Laboratory in Molecular Genetics
Fall 2002
INSTRUCTORS:
Dr. David Straney
Office: Room 2222 H. J. Patterson Hall
Phone: (301) 405-1622
email: Straney@umail.umd.edu
TA:
Chunxin Wang“Black”
Office: 3236H. J. Patterson Hall
Phone: (301) 405-7927email: cxwang@wam.umd.edu
OVERVIEW
Genetics
offers a means of studying how organisms function, ranging from molecular
interactions within cells to their ecological interactions in the environment.
With molecular genetics, components can be defined, characterized and manipulated
to suit experimental conditions or for the alteration of the organism for
human uses. Molecular genetics uses much the same sort of analysis as classical
genetics (mutants, segregation, phenotypes) but extends the tools and the
ability to define components to the molecular level.
Molecular
genetics can be used for any organism. Model organisms are ones that possess
characteristics that allow rapid analysis and where use of one species
provides the sharing of tools and maps. However, focus upon only one simple
model organism provides only a glimpse of the mechanisms that drive the
diversity and evolution in biology. Plants offer a balance of an ease of
analysis with a high degree of complexity in developmental and biochemical
traits.The diversity in form, function
and metabolites among different plants has provided the basis of food,
medicines and many other human needs.Arabidopsis
thaliana is a genetic model for plants because of its small size, fast
generation time, and small genome. We will use Arabidopsis in this laboratory
for these same reasons and because it offers access to cutting-edge tools
in molecular manipulation and genomics databases in the research community.
LAB PROJECTS: (more complete summaries here)
The aim of the course is to introduce the approaches molecular genetics used to answer biology-based questions, rather than providing an exercise in techniques. The syllabus is organized around four projects that represent different approaches towards defining genes and understanding their function.
These are:
i) Phenotypic
screen for developmental and response mutants
ii) PCR-based cloning and characterization of a member of
a gene family using sequence databases
iii) Plant transformation
with promoter-reporter gene fusions in order to analyze expression patterns
of a promoter in a whole plant
iv) Genomic mapping of a Phenotypic mutant using molecular markers
Schedule and Web Links By Project:
Project 3: Plant Transformation
last modified Jan 25, 2002