Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

3 units

Regeneration is a very complex, post-embryonic developmental phenomenon, where organisms replace lost body parts and organs upon injury. However, we still know very little about why some animals are so successful at regenerating whole bodies and organs, while other animals (like humans) have limited or no capacity to do so. This course covers regeneration and stem cell biology across different levels of biological organization (e.g. cell, organ, limb regeneration.) and across the animal phylogeny. Students learn about mechanisms of regeneration at the cellular and molecular level, and how these mechanisms vary among organisms. In addition to the general principles of stem cells and regenerative biology, the course will be a good introduction to animal diversity and evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Students will read and discuss primary literature, and write up their own experimental design to test hypotheses. While this course is not listed as writing intensive, much of the grading is done via writing assignments, which become increasingly difficult. There is an obligatory Tuesday discussion hour that follows the lecture. Please see this page for more details: https://ozpolatlab.org/teaching (Biology Major Area B)