Admission requirements
BSc degree
Contact
Coordinator: Prof. dr. J.H. de Winde
Email: j.h.de.winde@science.leidenuniv.nl
Description
How are we genetically different from Neanderthalers? How many genes do organisms have? What fraction of our genome consists of genes? Do prokaryotes shop for genes? Why do salamanders have much more DNA per cell than we have? How does the genome of related species differ? How is the DNA of different individuals different? How well can one make predictions on health and personalized medicine from your DNA? With the advance of genome sequencing all these questions about DNA and evolution can, in principle, be answered. Starting from the basics (introns, extrons, gene families, recombination, QTLs, sequencing) we address these questions and ask what these new insights mean for ideas about evolution and health of species. In the practical you will solve several genomic puzzles, both at a basic and at an advanced level.
Learning goals:
Course objectives:
update knowledge on basic genetic mechanisms
overview of field of genomics
learn to apply genomic information for answering a suite of scientific questions
Final qualifications:
Student is familiar with technical terms used in genomics
Student knows how genomes of major groups of organisms are organized
Student can use genomic information for answering scientific questions about evolution and health.
Timetable
From 4 October 2021 until 29 October 2021.
First 3 weeks lectures, self study (DNA, RNA, proteins, genomes throughout the Tree of Life, human evolution) and practicals. Week 4 group projects. The detailed schedule will be placed on Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
Lectures, reading chapters from Lesk (2017) third edition, individual project (last week), presentation.
Assessment method
Two multiple choice tests and presentations of group projects.
Inspection and feedback on the examination
Date: To be announced
Brightspace
Brightspace will be used for communication.
Reading list
Strongly advised to buy as backup for students:
- Lesk AM (2017) Introduction to genomics. Oxford UP, third edition
Registration
in Usis
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for more information on how to apply.