Credits 4.0 Lecture
MWF
Laboratory W
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Karen Moore, Assistant Professor
Office:
204F Bldg.
Phone: 392-1958
Fax: 392-5595
Email: kmoore@animal.ufl.edu
Course Website: www.animal.ufl.edu/ans6310
Office Hours: Contact instructor to arrange a convenient time to meet…I am here to help you.
EFFECTIVE TERM: Spring 2008
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Fundamentals of embryology with emphasis on current experimental approaches utilized in the research of normal and abnormal development of the early mammalian embryo.
PREREQUISITES: ANS 6751, BCH 5045, or consent of instructor.
COURSE FORMAT: Three one-hour lectures and one 2-hour lab per week. The course will be taught as a series of lectures and discussions in order to develop a general understanding of embryology and the experimental systems for studying early embryonic development. Students will also develop critical thinking skills and apply information presented in class to new scientific problems.
The lab will be devoted to hands-on exercises and demonstrations to emphasize topics covered in the lecture each week, and provide students with opportunities to gain experience with embryos and techniques used to study them.
Students will be required to critically review recent literature each week for in-class discussions, and prepare a research proposal utilizing some aspect of embryology described in the course. Students will give an oral presentation on their proposal at the end of the course.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Over the course of the semester, students will learn:
To develop an understanding of the processes of early embryonic development.
To review current methodologies for conducting research in the field of embryology.
To get introductory hands-on experience during weekly lab demonstrations including searching for and moving embryos, in vitro embryo production, freezing embryos, RNA isolation, reverse transcription PCR, DNA gel electrophoresis, ES cell culture and differentiation, electroporation, and embryo micromanipulation.
To critically review and discuss the current literature in the field of embryology weekly.
To apply information gained in lectures and labs to solve new scientific problems, through critical thinking on take home exams.
To explore interests in the field of embryology and design an experiment supported by current literature in course term paper.
COURSE WEBSITE: The course website will have course notes, protocols, handouts, and papers for reading and class discussion. You will be responsible for printing your own copies to bring to class. You can access the course website at: www.animal.ufl.edu/moore/ans6310
RECOMMENDED TEXT: There is no required text for this course. Selected reading assignments will be taken from the following textbooks:
Developmental Biology. Scott F. Gilbert. Sixth Edition.
The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. Keith L. Moore. Fourth Edition.
Handbook of In Vitro Fertilization. Alan O. Trounson and David K. Gardner. Second Edition.
Clinical Embryology: A
Color Atlas and Text.
An Atlas of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. Yury Verlinsky and Anver Kuliev.
A
Laboratory Guide to the Mammalian Embryo. David
K. Gardner,
ASSIGNMENTS (See class schedule for due dates in bold):
1) Weekly reading assignments and participation in discussions
2) Term paper which will be broken down into several due dates- title due: 2/8, literature review due 3/21, abstract due 4/14 and final paper due 4/23
3) Group participation in ethics debate on 4/16
4) Student presentation of term papers 4/16 - 4/23
5) Two take home exams due 2/29 and 4/4
GRADES: There will be two comprehensive take-home exams given over the semester, which will apply the knowledge gained over the semester from lectures, labs, discussions, and assigned readings, each worth 25% of the total grade. There will be no make-up exams. There will be an optional comprehensive final that can be taken to replace one exam grade, but the student must notify the instructor that they wish to take the final exam before the last week of classes. Additionally, there will be a term paper worth 20% of the grade, proposal presentation worth 10% of the grade and class participation worth 20% of grade. Late assignments will be penalized 25% per hour late. Credit for class participation will be based on attendance to lectures and labs, asking/answering questions, interacting with fellow students in class discussions, quality of class paper discussions and pop quizzes.
Grading Scale: A (90-100), B+ (87-89), B (80-86), C+ (77-79), C (70-76), D+ (67-69), D (60-66), E (less than 60).
CLASS ATTENDANCE: Attendance is required in lectures and laboratories. Students should contact instructor if a class will be missed. This is part of the participation grade, which makes up 20% of the course grade.
Academic Honesty, Software Use, UF Counseling Services, Services
for Students with Disabilities
In 1995 the UF student body enacted a new honor code and
voluntarily committed itself
to the highest standards of honesty and
integrity. When students enroll at the university,
they commit themselves to the
standard drafted and enacted by students.
In adopting this honor code, the students of the University of
Florida recognize that
academic honesty and integrity are
fundamental values of the university community.
Students who enroll at the university commit to holding themselves
and their peers to the
high standard of honor required
by the honor code. Any individual who becomes aware
of a violation of the honor code is bound
by honor to take corrective action. The quality
of a University of Florida education is
dependent upon community acceptance and
enforcement of the honor code.
The Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida
community, pledge
to hold ourselves and our
peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
On all work submitted for credit by students at the university,
the following pledge is
either required or implied: “On
my honor, I have neither given nor received
unauthorized aid in doing this
assignment.”
The university requires all members of its community to be honest
in all endeavors. A
fundamental principle is that the whole
process of learning and pursuit of knowledge is
diminished by cheating, plagiarism and
other acts of academic dishonesty. In addition,
every dishonest act in the
academic environment affects other students adversely, from
the skewing of the grading
curve to giving unfair advantage for honors or for professional
or graduate school admission. Therefore,
the university will take severe action against
dishonest students. Similarly,
measures will be taken against faculty, staff and
administrators who practice dishonest or
demeaning behavior.
Students should report any condition that facilitates dishonesty
to the instructor,
department chair, college dean or
Student Honor Court.
(Source: 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog)
It is assumed all work will be completed independently unless the
assignment is defined
as a group project, in writing by the
instructor. This policy will be
vigorously upheld at all times in this course.
Software Use:
All faculty, staff and students of the university are required and
expected to obey the laws
and legal agreements governing
software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary
damages and/or criminal penalties
for the individual violator. Because such violations are
also against university policies
and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.
Campus Helping Resources
Students experiencing crises or personal problems that interfere
with their general wellbeing
are encouraged to utilize the
university’s counseling resources. Both the
Counseling Center and Student Mental Health Services provide
confidential counseling
services at no cost for currently
enrolled students. Resources are available on campus for
students having personal problems or
lacking clear career or academic goals, which
interfere with their academic
performance. The Counseling Center is located at 301
Peabody Hall (next to Criser Hall). Student Mental Health Services is located on the
second floor of the Student Health
Care Center in the Infirmary.
• University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575,
www.counsel.ufl.edu
• Career Resource Center, CR-100 JWRU, 392-1602, www.crc.ufl.edu/
• Student Mental Health Services, Rm. 245 Student Health
Care Center, 392-1171,
www.shcc.ufl.edu/smhs/
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (ASAP)
Center for Sexual Assault / Abuse Recovery & Education (CARE)
Eating Disorders Program
Employee Assistance Program
Suicide Prevention Program
Students with Disabilities
The Disability Resource Center coordinates the needed
accommodations of students with
disabilities. This includes registering
disabilities, recommending academic
accommodations within the classroom,
accessing special adaptive computer equipment,
providing interpretation services and
mediating faculty-student disability related issues.
0001 Reid Hall, 392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/
Jan 7 Introduction
Jan 9 Computer Module
Jan 11 Molecular Biology Review
Lab No lab
Jan14 Cell Cycle
Jan 16 In Vivo Oocyte Maturation and Fertilization
Jan 18 Cell Cycle Paper Discussion
Lab Sterile Technique and Intro to Moving Eggs/Embryos
Jan 21 No Class - Holiday
Jan 23 In Vitro Maturation and Fertilization (IVM/IVF)
Jan 25 In Vitro Maturation/Fertilization Paper Discussion
Lab Oocyte Collection and In Vitro Maturation
Jan 28 In Vitro Culture of Embryos
Jan 30 Preimplantation Development
Feb 1 IVP Paper Discussion
Lab In Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Culture, Grading and Freezing
Feb 4 Artificial Reproductive Technologies
Feb 6 ART Paper Discussion
Feb 8 Maternal Zygotic Transition Proposal Title Due
Lab Embryo RNA Isolation and Reverse Transcription
Feb 11 Epigenetics and Imprinting/Review Take Home Midterm #1
Feb 13 Epigenetics and Imprinting (cont)
Feb 15 Epigenetics Exam #1 Due
Lab Gene detection by PCR
Feb 18 X inactivation
Feb 20 Sex Determination
Feb 22 Germ
Cells and Gametogenesis
Lab Gel Electrophoresis of PCR products/introduction to cloning DNA
Feb 25 Cell
lineages and Fate mapping/ Discuss Exam #1
Feb 27 Transgenesis
Feb 29 Transgenesis
Lab Pronuclear Microinjection
Mar 3 Transgenesis
Mar 5 Nuclear Transfer
Mar 7 TG Paper Discussion
Lab Nuclear Transfer Demo
Mar 10-14 Spring Break, No classes
Mar 17 Embryonic Stem Cells/Pick Debate topics/teams
Mar 19 Embryonic Stem Cells
Mar 21 ES cell Paper Discussion Lit Review Due
Lab Embryonic Stem Cell Culture, Morphology, Electroporation
Mar 24 Gene Targeting /Site specific recombination
Mar 26 Review of Transgenesis and Gene Targeting
Mar 28 No class; AMCB Research Symposium
Lab Embryoid Bodies, Transgenic ES cells
Mar 31 Gene Targeting Paper Discussion Take Home Midterm
Apr 2 Gastrulation
Apr 4 Neurulation and Neural Crest Exam #2 Due
Lab Embryonic development lab #1
Apr 7 Mesoderm
and Endoderm Differentiation
Apr 9 Placentation
Apr 11 Placentation Paper Discussion
Lab Embryonic development lab #2
Apr 14 Teratology & Toxicology Assays /Discuss Exam II Abstracts Due
Apr 16 Presentations
Apr 18 Presentations
Lab Animal Welfare/Ethics Debates
Apr 21 Presentations
Apr 23 Last
Day of Class; Presentations; Evaluation Projects
Due
No Lab