Biology 4241 - AdvAnCed GeneTiCs
Dr. Steven M. Carr
Department of Biology
Memorial University of Newfoundland
(University Diary)
45 Arctic Ave
St. John's NL
A1C 5S7, Canada
e-mail: scarr@mun.ca
E-mail: scarr@mun.ca
Memorial
University of Newfoundland
Notes for Bio2250 (Principles of Genetics)
This course is an extension of Bio2250 to
advanced topics in experimental classical & modern genetics
Bio4241, Winter
2026 semester
Course Syllabus
Presentation rubric
Lectures Tu Th
1030-1145 TBA
Lab Wed
1400-1700 TBA
Introduction
to Advanced Topics in Genetics
- 05 Jan: A History of DNA to 1953:
- smc [10
Jan] Luria &
Delbruck (1943). Mutations of bacteria from virus
sensitivity to virus resistance. Genetics 28:491.
- 11 Jan LAB: Orientation & Organization
[NOTE: Lab meets in Dept Seminar Room, Sn-3125]
- [12
& 17 Jan] Advanced
Topics in Mutagenesis
- 18 Jan LAB: TBA
Student Presentations
See the Nobel e-Museum for
biographies, summaries & other resources
See PubMed at NCBI for papers
Historical material & animations at Cold
Spring Harbor Labs DNA Learning Center
- (1) [24 Jan]
Structure & History of DNA : Watson, Crick, Wilkins,
Franklin, Gosling, Chargaff et al.
- Watson,
Crick, Wilkins, Franklin, Gosling et al on DNA
structure, 1953 [3
PDFs]
- [25 Jan Lab] Sn-3125: "DNA:
Secret of Photo 51" (Nova, 2007)
- (2) [26 Jan] Genetic function of DNA: "32P goes in, 35S
stays out."
- Hershey & Chase (1952). Independent functions of
viral protein and nucleic acid in growth of bacteriophage. J Gen Physiol 36: 39-56 [PDF of original] [PDF of
presentation] Posted
- (3) [31 Jan] Semi-Conservative Replication of DNA
- Meselson & Stahl (1958). The replication of DNA in Escherichia
coli. Proc Natl Acad
Sci USA 44: 671-682. [PDF of original] [PDF of
presentation] Posted
- [01 Feb lab]
HDM:
Introduction to
Transposable Elements "Jumping Genes"
- (4) [02 Feb] Cancer Genetics
- Knudson (1971). Genetics and cancer: statistical
study of retinoblastoma. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA 68: 820-823. [PDF of original] [PDF of
presentation] Posted
- (5) [07 Feb] The Triplet Code
- Nirenberg et al.
(1966). The
RNA code and protein synthesis. Cold Spring Harbor Symp Quant
Biol 31: 11-24. [PDF of original]
[PDF
of presentation] [PPT
presentation] Posted
- [See introductory paper by FHC Crick; see also
Nirenberg et al. in 1963 CSHSQB
volume]
- smc: "The Big
ORF Theory"
- (6) [14 Feb]
"Chimps and Humans are 99% similar"
- King & Wilson (1975)
Evolution at two levels in humans and chimpanzees. Science
188:107-116. [PDF of original] [PDF
of presentation] [PPT of
presentation] Posted
- [15 Feb Lab] DARWIN
DAY: Guest
speaker
- (7) [16 Feb]
DNA Fingerprinting
- Gill et al. (1994)
Identification of the remains of the Romanov family by
DNA analysis. Nature
316:76-79. [PDF of original] [PPT of presentation] Posted
Part II: Advanced Topics from Gibson
(2015) Primer of Human Genetics. Sinauer.
- [15 Mar]
[Group 1] Chap 02:
The Human Genome
[PDF
of presentation] [posted 14 Mar]
- [15 Mar lab]
Sn-3125: Screening of "Do You Really Want to Know?"
(2012) [IMDB
info] [Notes on
Huntington Disease]
- [16 Mar]
[Group 2] Chap 03: Human
Evolution [PDF of Presentation] [posted
16 Mar]
- [21 Mar]
[Group 3] Chap 04: Normal
Variation [link
to Presentation] [posted
21 Mar]
- [22 Mar
lab]
[Group 4] CRISPR-cas9
technology [link to Presentation] [2016
New Yorker review] [posted 24 Mar]
- [23 Mar]
[Group 5] Chap 06:
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) [link to Presentation]
[posted 24 Mar]
- [28
Mar]
[Group 6] Nat'l Acad Sci Report on GMO
Crops, Part 1 [Link
to PDF Presentation]
[posted Mar 28]
- [30 Mar]
[Group 7] NAS Report on GMO Crops, Part 2 [Link
to PDF Presentation]
[posted Mar 30]
Last updated 02
June 2025
For Eowyn & Matilda.
All
text material © 2025 by Steven M. Carr