Epigenetics and Cell Differentiation

Knowledge:

• Variations in gene expression profiles during cellular differentiation
• Histone modifications, chromatin structure, and epigenetic regulation of gene expression
• RNAi: discovery, mechanisms, biological functions
• Roles of micro-RNAs in gene regulation and embryonic development
• Mechanisms of asymmetric cell division

Skills:

The primary goals of this course are

• to provide the students with the tools necessary to a critical understanding and evaluation of the primary scientific literature related to the topic of the course;
• to consolidate their understanding of the scientific method; and
• to stress the importance of model systems in modern Biology.

These goals are achieved by an integrated approach combining laboratory exercises and discussions of the primary literature.

Competences:

By the end of the course, the students should be able to:

• discuss, put into perspective, and criticize articles covered in the course.
• use their acquired skills and knowledge to discuss, put into perspective, and criticize articles not covered in the course, bearing on topics related to those covered in the course.
• present the methods used in the articles covered in the course.
• report and put into perspective results obtained in the laboratory exercises.
• conceive experiments related to the laboratory exercises or related to experiments presented in articles covered in the course.