Course Description
An intensive, inquiry-based laboratory course in evolutionary biology using experimental, comparative, and computational approaches.
Athena Title
Evolutionary Biology Lab
Prerequisite
GENE 3000-3000D or GENE 3000H
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Area: Research This is primarily an inquiry-based laboratory course in evolutionary biology. Engagement: This is a 3-credit-hour course with a minimum of 6 hours in the lab per week. Mentorship: Students will have regular meetings with faculty to discuss the progress of their research. The faculty provides guidance and training on tools, techniques, and protocols in the lab. Challenge: Students will demonstrate and describe how systematic and in-depth inquiry into a evolutionary biological research problem contributes to the discovery or interpretation of knowledge significant in evolutionary biology. The goal in each semester is to produce student-driven discoveries in evolutionary biology. The faculty will instruct students in the specific laboratory and computational tools, techniques, and protocols available to answer student-generated research questions and mentor the students in how to analyze and present experimental results. Ownership: The faculty will provide appropriate background throughout the course, but a major feature of the course is that the student will be responsible for defining research questions, identifying how data will be collected to test a hypothesis, and interpreting the results. The faculty will help students identify gaps or unanswered questions in a specific area of evolutionary biology and mentor them to identify research questions that can be addressed in the context of the course. Research results are presented at the end of the semester to the class. In addition, a written report summarizes the inquiry and identifies both failures and successes in shaping further research questions. Self or Social Awareness: Faculty mentors will provide feedback and evaluation at all steps of the research process, including experimental design, conduct of experiments, analysis of data, interpretation of results, and presentation of results in oral or written form. Expected learning outcomes include: Evaluate gaps in knowledge in evolutionary biology. Develop research hypotheses and devise ways to address questions using a variety of experimental and computational approaches in evolutionary biology. Utilize and successfully use the tools of experimentation and the methods and techniques of experimental approaches to evolutionary biology. Perform experiments, collect data, analyze data, learn to interpret data, and draw appropriate conclusions from it. Produce lab report and public presentation of results.
Topical Outline
Each semester, students will define the research questions to be investigated within the following topics: Phylogenetic reconstruction Role of drift Mutation and selection in evolutionary change Host-parasite coevolution Comparative methods for testing adaptation Use of molecular markers in evolutionary studies Measuring heritability Response to artificial selection Genetic variation and genetic correlations in natural populations Experimental evolution in bacteria Effect of drift on allele frequencies Effect of inbreeding and mutation on fitness Measuring selection in the wild Phenotypic plasticity
Syllabus