---
# System prepended metadata

title: BI347 Comparative Developmental Cell Biology

---

> []# BI347 Comparative Developmental Cell Biology

Syllabus - Colby College - January 2026

![](https://i.imgur.com/bSTKOfM.jpg)

## Instructors

**[Dr. Christina D. Cota](https://www.colby.edu/people/people-directory/christina-cota/)**
cdcota@colby.edu

### Colby Guest Lecturer/Scientist

**[Dr. Anna Forsman](https://www.colby.edu/people/people-directory/anna-forsman/)** 
aforsman@colby.edu 

**[Dr. Dave Angelini](https://www.colby.edu/people/people-directory/dave-angelini/)** 
drangeli@colby.edu 

### Guest Lecturer/Scientists

[Dr. Sydney Popsuj](https://www.tunicates.org/people)
[Dr. Nipam Patel](https://www.mbl.edu/about/leadership/nipam-patel-director)
[Dr. Carsten Wolff](https://www.patellab.net/portfolio-item/carsten-wolff/)
[Dr. Jenny McCarthy-Taylor](https://www.albertinlab.org/)
[Gabby Jerz](https://www.patellab.net/)
[Neeharika Verma](https://www.patellab.net/)
[Dr. Beverly Naigles](www.theswartzlab.org)
[Dr. Zak Swartz](www.theswartzlab.org)


## Meetings Times

**Week 1 and Week 4 (Colby): Mudd 311**
MTWThF 10:30-12pm
TWTh 1-4pm

**Week 2 and Week 3 (MBL):**
Please refer to the course Moodle for the most up to date schedule

## Prerequisites
BI227 Cell Biology or BI279 Genetics, or instructor authorization

## Course description
Our current understanding of biology is built on studies of numerous model species, using a shared set of investigative approaches and experimental methods. In this intensive course, students will practice many of these methods in investigations of several invertebrate animal models. We will examine the synthesis and regulation of melanic pigmentation, applying techniques from microscopy, cell biology, embryology and developmental biology, genomics and genetics. Students will be required to design, execute and present the results of their own experiments. The course will be conducted at the [Marine Biological Laboratory](https://www.mbl.edu/) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, which presents unparalleled technical resources and expertise. Students will also have the opportunity to interact with MBL staff, and learn about the institution's history in the growth of biological knowledge.

## The setting
Course activities center on hands-on examination of live animals and cells. Planned activities will build skills in molecular biology, microscopy, and experimental manipulation of the model systems. We will discuss experimental design, and students will have several opportunities to plan and conduct their own experiments with faculty and staff support. Lab activities will be interspersed with short lectures covering fundamental concepts of comparative biology, cell and developmental biology, and the use of current methods in those fields. We will also read and discuss current literature in these areas. 

The Marine Biological Laboratory ([MBL](https://www.mbl.edu/)) is a private international center for biological research and education, located in [Woods Hole, Massachusetts](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Marine+Biological+Laboratory/@41.5256351,-71.7930317,8z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x89e4d886d3a35f5d:0xbd6dcdc149d1a8c!8m2!3d41.5256369!4d-70.6724274), and affiliated with the [University of Chicago](https://www.mbl.edu/uc-affiliation/). In its 133-year history MBL has been the setting for several of the most important discoveries in modern biology. It runs annual summer courses at the graduate level, which are renowned for their rigor and intensity. To date, 58 Nobel prizes winners have been associated with the MBL. The facilities and staff of the MBL offer a unique intellectual environment and educational opportunity for Colby students. 

## The research topic
Diverse animals produce melanin for purposes ranging from light perception, immune defense, thermal regulation, evading predators, signaling conspecifics, warning rivals, and attracting mates. The biochemical synthesis of melanin is well-understood. However, the cellular production of melanin and its trafficking and distribution within cells and tissues is complex and varies among species. The regulation of melanin production is understood in only a few instances, but patterns of expression have enormous diversity within and among species. This course will use melanin production as a unifying research topic as we examine diverse animal models and explore various methods of investigation and experimentation.

### Online resources
Moodle ( http://moodle.colby.edu/ ) will be the primary electronic method of contact for this course. Announcements and material related to the course will be posted there frequently, so please check the site on a regular basis. On the site you will also find the course syllabus and the schedule of topics, assignments, and PDF files from lecture slides. 	

## Assessments
Final grades for the course will be calculated based on a 1000 point total as listed below. 

|   | points  |
|:--|--:|
| Quizzes | 200 |
| Course/Discussion participation | 150 |
| Lab/Homework assignments | 250 |
| Progress presentations | 150 |
| Final presentation | 250 |

## Tentative Course Schedule*
*This schedule is subject to change. Please refer to the course Moodle site ( http://moodle.colby.edu/ ) daily for the most up to date information regarding.


---

## Week 1, @Colby


---

#### Concepts / lecture content
- Why a comparative approach?
- Model systems
- How do you come up with questions in biology? (How to ask a question, what technqiues, tools, etc)
- Knockouts, Knockins, expression patterns (HCR)
- Reading literature for the Big Picture ([Wnt signaling underlies evolution and development of the butterfly wing pattern symmetry systems](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012160614004229?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=8426c8a7a8a04ccc))

#### Lab 
- Making observations; butterfly pigmentation
- Paper Discussions, How CRISPR works in Butterflies


---

## Week 2, @MBL

#### Concepts / lecture content
- 
- Butterfly pigmentation/patterning and structural coloration with the Director of MBL, Nipam Patel, Ph.D. (http://www.patellab.net/)
- Special Topics in pigmentation research: Arthropods, Cephalopods, Birds, 


#### Lab 
- Setting up in the lab
- Light microscopy/taking pictures (Butterfly wings)
- Imaginal Wing Disc Collection
- Bird Egg Pigmentation
- Hybridization chain reaction (HRC)


---

### Week 3, @MBL

#### Concepts / lecture content

- CRISPR/Cas9 in Ciona
- Quantitative gene expression analysis with Dr. Dave Angelini: qRT-PCR
- Model systems research: *Ciona robusta*, Echinoderms
- Preparing effective scientific figures

#### Lab
- qRT-PCR
- *Ciona robusta* Electroporations/CRISPR
- Imaging HCR

#### Enrichments

- MBL CMF Tour (https://www.mbl.edu/research/resources-research-facilities/central-microscopy-facility)
- History of MBL/Tour of the Rare Books Collection (https://www.mbl.edu/research/mblwhoi-library)
- MRC Tour (https://www.mbl.edu/research/resources-research-facilities/marine-resources-center)
- MBL Gift Shop (https://giftshop.mbl.edu/)


---

## Week 4, @Colby
#### Concepts / lecture content
- Scientific communication to a general audience 
- Graphic design principles for effective communication
- Effective poster design and presentation
- Human Pigmentation

#### Lab
- Students use a majority of time to finish analysis of data collected at MBL and prepare presentations
- Final presentation of independent projects


---

### Potential Extracurricular Activities

- Visiting Falmouth, MA
-  [Nature walks](https://www.alltrails.com/us/massachusetts/woods-hole) around Woods Hole
- Biology movie series 
- Game night at MBL





---


---


## Academic Support
If you experience difficulty in this course for any reason, a wide range of services are available from the College to support you. Please review these resources and reach out as necessary. 

- First, please speak with your instructor early if you are having trouble in the course. 
- The [Farnham Writing Center](https://web.colby.edu/writers-center/) offers support for students on basic writing and reading skills.
- The [Office of the Dean of Studies](https://life.colby.edu/get-support/) offers services for students with learning differences. If you suspect you have a learning difference that might require accommodations in this course, please inquire with the Dean of Students Office.
- [Counseling Services](https://life.colby.edu/your-health/counseling-services/) (x4460) provided from the Health Center offer professional, confidential consultations regarding family problems, stress, depression, cultural adjustments, concerns with sexuality, alcohol and drug use, trauma and other personal issues.

## Academic honesty 
Honesty, integrity, and personal responsibility are cornerstones of a Colby education and provide the foundation for scholarly inquiry, intellectual discourse, and an open and welcoming campus community. These values are articulated in the [Colby Affirmation](https://www.colby.edu/academicintegrity/the-colby-affirmation/) and are central to this course. Students are expected to demonstrate [academic honesty](https://www.colby.edu/academicintegrity/) in all aspects of this course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism (including quoting sources without quotation marks around the borrowed words and a citation); claiming another’s work or a modification of another’s work as one’s own; buying or attempting to buy papers or projects for a course; fabricating information or citations; knowingly assisting others in acts of academic dishonesty; violating clearly stated rules for taking an exam; misrepresentations to faculty within the context of a course; and submitting the same work, including an essay that you wrote, in more than one course. Sanctions for academic dishonesty are assigned by an academic review board and may include failure on the assignment, failure in the course, suspension or expulsion from the College. For more information on recognizing and avoiding plagiarism, see these guides:

- http://libguides.colby.edu/avoidingplagiarism
- http://web.colby.edu/farnham-writerscenter/academic-honesty/ 

## Sustainability 
Environmental degradation is a serious biological and societal issue. [Colby](https://www.colby.edu/green/) is committed to practices that promote sustainable living. To help minimize the environmental impact of this course, please minimize paper use by reading slides on a device when possible, rather than printing copies. It is acceptable to take notes on a laptop or tablet during class. If you choose to print, please print double-sided on recycled paper. Multiple slides may be printed to a single sheet. And please recycle unwanted paper after the end of the semester. 

## COVID-19 Policies

- Information regarding the Colby Covid-19 policies can be found at:
https://www.colby.edu/communications/covid-19/covid-19-health-and-safety.html
- Information regarding the Covid-19 safety policies at MBL can be found at: 
https://goforward.mbl.edu/
https://goforward.mbl.edu/guide-for-addressing-confirmed-or-suspected-covid-19-exposures/

Noncompliance with Covid-19 Health and Safety Protocols may also result in sanctions including warnings, probation, restorative justice measures, campus or community service, loss of or restrictions upon social or travel privileges, or loss of the opportunity to attend College activities or events in person, removal from College housing, loss of student employment or off-campus study opportunities, suspension and expulsion (https://my.colby.edu/ICS/COVID-19_Student_Policy.jnz). 
