Development and Reproduction

Gene Regulatory Networks for Development

sandstormer — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 19:52:33 +0000

Gene Regulatory Networks for Development sandstormer Mon, 11/22/2021 - 14:52

For full consideration, please apply by Dec 11th. Applications will be accepted and positions filled as available until Jan 3rd. If you require a visa, applying by Dec 11th is strongly encouraged.

Directors: Titus Brown, University of California, Davis and Veronica Hinman, Carnegie Mellon University

Course Description

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are key to the genomic control of development in animals and plants. To study GRNs requires insights from various research fields, including systems biology, developmental and evolutionary biology, as well as functional genomics, and provides an integrative approach to fundamental research questions in biology. This course introduces the concepts of GRNs, and teaches experimental and computational methods used to study them, through highly interactive lectures, discussions, group projects, and practical tutorials. We will cover a broad range of topics, including transcriptional control systems, the structural organization of hierarchical networks, developmental functions of GRN circuit modules, GRN evolution, and computational modeling using BioTapestry as well as Boolean and quantitative mathematical approaches. Students will learn how to generate GRN models based on data extracted from the literature, and will generate computational models to analyze dynamic circuit behavior. We will present and discuss a broad range of experimental approaches and how they are effectively used for studying gene regulation and developmental GRNs. Examples of experimentally solved developmental GRNs from a variety of organisms, such as flies, sea urchins, frogs, chicken, and mice, will be explored. Students are encouraged to share their research projects in a poster session, and to discuss with course faculty how to apply the approaches taught in the course to their own research questions. The course is intended for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty.

Frontiers in Stem Cells & Regeneration

sandstormer — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 19:49:31 +0000

Frontiers in Stem Cells & Regeneration sandstormer Mon, 11/22/2021 - 14:49

Directors: Charles Easley, University of Georgia; and Catherine McCusker, University of Massachusetts, Boston

Course Description

The Frontiers in Stem Cells and Regeneration Course is a laboratory and lecture based course that includes a complete array of biological and medical perspectives from fundamental basic biology of “stemness” and mechanisms of regeneration through evaluation of pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic benefit. This dynamic, evolving course features world class lectures from experts in stem cells and regeneration biology, including a keynote Pioneer Lecture delivered by a leading expert. The laboratories explore a variety of timely topics including stem cell derivation, pluripotency, directed differentiation, and spinal cord and limb regeneration, using an array of experimental models ranging from planarians to human stem cells.

The NIH sponsored course is designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, newly independent scientists, and established investigators seeking comprehensive and sophisticated training in research strategies and state-of-the-art cellular, molecular and genetic approaches for advancing stem cell and regeneration research.

The course also features bioethics seminars, career coaching, and ongoing one-on-one mentoring by course faculty participants.

The Stem Cells and Regeneration Course will exclusively use human embryonic stem cell lines on the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry and being routinely cultured at the Pittsburgh Development Center.

Zebrafish Development and Genetics

sandstormer — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 19:07:32 +0000

Zebrafish Development and Genetics sandstormer Mon, 11/22/2021 - 14:07

Directors: Andrea Pauli, IMP – Research Institute of Molecular Pathology; and Thomas Schilling, University of California, Irvine

Course Description

Over the past 25 years, the zebrafish has emerged as a powerful model system for the study of vertebrate development and disease. This intensive two-week course for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and independent investigators will focus on the development and genetics of zebrafish. The course will cover time proven as well as novel technologies geared towards their application in zebrafish. Mornings and afternoons will be devoted mainly to laboratory exercises and the evenings to lectures and discussion. Limited to 22 students.

Lectures and labs in the first week will introduce students to early development of the zebrafish and to methods for manipulating and studying gene function, including genetic and small molecule screening, mRNA overexpression, optogenetics, and functional knockdown approaches. In addition, students will gain experience in relevant bioinformatics tools, cell fate mapping, regeneration experiments, and mounting and imaging of antibody and in situ samples for publication ready documentation. In the second week, students will be introduced to imaging of live cells and intracellular signaling events, biophysical manipulations, cell transplantation/chimera analysis, and behavioral testing of live animals. Informal ‘roundtable’ discussions held periodically during the course include topics such as reverse genetics, transgenesis, and zebrafish breeding and husbandry.

Each laboratory exercise will be under the supervision of a senior faculty member who will be assisted by one or two junior faculty members. Senior faculty will give research lectures about their work, in addition to leading discussions on topics covered in the course.

Embryology: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology

sandstormer — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 17:52:57 +0000

Embryology: Concepts and Techniques in Modern Developmental Biology sandstormer Mon, 11/22/2021 - 12:52

Directors: Tatjana Piotrowski, Stowers Institute; and Athula Wikramanayake, University of Miami

Course Description

The Embryology Course is an intensive six-week laboratory and lecture course for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and more senior researchers who seek a broad and balanced view of modern issues in developmental biology. Enrollment is limited to 24 students.

Established in 1893, the Embryology Course offers integrated lectures and laboratories that comprehensively cover the paradigms, problems, and technologies of modern developmental biology cast within a comparative framework of metazoan evolution. This course has a rich history of shaping the field: six students and eight faculty have become Nobel Laureates, and numerous others have emerged as prominent leaders and pioneers. The over 40 teaching faculty members, all leaders in their respective fields, deliver lectures, lead discussions, and oversee laboratory sections.

The course introduces students to a wide variety of embryonic systems. These include established models such as fruit flies, nematodes, zebrafish, mice, chickens, sea urchins, frogs, ascidians, and planaria, as well as emerging marine invertebrate models like cnidarians, nemerteans, acoels, crustaceans, cephalopods, annelids, hemichordates, and ctenophores. This extensive coverage of metazoan phylogeny allows for a thorough examination of developmental strategies and mechanisms that drive evolutionary change. The hands-on analytical and experimental techniques employed to explore invertebrate and vertebrate development include embryological manipulation (e.g., cell ablation, tissue grafting) and molecular genetic (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9, RNAi, electroporation) and cell biological approaches (e.g., analysis of cell lineage and migratory behavior). As a result, students receive training in applying cutting-edge microscopy and imaging technologies using the latest instrumentation, reagents, and methods. The curriculum encompasses molecular, genetic, and cellular approaches to studying animal development, stem cell biology, regenerative biology, quantitative biophysical methods, and genomics, all taught within a comparative framework of animal evolution.

Frontiers in Reproduction: Molecular and Cellular Concepts and Applications

sandstormer — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 19:18:35 +0000

Frontiers in Reproduction: Molecular and Cellular Concepts and Applications sandstormer Tue, 11/16/2021 - 14:18

Director: Daniel Bernard (McGill University)

Course Description

Frontiers in Reproduction (FIR) is an intensive six-week laboratory and lecture course designed for advanced graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, newly independent scientists and physicians who seek training in modern state-of-the-art methods and a broad view of current concepts in all areas of reproductive biology.

The FIR course is divided into three sections of two weeks’ duration and covers the following broad themes:

Section 1 – Signal Transduction and Gene Regulation in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis (Djurdjica Coss, Director)

Section 2 – Stem cells, Gametogenesis, Fertilization, and Preimplantation Embryo Development (Karen Schindler, Director)

Section 3 – Male and Female Reproductive Tract Development, Function and Disease (Peggy Petroff, Director)

Each section consists of lectures from faculty and world-renowned scientists in the field of reproductive science. Discussions, informal seminars, laboratory exercises, demonstrations, and one-on-one tutorials comprise a typical day in the FIR course.

Section 1 emphasizes signal transduction and gene regulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and its impact on reproductive function, development, and fertility. Lectures cover physiologic to molecular actions of peptide, protein and steroid hormones and the intracellular signaling as well as the transcriptional gene regulatory mechanisms that drive reproductive biology. Section 1 laboratories teach methods key to studying hormone action and cell biology. Techniques include quantification of second messengers and transcriptional activity; cell culture and transient transfection; western blot analysis; ELISAs; quantitative RT-PCR; chromatin immunoprecipitation; immunofluorescence; tissue dissection.

Section 2 is focused on stem cells, gametogenesis, fertilization, and preimplantation embryo development. The lectures focus on germline stem cells and their differentiation into functional gametes through the processes of spermatogenesis and folliculogenesis, maturation of gametes and acquisition of fertilization and developmental competence, sperm-egg interaction, egg activation and preimplantation embryo development. Epigenetic mechanisms are examined, including discussion of transgenerational inheritance. Additional lectures explore how the environment impacts reproduction, the genetic basis of infertility, including animal models and assisted reproductive technologies used in the clinic. Ethical issues concerning the use of technology in human reproduction are also discussed. The labs in Section 2 focus on single cell RNA sequencing and meiotic staging of germ cells, follicular culture and in vitro techniques related to maturation of oocytes, sperm physiology, fertilization of various animal models, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and other micromanipulation procedures. Commonly used methods in bioinformatics and their applicability are discussed and illustrated.

Section 3 focuses on the examination of the developing and adult male and female reproductive tracts under normal and pathological conditions. Lectures cover transgenic technology including microinjection, gene editing, and embryo transfer; development of the male and female reproductive tracts and gonads; maternal-fetal interactions including implantation, uterine decidualization, comparative placentation, placental function, and immunological adaptations to pregnancy. Additional lectures cover topics of clinical relevance to the reproductive tract, such as implantation failure, endometriosis, and functions of the oviduct. The use of non-traditional species in advancing reproductive sciences such as domestic animals will be discussed. The labs in Section 3 focus on techniques associated with the lecture topics, including generation and characterization of transgenic embryos, in vitro models including cell culture and flow cytometry, and reporter assays to evaluate function of the reproductive tract.

Spread throughout the course are discussions on professional development such as publishing, grant preparation and review, and ethics. The Frontiers in Reproduction course concludes with a two-day symposium featuring seminars by distinguished speakers and short research presentations by current and previous participants.