MDI Biological Laboratory

MDI Biological Laboratory
HomeEducationCoursesDevelopmental Biology: COA 2014

Developmental Biology: COA 2014

A one-week laboratory short course for undergraduate students from College of the Atlantic
Location: MDI Biological Laboratory (travel information)
Contact Education Office

This is a hands-on laboratory course in developmental biology for students at College of the Atlantic . The curriculum will mix intensive, hands-on laboratory work with several informal seminars.

Students will learn how to use a microscope to observe embryonic development (what to look for) in order to know what normal development looks like. Then they will learn to recognize environmentally-induced abnormal development, and to do so well enough to come up with an informed hypothesis for what aspect of development is perturbed based on what is covered in lecture .

Students will also learn how to measure gene expression using quantitative RT-PCR in order to test hypotheses.

Students will learn how genetic inheritance controls development and how the environment perturbs development by way of altered gene expression.

 

Partner

Monday 3/24 Tuesday 3/25 Wednesday 3/26 Thursday 3/27 Friday 3/28
9-12 Davis Classroom:
Complete pre-course survey
Course orientation and Lecture 1: Questions and concepts in developmental biology

Training Lab: Fertilization; set up cortisol treatments		 Davis Classroom:
Lecture 3: Methods in developmental biology

Training Lab: Examine 1 day embryos under microscope; collect and freeze 1 day samples for RNA prep		 Cancelled due to blizzard(Jim will freeze 2 day embryo samples for qRT-PCR analysis) Lab: Extract RNA and prepare cDNA from 1d and 2d embryo samplesExamine and image 3 day embryos Lab: Examine and image 4 day embryos
Q-PCR data analysis
Noon Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch
1-5 Davis Classroom:
Lecture 2: Developmental plasticity and programming; overview of zebrafish development

Training Lab: Observe early development with stereo microscopes		 Kinne Library:
Lecture 4: Bioinformatics

Training Lab: Microscopic imaging of embryos		 Run Quantitative PCR Finish Q-PCR data analysisDiscuss plan for remainder of course (weekly Wed afternoon lectures/discussions at COA)
Complete course evaluation

 

Students reside off campus.

Connect