Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Learn about the most recent theory and techniques in evolutionary and developmental biology with an emphasis on the underlying molecular genomics. Trace the history of animal body plans, and consider the genetic toolkits responsible for this evolution. Examine recent advances in decoding the genomes of various animals, plants and microbes. Through class presentations, critically analyze research in developmental biology and present findings on topics such as comparative genomics, the evolution of transcription factors and signal transduction molecules and their relation to the evolution and diversification of the various complex body plans present through history.