Genetics and Genomics - GEGE2001

The era of genomics has revolutionised our approach to biology. Recent breakthroughs in genetics and genomic technologies have led to improvements in human and animal health, in breeding and selection of economically important organisms and in the curation and care of wild species and complex ecosystems. In this unit, students will investigate/describe ways in which modern biology uses genetics and genomics to study life, from the unicellular through to complex multicellular organisms and their interactions in communities and ecosystems. This unit includes a solid foundation in classical Mendelian genetics and its extensions into quantitative and population genetics. It also examines how our ability to sequence whole genomes has changed our capacities and our understanding of biology. Links between DNA, phenotype and the performance of organisms and ecosystems will be highlighted. The unit will examine the profound insights that modern molecular techniques have enabled in the fields of developmental biology, gene regulation, population genetics and molecular evolution.

Classes
Two lectures; one 3-hour practical session; and one peer assisted study session on a weekly basis

Assessment
Assignments, quizzes and presentation (50%), final exam (50%)

Assumed knowledge
Mendellian genetics, mechanisms of evolution, molecular and chromosomal bases of inheritance, and gene regulation and expression.

GENE2002 or MBLG2972 or GEGE2901 or MBLG2072