HackMD
BI347JP: Comparative Developmental Cell Biology
Applications due 10/16/2024 Apply today!
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 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) is a private international center for biological research and education, located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and affiliated with the University of Chicago. 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 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.
Student Response to Comparative Developmental Cell Biology Course @MBL
“Colby Students Get Two Weeks of Inspiration at MBL”, MBL News, Jan 20, 2023.
“Through this course, I have learned so much biological content about pigmentation/coloration as well as about butterflies and cephalopods. I was challenged to try new laboratory protocols and I was exposed to current scientific research in a way that I have not seen before and in a way that makes me excited to keep learning more!”
- Anonymous student, BI397 Course Evaluation 2022
“I learned something everyday, especially with several guest speakers giving us lectures and showing us around the Marine Biological Laboratory.”
- Anonymous student, BI397 Course Evaluation 2022
“All the lectures, presentations, tours, and lab work were all so interesting and also challenging as they delved into topics that were still being researched on and in techniques that are continuously
being improved.”
- Anonymous student, BI397 Course Evaluation 2022
“There were many new concepts and experiments to learn that it was intellectually challenging. But it was very interesting as we learned through a variety of different means and I think that made it
fun to learn, as well as easy to retain the information we learned.”
- Anonymous student, BI397 Course Evaluation 2022
“The unique opportunity of a class being primarily lab and discussion based has heightened my interest in biology more than any other class while also promoting my learning of key fundamental concepts in development and genetics, exposing me to several model organisms, and how to network within the field.”
- Anonymous student, BI347 Course Evaluation 2023
“Learning how to do research in such high caliber techniques and at the MBL really promoted my intellectual curiosity…”
- Anonymous student, BI347 Course Evaluation 2023
“The techniques were hard to follow and perform but the collaborative nature of this class made it less daunting. There are not a lot of Jan-Plan biology courses that are able to excite students in a way this class excited me.”
- Anonymous student, BI347 Course Evaluation 2023
Instructors
Dr. Christina D. Cota
cdcota@colby.edu
Meetings Times
Week 1 and Week 4 (Colby): Olin 335
MTWThF 10:30-12pm
TWTh 1-3pm
Week 2 and Week 3 (MBL):
TBD (Please refer to the course Moodle for the most up to date schedule)
Prerequisites
BI227 Cell Biology or BI279 Genetics, or instructor authorization
