2016 BCH/BIO/MI/PLS/PPA 601, Special Topics in Molecular and Cellular Genetics
Faculty Coordinators:
Brian Rymond, Dept. of Biology, 335 T.H. Morgan (THM) Biology Bldg., 257-5530
rymond@uky.edu
Seth DeBolt, Dept. of Horticulture, N324 Ag. Sci. Center North, 257-8654, sdebo2@email.uky
The syllabus and required reading assigments will be distributed by email and also posted at:
http://bio.as.uky.edu/rymond/bio-601
Description: For over 25 years, distinguished scientists from around the world have visited the UK
campus each Spring semester to deliver lectures and participate in informal discussions with
graduate students participating in the Special Topics in Molecular and Cellular Genetics Course.
Emphasis is placed on the selection of established investigators of international stature who present
exciting new research in the areas of molecular and cellular genetics. This one credit course may be
repeated for a maximum of six credits. This course is cross-listed as BCH/BIO/MI/PLS/PPA 601.
Class meeting times: This seminar program for graduate students and advanced undergraduate
students meets at irregular times episodically over the semester. The course will host 4 guest
speakers in 2016. Each speaker will provide an introductory lecture to the enrolled students plus
deliver a scientific seminar open to the entire UK Scientific Community. The lectures are scheduled
for 8:00 AM on Monday mornings and the seminars presented on Monday afternoons at 4:00 PM.
In addition, the 601 students will meet with each speaker for an informal lunch on the Monday of
the visit (typically 12:30-1:30 PM) and also participate in a 30 minute question and answer
period immediately following each seminar. In order for us to derive the greatest value from each
visit, the 601 class will assemble the Friday before a scheduled visit for a pre-meeting of studentlead presentations and discussion based on selected publications suggested by the visitor. The
relevant publications will be posted on the class web site at least two weeks before for each premeeting. The course coordinators will advise the student teams in preparing materials prior to these
presentations. To promote active student participation, every enrolled student will provide each
student presenter with one question concerning his/her paper by noon on the Wednesday preceding
the pre-meeting session.
Requirements and Grading: The enrolled students are expected to attend the scheduled premeetings, lectures, and seminars (including the post-seminar question and answer period). In
addition, each student must attend for at least 30 minutes two of the student/speaker lunchtime
meetings – you are welcome to attend all four. Attendance will be taken at each event. Students
are expected to be prepare and participate (that is, ask questions) in each event. Information about
the speakers visits will be posted on the class website during the semester, consequently, each
student should check the class site at least once each week. Grades will be assigned based on the
level of student participation. Unexcused absence from two scheduled events will decrease your
final grade by one letter, three absences by two letter grades. More than three unexcused absences
will result in a grade of E.
SPECIAL TOPICS IN MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR GENETICS SCHEDULE
Orientation meeting: January 15, 2016, 4:00 PM in room 109 of the TH Morgan Biology
Building.
SPEAKER LIST & READING ASSIGNMENTS
Marisa Bartolomei, Ph.D., Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology, Co-director of the
Epigenetics Program, University of Pennsylvania,
https://hosting.med.upenn.edu/epigenetics/people/marisa-bartolomei/
Topic: Epigenetics and genetic imprinting in mammals
Pre-meeting: April 1, 2016 (Friday), 4:00-5:30 PM 109 TH
Morgan Building
Student Lecture: April 4, 2016 (Monday8:00-8:50 AM,
109 TH Morgan Building
Student Lunch: April 4, 2016 (Monday), 12:30-1:30 PM,
305 TH Morgan Building
Seminar: April 4, 2016 (Monday) 4:00 PM, 116 TH
Morgan Building
Title: Why Parents Matter (Epigenetically):
Genomic Imprinting in Health and Disease
Host: Brian Rymond, rymond@uky.edu
Reading list for Dr. Bartolomei
Antagonism between DNA hypermethylation and enhancer-blocking activity at the H19 DMD is
uncovered by CpG mutations. Engel N, West AG, Felsenfeld G, Bartolomei MS.
Nat Genet. 2004 Aug;36(8):883-888.
The cumulative effect of assisted reproduction procedures on placental development and
epigenetic perturbations in a mouse model. de Waal E, Vrooman LA, Fischer E, Ord T, Mainigi
MA, Coutifaris C, Schultz RM, Bartolomei MS. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Dec 15;24(24):6975-6985.
Genomic imprinting in development, growth, behavior and stem cells. Plasschaert RN, Bartolomei
MS. Development. 2014 May;141(9):1805-1813. Review
Ronald Breaker, Ph.D., Henry Ford II Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental
Biology and Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, HHMI Investigator, Member of
the National Academy of Sciences, Yale University http://www.hhmi.org/scientists/ronald-rbreaker
Topic: Expanding biological roles for non-coding RNA
Pre-meeting: April 22, 2016 (Friday), 4:00-5:30 PM 109
TH Morgan Building
Student Lecture: April 25, 2016 (Monday8:00-8:50 AM,
109 TH Morgan Building
Student Lunch: April 25, 2016 (Monday), 12:30-1:30
PM, 305 TH Morgan Building
Seminar: April 25, 2016 (Monday) 4:00 PM, 116 TH
Morgan Building
Title: Prospects for Bacterial Noncoding RNA
Discovery
Host: Brian Rymond, rymond@uky.edu
Reading list for Dr. Breaker
Widespread genetic switches and toxicity resistance proteins for fluoride. Baker JL, Sudarsan N,
Weinberg Z, Roth A, Stockbridge RB, Breaker RR. Science. 2012 Jan 13;335(6065):233-235.
New classes of self-cleaving ribozymes revealed by comparative genomics analysis.
Weinberg Z, Kim PB, Chen TH, Li S, Harris KA, Lünse CE, Breaker RR. Nat Chem Biol. 2015
Aug;11(8):606-610
An ancient riboswitch class in bacteria regulates purine biosynthesis and one-carbon metabolism.
Kim PB, Nelson JW, Breaker RR. Mol Cell. 2015 Jan 22;57(2):317-328.
Prospects for riboswitch discovery and analysis. Breaker RR. Mol Cell. 2011 Sep 16;43(6):867879. Review.
Raymond Trievel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan
http://medicine.umich.edu/dept/biochem/raymond-trievel-phd
Topic: Structures, mechanisms, and substrate specificities of
chromatin modifying enzymes
Pre-meeting: March 18, 2016 (Friday), 4:00-5:30 PM, Cameron
Williams Lecture Hall (Plant Sciences Building)
Student Lecture: March 21, 2016 (Monday), 8:00-8:50 AM,
Cameron Williams Lecture Hall (Plant Sciences Building)
Student Lunch: March 21, 2016 (Monday), 12:30-1:30 PM,
Room 460 Plant Sciences Building
Seminar: March 21 (Monday) 4:00 PM, Cameron Williams
Lecture Hall (Plant Sciences Building)
Title: TBA
Host: Seth DeBolt, sdebo2@email.uky
Reading list for Dr. Trievel
4th 601 speaker to be announced