Diseases I                      

  1. •Lecture Notes: (pdf)

  2. •Mapping human genes handout (pdf)

  3. •Practice Problems (pdf)

  4. •Practice Problem Answers (pdf)


Problem Set 4 Due Before Class Begins on April 21st   (Problem Set 4.pdf)


April 21st  Mapping Mendelian Human Diseases II                        

  1. •Lecture Notes: (pdf)

  2. •In Class Movie Clip: Iceland-Finding Disease Genes

  3. •D. Drayna. “Founder Mutations” Sci.Am. Oct 2005, pp 78-86. (pdf)

  4. •Integrative Case Study: Phenylketonuria

 

April 23rd   Epigenetics

  1. •Lecture Notes: (pdf)


April 30th     Final Exam: Exam VI (Chrom Var through Epigenetics) and Cumulative Section

                    Room 123, 8:00-11:00 a.m.

  1. •Review Sheet (pdf)

  2. •Practice Exam Problems (pdf)

  3. •Practice Exam Problems Answers (pdf)

Genetics

Genetics is one of those fields that affects the way we think about everything else in Biology.  Far from being a historical subject, genetics is at the leading edge of modern biological research.  This course will be a rigorous introduction to the fundamentals of genetics.  Along the way, we will explore how modern genetic research is done, the technologies that it has led to, and the big unanswered questions that are still out there.  Finally, science is not done in a vacuum; it is a human endeavor that is pursued within a larger social context.   Throughout the course, we will be thinking about genetics and the ways it is changing the society that we live in.


Course Goals

1. To give you a solid understanding of the principles underlying the field of genetics.

  1. 2.To give you an appreciation of the role genetics plays in all areas of the biological sciences.

Required Readings: The text is only available at the University Bookstore on King Street.


Transmission and Population Genetics

3rd Edition, by Benjamin Pierce,

with eBook Access Card


This is the main text for the course.   All assigned chapter readings will come from this text. I am not responsible for page number discrepancies with other editions of the text.


Pierce eBook:  We will be using the eBook function of the text book.  It can be accessed here after you have purchased your textbook.  You can subscribe to my annotated version of the text where I have highlighted passages, commented on important aspects of the reading, and included links to outside websites.


GenEthics Blog:  I am going to run a blog about cutting edge developments in genetics and genomics.  It will primarily focus on interesting findings and ethical issues surrounding the sequencing of personal genomes.  We will chat about my postings during the class break each day.  You will have the opportunity to earn extra credit by participating in discussions on the blog.