Proposal to Add a New Graduate Course Last revised: September 24, 2013 1. Date: 10/8/2013 2. Department requesting this course: MCB 3. Semester and year in which course will be first offered: Fall, 2014 Final Catalog Listing MCB 5219 Developmental and Regenerative Biology. 3 credits. Lecture. Open to graduate students in MCB, others by permission. Not open to students who have passed MCB 3219 or 4219. Principles of animal embryonic development and regeneration with emphasis on the cellular and molecular basis of pattern formation and cell differentiation in a variety of model organisms. Relevance to human development, disease and therapeutic applications will be emphasized. Items Included in Catalog Listing Obligatory Items 1. Abbreviation for Department, Program or Subject Area: MCB 2. Course Number: 5219 (cross listed as MCB 3219)  3. Course Title: Developmental and Regenerative Biology 4. Number of Credits (use digits, “3” not “three”): 3 5. Course Description (second paragraph of catalog entry): Principles of embryogenesis, pattern formation, cell differentiation, regeneration, and stem cells in several experimental systems, including the mouse, fruit fly, amphibians, and marine invertebrates. Relevance of these systems to human development and disease will be emphasized. 6. Course Type, if appropriate: _X_Lecture __ Laboratory __ Seminar __ Practicum Optional Items 7. Prerequisites, if applicable: 8. Recommended Preparation, if applicable: Undergraduate courses in cell biology and genetics 9. Consent of Instructor, if applicable: 10. Exclusions, if applicable: 11. Repetition for credit, if applicable:

12. S/U grading: Justification 1. Reasons for adding this course: I currently teach Developmental Biology, which has a 4000 designation (4219) so that graduate students can receive undergraduate credit that would count towards their credit requirements. Addition of this 5000 level graduate section, which would be taught concurrently with the undergraduate section (which will be renumbers MCB 3219), will allow graduate students to receive graduate credit for the course. The graduate section would contain additional content and evaluative criteria (e.g. grant writing exercise, take home essay exams). Note that Developmental Biology was offered as a dual, undergraduate/graduate course until 2009, when the University numbering system was changed and a 4000-level designation was adopted. 2. Academic merit: No other graduate course that focuses on developmental biology is currently offered at UCONN. The discipline, as well as my pedagogical approach, integrates and applies many of the concepts taught in key MCB classes, including Cell Biology and Genetics. 3. Overlapping courses: None 4. Number of students expected: 20 5. Number and size of sections: 1 section of 20 6. Effects on other departments: None 7. Staffing: Dr. David Goldhamer 8. Dates approved by Department Curriculum Committee: November 1, 2013 Department Faculty: November 15, 2013 9. Name, Phone Number, and e-mail address of principal contact

person: David J. Goldhamer, 486-8337, david.goldhamer@uconn.edu

Syllabus A draft syllabus is attached. Additional Approval New graduate courses must also be approved by the Graduate Faculty Council.

Syllabus-MCB 3219/5219 Developmental Biology

Fall 2014

Instructor: David J. Goldhamer, Ph.D. Professor Department of Molecular and Cell Biology G24 Biology-Physics Building Office phone: 486-8337 david.goldhamer@uconn.edu “Our real teacher has been and still is the embryo, who is, incidentally, the only teacher who is always right.” Viktor Hamburger “It is not birth, marriage or death, but gastrulation which is truly the most important time in your life.” Lewis Wolpert Course Description and Introduction: This course provides an introduction to animal development, emphasizing molecular, cellular and genetic mechanisms that regulate developmental processes. Embryology is the study of the emergence of living form, which occurs through a series of orderly changes that vary widely among species. At a fundamental level, however, there are remarkable similarities in the mechanisms by which animals develop. It is these similarities in gene regulatory networks, signaling mechanisms and cellular processes that will be emphasized. Yet, variations (sometimes enormous) on fundamental themes will also be highlighted to give a sense of the richness and diversity by which embryos of different species accomplish the monumental task of creating anew the next generation. Throughout the course, we will emphasize both classical and modern experimental approaches that have been used to unravel mechanisms of development. Hopefully, you will gain an appreciation for the process of discovery and a conceptual framework by which to understand and approach the study of development, as well as other disciplines. Although intellectual curiosity has driven the study of development since the times of Aristotle, we are fortunate to live in an age of an emerging understanding of the developmental mechanisms underlying a number of congenital defects. Thus, the practical value of understanding development is enormous; the relationship between embryology and medicine will be a theme that runs throughout the course. Prerequisites: Biology 1107. Strongly recommended preparation: MCB 2410 (Human Genetics) and 2210 (Cell Biology), or equivalents.

Office Hours: I will hold weekly office hours on Thursdays immediately following lecture in my office, G24 Biology-Physics. Class Meetings and Format: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:00-12:15 PM, Room 130, Biology-Physics Building. Lectures will begin promptly at 11:00 AM (timing is everything in development). Each lecture will be a combination of PowerPoint presentation, white board presentation and discussion. PowerPoint slides in pdf format will be available on HuskyCT by approximately 5PM on the day before each lecture. There will be an in-class review session during the class period preceding each exam. Each review session will be based on a take-home practice exam that will be posted on HuskyCT one week before the exam. Practice exams will be identical in style and difficulty to the real exams and are the best way to gauge your level of understanding of the course material. I strongly recommend that you take these practice exams seriously and work on them at home prior to the review sessions. Textbook: Two textbooks are strongly recommended but not required: 1) Developmental Biology 10th edition, 2013, by Scott Gilbert; 2) Principles of Development, 4th Edition, by Lewis Wolpert and Cheryll Tickle, 2011. The textbooks are meant to complement the lectures; I will not be lecturing from the textbooks. The texts can be valuable tools to solidify concepts and facts discussed in lecture, especially because the study of developmental biology involves new concepts and terminology that you will not have had in other courses. The textbooks also contain a wealth of interesting information that I simply do not have time to cover in lecture. In order to encourage exploration and more active learning, I will not assign specific reading for each lecture. Explore the textbooks and enjoy! Glossary: I have prepared a glossary (posted on HuskyCT) of many of the terms and concepts that will be discussed in class. I hope that you find it useful. Note: The textbooks also contain glossaries. Other Resources: Companion Website: (www.devbio.com): Excellent Web companion to Developmental Biology, 10th Edition that includes supplemental materials, details of some experiments not included in the textbook, historical perspectives, ethical issues raised by new technologies, and other information. Topics are referenced throughout the textbook. Access to the website does not require book purchase.

Vade Mecum3: Web resource to Developmental Biology, 10th Edition available to those who purchase the book. It provides an overview of life cycles and development of various species, interactive videos, and more. MGI (Mouse Genome Informatics; www.informatics.jax.org): The definitive international database of mouse development and disease, hosted by Jackson Laboratories. It provides comprehensive information on gene structure, expression, function and gene relationships across species (orthology). OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man; www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim): This is an excellent web site that catalogs human genes and genetic disorders. The database contains textual information, clinical synopses, reference information, links to Medline and pictures of genetic disorders. OMIM is maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Attendance: Attendance will not be recorded. However, consistent class attendance is essential to earn a good grade in the course. Grading: Exams will emphasize conceptual material, problem solving, and interpretation of data. There will be three in-class exams, each covering approximately one third of the course. Each exam will be worth 100 points and will include both multiple choice questions (approximately 60 points) and essay questions (approximately 40 points). The approximate grade cut-offs will be: A: 90-100%; B: 80-90%; C: 70-80%; D: 60-70%; F: below 60%. For any exam in which the class average is less than 75%, scores will be curved accordingly. As this is a dual level course, 3219 and 5219 students will be considered as separate groups for curving purposes. I will not offer any type of extra-credit assignment to improve one’s standing in the class, so please keep up with the material and seek extra help when needed. MCB 5219 Students Only: You will also have a grant-writing project related to a topic covered in class. The grant will be due at the end of the semester and is worth 150 points (1/3 of your grade). Instructions for this assignment will be provided in a separate document. University Policy on Academic Misconduct (excerpted from the Conduct Code): Academic misconduct in any form is in violation of the University of Connecticut Student Conduct Code and will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to; copying or sharing answers on tests or assignments, plagiarism, and having someone else do your academic work. Depending on the act, a student could receive an F grade on the test/assignment, F grade for the course, or could be suspended or expelled.

Lecture and Exam Schedule

Week Lecture Topic Notes

1

1 Course structure. Introduction to development, model organisms

2 Fertilization

2

3 Cleavage, cell fate, potency, and determination

4 Genomic equivalence I: evidence and exceptions

3

5 Genomic equivalence II: differential gene

expression, methods to study gene expression and function

6 The cytoplasmic environment and localized cytoplasmic determinants

4

7 Anterior-posterior patterning in Drosophila I: maternal genes, morphogens

8 Anterior-posterior patterning in Drosophila II: segmentation and segment identity

Practice exam questions posted

5

Review Most beneficial if you complete the practice exam prior to class.

First Midterm Exam Bring #2 Pencil

6

9 Axis formation in vertebrates

10 To be Determined

7

11 Germ layers and mesoderm induction

12 Neural induction, neural tube formation

8 13 Patterning of the neural tube

14 Anterior-posterior patterning, segmentation in vertebrates

9

15 Somite patterning and derivatives

16 Determination and differentiation programs: skeletal muscle I

Practice exam questions posted

10

17 Determination and differentiation programs: skeletal muscle II

Review Most beneficial if you complete the practice exam prior to class.

11

Second Midterm Exam Bring #2 Pencil

18 Neural Crest Cells

12 19 Development of sensory organs: the eye

20 Limb Development I

13

21 Limb Development II

22 Limb Regeneration

14

Thanksgiving Break

Practice exam questions posted

15

23 Stem Cells Course evaluations

Review Most beneficial if you complete the practice exam prior to class.

16 Final Exam (not cumulative) 10:30-12:30 Bring #2 Pencil

NOTE: Modifications to the lectures will be made so that stem cell therapeutics and regenerative medicine generally are discussed.