Biology 122 2014 Molecular Genetics

Jim Haber

Rosenstiel 302 Office hours: 11 am Mondays or by appointment

T Th 2:00-3:20 pm, Rosenstiel 118

This is a literature-based class for students who have already taken a basic course in genetics and molecular biology. Organized somewhat historically, we will explore how genetic approaches have elucidated the nature of the gene and its regulation and the analysis of gene function. In other words, it’s a course on genetic thinking, with increasingly large doses of molecular biology added in.

Students will be assigned one or more papers that will form the basis of part of the next lecture/discussion. To facilitate this discussion, students will be required to post one question about the reading prior to class. There will be one hour exam and a final, probably to be administered on the last class, but subject to discussion. In addition each student will be responsible to identify and present to the rest of the class, using Powerpoint/Keynote, a topics that he/she found particularly creative in using genetic approaches to delve into the mysteries of cell growth and development. Details of the presentation will be provided later.

Students needing accommodation for exams of other assignments should notify me as soon as possible.

Note that I will discuss Herman Muller’s paper in the first class. It will be posted on the LATTE site. It’s long and has some genetics you may not have been previously exposed to. Still, read some of it.

Note: This syllabus is subject to mutation.

Four-Credit Course (with three hours of class-time per week)

Success in this 4 credit hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.).

Academic credit is based on time spent in the classroom, as well as time spent studying for class. According to NEASC guidelines, students who are spending three hours per week in a class should be spending nine hours per week in preparation for class. Four-credit classes which meet for more (or less) than three hours per week should state classroom and preparation hours which total to 12 hours. When NEASC reviews Brandeis for reaccreditation, it will be examining sample syllabi from multiple departments and will be independently evaluating if out-of class requirements meet academic credit standards. Therefore, your help with this initiative is very important.

1/14 / Introduction: Solving Problems by Thinking Genetically
Variation due to change in the individual gene (Muller 1922)
1/19 / The most beautiful genetic experiment.
On the impossibility of all overlapping triplet codes (Brenner 1957). Demonstration of the general nature of the genetic code by frameshift reversion (Crick et al 1961)
1/21 / Conditional mutations: Nonsense mutants and their suppressors. Ts and cs. Shut-off constructs. Degrons. Anchors away. Ordering of genes in pathways
1/26 / Forward and reverse mutagenesis: the example of mismatch repair genes
Seeing mutations in living cells
1/28 / Dominant-negative interactions. Suppression and synthetic lethality
Pathway analysis.
2/2 / Gene targeting, gene modification in yeast and E. coli
Insertions, Knockouts, barcodes. Selection and screening. Church’s TAG project. Swapping tags.
2/4 / Yeast genetic analysis: Complementation and epistasis groups.
Tetrads and Synthetic Genetic Arrays. E-MAPs
Species specificity: yeast v human.
2/9 / Four ways to solve a problem (NEJ1)
2/11 / More suppressors: recessive, gain-of-function, overexpression.
2/16, 2/18 / vacation
2/17-21 / Hour (and a half) exam
2/25 / RNAi (Lau)
3/1 / Gene mapping: Old school/new school
3/3 / Mammalian gene targeting and ablation. The CRISPR revolution
Essential mammalian genes
3/8 / Protein-protein interactions and proteomics
Two hybrids. Split ubiquitin screen. FK506.
3/10 / “P-maps” Finding viral targets
3/15 / Tissue-specific drivers in flies and mice
Optogenetics
3/17 / Site specific recombination. Cre/Lox and FLP and their many applications
3/13 / Haploinsufficiency Tumor suppressors and oncogenes
3/22 / Dosage compensation in worms and flies
3/24 / Imprinting
3/29 / Sex determination and mammalian dosage compensation
3/31 / Dealer’s choice
4/5 / Dealer’s choice
4/7 / Student presentations (1)
4/12 / Student presentations (2)
4/14 / Student presentations (3)
4/19 / Student presentations (4)
4/21 / Last class
4/15-22 / vacation
?? / Final exam