Chair: Jay C. Dunlap
Professors V. R. Ambros (Genetics), C. N. Cole (Biochemistry and Genetics), M. D. Cole (Pharmacology and Genetics), J. C. Dunlap (Genetics and Biochemistry), M. L. Guerinot (Biological Sciences), M. A. Israel (Pediatrics and Genetics), J. J. Loros (Biochemistry and Genetics), C. R. McClung (Biological Sciences), T. K. Mohandas (Pathology and Genetics), N. A. Speck (Biochemistry), R. K. Taylor (Microbiology and Immunology), W. T. Wickner (Biochemistry); Associate Professors B. A. Arrick (Medicine), S. E. Bickel (Biological Sciences), C. Brenner (Genetics and Biochemistry), B. Conradt (Genetics), P. J. Dolph (Biological Sciences), S. N. Fiering (Microbiology and Immunology and Genetics), R. H. Gross (Biological Sciences), T. P. Jack (Biological Sciences), E. J. Lambie (Biological Sciences), J. H. Moore (Genetics); Assistant Professors Y. Ahmed (Genetics), P. Ernst (Genetics), S. Gerber (Genetics), C. W. Pikielny (Genetics), R. M. Saito (Genetics), S. G. Tevosian (Genetics), M. L. Whitfield (Genetics).
Undergraduate students interested in a major program involving genetics should refer to the major in Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology offered by the Department of Biological Sciences.
The Ph.D. in Genetics is administered by the Genetics Department of Dartmouth Medical School. The courses listed below are primarily designed for graduate students. The student should decide, in consultation with his/her committee and course instructors, whether his/her background is appropriate for the content of the course.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR'S DEGREE (PH.D.)
To qualify for award of the Ph.D. degree, a student must fulfill the following requirements:
1. Satisfactory completion of an intensive three-term course in general genetics and biochemistry [Biochemistry 101 (fall term) Genetics 102 (winter term), and Biochemistry 103 (spring term)], a one-term teaching assignment, and a three-term course in laboratory genetics. The latter will consist of three small research projects, conducted in rotation with different faculty members for periods of about three months each.
2. Satisfactory completion of three other graduate-level courses in genetics or related disciplines.
3. Attendance at the seminar series of the Program.
4. Participation in a departmental colloquia and the weekly Research in Progress Series.
5. Satisfactory completion of an oral qualifying examination.
6. Satisfactory completion of a significant research project, and preparation of a thesis describing this research.
7. Successful defense of the thesis in an oral examination, and presentation of the work in a lecture.
For further information, see the Graduate Study Bulletin.
102. Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology II
07W, 08W: 9
The second term of the required year-long graduate-level core course. Topics include introductory immunology, microbial pathogenesis, principles of genetics, model organisms, genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics.
Prerequisite: Biochemistry 101 or permission of the instructor. Not open to undergraduate students. Three lectures per week. Berwin, Cole, and associates.
118. Advanced Topics in Genetics and Molecular Genetics (Identical to Biochemistry 118)
07S, 08S: Arrange
Each year, Genetics 118 will focus on a different topic. Emphasis is on reading and analyzing material from the primary literature.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. The staff.
142. Genetics and Physiology of Behavior
07W, 08W: Arrange
Examination of the genetic, physiological, cellular, and molecular bases of behavior and responses to environmental factors in eukaryotic organisms. Topics to be covered from the current and classic literature will include circadian rhythmicity, learning and memory, and other areas of current research; topics emphasized will vary from year to year. Four hours of lecture and discussion per week.
Open to undergraduates (with senior standing and permission of an instructor) who should enroll under Biology 79. The staff.
144. Oncogenomics
07W, 08W: Arrange
Cancer is not one disease but hundreds of different diseases caused by hundreds of different genotypes. At the cusp of the era in which it has become possible to classify tumors molecularly and to develop targeted therapeutics, this course will explore the impact of genomics on cancer prevention, detection, classification and treatment. Working with a new textbook and the primary literature, students will present research projects on molecular profiling, model systems, and molecularly targeted drugs and imaging. The course will meet for 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Brenner.
145. Human Genetics (Identical to Microbiology and Immunology 145)
07S: Arrange Offered in alternate years.
This course will consider the structure, organization and function of the human genome, with an emphasis on how human genetics will develop now that the genome of humans and many other organisms have been sequenced. The mouse and other model organisms will also be discussed in regard to how they may genetically differ or be similar to humans. The course will meet for two 90 minutes sessions per week. Each session will cover a specific topic and for most sessions the topic will be presented by one of the students enrolled in the course.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Fiering.
146. Molecular and Computational Genomics
07S, 08S: Arrange
The sequencing of the complete genomes of many organisms is transforming biology into an information science. This means the modern biologist must possess both molecular and computational skills to adequately mine this data for biological insights. Taught mainly from the primary literature, topics will include genome sequencing and annotation, genome variation, gene mapping, gene expression and functional genomics, proteomics and systems biology. The course will meet for 3 hours per week.
Prerequisite: permission of an instructor. Moore, Whitfield.
147. Animal Development and Human Disease
08S: Arrange Offered in alternate years.
Understanding of the molecular basis of human disease results from the exceptional power of genetic research technologies in the model organisms (worms, flies, fish and mice) and the universal nature of major genetic pathways in the animal kingdom. This course will offer integrated examination of the genetic, cellular, and molecular bases of the biology and pathology of development. The topics will be focused on the most interesting and informative human hereditary diseases for which the responsible genes have been identified. The developmental principles and pathways (e.g., Wnt signaling and colorectal cancer, sex determination and sex reversal, left-right asymmetry and human laterality disorders, DNA repair and Li-Fraumeni syndrome) and the model organisms we will use to illustrate them may vary somewhat from year to year. 1 hour of lecture and 3 hours of discussion per week.
Prerequisite: permission of an instructor. Tevosian, Ahmed, Ambros, Conradt.
197. Graduate Research in Genetics A
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, prior to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries one course credit and should be elected by students conducting research and also electing two or more other graduate or undergraduate courses. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.
198. Graduate Research in Genetics B
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, prior to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries two course credits and should be elected by students electing only departmental colloquia in addition to research. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.
199. Graduate Research in Genetics C
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, prior to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries three course credits and should be elected by students conducting research exclusively in any one term. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.
267. Graduate Research Colloquium: Developmental Biology
F, W, S: Arrange
All graduate students are required to enroll in Graduate Research Colloquium during each term of residence, except summer. In the Developmental Biology section, students will read and discuss original research papers that apply genetic, molecular, and/or genomic approaches to problems of metazoan development. All students will have frequent opportunities to lead discussions. The class ordinarily meets weekly. Not open to undergraduates. The staff.
271. Graduate Research Colloquium: Chromatin Structure (Identical to Microbiology and Immunology 271)
F, W, S: Arrange
All graduate students are required to enroll in Graduate Research Colloquium during each term of residence, except summer. An essential element of scientific training is in the critical analysis and communication of experimental research in an oral format. Evaluation will be based on quality of the work described, quality of critical analysis, and on presentation style, including effective use of audio-visual materials. All students will be required to participate in at least one Journal Club/Research in Progress series. All students will make oral presentations that describe work from the current literature. This course will meet for a 1-hour discussion once per week. Not open to undergraduates. Fiering, Ernst.
272. Graduate Research Colloquium: Cell Cycle and Metabolism
F, W, S: Arrange
All graduate students are required to enroll in Graduate Research Colloquium during each term of residence, except summer. In the Cell Cycle and Metabolism section this journal club will focus on the interface between protein functional analysis and cell biology. Emphasis will be on papers in which enzymes with roles in the cell division cycle and/or metabolism are characterized using a mix of in vitro and in vivo approaches. Enrolled students will develop a literature screening method using Pubmed, Faculty of 1000 and/or Google Scholar. Each student will be responsible to read nine papers and present one paper per term. Papers will be circulated by email one week in advance of their discussion. To ensure that all students read and analyze the papers, the supervising faculty will call on students at random to present one figure per paper. Not open to undergraduates. Brenner.
297. Graduate Research in Genetics A
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, subsequent to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries one course credit and should be elected by students conducting research and also electing two or more other graduate or undergraduate courses. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.
298. Graduate Research in Genetics B
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, subsequent to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries two course credits and should be elected by students electing only departmental colloquia in addition to research. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.
299. Graduate Research in Genetics C
All terms: Arrange
An original individual, experimental, or theoretical investigation beyond the undergraduate level in genetics. This course is open only to graduate students, subsequent to passing their qualifying exam; it may be elected for credit more than once. This course carries three course credits and should be elected by students conducting research exclusively in any one term. Dunlap and the staff of the Program.